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Mystical States achieved through Psychedelics: The Origins, Classical, and Contemporary Use of Psychedelics
Published in Andrew C. Papanicolaou, A Scientific Assessment of the Validity of Mystical Experiences, 2021
In the typical psychedelic experience some somatic changes, sometimes subtle and at other times very pronounced, make their appearance first, accompanied by sensory distortions like “heaving walls” and synesthesias and then by intense visual imagery with a life of its own, where the person feels like a spectator. The resulting sense of suspension of one's will that also characterizes the genuine mystical state makes the distinction between visions and mystical experiences difficult.
Missed Opportunities? Beneficial Uses of Illicit Drugs
Published in Ross Coomber, The Control of Drugs and Drug Users, 2020
Lester Grinspoon, James B. Bakalar
Ever since experimentation with these drugs began, some users and psychotherapists have maintained that psychedelic experiences can provide religious or emotional insight, heightened creative capacity, psychological insight, or relief from neurotic symptoms. From 1950 to the mid-1960s, psychedelic drugs — especially LSD, mescaline, and psilocybin — were used extensively in experimental psychiatry. They were first studied as chemical models for natural psychoses; little came of this line of inquiry and it was soon abandoned. But psychedelics were also used extensively in psychotherapy. More than a thousand clinical papers were published discussing forty thousand patients; there were several dozen books and six international conferences on psychedelic drug therapy. It was recommended for a wide variety of problems, including alcoholism, obsessional neurosis, and childhood autism. Beginning in the mid-1960s, with the increase of illicit use, it became difficult to obtain the drugs or get funding for research, and professional interest declined. There is now a growing interest in the therapeutic potential of this class of drugs, particularly some of the new phenethylamines. But because they are all in Schedule I, it is difficult to conduct clinical research with them.
The Future of Narcotic Addiction
Published in Albert A. Kurland, S. Joseph Mulé, Psychiatric Aspects of Opiate Dependence, 2019
Albert A. Kurland, S. Joseph Mulé
Continuing study of the psychedelic experience has outlined manifestations of complex interactions resulting from the exchange between the consciousness-altering effects of the drug experience. These have been identified as primarily of five types: PsychoticCognitiveAestheticPsychodynamicMystical or cosmic nature47
Ethical Considerations at the Intersection Between Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy and Medical Assistance in Dying
Published in AJOB Neuroscience, 2023
Daniel Rosenbaum, Matthew Cho, Evan Schneider, Sarah Hales, Daniel Z. Buchman
As part of the informed consent process, clinicians must clearly articulate the risks and benefits of psychedelic experiences, including the resurfacing of traumatic material, potentially severe anxiety, and psychosis. While such adverse psychological reactions appear uncommon in clinical trials, they may become more frequent as psychedelics are used in less carefully selected patients or without adequate support. Importantly, the desperation of some patients with advanced disease (who may also be considering MAiD) should not lead to a condensed informed consent process. Rather, such patients should be attended to with particular care given their vulnerability and the tremendous hype and potentially unrealistic expectations about PAP. Together, these factors further emphasize the importance of consent as a dynamic process versus an event.
Magic Mushroom Use: A Qualitative Interview Study of Post-Trip Impacts and Strategies for Optimizing Experiences
Published in Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 2023
Lindsay Shaw, Kerri Rea, Nathan J. Lachowsky, Eric Abella Roth
Psychedelic research in the 1950s-1970s, often referred to as the “second wave,” was characterized by a more relaxed delineation between formal research and non-clinical use, with researchers sometimes taking psychedelics alongside study participants (Wark and Galliher 2009). In comparison, today’s third wave psychedelic research is characterized by a medicalized approach, rigorous research methods, cautious findings and strict ethical protocols. Strong delineations between clinical and non-clinical psychedelic use may be in response to criminalization following the second wave (Sessa 2014). Within the third wave, although some research has been conducted on non-clinical psychedelic use, the number of studies on the topic of non-clinical use are relatively few when compared with the number of studies which explore utilizing psychedelics within clinical settings and within the context of neuroscience studies. However, between 10% to 12.2% of the national populations of the United States and Canada, respectively, have used psychedelics in their lifetimes (Krebs and Johansen 2013; Statistics Canada 2017), which indicate a likelihood of diverse psychedelic experiences. Yet when discussing non-clinical psychedelic use, Bøhling (2017) notes we “paradoxically, have the least amount of knowledge about the largest group of users” (134).
How Important Is a Guide Who Has Taken Psilocybin in Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy for Depression?
Published in Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 2023
Mitch Earleywine, Fiona Low, Brianna R. Altman, Joseph De Leo
These promising results have generated interest in fine-tuning this therapy. Research on psychotherapy for depression examines aspects of the therapist, the client, their alliance (Laws et al. 2017) or the treatment process. Differences among empirically validated psychotherapies are small (Cuijpers 2017). Given the psychoactive component of PAT, investigators devoted decades to crafting an ideal “set and setting” (e.g., Blewett and Chwelos 1959; Osmond 1957), borrowing from shamanic traditions (see Leary, Metzner, and Alpert 1964; Metzner 1998), emphasizing that attitudes and environs alter effects. One unexplored contributor concerns psychedelic guides, or trained professionals who prepare clients and facilitate their experience. Mainstream and academic publications now use the term “guides,” drawing on parallels between the psychedelic experience and travel (See Belser et al. 2017; Griffiths et al. 2018; Nutt and Carhart-Harris 2021). Examinations of the skills, training, and personal dispositions of these guides might improve outcomes.