Many of us know only one side of the story of psychedelic therapy. In the 1950s and early 1960s, psychiatrists gave LSD and mescaline to patients struggling with depression, anxiety, and addiction. They hoped to create a powerful spiritual experience that would produce lasting change.
Among the celebrities who vouched for this new method of treatment were movie star Cary Grant, writer Anaïs Nin, and Bill W., founder of Alcoholics Anonymous.
But after LSD spread into the larger culture, the U.S. government imposed strict restrictions on it (Dyck, 2008). By 1966, it became very difficult for researchers to conduct experiments with LSD. Today’s psychedelic therapists see themselves as heirs to this earlier tradition.
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It’s not without its risks (bad trip), even in a therapeutic medical setting, but the results borne out are undeniably greatly impactful to those who’ve experienced them personally. It’s difficult to express them to skeptics or those opposed to drugs of this (or any) kind, there’s something to the trips which does not translate in a meaningful way to someone who hasn’t experienced them themselves. Looking forward to more news on this, there are tons of people who could benefit from it if scenarios (setting, dosage, chemical purity, disposition of patient, positive trip, etc.) are ideal.
