The post A Beginner’s Guide to Psychedelics appeared first on Psychedelia.
By Emma Stone
What would you give to see the world through fresh eyes? For many of us, our addictions, behaviors, and habits result from constantly treading the same neural pathways. The more we fall into familiar grooves, the more our perception of the world around us narrows.
So, how can we shake up our entrenched views of the world?
Psychedelics might provide an answer. These mind-altering, perception-shifting substances are rapidly re-entering the collective consciousness — and research into their therapeutic potential is gathering momentum. But what exactly are psychedelics?
A brief history
The term “psychedelics” encompasses a smorgasbord of substances. Some psychedelic compounds, such as psilocybin, are found in nature. Others, like LSD, have been synthesized in a laboratory. What psychedelics have in common is their ability to open the mind and create a gateway to another state of consciousness.
The history of these substances reveals an epic tale, complete with plot twists and turns. Diverse cultures worldwide have used naturally occurring psychedelics for tens of thousands of years in sacred ceremonies to commune with the divine or to relieve certain ailments.
In the 20th century, psychedelics began moving into the wider public consciousness. Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann accidentally synthesized LSD while experimenting in 1938. Tests on animals didn’t reveal any applicable medical benefits, so Hofmann shelved the compound. Five years later, Hofmann’s curiosity drew him back to the drug. His famous bicycle ride through the streets of Basel, Switzerland, on April 19, 1943, was the world’s first intentional acid trip.
LSD was then researched prolifically in the 1950s and ‘60s, along with other psychedelics, to treat conditions like alcoholism, depression, and schizophrenia. More than 1,000 studies using LSD were conducted involving 40,000 patients, with minimal adverse incidents reported.
Around the same time, the countercultural movement in the U.S. was exploding. Many hippies experimented with psychedelics, an association that saw the substances demonized. The momentum of psychedelic research and recreational use ground to a halt in 1970 when Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act. This measure classified psychedelics such as LSD, psilocybin, and mescaline as Schedule I drugs with a high potential for abuse and no recognized medical application.
Nowadays, the tides are turning for psychedelic medicines. The decriminalization of certain psychedelics has already taken place in Oregon, Washington D.C., and multiple cities across California and Massachusetts. In other states, such as Connecticut, Missouri, and Texas, measures have been proposed or passed to explore the medicinal uses of certain psychedelics such as psilocybin or MDMA. (Up-to-date information on the decriminalization measures across the US is available at the Psilocybin Alpha Tracker.)
Psychedelic Effects
While different psychedelics can induce different experiences and effects, they generally share some commonalities. Psychedelic drugs are often defined as hallucinogens. Users typically experience distorted perception or hallucinations, an altered sense of space and time and a sense of ego loss. This temporary loss of self can be experienced euphorically, as a merging of self with surroundings and a sense of unity. On the other hand, it can provoke panic, leading the individual to feel that they are losing their mind.
“The short-term effects of psychedelics produce ‘psychotomimetic’ actions, like distorted perception or enhanced tactile experiences,” explains Dr. Reid Robison, chief medical officer at Novamind, a mental health and wellness company specializing in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. “The longer-term effects produce a loosening of the mind and a general increase in optimism and wellbeing.”
Robison points out that classical psychedelics work by interacting with the serotonin 5-HT2AR receptor, which is expressed all over the brain, especially in regions associated with cognitive functions and social interactions.
“Stimulation of this receptor is directly linked to cognitive flexibility, enhanced imagination, and creative thinking,” he says.
For an individual under the influence of psychedelics, music can feel saturated with meaning. Emotions can also be more volatile — users can experience a range of intense feelings, spanning from bliss to profound dread.
For many users, a mystical experience constitutes one of the most transformative elements of a psychedelic trip, usually characterized by a feeling of connectedness with the surrounding world, peace, a sense that time and space have been transcended, and insights about the nature of reality. In addition, a meaningful mystical encounter has the ability to spark profoundly positive, enduring changes in a person’s life.
However, as many experts and users will attest, two of the most critical factors influencing a psychedelic experience are set and setting. The individual’s mindset and the context in which they take the drug can strongly affect whether the trip is uplifting or terrifying.
Below are some bite-sized insights about some of the most prominent psychedelics — commonly referred to as the classic psychedelics. It’s worth noting, however, that other psychedelics, such as ketamine and MDMA are also increasingly being used in therapeutic settings.
Mescaline
In May 1953, Aldous Huxley took a dose of mescaline. At a later point on his trip, he stared in wonder at his gray flannel pants. The following year his psychedelic insights were recorded in the countercultural classic “The Doors of Perception”: “Those folds … what a labyrinth of endlessly significant complexity! And the texture … how rich, how deeply, mysteriously sumptuous!”
Huxley’s anecdote is among the most famous recollections of a mescaline trip. Mescaline, however, has been used as a sacrament for millennia by Native and Latin American communities long before Huxley began experimenting with it. The psychedelic compound occurs naturally in two cacti species: North American Lophophora williamsii, or peyote, and the South American Trichocereus pachanoi, commonly called San Pedro. Mescaline is a long-acting, low-potency psychedelic, with peak effects kicking in after about two hours and a trip lasting from eight to 12 hours. The raw plant material is often chewed.
