The Use of Psychedelics for
Better Mental Health Gathering

Friday, August 12, 2022

Perspective

To date, approximately 120 hallucinogenic plants have been identified worldwide. Considering that there are approximately 800,000 plant species in the world, this would appear to be a relatively small number when compared to the total number of species. Nevertheless, this number becomes even more significant when compared with the total number of species used as food.

According to some estimates, only 3,000 plant species were regularly consumed by some people, at some point, in varying parts, throughout history.

Currently, only about 150 species of plants are important enough to compete in the international market.

However, the majority of our global food today comes from only 12-15 different types of crops, primarily domesticated cereals.

History

Throughout history, ancient civilizations experimented with mind-altering plants that were found in their surroundings. Despite the fact that some of these topics are currently taboo, there is strong evidence that they have had a profound influence on the way the world evolved into what it is today.

Moreover, psychoactive plants have also played an influential role in the spiritual practices and belief systems of people throughout the world for thousands of years. Several academic circles believe that the idea of religion itself evolved from the use of psychoactive plants in various parts of the world. The finding of drugs in tombs, in ceremonial places, and in connection with ritual activity is not uncommon.

Over the course of history, humans have used plants to achieve powerful-and sometimes mind-altering-effects. Several of the earliest drug cultures on earth can be traced back to the hallucinogenic cactus of Peru or to the pot-smoking farmers of Neolithic China.

Psychedelics Got A Bad Wrap

In 1799, several magic mushrooms were picked and consumed without the knowledge of a British family along the Thames, altering not only their afternoon, but also the classification of the mushroom as dangerous.

As the counterculture movement in the U.S. and the U.K. took off in the 1960s, psychedelics became an important symbol in the movement.

The US federal government banned the use of psilocybin in 1968.

Due to their growing popularity and the disillusionment caused by their use, the 1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances banned psychedelics and cannabis, labeling them as Schedule 1 drugs.

With the help of fraudulent research and the manipulation of fears, President Nixon passed the Controlled Substances Act in 1971 which was the beginning of the extremely harmful War on Drugs.

In the aftermath of the ban, almost all research that was about the benefits and potential harms of psychedlics for humans came to an end.

Future

Instead of focusing on removing these drugs from the streets, the challenge is returning them to laboratories, hospitals, and other monitoring facilities so that they can be tested, analyzed and reviewed. Even if a drug is used or enjoyed, or even associated with a set of counterculture or political values, that does not mean it should remain locked away. Particularly if there is some promising evidence that it may prove beneficial in some of the most severe conditions people suffer from.

These challenges aren't insurmountable.

A Sustainable World, Created Through Collaboration

Creating a world that values purpose, productivity and preference isn't something that can happen overnight. It will require not only hard work and perseverance, but also a deeply rooted collaboration with organizations who value the possibility of a better tomorrow over the profits of today.

THE WALDEN GATHERING Searched to review, explore & answer the following questions:

What type of ancient practices once existed?

Why have some of these practices become taboo?

What can we learn from our past?

How can we improve our futures?

What are some of the current challenges & disadvantages?

setting the tone through INTRODUCTIONS

We started the day with a rigorous networking hike around the Walden property. A steady uphill climb among the leafy coastal oaks, let us breathe and introduce ourselves in a relaxed style as a group of individuals from diverse backgrounds and fields joined the discussions.

Common Threads in Shared Stories

“What are you curious about right now?”

“We use a design-thinking format around the table, walking discussions on nature trails, and guided meditation to inspire the group to solve big problems. Instead of the hyper-intense networking of your typical conference, participants spend the entire day outside with a carefully curated small and diverse group of people.”

After the Gathering intro, members presented current issues, focused on:

History

Nature

Self

Desire

During these discussions, participants break up into groups to increase contributions and engagement. Topics are addressed, opinions are shared and summaries are presented to all.

