Whats going on in the psychedelic space?

What is the current science around psychedelics?

If you’re reading this, you might have some questions about psychedelics. 

Its possible you’ve heard of the most popular psychedelic substances, or may have even experimented with them - a 2022 survey found that 28% of Americans have experimented with psychedelics at some point. Most people I’ve spoken to have at least some understanding of psychedelics and the effect that they have on the mind, but most understand the substances only for their recreational potential.  

When psychedelics were first discovered, the positive potential was immediately noted, but the US’s blanket attempts to stop experimentation through the drug war halted progress. For years, there has been an underground society of people who have recognized the positive potential of these substances, and have been working to bring them to the world. But the disconnect between the recreational understanding and scientific potential of this space can certainly make things a bit confusing to those who haven’t been indoctrinated.  

Let me explain psychedelics in a broad sense-

Psychedelics overview:

So the word psychedelic is the combination of “psyche” - having to do with the mind - and the Greek word “delos” - to manifest. So the combination - psychedelic - means mind manifesting. 

This is important to understand, because the substances do this exact thing, allow the mind to create a clear vision for itself. And the key differentiator between psychedelic substances and others, such as MDMA or Cannabis, is that psychedelic substances create specific responses within the brain that lead to visual and auditory changes that contribute to an altered state of consciousness. 

These substances create this altered state of consciousness by operating on a specific part of the brain called the serotonin 2A receptor - which basically means that it affects the circuits responsible for sensory perception and cognition. And the key defining factor of the user experience of these substances, other than altered visual and auditory perception, is the ego death - the ability to remove oneself from their life experiences, allowing them to objectively view the world and understand their place with in it. The ego death is what allows people to examine their life in a way that they lacked the ability to do so previously, and is the key differentiator in a mystical experience. A mystical experience is defined as one that cannot adequately be described or defined by the user, and creating a mystical experience is typically the goal of psychedelic substance consumption.  

The substances most widely known to produce this mystical experience effect include psilocybin, LSD. DMT and mescaline. And while ketamine is not a “classic psychedelic” like those listed in the previous sentence, this is because it operates in parts of the brain in addition to the serotonin receptor mentioned previously. These substances all produce hallucinogenic effects, helping the user reach an altered state of consciousness and achieve mystical experiences.  

At the end of the day, this is all loosely defined, and there will continue to be new substances that are discovered or created that will produce this “mind manifesting” type of effect. Every substance is different, and despite the relatively similar effect that each will have on the brain, the user experience is unique for each substance. 

At this time, I’m going to focus on three of the aforementioned substances - Psilocybin, Ketamine, and LSD - to discuss where we’re at, how we got here and where were going.

Psilocybin

More widely known by the slang term “Magic Mushrooms,” psilocybin is the active ingredient found in well-over 150 different species of mushroom. 

Psilocybin has been naturally growing on the planet for millions of years and has been used in ceremony by indigenous peoples for as long as we know. There is even a theory that modern humans evolved in part thanks to the consumption of psilocybin by ancient apes. 

But contemporary knowledge of psilocybin mushrooms began in the mid-fifties when Harvard Professor R Gordon Watson and his wife Valentina traveled to Oaxaca, Mexico to meet Maria Sabina and take part in a Mazatec psilocybin ceremony. Professor Wasson shared his experience in LIFE Magazine, and curiosity about the potential of magic mushrooms began to grow.  

It was soon discovered that Americans didn’t need to travel to Mexico to find magic mushrooms, and they exploded in popularity throughout the sixties. Researchers began testing psilocybin to understand the chemical and were running trials to test its efficacy in treatment of mental health conditions.

But then in 1971 in an attempt to stop the anti-Vietnam War hippie movement, Richard Nixon declared psilocybin a schedule I drug, meaning that they could arrest anyone found with Psilocybin, and all medical research needed to stop.  

But around the turn of the century, research restarted, focused around understanding the potential therapeutic uses for the mushrooms. 

Experiences with Psilocybin typically last between 2 and 6 hours, depending on the dose, and include a blending of senses, a feeling of connection to the universe, and a sense that everything is going to be okay. This all contributes to psilocybin’s potential to assuage end of life anxiety for cancer patients, help with alcohol dependence, and be used to treat major depression. And positive effects are typically present after just one session, though some may prefer additional sessions to ensure that everything they wanted to address has been. 

And thus decriminalization and legalization of the substance it has begun. It has been legalized for supervised use in Oregon and Colorado. Washington DC and cities within California, Michigan, Massachusetts, Maine and Minnesota have moved to decriminalize possession.   

But public sentiment is changing quickly around psilocybin - in a recent study, almost 90% of participants were in favor of psilocybin for either treatment of medical conditions or cognitive enhancement.

