Hallucinogens: What’s being studied
Hallucinogens have been studied in the U.S. for their potential healing benefits since the discovery of LSD in the 1940s. However, most research stalled when psychedelic substances were outlawed in the late 1960s.
But in the past 20 years, drugs like psilocybin, and MDMA, ketamine and other psychedelics, have shown promise in treating conditions like depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and addiction.
Matthew Johnson, PhD, a research psychologist at Johns Hopkins University, says he’s expecting hallucinogenic drugs to have a proper medical use “under some constrained, limited circumstances” in the near future.
“Most powerful substances that we know of, that have powerful effects on the central nervous system, are like any powerful tool,” says Johnson, who has studied how psilocybin affects depression. “They can have dangerous effects, or beneficial effects, if judiciously used in a context where the dangers are known and mechanisms are in place to address them.”
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Countless studies are occurring across the nation and around the world. Some notable ones include:
In a small study of adults with major depression, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers report that two doses of the psychedelic substance psilocybin, given with supportive psychotherapy, produced rapid and large reductions in depressive symptoms, with most participants showing improvement and half of study participants achieving remission through the four-week follow-up. In addition, Johns Hopkins has more than 15 other studies using hallucinogens.
PTSD expert Rachel Yehuda, Ph.D., highlights the promising results from MAPS’ first Phase-3 trial, citing 2/3 of those treated with MDMA no longer have PTSD. Dr. Yehuda reports, “This may really end up being a game-changer for people that have suffered for way too long.”
Yale Center for Clinical Investigation is studying the effect of psilocybin on Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). The purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential efficacy of psilocybin for MDD compared to the active placebo on those suffering from MDD. Yale leads the research studies, with over 35 current studies related to psychedelics.
An affiliate of Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, is examining psilocybin’s efficacy on depression. The researchers are also exploring the substance’s impact on cognitive and emotional processing, as well as on personality traits that make an individual susceptible to mental illness.
At Palo Alto University, Gabby Agin-Liebes, BA, is studying Death Anxiety. She reports that when combined with psychotherapy, psilocybin helped study participants grapple with loss and existential distress. It also helped the participants reconcile their feelings about death as nearly all participants reported that they developed a new understanding of dying.
Closer to home, the University of Utah is studying psilocybin in group therapy for patients with cancer, in addition to at least four other current studies.
With more studies being implemented, there is hope on the horizon that these substances can be put to safe use to heal those who have been suffering with little to no help in sight. As people begin to understand the beneficial uses of these plant medicines through data, or personal use, their benefits will be sought out and their use will be normalized.
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