Hallucinogens for Health?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

By Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times

November 29, 2011, 6:24 p.m.
Janeen Delany describes herself as an "old hippie" who's smoked plenty of marijuana. But she never really dabbled in hallucinogens — until two years ago, at the age of 59.

A diagnosis of incurable leukemia had knocked the optimism out of the retired plant nurserywoman living in Phoenix. So she signed up for a clinical trial to test whether psilocybin — the active ingredient in "magic mushrooms" — could help with depression or anxiety following a grim diagnosis.

Delaney swallowed a blue capsule of psilocybin in a cozy office at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. She donned a blindfold, a blood pressure cuff and a headset playing classical music. With two researchers at her side, she embarked on a six-hour journey into altered consciousness that she calls "the single most life-changing experience I've ever had."

What a long, strange trip it's been. In the 1960s and '70s, a rebellious generation embraced hallucinogens and a wide array of street drugs to "turn on, tune in and drop out." Almost half a century later, magic mushrooms, LSD, Ecstasy and ketamine are being studied for legitimate therapeutic uses. Scientists believe these agents have the potential to help patients with post-traumatic stress disorder, drug or alcohol addiction, unremitting pain or depression and the existential anxiety of terminal illness.


The rest at the link:

http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-drugs-of-abuse-20111130,0,969113.story

[WheelWalker]

1. It is the Ancient Knowledge.

[tridim]

2. Ancient knowledge supressed by modern medicine for the sole purpose of profit

Money, so they say, is the root of all evil today.

[animato]

3. Which ancient knowledge?

There are a few versions!

[saras]

4. With psychedelics, there are as many versions as there are people multiplied by trips

They enable one to perceive more of their own internal arrangement and functioning. They do NOT dictate what you do with that information.

[piratefish08]

6. the beauty is, it doesn't matter. it just 'is'.

[animato]

13. I think it would be a difficult trip at midlife

I don't encourage it for people who are ill if they've ever felt paranoid. It's not really giving insight if it's not kind of already in ones awareness, but it can be a heavy stress on the brain. Still, if one is blocked I suppose it could help. Talking therapy would be much safer though.

[Romulox]

5. Mushrooms really can be lovely.

It's been many years for me.

[WheelWalker]

11. A mid-life dose

is often illuminating.

[CanSocDem]

7. This line says it all:

Her lead oncologist is skeptical, but her neurologist is not so quick to dismiss the link. One should never underestimate "the healing power of the psyche," he told her.


.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

8. Indeed.

There are reasons why we talk about the mind-body connection...

[animato]

14. The neurologist is probably an old hippie!

lol!

[Duer 157099]

9. I've often wondered what effect pot might have on Alzheimer patients

Since pot is well-known to affect short-term memory, and since the hippocampus is the part of the brain associated with memory and is the part of the brain most severely affected in AD, I began wondering what AD patients might experience on pot.

Not directly related to the OP but just a curiosity.

[Gabi Hayes]

15. what?

[Uncle Joe]

10. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, CaliforniaPeggy.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

12. You're very welcome, my dear Uncle Joe...

I'm happy that you found this interesting.

:hi:

[WCGreen]

16. I did my fair share of chemicals that a dear friend use to say were put

together in a hippies bath tub....

I only did the mushrooms a couple of times and it was always with a lot of wine so I think, as they use to say in the old days, that "I harshed my mellow..."