Psychedelic Renaissance

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Today’s newsletter is a little advocacy for the field of psychedelic research and some ways to learn more, whether you’re already interested or know nothing at all.

A little backstory

The last credit of my undergraduate psychology degree was actually an independent-study focused on the history of psychedelics, as well as the burgeoning research that’s been revitalized in the last decade or so. This was in 2017, and I pitched this project to my advisor using the term “entheogens”, because even just five years ago the word “psychedelic” was still considered taboo in some academic circles. Thank you to my advisor, Todd, for allowing me to branch out in this direction.

To satisfy the credit, I read books such as The Doors of Perception and Island by Aldous Huxley, A Really Good Day by Ayelet Waldman, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe, and various academic papers by leading psychedelic researchers, including Roland Griffiths and Matthew Johnson of Johns Hopkins, and Robin Carhart-Harris of Imperial College London.

What did I learn? Turns out, much of the government’s effort to classify psychedelics—including psilocybin (mushrooms), lysergic acid diethylamide (acid), mescaline (peyote), DMT, and cannabis—as Schedule I substances was a backlash to the hullabaloo of the 1960s (and the decades prior), resulting in the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970. And now, years after the veil has been lifted on the objective failue of the War on Drugs, these substances remain federally illegal and continue to discriminately incarcerate people of color, all while legitimate scientific research shows their profound efficacy for therapeutic use.

Public service announcement by the Federal Bureau of Narcotics used in late 1930s and early 1940s.

And so, for a short time following undergrad, I desperately wanted to be a psychedelic researcher and even applied to a few PhD programs where this research was currently being performed. Upon unanimous rejections and further consideration of the 5+ year commitment, I opted to play the long game and hopefully set myself up for involvement in the psychedelic sphere in some other manner.

From there I grew fascinated by the health benefits of non-psychoactive mushrooms through mycologist and public speaker Paul Stamets, and his eco-centric worldview. (Read my past article on Fantastic Fungi for more on that topic.) As I dove into the world of aging and Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, Lion’s Mane and other functional mushrooms became my best friend and daily supplement, with the hope of improving my own cognitive and immune health throughout the lifespan.

Increases in my understanding of psychedelics, the cultural acceptance of their therapeutic use, and the healthcare system at large have allowed me to communicate to you in this way today. Bringing it back to psychedelic research, various centers have been created in the last few years with the sole purpose of exploring the therapeutic potential of psychedelics:

• Johns Hopkins, Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research

• Imperial College London, Centre for Psychedelic Research

• University of California, Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics

• New York University Grossman School of Medicine, Center for Psychedelic Medicine

The following video is a Ted Talk by Roland Griffiths, director of the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Of all the potential career paths following graduate school, the one I’m most inspired by right now is working for the non-profit organization MAPS (Multidisciplinary Approach to Psychedelic Studies), which works to raise awareness and understanding of psychedelics substances. At the forefront of MAPS’ current efforts is a Phase 3 Clinical Trial program with the FDA, studying the effects of MDMA on PTSD and eating disorders.

MDMA is not a “classical psychedelic”, but has been found to reduce activity in the amygdala—the part of the brain where fear is processed—thereby providing a feeling of emotional safety in which traumatic memories can more effectively be worked through. This type of MDMA therapy, in conjunction with traditional PTSD therapies, aid in transfering traumatic memories from short to long-term memory, decreasing day-to-day impact and the amount of potential triggers.

Another personal link to MAPS are my interests in environmentalism and policymaking, especially as federal policymakers decide how to regulate psychedelic substances. Several U.S. cities have already passed legislation decriminalizing psilocybin—the psychoactive compound in psychedelic mushrooms—including Washington D.C., Denver, Oakland, Santa Cruz, Cambridge, as well as the state of Oregon, which also legalized it for therapeutic use.

Another notable concern is Big Pharma attempting to create a cultural narrative that psychedelics are just another quick fix, while avoiding the importance of integration following the psychedelic experience. Similarly, I’ve already heard of attempts to create synthetic psychedelics, void of the psychedelic experience entirely. These experiences often take many hours and have the potential to surface difficult emotions and/or memories, but which are, in many ways, essential to the therapeutic outcome. I recognize the increased access that may result from treatment one can undergo at home, without having to take an entire day off work, but have qualms with psychedelics becoming so mainstream that they lose their historical and spiritual significance.

This is all to say: if the psychedelic renaissance does gain further legitimacy, pharmaceutical commercialization will inevitably happen. I don’t pretend to fight this, but we can and should be prepared to answer specific questions and prioritize slow, healthy growth over rapid, profit-driven expansion.

I know I’ve thrown a lot of perhaps esoteric jargon at you all, but here are two practical and hopefully enjoyable ways to educate yourself on the future of psychedelics:

1. Watch “How to Change Your Mind” on Netflix. What originated as a New York Times Bestseller by Michael Pollan has been adapted into a four-episode mini-series.

2. Enroll in the Psychedelic Fundamentals course offered by MAPS. Using the 50% off promo code “fundamentals-zendo-50”, $15 dollars will grant you access to an “overview of the most interesting and important aspects of psychedelic history, science, clinical research, therapeutic uses, and harm reduction, backed by over 36 years of MAPS experience.”

Lastly, here are a few things to keep in mind to aid the future of psychedelics:

1. Vote for psychedelic legislation if offered in your city or state

2. Don’t de-legitimize substances with slang like “magic mushrooms” and “acid”

3. Don’t glamorize the recreational psychedelic experience

4. If you do choose to use psychedelics, seek a “trip sitter”

5. Have a purpose or intention for any psychedelic experience

“The most beautiful emotion we can experience is the mystical. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead.” - Albert Einstein