Our ancestors consumed hallucinogenic plants that stimulated the imagination powerfully, but neutrally; in a sense, they were templates upon which cultural beliefs and forces could be multiplied. There is more to visions than just the drug itself; they are also influenced by the mood and setting of the group, the physical and mental states of the participants, as well as the individual's own expectations derived from a rich knowledge of tribal mythology. Indigenous societies consider the leader of the ceremony to be the person with the authority, knowledge, and experience necessary to ensure a successful ceremony. As well as their specific experiences, these individuals play a pivotal role in the lives of their people, whether they are men or women, shamans, curanderos, payes, maestros or brujos. They are responsible for placing a protective cloak of ritual over the ritual participants. The purpose of their work is to regulate and allow the bombardment of visual and auditory stimuli to flow in a meaningful manner. It is thus important for them to be the ones who interpret complex belief systems, who interpret the meaning in the rocks and the power in the leaves, who must skillfully balance the forces of the universe. Indigenous societies have traditionally used hallucinogenic plants for ceremonial purposes for collective journeys into the unconscious. In reality, it is seldom an easy and pleasant journey, and it was not intended to be so. It is both wonderful and terrifying at the same time, but most importantly, it serves a purpose.

Historically, participants entered the hallucinogenic realm not out of boredom or restlessness, but rather to fulfill some collective need of the group. Amazonians commonly use hallucinogens for a variety of purposes, including divining the future, tracking the movements of enemies, ensuring the fidelity of women, and diagnosing and treating illness.

A Huichol in Mexico eats peyote at the conclusion of long, arduous pilgrimages with the intention of experiencing in life what the souls of the dead make to the underworld.

For the purpose of teaching their apprentices the nature of forest animals and plants, Amahuaca Indians of Peru drink yage.

During their puberty rituals in eastern North America, the Algonquin people confined adolescents to longhouses for two weeks, during which they fed them beverages that contained datura, which was used as an herbal medicine. As a result of the prolonged intoxication caused by the drug, and the subsequent amnesia it induced, the young boys began to forget what it was like to be a child in order to learn what it meant to be a man.

Irrespective of the intended purpose of a hallucinogenic journey, the Amerindians imbibe their plants in a highly organized manner that places them in a ritualistic order that assists them in accomplishing their objectives. Further, the experience is explicitly sought in order to improve one's quality of life. It is not the objective of the society to free itself from the uncertainty of daily life, but rather to contribute to the welfare of all of its members.

Natural Substances Utilized by Our Ancestors

Mescal Bean

Bundles of purple blooms have made the Texas mountain laurel a popular ornamental, but it’s the plant’s bean pods that pack a punch: they’re rich in the mind-bending alkaloid cytisine. Archeological evidence in southern Texas and northern Mexico points to the ancient ceremonial use of the mescal bean, and some caches of the plant date to the 9th millennium BCE. Vision-seekers once consumed the poisonous plant for the “Red Bean Dance,” a cleansing ceremony involving prayer and copious vomiting.

Peyote

Traces of this hallucinogenic cactus have been found in Texas’ Shumla Cave #5 alongside evidence of elaborate ceremonies including rasping sticks, feather plumes, and cedar incense in reed tubes. Radiocarbon dating of the cactus suggests that ceremonial peyote consumption dates at least to the period of 3,780–3,660 BCE and the mescaline-rich plant is still used in sacraments of the Native American Church.

Opium Poppy

Colorful blooms meet a forceful intoxicant in a plant that’s likely served as both a food and a drug for thousands of years. Teasing apart the two uses based on archeological evidence is a challenge but remains of the opium poppy in the Italian Neolithic site of La Marmotta date to the 6th millennium BCE. In 1,300 BCE, a Minoan goddess appeared decked with poppy hairpins, hinting at ancient use of the flower’s narcotic power.

Coca

Touch down in one of South America’s mountain cities, and you’ll likely be offered a warm cup of coca tea to ward off the effects of the altitude—it’s what the locals have been using for the last 8,000 years or so. Grown on the lower slopes of the Andes, coca contains a small amount of the alkaloid cocaine, which can suppress fatigue, hunger, and thirst, along with easing symptoms of altitude sickness. Coca leaves have long featured in religious offerings and ceremonies, too, and visitors can still have their fortune told in a cup of the pale-green tea.

