PSYCHEDELIC THERAPY is the medically assisted use of psychotropic substances for therapeutic purposes. Holistic use of psychedelics has existed since early civilizations, but the 1960s hippie counterculture movement and widespread cases of substance abuse have negatively impacted the treatment’s reputation. Despite legal roadblocks, the medical community is undergoing a resurgence of research on the various benefits of psychedelics for cognitive rehabilitation. What was once considered a recreational tool is now proving to be a forward-thinking solution to long-existing concerns in the field of medicine. 

The history

   Various scientists around the world conducted experiments regarding the therapeutic possibilities of psychedelics in the 1950s. Humphry Osmond was a leading figure in the field during this decade of early research and later coined the term “psychedelic.” Upon reading about the synthesis[1] and effects of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD), Osmond and his team were curious about its effect on alcoholism. Promising results and a series of other published research inspired several other psychiatrists to delve into this form of experimental psychotherapy. Between 1950 to 1965, thousands of peer-reviewed studies on psychedelic therapy paved the way for its burgeoning social acceptance. About 40,000 patients were prescribed LSD during this period for several mental illnesses including early autism and schizophrenia[2]. Alas, growing public interest was accompanied by a growth in the recreational use of these hallucinogens, and this marked the beginning of the end for psychedelic therapy. 

   In the early to mid-1960s, the hippie counterculture developed into an entire movement. Hippies were coincidentally linked to absent-mindedness and mind-altering substances in the United States and the United Kingdom—leading countries in psychedelic research. This kind of poor reputation, coupled with political conflicts, caused both governments to outlaw most psychedelics. Promptly after, The Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971 concluded with the United Nations (UN) categorizing LSD, psilocybin, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and many more psychedelics as Schedule I drugs—the most severe level[3]. Most countries around the world promptly followed suit with their illegalization.  

The science

   Psychedelics alter the composition of one’s brain with different chemical compounds affecting specific neural components. Among these chemical reactions is the increase in serotonin[4] levels. A 2020 study by scientists Bryan L. Roth and Georgios Skiniotis demonstrated how psychedelics bind to serotonin receptors (HTR2A) and activate them, releasing highly active neurons into the brain[5]. Psychedelics also calm the brain’s default mode network (DMN), a network in the brain that activates when one is at rest. A “quieter” DMN means less subconscious thinking and more meditative-like states. Scientists account for this as a causal factor for why psychedelics may reduce anxiety or hyperactivity in the brain. Furthermore, studies show that psychedelics activate neural plasticity—the brain’s ability to adapt to changes and modify itself in response. At a cellular level, neural plasticity can increase the growth and intricacy of neurons in a process called neurogenesis[6]. Able to activate such a variety of reactions within the brain, even a light dose of psychedelics can cause effects such as euphoria, introspective thinking, increased sensory perception, and intensified emotions. A larger dose may induce visual and auditory hallucinations as well as “spiritual” episodes. These effects are far more dramatic than other non-hallucinogenic neural stimulants like cocaine due to psychedelics’ ability to focus on neural growth specifically within the prefrontal cortex[7]. And unlike cocaine, “classic” psychedelics such as LSD are non-addictive and have shown no signs of causing compulsive use. 

The experiments

   Although the types of psychedelics range in the hundreds, there are three significant hallucinogens that are known in the mainstream and are studied most often:

   LSD, with the street name “Acid,” is a synthetic drug made from ergot fungi. Chemist Albert Hoffman discovered it in 1938 and described his experience under several doses as “an uninterrupted stream of fantastic images of extraordinary plasticity and vividness and accompanied by an intense, kaleidoscope-like play of colors.” That, combined with its “extremely high hallucinogenic potency,” is what differentiates LSD from other known drugs[8]. A 2012 study that looked over six trials of alcohol rehabilitation showed that within a controlled group of patients administered LSD, 59% found a reduction in alcohol abuse compared to the 38% of patients who were not administered the drug[9]. 

   Psilocybin, also known as “Magic Mushrooms” or simply “Shrooms,” is an alkaloid—a naturally occurring compound—found in certain fungi. The drug has been found to reduce depression and anxiety. A study in 2016, headed by Roland Griffiths, showed how high doses improved the mental health of patients with life-threatening cancer. Clinical and self-rated assessments proved an increase in “quality of life, life meaning, and optimism, and decreases in death anxiety.” These results were sustained with 80% of patients after a six-month follow-up [9]. 

   MDMA or “Ecstacy” is a synthetic stimulant and hallucinogenic that is derived from amphetamines[10]. Neuroscientist Gul Dölen found that MDMA is an effective tool to reopen one’s “critical period”—a state of the brain when it is most susceptible to absorbing information and social cues. An average human’s critical period lasts from birth to age eight. Dölen expressed that MDMA and a reopened critical period may reorganize negative thought patterns and improve illnesses like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This was further proven with a phase three clinical trial in 2021 to study the efficacy of MDMA for severe PTSD. Among the 90 patients (half of whom were in a placebo group), 67% were cured within a two-month timeframe[11]. 

The side effects

   Extensive research on psychedelic therapy supports its ability to cause positive change for many people afflicted with mild to severe mental illnesses. Despite this, the downsides of hallucinogens make some hesitant to partake in these procedures. Certain individuals may experience disadvantageous psychological reactions depending on their genetics or environment. Drug-triggered psychosis, also known as “stimulant psychosis,” is the development of psychotic symptoms such as derealization and delusion due to the consumption of drugs. In this psychosis, hallucinogens induce dormant mental disorders to surface—sometimes chronically. Psychedelic crises—colloquially termed “bad trips”—may also occur, causing temporary bouts of irrational paranoia and anxiety. 

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  Side effects aside, the overwhelming evidence behind psychedelic therapy improving the mental health of treatment-resistant patients calls for more research in the field. Only with consistent exploration can we dissolve the barriers of misinformation and social stigma, introducing new possibilities in the medical field. 

[1] Synthesis: The creation of a chemical compound by combining other substances

[2] The American Journal of Psychiatry

[3] The United Nations

[4] Serotonin: A neurotransmitter or chemical that signals one’s nerve cells

[5] University of Northern California Health Care

[6] Frontiers in Psychiatry

[7] Cell Reports

[8] Discoveries in Biological Psychiatry by Frank J. Ayd, Jr. & Barry Blackwell, eds.

[9] Journal of Psychopharmacology

[10] Amphetamines: A stimulant that affects the central nervous system; It is often administered for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy.

[11] Nature Medicine