Medscape, a web resource for physicians and other health professionals, has produced an interesting review of the medical uses for psychedelics.

Psychidelic Medicine: worth the trip? (Slideshow - free registration)
Psychedelic compounds have been used medicinally for millennia. Ancient Chinese, African, and South American healers prescribed them for various primarily psychiatric ailments, as did early Ayurvedic practitioners in India and possibly far older prehistoric cultures. One recent study[1] cites the possible influence of psychedelics on 40,000-year-old Paleolithic cave art. Despite extensive early 20th century interest in hallucinogens as therapy, modern medicine mostly abandoned research into their therapeutic potential, as governments worldwide criminalized agents such as LSD, psilocybin, and mescaline in reaction to their counterculture use in the 1960s. But scattered clinical curiosity over the years and a recent renewed interest in psychedelic treatments have hallucinogens again emerging as possible psychiatric therapies, or at least as pharmacologic leads on related and potentially helpful compounds. Medscape

Tampa Bay newspaper discusses how psilocybin has the potential to treat PTSD

USF research may lead to PTSD treatment
Research into the growth of neurons in the brains of mice at the University of South Florida has led to an unexpected finding: Psilocybin, the psychedelic ingredient of certain mushrooms, might one day help treat post-traumatic stress disorder.

Sanchez-Ramos speculates that perhaps very low doses of psilocybin might help soldiers, for example, recover from PTSD. Consider how a loud unexpected noise such as a car backfiring might trigger an anxiety episode; might the chemical help that person un-learn the behavior?

The recent USF study:

Effects of psilocybin on hippocampal neurogenesis and extinction of trace fear conditioning (PDF)


Sanchez-Ramos, M.D., Ph.D talk at MAPS:

Psilocybin Research - Zeno Sanchez-Ramos - Part 1 of 2
Psilocybin Research - Zeno Sanchez-Ramos - Part 2 of 2

New Clinical Trial using psilocybin for smoking cessation

Psilocybin-facilitated Smoking Cessation Treatment: A Pilot Study
One of the most promising lines of investigation for the therapeutic use of hallucinogens in the 1960s and 1970s was in the treatment of drug dependence. We propose to examine psilocybin administration combined with a structured smoking cessation treatment program in nicotine dependent individuals in order to provide preliminary data on the efficacy of this combined treatment in smoking cessation treatment. Prior work in our laboratory has shown that under carefully prepared and supportive conditions, psilocybin administration can facilitate highly salient experiences with enduring personal meaning and spiritual significance (Griffiths et al., 2006). It is plausible that embedding such highly meaningful experiences into a drug dependence cessation attempt may provide an enduring motivation for remaining abstinent.

Professor Probes Psychedelic Drugs for a Cure to Nicotine Addiction
Outcomes like Bessant’s raise new possibilities in the war against cigarettes. Even the best smoking-cessation methods have limited efficacy; the drug Chantix has a success rate of less than 35 percent after one year and can have unpleasant side effects.

Of the first five participants to complete the psilocybin study, four weren’t smoking at all a year later and one had cut back to a single cigarette every two weeks. In all, 12 out of 15 volunteers—or 80 percent—were entirely smoke-free after six months. “That really blows out of the water what traditional treatment shows,” Johnson says. Washingtonian

Broadly speaking, are psychedelics harmful to users mental health?

Psychedelics and mental health: a population study
Results: 21,967 respondents (13.4% weighted) reported lifetime psychedelic use. There were no significant associations between lifetime use of any psychedelics, lifetime use of specific psychedelics (LSD, psilocybin, mescaline, peyote), or past year use of LSD and increased rate of any of the mental health outcomes. Rather, in several cases psychedelic use was associated with lower rate of mental health problems.
Krebs TS, Johansen PØ.
PLoS One. 2013 Aug 19;8(8):e63972. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063972.
PMID: 23976938
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Using Transcendental Meditation to treat PTSD

Clinical case series: treatment of PTSD with transcendental meditation in active duty military personnel.
Barnes VA, Rigg JL, Williams JJ.
Mil Med. 2013 Jul;178(7):e836-40. doi: 10.7205/MILMED-D-12-00426.
PMID: 23820361