Cannabis

For the Neolithic farmers of the Central Asian steppe, hemp was a crop of remarkable diversity. From at least the 5th millennium BCE, they cultivated it for ropes, textiles, food, and precious oil. But the plant’s hallucinogenic qualities were also prized, and scholars believe cannabis was likely used in a ritual or ceremonial context.

Nightshade

Traces of psychoactive nightshade found in a Spanish cave suggest mourners were gulping hallucinogenic barley beer grave-side back in the 3rd millennium BCE. Solanaceae plants, also called nightshades, have long been used to induce altered states, and nightshade has also been linked to the rites of medieval witchcraft. On the other side of the Atlantic, hallucinogenic nightshades served as a ritual connection to the spirit world in the Americas.

Tobacco

How long have humans been puffing away? Smoking pipes found in modern-day Argentina date to 2,100 BCE, with a sticky residue from tobacco or a hallucinogenic plant, but archaeobotanical proof of the earliest tobacco use remains elusive. The oldest evidence of tobacco use in North America is a nicotine-coated pipe found in modern-day Alabama, which scholars have dated to 1685 BCE.

Snuff

Ceramic bowls found in the Caribbean were used to inhale a powerful snuff made from the seeds of Anadenanthera peregrina in ancient times; today, the seed-based snuff is still prepared for rituals in the Orinoco basin. Traces of the mind-melting alkaloid DMT have been found in Argentinian smoking pipes from 2,130 BCE, pointing to the use of the related—and hallucinogenic—Anadenanthera colubrina seeds.

Hallucinogenic Mushrooms

Mushroom-shaped sculptures found at pre-Hispanic sites from Mexico to Colombia signal sacred mushroom cults that stretch into ancient times—archeologists believe that since at least 3,500 years ago, religious practices that incorporated hallucinogenic mushrooms extended from modern-day Mexico City through Central America. In Europe, Siberian tribes used Amanita muscaria mushrooms in traditional shamanic ceremonies that included ritual drumming and giant reindeer headdresses.

1. Nature Connectedness - Ego

2. Health Benefits

3. Technology & Development

4. Policy & Funding

Nature Connectedness

In terms of their experience of oneness with nature, "nature connectedness" refers to one's self-identification with nature, which is a sense of "being at one with the natural world.". It is both direct and emotional.

It has been consistently demonstrated that a high degree of nature connectedness is strongly associated with reduced levels of anxiety, a greater sense of life meaning, a greater sense of vitality and happiness, as well as an improved psychological state. The individuals who score highly on nature connection have also shown greater motivation from intrinsic sources compared with extrinsic sources.

Pro-environmental behavior has been found to be strongly influenced by the connection to nature. Moreover, environmental awareness and prosociality are closely linked, with each enhancing the other. In essence, a growing connection to nature leads to an externalization of awareness, concern, and empathy.

Additionally, the link between nature connection and well-being has been demonstrated to have a positive impact on well-being, mood, attention, ability to reflect on life problems, and the perception that nature is a restorative force.

People who have a strong connection to nature are more likely to spend time in nature. The more people become involved in nature, the more connections are formed, and the more people are able to connect with nature, resulting in greater connections with it.

A rapid growth and expansion of the environmental movement occurred during the peak of Western psychedelic culture, leading some to claim that psychedelics may have contributed to the impetus for modern ecological movements.

A study found that the people who consumed psychedelics had a higher level of "nature relatedness" - the extent to which they used nature as part of their identity - than those who did not consume psychedelics.

The results of a retrospective survey conducted after a psychedelic experience revealed that by the end of the day, 66% of people felt a greater sense of responsibility towards environmental issues, and 16% of them even went so far as to change careers to ones that were more environmentally friendly.

According to an online study of almost 900 people that compared psychedelic drugs to other drugs, it was discovered that while cocaine and alcohol did not aid in people identifying further with their environment, magic mushrooms and LSD were found to help people do so.

DMT & Addiction

A biotechnology company called Entheon Biomedical is developing individualized N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT)-assisted treatments for addictions using the N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) model.

An estimated 21.2 million Americans suffer from substance abuse disorders, and approximately one in ten of them do not receive adequate treatment. As opposed to being simply habitual in nature, psychological and emotional factors are believed to underlie these problems, so solutions need to be re-directed to these origins.

