However, it turns out that before that, medical research had already demonstratedpsychedelicshad powerful therapeutic benefits.
But it turns out before it left the lab, LSD had a long history.
One of those researchers, psychiatrist Humphry Osmond, even coined the term psychedelic.
Verywell / Ellen Lindner / Courtesy of Netflix
Things changed when Timothy Leary, a psychologist at Harvard University started studying LSD.
Teenagers and young adults behavior concerned the authorities, especially after many refused to fight in the Vietnam War.
It was at this point that President Richard Nixon started speaking out againstLSDand the media started to demonize it.
Only Switzerland responded, but it was enough to ensure research resumed.
That said, in the controlled environment in which psychedelic studies are conducted, these risks are minimized.
Taking psilocybin seems to allow people to see through those stories.
As Dr. Cargart-Harris explains in the episode, mental illnesses appear to be a defensive reaction to uncertainty.
Today, MDMA is the psychedelic closest to being legalized for medical use.
Its this work that the documentary spends the most time profiling in this episode.
MDMA seems especially good at treating trauma, and MAPS research has had remarkably good results in this area.
Their clinical trials have explored the impact of psychedelic psychotherapy in people with PTSD.
The studies have shown that just three doses of the substance seem to help participants.
The series explains that MDMA works slightly differently than LSD or psilocybin.
It’s this combination that seems to be especially helpful for people with PTSD.
Taking MDMA essentially reverses this, opening patients up to heal.
As a result, the Native Americans interviewed in this episode are against others using peyote.
Their concerns are valid.
After all, Native Americans were using mescaline in their religious ceremonies well before Europeans settled in North America.
Native Americans harvest their mescaline from the peyote cactus.
This didnt wipe it out.
However Native Americans have had to fight to use peyote.
Native Americans advocacy has once again ensured peyote is being left out of many citys bills todecriminalize psychedelics.
Are There Risks to Psychedelics?
Keep This in Mind
However, psychedelics arent a panacea.
Like everything, there are some risks involved in taking them.
That said, in comparison to other drugs, those risks are relatively minor.
This is out of concern that taking psychedelics could trigger prolonged psychosis, although this risk is probably small.
Still, this indicates that those who suffer from these issues shouldn’t take psychedelics.
This suggests that the benefits of microdosing may simply be the result of the placebo effect.
Huber B.What do we know about the risks of psychedelics?Michael Pollan.
Johnson M, Richards W, Griffiths R.Human hallucinogen research: Guidelines for safety.Journal of Psychopharmacology.
Szigeti B, Kartner L, Blemings A et al.Self-blinding citizen science to explore psychedelic microdosing.Elife.