And so, it seems likely that widespread decriminalization, if not legalization, is likely within the next decade or two

Ketamine

Unlike psilocybin, ketamine does not occur in nature. It was actually created in an attempt to find a more effective drug for anesthesia, and has been in use in that regard since it was legalized in 1970. Because of this, and the dissociative effect that it has on the mind, Ketamine is not considered a “classic psychedelic,” but rather a “dissociative anesthetic.” 

Ketamine is on the World Health Organization’s list of Essential Medicines and has been used at high dose as an anesthetic and at lower doses to manage pain for decades. It has recently been embraced, along with psychotherapy or coaching, as a potential cure for depression. 

The substance can either be consumed in pill or lozenge form, taken intravenously, or inhaled. While at lower doses, Ketamine can produce feelings of love, compassion, forgiveness and relaxation, allowing for the person taking it to have more genuine, heart centered communication with themselves and others.

At higher doses, Ketamine can produce an anesthetic type effect called a K-hole, in which a person dissociates from the rest of the world, typically unable to process senses or communicate with others. While this may sound intimidating, the K-hole provides an opportunity for the journeyer to experience a mystical experience, connecting them more with the rest of the world, and helping them to understand themselves more completely. 

Ketamine experiences typically last around an hour, and have produced incredible results in helping people overcome treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, anxiety, and a host of other mental conditions. 

It has been legal for use since 2019 for the treatment of mental health conditions and is widely available through local clinics or online services, but research has shown that to maximize the effectiveness of treatment, Ketamine should be combined with coaching. 

Ketamine has exploded in popularity since 2019, and with little negative side effects, it appears as though it will be here for the long haul. 

LSD

LSD, short for lysergic acid diethylamide and well-known by the  was first discovered before the start of World War II by Swiss chemist Albert Hoffman, while attempting to create a respiratory and circulatory system stimulant from the fungus, ergot,. Hoffman accidentally got some LSD on his hands and began to experience some of the drug’s hallucinogenic effects. 

Curious about the effects, Hoffman intentionally ingested .25 milligrams of LSD, then biked home from his laboratory as the drug’s effects started to take hold. A standard dose of LSD is about .1 milligram, so needless to say, he felt the effects. A LSD trip typical includes a great deal of patterns appearing in one’s vision and a blending of sound and sight, called synesthesia. Great detail typically appears in otherwise un-noteworthy places - like in the leaf of a tree or the grain of wood. So as the first person to experience this, Hoffman was sent for a ride. 

That day, April 19, has since become known as “Bicycle Day” and is a global day of celebration in memory of the first intentional LSD trip. 

Hoffman recognized the potential for LSD’s use as a psychiatric tool thanks to the profound introspective thoughts he experienced during his bicycle ride, and it began to be used as such in 1947. The substance gained a great deal of traction in the mental health space throughout the ‘50s and ‘60s, but like psilocybin, all traction was brought to a halt by the Drug War.   

A great deal of controversy has surrounded LSD, from Timothy Leary’s message to “Turn on, tune in, drop out,” to the US Government’s attempt to use it as truth serum in the MK Ultra experiments, but for those who recognized the positive potential, this has always just been noise. 

Recent science has shown that Hoffman had been correct about the substance’s potential therapeutic benefits. In 2024, a study showed a 48% decrease in Anxiety, twelve weeks after just one session with LSD. 

And this was done with just the drug, no coaching or therapy. Imagine what would be possible with the right coaching!

LSD is currently not legal in the US, but was approved as a breakthrough therapy for anxiety thanks to the 2024 study. So, while not currently available, the science is starting to catch up to the reality of the potential.

Conclusion

In this post, I touched on just three of the psychedelic substances that are currently known, and where they are in the legal landscape. Ketamine is widely available and used throughout the US. Psilocybin has gained legal status in two states and is decriminalized in a growing number of cities across the nation. LSD has not yet been decriminalized in a state other than Oregon, but with current science emerging, that could soon be on the horizon as well.

Other substances, like mescaline and DMT (ayahuasca) have also showed a great deal of promise to help with treating mental health conditions, and are following along the path to medical legalization. 

The cultural zeitgeist is shifting away from the anti-drug culture of the 1970’s, and beginning to embrace plant medicines for their potential to help people make positive changes in their lives. Even Presidential Candidate, Robert Kennedy Jr., is on board with the movement, stating that he would legalize psychedelic substances.  

It says a lot that Kennedy, as well as influential people like Elon Musk (Ketamine), Steve Jobs  (LSD) and Aaron Rodgers (Ayahuasca), speak highly of the positive effects of these substances. There is a major potential for psychedelics to positively impact the world. 

My guess is that as the acceptance of psychedelics becomes more widespread, the effects will begin to be felt at a cultural level. As it is not just the person who heals, but everything and everyone around that person as well. The world will gain a bit more color, a bit more happiness, and society can move forward in a more beautiful direction.