Traditional medicine has been using DMT in the form of ayahuasca for hundreds of years, and it is naturally occurring in the body. DMT has shown to induce vivid and powerful images, powerful emotions, and a deep clarity and insight into one's life and relationships, leading to the dismantling of deeply held beliefs that were once held dear.

Due to its short-acting nature and precision in administration, DMT is used more often in addiction treatment than other psychedelics. These characteristics make it easier for practitioners to stop a patient's treatment quickly if adverse effects occur.

As part of its treatment plan, Entheon proposes a three-stage treatment protocol. In the first stage, EEG, genetics, and metabolic data are analyzed to determine how a specific patient will respond to DMT and to customize treatment accordingly. This initiative has been supported by Entheon's recent acquisition of HaluGen Life Sciences, a company that has a strong track record of developing and commercializing a pre-screening test for genetic markers that predict an individual's reaction to hallucinogenic drugs and their potential side effects. Following the first stage of Entheon's treatment, an intravenous injection of DMT under the guidance of a physician is administered for 60 to 90 minutes, resulting in a mind-altering experience monitored by an electroencephalogram. In the third stage, the results of the psychedelic treatment are incorporated into the individual's new perspective, belief system, and behavior, following the completion of the treatment.

In 2022-2023, Entheon plans to begin a proof of concept trial in the Netherlands, as well as pilot studies for nicotine, alcohol, and opiate addiction.

Cancer & Mental Health Support

As many as 30% to 40% of people with advanced cancer suffer from psychiatric disorders, including major depression and anxiety, and there is evidence that up to 25% suffer from existential distress. For cancer patients, pharmacological and psychosocial treatments currently available are limited in terms of effectiveness. However, preliminary studies suggest that psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy may provide a new treatment option for these patients, according to Stephen Ross, M.D., associate director at the Langone Health Center for Psychedelic Medicine at New York University, and others.

As part of a 2016 study, 29 cancer-related psychological distress patients were evaluated for their anxiety and depression symptoms following a single dose of psilocybin in combination with psychotherapy. This research involved a double-blind, placebo-controlled study and found that a single dose of psilocybin combined with psychotherapy was successfully reducing these symptoms. According to a recent follow-up study, the effects persisted four and a half years after the study's conclusion.

Assuming future trials confirm that psilocybin is an effective treatment, the next hurdle will be to ensure that it is widely accessible.

Technology

The psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PP) model is a unique psychopharmacological method that utilizes the profound effects of the psychedelic experience to enhance the psychotherapeutic process.

In order to achieve a successful therapeutic experience, participants need to be aware that two key factors are largely responsible for it: their mindset and the therapeutic environment. As a result, therapeutic models that use psychedelics carry a great deal of risk and should therefore be carefully designed in order to promote an open, open-minded, flexible, trust-filled and supportive environment.

As a result of these needs, the PP model has increasingly been supplemented with auxiliary methods, such as meditation, relaxation, visualization and spiritual practices,

A technology-based approach to the process has been introduced due to the delicate nature of the participant and the substance. It is now possible to use virtual reality as a safe and introductory tool to introduce oneself to the effects experienced in the course of the psychedelic experience, including detachment from reality, alteration of self-perception, enhancement of sensory perception, and induction of mystical experiences.

New Drugs

There is no doubt that many of the drugs that we have in our medicine cabinets today were once inspired by plants and nature. We often turn to manufactured drugs such as Asprin instead of grinding up willow bark when we are experiencing mild pains and aches.

Whether designed to better address a problem or symptom or to increase profitability, big pharma has always sought better alternatives. However, mainstream pharmaceutical companies have largely ignored the psychedelic drug pipeline until now.

Companies and researchers have begun anew with drug discovery in response to the psychedelic renaissance, the surge in research on psychedelic compounds as potential treatments for mental health problems. There is a need to discover molecules that are similar to psychedelic compounds in order to create similar brain changes or to interact with brain receptors. The majority of companies entering the psychedelic industry today, do not intend to focus on existing psychedelics, but rather on the types of new alternatives.

