“To fathom hell or soar angelic/just take a pinch of psychedelic.”
That’s the rhyming mantra of Humphry Osmond, a psychiatrist from the University of Alabama, who’s credited with the invention of the word “psychedelics.”
Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic substances that produce changes in perception, mood, and cognitive processes.
They can affect all the senses, altering a person’s thinking, sense of time, and emotions. They can also cause a person to hallucinate—seeing or hearing things that do not exist or are distorted.
The term was invented during a brainstorming session with the author Aldous Huxley.
The term was first formally used in a meeting at the New York Academy of Science in 1957 where Osmond was attempting to discuss his research on the potential for LSD to treat alcohol use disorders.
These days talk of psychedelics might conjure images of the counterculture movement of the 60s and 70s, or of getting stuck politely listening to someone at a party talk at length about how their recent magic mushroom trip opened up a new level of consciousness.
But the history of psychedelic research is actually much more complex and is currently experiencing a renaissance.
The modern history of psychedelic use is typically traced back to 1938, when Swiss chemist Albert Hofman created a derivative of the naturally occurring fungus ergot.
This fungus was often found growing on wheat products and was responsible for a disease known as “St. Anthony’s fire” that had been documented as far back as the 18th century and included such symptoms as convulsions, muscle spasms, vomiting, hallucinations, and burning sensation in the limbs.
In the early 20th century, pharmaceutical companies had become interested in the fungi’s potential given that one component, ergotamine, had been found to be useful in the treatment of migraines.
Hofman’s synthetic derivative was called lysergic acid diethylamide (also known as LSD).
Its potential was first hinted at by accident five years after its discovery.
In 1943, while revisiting his new compound, Hofman accidentally dropped some of the liquid onto his exposed hand. He thought nothing of it at the time; after all, it was such a small amount it couldn’t possibly have an effect by being absorbed through the skin.
He started to think of it a few hours later when he began to mildly hallucinate.
The effects subsided, and, like any good scientist, he decided he needed to replicate his results: Three days later he intentionally ingested what he thought was a small, baseline dose.
What he actually took was a dose about 10 times higher than the threshold for a hallucinogenic experience.
This generally positive experience and pleasant aftereffects opened a door to research on hallucinogens as treatments for a variety of conditions…
…from depression, to PTSD, to anxiety, and even substance use disorders.
The new age of psychedelic research in the 1950s and 60s saw the publishing of more than 1,000 papers on the subject, which involved over 40,000 participants.
As commonly happens when new, unregulated products hit the market, recreational use began to climb in the 60s and 70s, and state and federal governments reacted strongly to the counterculture’s psychedelic-supported mantra “turn on, tune in, drop out.”
LSD, along with other mind-altering drugs such as psilocybin (the hallucinogenic property in “magic mushrooms”) and MDMA (also known as ecstasy or Molly - short for “molecular”), were quickly classified as schedule I drugs by the Drug Enforcement Agency.
This classification is reserved for substances believed to have a high potential for abuse without any known medical benefits, despite the fact it seems increasingly apparent we haven’t actually been LOOKING for medical benefits.
With these substances now heavily restricted, research all but slowed to a halt.
Some 40 years later, the development of new neuroimaging technologies (like MRIs) allowed researchers to see the substance's effect on the brain, renewing interest in the field.
The mechanisms by which psychedelics work on psychiatric diseases is being better understood by the day.
But the oversimplified, abridged explanation is that these psychedelics affect serotonin receptors in the brain, which impact mood and affective disorders.
They can also enhance neuroplasticity, which may work to “rewire” your brain’s network of neurons.
These changes can be seen on brain scans, but it’s not yet clear if the results are the effect of chemicals directly impacting the brain tissue or if they are from an altered state of consciousness.
Scientists are investigating if it’s possible that therapeutic benefits could happen without the need for an actual “trip.”
So far, studies have seen encouraging results.
Psilocybin-assisted therapy has been shown to decrease the feelings of anxiety and existential dread in people who are facing a life-threatening diagnosis.
A phase 2 study of psilocybin found it was also beneficial for people facing major depressive episodes, even after only one dose, when given with psychological support.
Many early-stage studies are also looking at the potential for psilocybin-assisted therapy to help treat substance use disorders.
Ketamine, a dissociative psychedelic typically used as an anesthetic for surgery, has shown immense promise as a treatment for medication-resistant depression and bipolar disorders.
One study found that with as few as three infusions, over half of participants saw their extreme depression eased so much that they achieved remission.
A recent, small, phase 2 study of oral ketamine found it safe and effective in people who suffered from treatment-resistant depression.
MDMA, commonly known as the party drug “ecstasy,” has recently had a lot of interest as a potential treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The drug has been studied as a tool to be used with non-directive therapy (a therapy session that the client leads to work through trauma) but is now being explored as a potential addition to other proven tools such as prolonged exposure therapy, which is one of the most effective treatments for PTSD.
But the psychedelic renaissance isn’t without its struggles.
Just this year, the FDA declined to approve MDMA as a treatment for PTSD based on data submitted from phase 3 clinical trials.
That’s despite the fact that two phase 3 trials showed improvement in symptoms of PTSD when treated with a combination of MDMA and psychotherapy, and that no new drugs for the disorder have come to market in over 20 years.
The study was rejected on the ground of concerns that adverse events weren’t properly or completely reported, and that therefore the trial doesn’t properly demonstrate the potential risks involved.
But many researchers remain undeterred. And as we enter an age of renewed interest in psychedelics as medical tools, it’s important to remember their use is hardly a new concept.
Even before synthetic hallucinogens were created, there’s evidence of indigenous populations using natural versions for medicinal purposes for centuries.
Typically called “spirit medicines,” evidence of the use of psychoactive substances dates back as far as 6000 BCE.
In a thousand-year-old ritual bundle from an ancient civilization in the Bolivian Andes, anthropologists found traces of chemical compounds from three different plants with psychedelic properties, indicating their regular use as tools of healing.
The resurgence in interest in the use of psychedelics as tools for mental health care has some researchers of indigenous practices concerned about the appropriation of substances that have traditions rooted in the natural and spiritual
Not to mention the fact that the psychedelic drug market is expected to be worth nearly $7 billion by 2027, with very little of that value going to the indigenous communities that originated the practice.
And divorcing psychedelics from their spiritual background might not be the best practice for approaching psychiatric concerns.
After all, even anecdotally we often hear that psychedelics cause people to “see God,” and the data supports this spiritual experience too.
Between 66% and 86% of people who have taken psychedelics in a therapy setting report it being one of the most spiritual experiences of their lives.
That’s a large part of why Emory’s Center for Psychedelics and Spirituality has decided to join the measurable with the immeasurable. It’s the world’s first center to fully integrate clinical and research-based expertise in psychiatry with spiritual health to better understand the therapeutic promise of psychedelic medicines.
