how psilocybin affects those struggling with mental health and trauma. Getting in touch with your emotions.
A recent NYU study found that psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy significantly reduced suicidal ideation in advanced cancer patients. Patients saw improvements in existential distress as early as 8 hours after the first dose, and the positive effects lasted over 6 months after the second dose.
A registered clinical counsellor, Dave Phillips, went on a mushroom trip for research purposes and said it was “the most powerful personal experience I’ve ever had in my life” and that it gave him “the most overwhelming sense of being loved”. During the six-hour trip which was guided by an expertly-curated playlist, Phillips was able to connect with his father and son who both passed away, and saw himself as an embryo. Phillips said that experiencing psilocybin gave him an understanding of how to respond effectively when patients undergo the treatment. He believes that the treatment is effective because it “opens up the connectivity power of the brain” so that the brain can solve its own problems. Although the experience was overwhelming, he believes that there are no bad trips, only challenging ones.
A new bill proposed in New York would create a psychedelic research institute to study the effect of psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, and ibogaine on conditions including addictive disorders, depression, PTSD, and end-of-life anxiety. The bill is sponsored by Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal (D), who believes that “psychedelics provide a host of benefits without the same risk of overdose or dependency that other medications may provide”. The legislature suggests that “psilocybin is a breakthrough therapy for severe depression and nicotine addiction” and may also provide treatment for methamphetamine or opioid addiction.
After battling internal struggles that led him to the brink of suicide, Mike Tyson says he feels better than ever since using psilocybin for mental and spiritual exploration. Tyson is partnering with Wesana Health to bring awareness to the benefits of psilocybin, as he believes that it is an “amazing medicine” that should be accessible to the world because it could create “a more empathetic and just society”. Former NHL player Daniel Carcillo also participated in psilocybin treatment and claims that he is 100% cured of traumatic brain injury and related symptoms such as slurred speech, headaches, insomnia, anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation.
After suffering from depression for 22 years, actress Kristen Bell found relief and self-love from a single dose of psilocybin. Kristen Bell became extremely interested in psychedelics and their power to change your mindset after reading How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan. Bell has suffered from waves of depression for 22 years and has tried everything from antidepressants and therapy to meditation. Bell took one dose of psilocybin, and stated that “the places you can go in your brain are much deeper and more healing than anything else”. Bell explains that the out of body experience she had while taking mushrooms gave her a sense of self love. “I had separated this body that had done so much good in my life, that has taken me through happiness and pain and workouts and laziness that I just, like, couldn’t stop touching my legs, going, ‘You’re so strong. You’re so elegant’ .”
A double-blind, placebo-controlled study found that a single low dosage of psilocybin effectively reduced the severity of migraine pain and functional impairments in participants with frequent migraines. Participants reported that the therapeutic effect lasted for at least two weeks with no adverse side effects, supporting years of anecdotal reports that psilocybin eases migraine symptoms.
Akome Biotech Ltd., a subsidiary of Core One Labs Inc. (COOL), has initiated the development of patent-pending drug formulation made of psilocybin and a plant bioactive compound, which is believed to help treat Alzheimer’s Disease. While current Alzheimer’s treatments focus on treating symptoms of the disease, the new drug formulation known as AKO002 aims to treat the underlying cause of the disease by targeting serotonin receptors in the hippocampus. Data mapping reveals that psychedelics like psilocybin have “positive effects in the promotion of neuroplasticity and neurogenesis” and have “potent anti-inflammatory properties”.
The ATMA Urban Journey Clinic in Calgary began psilocybin treatment for a terminal cancer patient, making it the first clinic in Alberta to use psychedelic therapy. Clinic CEO David Harder explains that psilocybin treatment brings out suppressed emotions, allowing patients and therapists to work through them together, whereas typical medications numb down the emotions. The cancer patient claims that he “couldn’t be more at peace” during the treatment, giving hope that psilocybin-assisted therapy will continue to gain traction. The clinic will become a training center for mental health professionals across the country.
Dr. C. Laird Birmingham, Psychiatry professor with expertise in eating disorders, believes that psilocybin has potential to reset the behaviours and cognitions of those with eating disorders by changing neural pathways. NeonMind Biosciences Inc. is working with Dr. Birmingham at the University of British Columbia in preclinical trials to determine if psilocybin could be used to change the unconscious response to emotional situations that can trigger food-related addictions.
In a new documentary, VeraCity: The Psychedelic Frontier, a world-renowned addictions specialist claimed that psychedelics have “potential to be the equivalent of a cure for cancer in the mental health space”. The documentary explores Canada’s leading research on psilocybin and follows a Toronto war hero’s journey to heal his mind from PTSD using a psychedelic plant called Iboga.