These days, mescaline is best known as sacred plant medicine, for which it has been decriminalized in certain contexts. Peyote use for Native Americans was decriminalized in 1994 under the American Indian Religious Freedom Act. In 2019, Oakland, California, decriminalized all entheogenic plant medicines, including mescaline.
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide, or LSD, is a semi-synthetic psychedelic compound, derived from a fungus that infects rye grains. When it comes to LSD, a little goes a long way. As a result, LSD is often diluted, dropped, and dried on gelatin sheets known as tabs that dissolve on the tongue.
LSD delivers among the most potent, long-lasting psychedelic trips. The hallucinogenic effects can set in as soon as 30 minutes after taking a dose and generally linger from six to 10 hours. Users often experience intense visual distortions, saturated colors, and surroundings appearing to flow and breathe.
Psilocybin
Psilocybin is a psychedelic compound produced by mushrooms of the Psilocybe genus, commonly referred to as magic mushrooms.
“This compound has long had ritualistic use in many regions of the world, dating back more than 6,000 years,” says Dr. Chris Witowski, co-founder and CEO of Psilera Bioscience, a psychedelic-based biotechnology company.
Ethnomycologists Terence McKenna and R. Gordon Wasson additionally made a case in the early 20th century that advances in language, culture, and religion could be partly attributed to the human consumption of magic mushrooms.
“When ingested, psilocybin produces visual, perceptual, and consciousness-shifting effects that last from four to six hours,” Witowski says.
Nowadays, psilocybin remains one of the most commonly used psychedelics in recreational and research contexts. Users typically chew dried mushrooms or ingest mushroom tea.
DMT
DMT distinguishes itself from other psychedelic compounds by its ability to deliver a brief and visually intense trip that users often liken to being blasted into outer space.
“DMT can be smoked to induce very short — 15-20 minutes — life-changing psychedelic experiences,” says Witowski.
The compound is commonly consumed in ayahuasca, a sacred tea brewed from chacruna leaves (Psychotria viridis) containing DMT, and the yagé vine (Banisteriopsis caapi). The unique combination of the two plants allows DMT to be gradually absorbed into the brain over four to six hours.
DMT trips are often also characterized by encounters with otherworldly beings.
“DMT is often called the ‘spirit molecule’ as many see entities or other religious beings while undergoing a DMT trip,” says Witowski. “Interestingly, it is found throughout nature in many plants and animals, and has been detected in trace amounts in humans.”
Therapeutic Uses
Over the past two decades, there’s been a remarkable resurgence of studies using psychedelics to treat a diverse range of disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and addiction. Psilocybin, in particular, has been one of the most researched substances.
“The medical implications of psilocybin are abundant as it has been granted breakthrough therapy designation for severe depression by the FDA,” says Witowski.
Robison says there’s concrete evidence to support the use of psilocybin in depression.
“When compared to SSRIs, psilocybin appears to be significantly more efficacious,” he says. “Remission rates are higher, there are increased reductions of depression scores, and psilocybin doesn’t cause the emotional blunting effects seen with SSRIs.”
Another compound that is also quickly gaining traction as a treatment for PTSD is MDMA.
“MDMA is particularly well-suited for PTSD because of its properties as an empathogen,” says Robison.
“This creates a safe container for the deep processing of difficult emotional states and traumatic memories without the accompanying feelings of overwhelming fear or anxiety,” says Robison, adding that MDMA-assisted psychotherapy is moving full-speed ahead and will likely be a prescribable option for PTSD within a couple of years or less.
DMT has also shown promise as a treatment for diverse disorders, thanks to some of its unique properties.
“DMT is seemingly the only psychedelic where no tolerance is observed after repeat dosing,” notes Witowski. “For these reasons, we believe DMT has much promise to be utilized for shorter therapeutic trips but also harnessed at lower doses, like microdoses, for broad therapeutic benefits.”
Irrespective of disorder, the potential of psychedelics can be attributed to their ability to break rigid, habitual thought patterns.
“Like a ski slope, the mind develops and strengthens pathways as we repeat patterns,” Robison says.
“Every time the thoughts and actions are engaged, the grooves get deeper and deeper and before long, no matter where we start, we’re likely to slip into the same ruts and end up following the same path down the mountain.”
Robison likens a psychedelic experience to fresh snowfall, opening up the possibility of different pathways down the mountain.
“This fresh coat of powder provides a blank slate and offers a welcome break from ingrained patterns, allowing for increased connectivity between other neuronal networks, creating the potential to move beyond self-imposed limitations,” he says.
In other words, the individual can ski down a new set of tracks, allowing them to chart a course that fosters growth and promotes wellbeing.
The Final Word
The psychedelic revolution, or as some would say, renaissance, is underway. As states across the U.S. and the wider world move to decriminalize psychedelics and initiate research-forward policies, these incredible substances will likely transform the therapeutic landscape as we know it.
“Psychedelic medicines are finally coming down the pipeline, and we can see the light ahead — and the potential these tools have to alleviate suffering and improve lives,” reflects Robison.
Emma Stone is a science journalist specializing in cannabis and psychedelics. She has a Ph.D. in sociology and contributes regularly to platforms such as Leafly, Weedmaps, Leafreport and Psychedelic Science Review.
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