Psychedelics, depression, cancer

[Guest guest]

This article was published in the NY Times. Dr. Grob, the

leader in doing research with psilocybin and cancer, made a

presentation at our Center in which he disclosed that those patients

who used psilocybin tended to outlive their prognosis and had a

higher quality of life. I think it plausible that there might be

non-drug meditative methods to attain analogous mental states perhaps

achieving similar uniformly beneficial results.

At the Center we do not use psychedelics, but we do occasionally

refer participants to local physicians who lawfully provide

recommendations for medical marijuana use. We have seen the benefits

of marijuana and strongly support continued research. There is now a

referendum effort to completely decriminalize and tax marijuana in

California. In a perverse twist California growers are against this

proposal as they believe the tobacco industry will completely take

over marijuana farming and commercialization. It is their argument

that the best thing the US government can do to support the American

farmer is to outlaw the growing and selling of wheat.

http://www.maps.org/media/opinion-october08.pdf

also:

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/63477/hallucinogens-make-comeback.html

Hallucinogens make a comeback

By Tierney

As a retired clinical psychologist, was well acquainted

with traditional treatments for depression, but his own case seemed

untreatable as he struggled through chemotherapy and other grueling

regimens for kidney cancer.

Counseling seemed futile to him. So did the antidepressant pills he tried.

Nothing had any lasting effect until, at the age of 65, he had his

first psychedelic experience. He left his home in Vancouver to take

part in an experiment at s Hopkins medical school involving

psilocybin, the psychoactive ingredient found in certain mushrooms.

Fresh approach

Scientists are taking a new look at hallucinogens, which became taboo

among regulators after enthusiasts like Leary promoted them

in the 1960s with the slogan " Turn on, tune in, drop out. " Now, using

rigorous protocols and safeguards, scientists have won permission to

study once again the drugs' potential for treating mental problems

and illuminating the nature of consciousness.

After taking the hallucinogen, put on an eye mask and

headphones, and lay on a couch listening to classical music as he

contemplated the universe. " All of a sudden, everything familiar

started evaporating, " he recalled.

Today, more than a year later, credits that six-hour

experience with helping him overcome his depression and profoundly

transforming his relationships with his daughter and friends.

Researchers from around the world are gathering this week in San

, California, for the largest conference on psychedelic science

held in the United States in four decades. Because reactions to

hallucinogens can vary so much depending on the setting,

experimenters and review boards have developed guidelines to set up a

comfortable environment with expert monitors in the room to deal with

adverse reactions.

In one of Dr Griffiths's first studies, involving 36 people with no

serious physical or emotional problems, he and colleagues found that

psilocybin could induce what the experimental subjects described as a

profound spiritual experience . In a survey conducted two months

later, the people who received psilocybin reported significantly more

improvements in their general feelings and behavior than did the

members of the control group.

Miraculous change

In interviews, and other subjects described their egos and

bodies vanishing as they felt part of some larger state of

consciousness in which their personal worries and insecurities

vanished. They found themselves reviewing past relationships with

lovers and relatives with a new sense of empathy.

" It was a whole personality shift for me, " said. " I wasn't any

longer attached to my performance and trying to control things. I

could see that the really good things in life will happen if you just

show up and share your natural enthusiasms with people. You have a

feeling of attunement with other people. "

The subjects' reports mirrored so closely the accounts of religious

mystical experiences, Griffiths said, that it seems likely the human

brain is wired to undergo these " unitive " experiences, perhaps

because of some evolutionary advantage.

Although federal regulators have resumed granting approval for

controlled experiments with psychedelics, there has been little

public money granted for the research.

Researchers are reporting preliminary success in using psilocybin to

ease the anxiety of patients with terminal illnesses. Dr S

Grob, a psychiatrist who is involved in an experiment at U C L A,

describes it as " existential medicine " that helps dying people

overcome fear, panic and depression.

The New York Times