Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Enduring Changes with Psilocybin Use

Psilocybin-occasioned mystical-type experience in combination with meditation and other spiritual practices produces enduring positive changes in psychological functioning and in trait measures of prosocial attitudes and behavior.

This is an outcome from the attempt to mix psilocybin use with meditative/spiritual practice.

High-dose groups showed large significant positive changes on longitudinal measures of interpersonal closeness, gratitude, life meaning/purpose, forgiveness, death transcendence, daily spiritual experiences, religious faith and coping, and community observer ratings.

Monday, October 30, 2017

Will Psychedelic Therapy Transform Mental Health Care?

"Unlike almost all other psychiatric medications that have a direct biological effect, these drugs seem to work through biology to open up a psychological opportunity"
During treatment, patients typically don headphones for music and eyeshades and then lie down. They’re encouraged to go as "deep" as possible into the experience. As the session ends and the hallucinogenic effects wear off, patient and therapist discuss the experience. Follow-up psychotherapy sessions facilitate lasting results.

Sunday, October 29, 2017

The Psychedelic Experience

Good basic and graphical overview of information about major psychedelic drugs in The Psychedelic Experience.

Saturday, October 28, 2017

Psychedelics And Mental Health


Psychedelics And Mental Health: nice overview of research into depression, anxiety and addiction.

Thursday, October 26, 2017

Details on MDMA's Phase 3 Clinical Trials

MDMA Advances Another Step As Tool to Treat PTSD.

I found it interesting, and compassionate, that those who end up in the placebo control group will have the option to repeat the therapy process with MDMA.

Results from Phase 2:
  • Therapy alone: 23% remission
  • Therapy plus 1 MDMA session: 55% remission
  • Therapy plus 2 MDMA sessions: 61% remission
  • One year out after MDMA sessions: 68% remission
Acceptance is important - some interesting comments:
As a result of both his clinical and imaging work, Nutt has concluded that the common characterization of MDMA as similar to LSD and psilocybin is wrong both in terms of its psychodynamic effects and its effects at the receptor sites. While psilocybin and LSD work through the 5HT2A receptor system, said Nutt, MDMA “dampens down the limbic system—probably through the 5H1A receptor.” MDMA acts so differently that it should not be compared with these other drugs, said Nutt. Rather, it is more accurately characterized as “an empathogenic and anxiolytic.”

 “Unlike the classical psychedelics, which appear to work on depression “by breaking down persistent ruminations, MDMA helps those suffering from PTSD break down their trauma by confronting it,” Nutt commented. “What we think is that under MDMA, the emotions are not so powerful, so people can endure them better.”

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Jim Carrey seems to Get It

"There's just a relative manifestation of consciousness appearing" (Youtube, 2 minutes)

He gets a little crazy in some other videos, but this one is pretty spot on.  And, BTW, he is not playing Terence McKenna in an upcoming movie.

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

The Importance of Acceptance

Carnegie Mellon Study Shows Mindfulness Meditation App Works—But Acceptance Training Component Is Crucial.

"Rather than fighting to get rid of unpleasant feelings, welcoming and accepting these feelings during stressful moments is key."