Reduction in posttraumatic stress symptoms in congolese refugees practicing transcendental meditation.
Rees B, Travis F, Shapiro D, Chant R.
J Trauma Stress. 2013 Apr;26(2):295-8. doi: 10.1002/jts.21790.
PMID: 23568415

Effects of transcendental meditation in veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom with posttraumatic stress disorder: a pilot study.
Rosenthal JZ, Grosswald S, Ross R, Rosenthal N.
Mil Med. 2011 Jun;176(6):626-30.
PMID: 21702378
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Operation Warrior Wellness (OWW), a division of the David Lynch Foundation, offers the Transcendental Meditation-based Resilient Warrior Program, a simple, easy-to-learn, evidence-based approach to relieving symptoms of PTSD and major depression and developing greater resilience to stress.

Since its initial launch in 2010, the OWW initiative has partnered with leading veterans service organizations, Army and Marine bases and VA medical centers across the country to deliver the Resilient Warrior Program to veterans, active-duty personnel and military families in need. The initiative also partners with military colleges to create a new generation of more resilient officers.

Two recent reviews discussing use of psilocybin in existential medicine

Repression of death consciousness and the psychedelic trip.
Dutta V.
J Cancer Res Ther. 2012 Jul-Sep;8(3):336-42. Review.
PMID: 23174711 
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Psychedelic drugs, magical thinking and psychosis.
Carhart-Harris R.
J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2013 Sep;84(9):e1.
PMID: 23922414
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Comment on low dose psilocybin for treatment of PTSD

The article by Catlow BJ et al. (Exp Brain Res. 2013 Jun 2. [Epub ahead of print]), demonstrates how a low dose (0.1 mg/kg) of psilocybin helps mice overcome a conditioned fear response significantly quicker than a medium (0.5 mg/kg) or high dose of psilocybin (1.0 mg/kg) and results in hippocampal neurogenesis while the higher doses result in a decrease in cell survival.

 Griffiths et al. in their pioneering study (Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance. Griffiths RR, Richards WA, McCann U, Jesse R. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2006 Aug;187(3):268-83; discussion 284-92. Epub 2006 Jul 7.PMID: 16826400) utilized approximately 0.4 mg/kg. This dose occasioned a mystical experience and a sense of oneness with the universe.

Subsequent fMRI studies demonstrated psilocybin has the effect of decreasing activity in key areas of the brain which help to eliminate the crosstalk between the medial prefrontal cortex and the posterior cingulate cortex. This physiological response may be responsible for the "oneness with the universe" experience often seen in psilocybin trials including an ongoing Clinical Trial on cancer patients at NYU. The higher doses of psilocybin may not result in neurogenesis as do the lower doses but may still be beneficial by shutting down the sense of self and allowing the individual to sense a universal connectedness.

In essence, the stronger the ego, the less an individual is able to sense the connectedness with all things. This realization has provided peace to numerous individuals inside and outside of Clinical Trials when done with the proper set and setting. In summary, both the lower and higher doses of psilocybin may have their therapeutic effects.  Low dose psilocybin could be given on a weekly basis to promote neurogenesis, which is how SSRIs are thought to provide their therapeutic effects.  The higher dose may have to be given only once, under therapeutic conditions to promote a sense of connectedness with a higher power to alleviate the existential crisis seen in PTSD and cancer patients.

More research is needed and this is a good opportunity for the DoD and/or VA to show the Active Duty Military and Veterans that they will do what it takes to help alleviate the epidemic of PTSD found in those populations.

Low dose psilocybin erases conditioned fear in mice faster than high dose psilocybin and has potential as treatment for PTSD

