Key points
Studies since 2016 show psilocybin alleviates anxiety, depression, and distress in terminally ill patients.
Psilocybin induces mystical experiences, helping people feel connected to something greater than themselves.
Psilocybin reboots and loosens the grip of hardwired habits, fear of death, and depression.
It’s been 60+ years since the Harvard Psilocybin Project, the rise of hippie communes and the psychedelic era. Now some baby boomers are returning to the drugs of their youth — to confront aging. Whether a person has terminal cancer or another life-ending illness, future end-of-life care may include psilocybin, the hallucinogenic substance in “magic mushrooms” or “shrooms.”
Patients with cancer or other life-threatening/life-limiting illnesses are often emotionally and spiritually distressed, and sleeplessness , dread, fear , and major depression are common. But psilocybin may help ease their path. A recent study found only one or two doses of psilocybin may markedly improve the mental health of cancer patients when accompanied by psychotherapy . It’s important to note, however, that psilocybin is classified as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act, and consequently, research on psilocybin requires Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) oversight.
Although the drug is illegal, about 8 million adults used psilocybin in the past year, making it the most popular hallucinogen. When asked why they used psilocybin, the top three reasons given by respondents to the RAND survey were: fun and social enjoyment, mental health, and personal development and existential exploration. Psilocybin in Palliative Care
The work of the late Roland Griffiths, PhD at Johns Hopkins, has been pivotal in advancing psilocybin’s potential in palliative/end-of-life care. Research provides strong evidence supporting psilocybin for alleviating anxiety , depression, and existential distress in patients facing terminal illnesses.
Professor Griffiths’s pioneering study in patients with life-threatening cancer was reported in 2016. It was a randomized trial double-blind study of 51 patients with cancer and clinically significant anxiety or depressive symptoms. The study used a moderate and high dose of psilocybin compared to a very low placebo -like dose. Results showed 80% of the high-dose participants experienced significant reductions in depression and anxiety, with improvements lasting six months or […]
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