Where's your head at? For those who can not drink!

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Permalink Reply by DevilDriver Droid & I PHONE APP on December 12, 2008 at 1:08pm

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Permalink Reply by DevilDriver Droid & I PHONE APP on December 12, 2008 at 1:10pm

This article originally appeared in the December/January 2008 issue of Scientific American Mind magazine. I would be happy to discuss the research that is presented in the article, and I welcome your questions and comments. I spent a good part of the past year working as the Guest Editor at MAPS (www.maps.org), and am very excited about all the new scientific research into psychedelic drugs. This article is illustrated by Sara Huntley -- who did this piece especially for RealitySandwich, and will also available to discuss any comments or questions. Sarah has contributed to some of the MAPS Bulletins that I've edited and she did the illustrations for my new book. I look forward to hearing what the RealitySandwich community thinks about my article and the future of psychedelic drug research.



Mind-altering psychedelics, or hallucinogens, are back in the research labs, where their therapeutic applications -- rather than the illegal use -- are being explored. Studies are looking at psychedelics to treat a number of otherwise intractable psychiatric disorders, including chronic depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and drug or alcohol dependency.

The past 15 years have seen a quiet resurgence of psychedelic drug research as scientists have come to recognize the long-underappreciated potential of these drugs. In the past few years, a growing number of studies using human volunteers have begun to explore the possible therapeutic benefits of drugs such as LSD, psilocybin, DMT, MDMA, ibogaine and ketamine.

Much remains unclear about the precise neural mechanisms governing how these drugs produce their mind-bending results, but they often produce somewhat similar psychoactive effects that make them potential therapeutic tools. Though still in their preliminary stages, studies in humans suggest that the day when people can schedule a psychedelic session with their therapist to overcome a serious psychiatric problem may not be that far off.



The Trip Begins

Psychedelic drug research began in 1897, when the German chemist Arthur Heffter first isolated mescaline, the primary psychoactive compound in the peyote cactus. In 1943 Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann discovered the hallucinogenic effects of LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) at Sandoz Pharmaceuticals in Basel while studying ergot, a fungus that grows on rye. Then, 15 years later, in 1958, he was the first to isolate psilocybin and psilocin-the psychoactive components of the Mexican "magic mushroom," Psilocybe mexicana.

Prior to 1972 close to 700 studies with psychedelic drugs took place. The research suggested that psychedelics offered significant benefits in easing the teetotaling of alcoholics, the anxieties of terminal cancer patients and the symptoms of many difficult-to-treat psychiatric illnesses, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder.

For example, studies by Stanislav Grof and colleagues at the Spring Grove State Hospital in Baltimore with terminal cancer patients between 1967 and 1972 showed that LSD combined with psychotherapy could alleviate symptoms of depression, tension, anxiety, sleep disturbances, psychological withdrawal and even severe physical pain. Other investigators during this era found that LSD may have some interesting potential as a means to facilitate creative problem-solving (see sidebar: "A Spark for Creativity?" ).

Between 1972 and 1990 there were no human studies with psychedelic drugs. Their disappearance was the result of a political backlash that followed the promotion of these drugs by the 1960s counterculture. This reaction not only made these substances illegal for personal use but also made it extremely difficult for researchers to get government approval to study them.

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Permalink Reply by DevilDriver Droid & I PHONE APP on December 12, 2008 at 1:17pm

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Permalink Reply by DevilDriver Droid & I PHONE APP on December 12, 2008 at 1:18pm

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