Effects of psilocybin on hippocampal neurogenesis and extinction of trace fear conditioning
Drugs that modulate serotonin (5-HT) synaptic concentrations impact neurogenesis and hippocampal (HPC)-dependent learning. The primary objective is to determine the extent to which psilocybin (PSOP) modulates neurogenesis and thereby affects acquisition and extinction of HPC-dependent trace fear conditioning. PSOP, the 5-HT2A agonist 25I-NBMeO and the 5-HT2A/C antagonist ketanserin were administered via an acute intraperitoneal injection to mice. Trace fear conditioning was measured as the amount of time spent immobile in the presence of the conditioned stimulus (CS, auditory tone), trace (silent interval) and post-trace interval over 10 trials. Extinction was determined by the number of trials required to resume mobility during CS, trace and post-trace when the shock was not delivered. Neurogenesis was determined by unbiased counts of cells in the dentate gyrus of the HPC birth-dated with BrdU co-expressing a neuronal marker. Mice treated with a range of doses of PSOP acquired a robust conditioned fear response. Mice injected with low doses of PSOP extinguished cued fear conditioning significantly more rapidly than high-dose PSOP or saline-treated mice. Injection of PSOP, 25I-NBMeO or ketanserin resulted in significant dose-dependent decreases in number of newborn neurons in hippocampus. At the low doses of PSOP that enhanced extinction, neurogenesis was not decreased, but rather tended toward an increase. Extinction of "fear conditioning" may be mediated by actions of the drugs at sites other than hippocampus such as the amygdala, which is known to mediate the perception of fear. Another caveat is that PSOP is not purely selective for 5-HT2A receptors. PSOP facilitates extinction of the classically conditioned fear response, and this, and similar agents, should be explored as potential treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder and related conditions. 
Catlow BJ, Song S, Paredes DA, Kirstein CL, Sanchez-Ramos. J. 
Exp Brain Res. 2013 Jun 2. [Epub ahead of print] 
PMID: 23727882 
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Psychedelics and the Future of Psychotherapy

Psychedelic drugs as treatment: a look into the future of psychotherapy
This paper presents psychedelic drugs as treatment for various psychological disorders. The categorization and history of psychedelic drugs are being reviewed and the main related scientific findings are outlined accordingly. Moreover, the therapeutic capabilities of psychedelics are critically evaluated and discussed in relation to the current treatment methods. Finally, the text concludes by suggesting that psychedelics are brought back into the surface again since they have proven to be a very effective method of treating psychological disorders and can be very efficiently combined with all the psychotherapy techniques. Keywords: psychedelic drugs, psychotherapy, hallucinogens, psychological treatment. Liampas Aristotelis Charilaos. Global Journal of Psychology Research, Vol 2, No: 1 (2012): June PDF

The Renaissance of Psychedelic Research

The Psychedelic Renaissance: Reassessing the Role of Psychedelic Drugs in 21st Century Psychiatry and Society

Can Psychedelics do for psychiatry what the microscope did for biology and the telescope to astronomy? Can they be used to access on the depths of the psyche that are usually inaccessible? Psychedelic means: “mind manifesting” Psychedelics were inextricably associated with the hippie counterculture of the 1960s and, more recently, with the rave music scene and were once believed to hold great promise for treating a number of medical conditions as well as providing access to profound spiritual experiences. However, legal restrictions on the use of such drugs effectively forced them underground and brought clinical research to a halt — until recently. In this book, psychiatrist Dr. Ben Sessa makes a persuasive case for the re-evaluation of psychedelics — LSD, MDMA (‘Ecstasy’), DMT, psilocybin, ayahuasca, peyote, ibogaine, and more — as he explores their clinical potential for treating a range of conditions from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression to autism and cluster headaches. Based on a thorough review of the evidence Sessa corrects some common misconceptions about psychedelics and makes a clarion call for their responsible therapeutic use, with appropriate set and setting, in psychotherapy, psychiatry and personal growth. Topics covered in this book include: • What are the drugs and why are they so controversial? • How should they be safely and wisely used • What is the nature of the psychedelic experience? • What are the implications for psychiatry and for psycho spiritual growth? With clarity and wit, the author surveys the contributions of major figures in the psychedelic movement — from Huxley, Hofmann and Sandison to Leary, Grof and McKenna — and takes the reader on a journey through the fascinating history of psychedelic plants and chemicals as he considers the crucial role such drugs have had in human culture from prehistory to modern times. Enter the shamans of science and the psychonauts of psychiatry Although books on psychedelics abound, volumes like The Psychedelic Renaissance show how the field is now addressing the substance of findings from recent research rather than the legions of case reports and anecdotes. Kelly Morris The Lancet Vol. 381 February16, 2013 --The Lancet Vol. 381

Psilocybin as treatment for Existential Distress

Use of the Classic Hallucinogen Psilocybin for Treatment of Existential Distress Associated with Cancer
From textbook: Psychological Aspects of Cancer. Editors: Brian I. Carr, Jennifer Steel. ISBN: 978-1-4614-4865-5 (Print) 978-1-4614-4866-2 (Online).

