What is Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy?

Psilocybin research has come a serious distance over the past decade, and signs indicate that this could be just the beginning, whopp! And it’s not inconceivable that we’re on the precipice of real serious breakthroughs, And some mainstream acceptance, and widespread legalization.

Quick History

Initially doing some self-help research a remedy for my intermittent Tinnitus and Anxiety I wrote a few blog posts  Mushrooms and Humanity and The Benefits of Psilocybin, because psilocybin research was scarce (if not nonexistent) for upwards of 30 years after the Harvard Psilocybin Project lead by Dr. Timothy Leary was shut down in 1962 which was the prelude to Leary’s ultimate dismissal from the university and the criminalization of psilocybin in the United States and, subsequently, nearly all western countries.

Why you need to know about Dr. Timothy Leary

Some readers, then, may find just a pinch of irony in articles with headlines like Worth the trip: psychedelics as an emerging tool for psychotherapy or The False Promise of City-Wide Psilocybin Decriminalization (in which the author bemoans the idea that decriminalization isn’t a step far enough in the mainstream acceptance of psilocybin), both of which were recently published in the Harvard Science in the News Graduate Student Group blog and the Harvard Law Petrie-Flom Center blog, respectively.

There’s even the Harvard Science of Psychedelics Club, a student organization that boasts large attendance numbers and even talks by advocates of psychedelic research, such as Michael Pollan (who has taught at Harvard).

Now, this author isn’t at all attempting to besmirch the work done by Harvard University or its scholars. Far from it. Those of us “in the know” with regard to psilocybin will agree that this is an extremely important topic and one deserving of the positive attention it’s now finally getting, and anyone doing so deserves major kudos.

But one does find themselves compelled to ask… why the not-so-sudden change of heart?

Here’s a possible answer:

The evidence for effective and safe psilocybin-based therapies for an ever-increasing number of disorders, both mental and physical, has simply piled up too much to be ignored.

Let’s take a moment, then, to discuss the growing field of psilocybin-assisted therapy. After that, we’ll look to the future of psilocybin and what we might be able to expect from a societal shift that realizes a world accepting rather than suppressing this important research.

What is Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy?

Psilocybin-assisted therapy is the term used to describe treatments administered by a professional therapist that involve the use of psilocybin, usually in smaller, but still consequential, doses. Of course, larger doses may be used in some situations, depending on the decisions made by the therapist and the patient.

In some treatments, the therapist will remain with the patient, talking with them while the patient is under the influence of psilocybin. Since psilocybin has been shown to make people experience deeper feelings of empathy and social connectedness, this can help patients feel more comfortable to “open up” about their concerns.

At some point during psilocybin-assisted therapy, the patient is usually encouraged to relax while sitting or lying down, without an obligation to talk—they can simply go through the psychedelic experience in a safe, controlled setting.

The results are often life-changing, like they were for Navy Seal Chad Kuske, who suffered from clinical depression after nearly two decades in the military and a dozen deployments overseas. According to Kuske, he experienced such a positive change after his first psilocybin-assisted therapy session that the benefits changed his life for the better in a real and tangible way.

“In one session, it absolutely changed my life. The benefits I received from just that first psilocybin therapy session are still with me.”

Chad Kuske, Navy Seal

Kuske isn’t alone in his experience—over 130,000 people lent their signature to support Measure 109, an initiative which would allow for the use of psilocybin in clinical settings in the state of Oregon. Let’s talk more about that now, and what it can mean for medical professionals and patients around the country (and indeed the world) who want to explore the potentially transformative benefits of medical psilocybin treatments.

Thanks to Psilocybin Advocates Leading the Way, More Decriminalization is Possible

At the time of this writing, voters in the state of Oregon are currently preparing to decide whether or not to pass the Measure 109 initiative, which as previously mentioned, would allow for the manufacture, delivery, and administration of psilocybin for therapeutic, clinical purposes.

Supporters believe that psilocybin could help the one-in-five American adults who suffer from mental health conditions, as stated by the National Institute of Mental Health. Considering that Oregon has some of the highest statistics for suicide and clinical depression, it’s possible that if the measure is passed, thousands of citizens over the age of 21 could benefit from these new therapies.

It would hardly be a stretch to say that a significant percentage of the American population are in support of decriminalization and perhaps legalization of psilocybin, which, ideally, would include personal amounts of psilocybin mushrooms.

If it weren’t the case, then we wouldn’t be seeing similar initiatives hitting the ballots, such as Initiative 81 in Washington, D.C., which seeks to decriminalize not only psilocybin mushrooms, but other entheogenic fungi and plants as well—specifically, those containing psilocybin, psilocin, mescaline, dimethyltryptamine (DMT), and ibogaine.

What does this mean for the future? We’ll have to wait and see what the results are after the votes are cast. This article will be updated with information regarding the outcome of Measure 109 and Initiative 81, and we’ll likely publish a longer, more detailed post about the implications of the success or failure of the initiatives. Stay tuned!

Update - Both initiatives discussed above have been approved. See Oregon results, Washington, D.C. results. And this blog post taking a closer look at these initiatives. Please see our post Washington, D.C. and Oregon Psilocybin Initiatives Approved: What it Means for You.

Doing Your Own Research: Magic Mushroom Spores for Amateur Microscopists

While psilocybin is still illegal in most of the United States, psilocybin mushroom spores do not contain the compound—it’s only present in the mycelium and mature fruiting bodies of psychoactive fungi. Therefore, the spores of these fascinating organisms are entirely legal for research purposes.

An entire community of amateur microscopists, taxonomists, scientists, and mycologists exists—if you’re interested in learning more and perhaps participating in these wonderful and rewarding hobbies, please see my Mushrooms for Tinnitus Course

If you’re an amateur microscopist and you already know what you’re looking for, I can help, you’re more than welcome to start learning today. Contact me if you need authentic, viable, and contaminant-free exotic mushroom spores for your educational enrichment.