When we hear the word “psychedelic,” we usually think of mind-expanding, consciousness-altering substances like LSD, mescaline, and psilocybin. However, before these substances were banned in the 1950s, psychedelics were used for medicinal purposes — some have even argued that psychedelics are the oldest medicines. In other words, even though our current understanding of psychedelics is rudimentary at best, there’s still a lot we can learn from them.
The word “psychedelic” comes from the Greek word “psyche,” which means “mind” or “soul.” In 1965, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classified all “psychedelic drugs” as having no medical value and a high potential for abuse. This prevented researchers and clinical practitioners from gaining access to these compounds.
In the last few years, there’s been a resurgence of popular interest in psychedelics, with many people questioning their potential for treating mental health conditions and exploring their role as a tool for psychotherapy. In this article, we’ll be exploring the current state of research and historical use of psychedelics, and what this renewed interest might mean for the future of medicine.
What Do We Know About Psychedelics Today?
At the heart of it, psychedelics are mind-altering drugs – which means that their primary effect is to alter our state of consciousness. When plants produce psychedelics, they’re doing so because they’re trying to protect themselves from being eaten by insects or mammals. Thus, the chemicals that psychedelics target are called “psychoactive” – they affect the human mind and behavior.
Despite being banned for more than 50 years, there’s been very little research done on most of the major psychedelics. The drugs are extremely powerful, and unless you’re actively looking for a psychedelic experience, it’s hard to know what to expect.
One study even concluded that acid is “neither good nor bad” – it’s just a drug. While this may be true, it’s still very much worth knowing what you’re getting into before taking LSD or psilocybin.
Psilocybin and LSD: The oldest and most well-known psychedelics
While today’s psychedelics are little more than a footnote in history, their chemical cousin psilocybin has a long and fascinating history dating back to the Stone Age. Psilocybin was first discovered in 1898 by a German chemist who called it “ PSI-locybin. ” The word “psilocybin” is from the Greek “psiloubi” meaning “to fly with wings.”
Over the years, psilocybin was used primarily as an additive in “magic mushrooms” – a name that was coined by the Mexican physician and anthropologist R. Gordon Wasson . Wasson was the first to coin the term “psychedelic” when he described psilocybin-containing mushrooms as “aeolian geodes of consciousness.”
Magic mushrooms have been used by various indigenous cultures for thousands of years – in some cases, they’ve been used for healing, ceremonial, and spiritual purposes. Today, psilocybin-containing mushrooms are still used in modern Indian Ayurvedic medicine and Chinese medicine.
MDMA: A breakthrough for treatment-resistant depression
In the early 2000’s, researchers in the United Kingdom began studying the potential of MDMA to treat patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). At the time, 30 to 40 percent of patients experienced some degree of depression – but only 10 to 20 percent were responsive to existing treatments.
MDMA, or 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, was first synthesized in 1912 by the German pharmaceutical company Merck. The drug was patented in 1914 and was banned as a pharmaceutical substance in 1916 because of its psychostimulant properties.
Despite its history as a pharmaceutical drug, MDMA didn’t make headlines as a psychiatric drug until the early 2000’s – when it was used experimentally as a treatment for PTSD. Researchers evaluating the drug’s safety in humans wrote: “although there are many anecdotal reports of its use in psychotherapy, there are no published data on its effectiveness.”
Mythbusting: Some common misconceptions about psychedelics
Psychedelics are “mind-expanding” drugs - While many psychedelics definitely affect cognition, this is only one of their many effects. Many have significant effects on emotion as well.
All psychedelics are “ Illegal ” - Most of the major psychedelics are legal to possess, use, and distribute (with some exceptions, like LSD), which is why there’s so little research on them. Nevertheless, there is still a stigma attached to psychedelics that prevents many researchers and clinical practitioners from exploring their therapeutic potential.
” - Most of the major psychedelics are legal to possess, use, and distribute (with some exceptions, like LSD), which is why there’s so little research on them. Nevertheless, there is still a stigma attached to psychedelics that prevents many researchers and clinical practitioners from exploring their therapeutic potential. Psychedelics are “bad for you” - While psychedelics do have some negative side effects, they are very rarely “bad for you.” Rather, they’re frequently used to treat a wide range of ailments, from anxiety and depression to cluster headaches and addiction.
How Can Psychedelics Benefit Modern Medicine?
Today, the most widely-cited medical use for psychedelics is their potential for treating depression and anxiety – disorders that affect more than 350 million people worldwide.
While there is some evidence that psilocybin and LSD may be effective for treating these conditions, clinical trials of these drugs have been done in a legal context, which has limited the ability to generalize their results.
Unfortunately, there is also little in the way of high-quality research on the long-term effects of psychedelics. Since these drugs have such a short history of human use, it’s difficult to know exactly what long-term use might do to a person’s mental health.
Can Psychedelics Cause Psychosis?
Studies have found that in some individuals, psychedelics have the potential to trigger a psychotic episode – a break with reality that is typically characterized by delusions and/or hallucinations.
Individuals at risk of developing a psychotic episode are those with a personal or family history of mental health disorders, as well as those who are already vulnerable due to factors like substance abuse, lowered mood, and a stressful environment.
It’s important to note that not everyone who takes a psychedelic will develop a psychotic episode, and that you should never stop taking a medication without consulting your doctor.
Bottom line
Despite the fact that we still don’t fully understand how or why psychedelics work, there’s no denying that they have the potential to positively impact our lives.
Even today, more than 50 years after their illegalization, psychedelics are used illegally for religious and spiritual purposes, as well as for self-exploration and personal development.
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