Therapy Benefits With Psychedelics
Why do we work with psychedelics at OUR HOUSE and in our private practices? Because they work! It is as simple as that!
Stanislav Grof, one of the original psychedelic researchers, said that psychedelics are for psychiatry what the telescope is for Astrologers or the microscope for Scientists. As therapists, we agree. We know the research, there are decades-worth of clinical trials all over the world. We ourselves are getting involved in clinical trials at Columbia University now, because we see how important it is to continue establishing evidence, to help people understand, trust and consider psychedelics in their healing and growth journeys. Clinical trials and longitudinal studies exist for substances such as psilocybin, ketamine, LSD, MDMA, ayahuasca, and DMT. Not all of these substances have found a way into our offices yet, legally. But some have - Ketamine and psilocybin, and we see incredible results in our work with these medicines.
On the mental health outcome front there is strong evidence for depression, anxiety (including end-of-life distress), PTSD and substance use disorders (reduced alcohol misuse, decreased tobacco dependence, decreased cocaine cravings, lower relapse rates) from trials at Johns Hopkins University, Imperial College London, MAPS (now operating as Lykos Therapeutics) and other research institutes.
There are also shifts in personality traits that we used to think of as permanent in adulthood, specifically on the personality trait of “Openness”. We become less rigid, less fixed on our versions of our life stories and our perceptions of others. Our creativity is enhanced and we have more cognitive flexibility, to be able to see and act differently.
Aspects related to mindfulness improve, as a matter of fact, some research shows that people’s brains on 5-meo-DMT are similar to expert meditators such as Buddhist monks! We gain greater emotional awareness, with reduced avoidance of difficult memories, increased self-compassion, less judgment and less reactivity.
Intense feelings of unity and transcendence can occur, with lasting shifts in openness, deeper connection to self, others and even the world. Improved relationships and increased life satisfaction are often the result of the work.
In the neurological domain, there has been much excitement for results in increased synaptic growth and a possible “reset” of maladaptive neural pathways. Gül Dölen’s research on critical learning periods published in Nature (2019 and 2023) is partcularly exciting here. Critical learning periods are known developmental windows when the brain is especially receptive to environmental stimuli and rapid learning — such as language acquisition in childhood. Once these periods close, the brain becomes less plastic, and certain kinds of learning become harder. Gül Dölen’s research focuses on whether psychedelic drugs can reopen these windows of heightened plasticity in the adult brain, potentially allowing new learning and behavioral change that is normally restricted after development.