Their goal is to develop analogues and novel molecules that will improve upon the classic psychedelics. Many common goals are involved in the modification of psychedelic drugs, including the elimination of unwanted side effects such as digestive upset or cardiovascular risks, reducing the duration of trips, removing hallucinogenic properties entirely, or even undergoing a completely new experience.

The new compounds may have a range of potential benefits, but there is also much to be learned from the once forgotten natural products, and it is difficult not to wonder whether this sudden interest in manufactured goods is merely a race for market share and intellectual property, or improved experiences for its users.

Policy

In addition to the many opportunities that can be opened up by psychedelics/hallucinogens, there are also several challenges in getting there. A significant barrier to their use is their legal status, both locally and internationally, as most of them are listed on Schedule 1 of the United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances, which was adopted in 1971.

In other words, they have been classified as having no therapeutic effects, a high potential for abuse and dependency, as well as the potential for causing serious adverse effects. For a simple study to be conducted, such classifications create complex bureaucratic procedures that are both time consuming and expensive. Numerous researchers believe that these drugs should be reclassified, in order to fully investigate their therapeutic potential, just as they would with any other drug with therapeutic potential.

A certain amount of this is already happening at different rates with LSD, psilocybin, and MDMA in Switzerland, the United States, and Canada.

As a result of the Convention's provisions regarding the medical use of psychedelics, doctors should also be able to regain their control and their ability to use medicines based on their clinical criteria, which they believe to be the best treatment options for their patients. Further, the need for some patients to undergo several attempts at already accepted treatments before they may be treated with psychedelics seems unethical, time consuming and harmful.

Another aspect of healthcare policy that must be addressed is funding. Typically, these drugs are considered off-patent as they have been described several decades ago and/or are natural compounds (e.g. psilocybin, DMT, mescaline). Considering the low dosages required for these procedures and the lack of IP, the private sector has little incentive to push policy in the right direction.

WALDEN GATHERINGS ARE NOT JUST FOCUSED ON TALKING ABOUT SOLUTIONS, BUT PUTTING SOLUTIONS INTO ACTION.

While ideas are shared throughout the day, we gather to create change.

In order to improve the world around us, we must not only speak about the issues at hand, but work towards solutions. The point of the discussions is to establish the framework for identifying and understanding the problems.

What follows, is most important.

Emerging Ideas

Health is a personal journey that needs to be examined.

Need to change how we think about taboo ideas

Change the narrative what is good and what is bad for you

Apply indigenous knowledge to the problem.

There is no secrete solution, everyone needs to work on making themselves feel better

Habits and rituals.

Connected group for shared experiences.

Healthy living is not just for you, but for everyone around you too.

Heal yourself and you heal the world.

The group solution summarized:

Plant medicines have had a profound effect on our lives and we want to share that with those around us but not everyone is ready. We need to realize that not everyone is ready to change (be healed) and need to be patient and careful about how we promote this powerful modality for change. This wave needs to be different than the 60/70s or we are just going to go back to government regulations that hold this back from another generation.

Share the stories of how we have changed and help others that are ready find a safe space to explore plant medicines themselves. We have a lot of resources and research available now to help them on that journey.

Team

We aim to bring together passionate individuals, groups and organizations to gather, learn and collaborate in small groups on how best to contribute and invest their time, talent and resources to innovative solutions -- and then take them back into the world.   We see everyone who joins as an equal expert at the table because we believe in the wisdom of the crowd to find solutions.
 

Michael Dobler | Dorka Keehn | John Long

Maureen Downey | Erin Duddy | Allison Feduccia

Andrew Barr | Tyler Scheid | Kierstyn Berlin

Grant Barbeito | Joshua Chase | Frances Shipnuck

Jason Gandzjuk | Erin Carey | Benjamin Forest

Jeff Brothers|Nick Jekogian

Check Out:

The Myth of Balance by Frank Bealer

Food of the Gods by Terence McKenna

The Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell, by Aldous Huxley

Interview: On Time and Water, An Interview with Andri Snær Magnason

Docu=Series - How to Change Your Mind