Chapter 17: Use of the Classic Hallucinogen Psilocybin for Treatment of Existential Distress Associated with Cancer. Charles S. Grob M.D., Anthony P. Bossis Ph.D.
This chapter reviews the potential of a treatment approach that uses psilocybin, a novel psychoactive drug, to ameliorate the psychospiritual distress and demoralization that often accompany a life-threatening cancer diagnosis. The focus of cutting-edge research beginning in the 1950s, the investigation of classic hallucinogens had a major impact on the evolving field of psychiatry, contributing to early discoveries of basic neurotransmitter systems and to significant developments in clinical psychopharmacology. While published reports of therapeutic breakthroughs with difficult-to-treat and refractory patient populations were initially met with mainstream professional enthusiasm, by the late 1960s and early 1970s the growing association of hallucinogens with widespread indiscriminate use led to the temporary abandonment of this promising psychiatric treatment model. After a hiatus lasting several decades, however, regulatory and scientific support has grown for the resumption of clinical research investigations exploring the safety and efficacy of a treatment model utilizing the classic hallucinogen, psilocybin, in a subject population that had previously demonstrated positive therapeutic response, patients with existential anxiety due to a life-threatening cancer diagnosis.

Psilocybin as treatment for alcoholism

Studying the Effects of Classic Hallucinogens in the Treatment of Alcoholism: Rationale, Methodology, and Current Research with Psilocybin.
Recent developments in the study of classic hallucinogens, combined with a re-appraisal of the older literature, have led to a renewal of interest in possible therapeutic applications for these drugs, notably their application in the treatment of addictions. This article will first provide a brief review of the research literature providing direct and indirect support for the possible therapeutic effects of classic hallucinogens such as psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in the treatment of addictions. Having provided a rationale for clinical investigation in this area, we discuss design issues in clinical trials using classic hallucinogens, some of which are unique to this class of drug. We then describe the design of an ongoing pilot study of psilocybin for alcohol dependence, followed by a discussion of the current status of this field of research and design considerations in future randomized trials. Bogenschutz MP. Curr Drug Abuse Rev. 2013 Apr 29. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23627783 PDF

Ongoing Clinical Trial: Effects and Therapeutic Potential of Psilocybin in Alcohol Dependence

Two places to find Psilocybe sp.

One place is along the Gulf Coast.  The other is in college dorms.

A survey of hallucinogenic mushroom use, factors related to usage, and perceptions of use among college students. We surveyed 882 randomly selected undergraduates at Skidmore College in upstate New York and quantified whether participants had ever used psilocybin mushrooms, their attitudes toward the drug, and polydrug use. There were 409 responses and 29.5% of the sample reported psilocybin use. Among users, the mean number of times they reported using mushrooms was 3.4 (mode=1). Hallock RM, Dean A, Knecht ZA, Spencer J, Taverna EC. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2013 Jun 1;130(1-3):245-8. Epub 2012 Dec 21. 

A follow-up to this post is from an article published in College Times on March 9 2015.  This helps to verify the rather broad interest in psilocybin amongst college students.

Psilocybin – The “Magic” in the Mushroom

About College Times.

DoD turning to Mindfulness Meditation for PTSD prevention and treatment

Military May Be Turning to Meditation for PTSD
With its emphasis on developing tranquility, meditation may seem an odd fit for the military. But recent studies have shown that mindfulness meditation is extremely effective in lowering symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and increasing focus.

Meditation seems to produce its effects though a variety of mechanisms, according to the researchers. They found that mindfulness increases levels of insulin-like growth factor 1, a hormone that repairs cellular damage caused by stress. It also lowers levels of cortisol and neuropeptide Y, stress-related chemicals that, over time, can damage tissues. PsychCentral

Military and mindfulness meditation in PubMed.

Military and mindfulness meditation in Google Scholar.

Long-lasting anxiolytic effect of psilocybin

Single treatments that have lasting effects: some thoughts on the antidepressant effects of ketamine and botulinum toxin and the anxiolytic effect of psilocybin.
Recent clinical trials suggest that 3 single biological treatments have effects that persist. Based on research showing that the muscles involved in facial expressions can feed back to influence mood, a single trial diminishing glabella frown lines with botulinum toxin demonstrated a significant antidepressant effect for 16 weeks. Based primarily on research with animal models of depression suggesting that glutamate may be involved in depression, the N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist ketamine has been tested in several trials. A single dose decreased depression for up to a week. The reported effects of the use of mushrooms containing psilocybin by a number of cultures around the world has stimulated several trials showing beneficial effects of a single dose of psilocybin for over a year in healthy people, and for up to 3 months in patients with anxiety disorders who have advanced cancer. This article discusses these studies, their rationale, their possible mechanisms of action, the future clinical research required to establish these therapies and the basic research required to optimize single treatments that have lasting effects.
Young SN. J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2013 Mar;38(2):78-83. 
PMID: 23171696 
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U.S. Marines take up Mindfulness training

US Marines studying mindfulness-based training
The U.S. Marine Corps, known for turning out some of the military's toughest warriors, is studying how to make its troops even tougher through meditative practices, yoga-type stretching and exercises based on mindfulness.

Facing a record suicide rate and thousands of veterans seeking treatment for post-traumatic stress, the military has been searching for ways to reduce strains on service members burdened with more than a decade of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Psilocybin use in end of life care: Journal of the National Cancer Institute

Opening doors of perception: psychedelic drugs and end-of-life care.

Macready N. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2012 Nov 7;104(21):1619-20. Epub 2012 Oct 25. No abstract available. PMID: 23104218
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Results of this ongoing study at New York University that has involved 12 patients given 0.3mg/kg of psilocybin.  Study goal is 32 patients.  Patients received 9 months of psychotherapy as well as psilocybin.

· all subjects experienced rapid clinical improvement (Psychiatric)

· there was significant reduction or resolution of death anxiety

· there was a decrease in depression/anxiety in general

· patients became more spiritual/philosophical and more connected with others

· they reported feeling interconnected with other forms of energy and that their consciousness was a part of a larger consciousness

· they felt connected to transcendental forces and a sense of sacredness

Dr. Anthony Bossis stated "Every patient I've worked with says the drug has allowed them to live more fully in the present, to be less concerned with yesterday and tomorrow and whether tomorrow will bring more suffering."

"One patient, now deceased, said he realized that consciousness doesn't end, it doesn't die, it continuous and that his body is one aspect of life, that physical death is part of the life experience, but there is a broader continuum."

Self-Transcendence

Link to a slideshow that discusses varies aspects of Self-Transcendence.  Some of the links are to videos that are related directly or indirectly to Self-Transcendence.  Others are links to scientific articles or sections of various texts.

Self-Transcendence

Factor Analysis of the Mystical Experience Questionnaire: A Study of Experiences Occasioned by the Hallucinogen Psilocybin

Factor Analysis of the Mystical Experience Questionnaire: A Study of Experiences Occasioned by the Hallucinogen Psilocybin

Katherine A. MacLean, Jeannie-Marie S. Leoutsakos, Matthew W. Johnson, Roland R. Griffiths. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. Vol 51 Issue 4. Article first published online: 4 Dec 2012

A large body of historical evidence describes the use of hallucinogenic compounds, such as psilocybin mushrooms, for religious purposes. But few scientific studies have attempted to measure or characterize hallucinogen-occasioned spiritual experiences. The present study examined the factor structure of the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ), a self-report measure that has been used to assess the effects of hallucinogens in laboratory studies. Participants (N = 1,602) completed the 43-item MEQ in reference to a mystical or profound experience they had had after ingesting psilocybin. Exploratory factor analysis of the MEQ retained 30 items and revealed a four-factor structure covering the dimensions of classic mystical experience: unity, noetic quality, sacredness (F1); positive mood (F2); transcendence of time/space (F3); and ineffability (F4). MEQ factor scores showed good internal reliability and correlated with the Hood Mysticism Scale, indicating convergent validity. Participants who endorsed having had a mystical experience on psilocybin, compared to those who did not, had significantly higher factor scores, indicating construct validity. The four-factor structure was confirmed in a second sample (N = 440) and demonstrated superior fit compared to alternative models. The results provide initial evidence of the validity, reliability, and factor structure of a 30-item scale for measuring single, hallucinogen-occasioned mystical experiences, which may be a useful tool in the scientific study of mysticism.