
Johns Hopkins Launches Center for Psychedelic Research - infodocket
https://hub.jhu.edu/2019/09/04/hopkins-launches-psychedelic-center/
======
halleonard
A family member was a patient in the Psilocybin study dealing with cancer /
end of life anxiety and the experience utterly transformed her life in a
positive way.

Seeing this center open brings tears to my eyes.

~~~
jcims
Do you happen to have any more info on this?

~~~
b0tch7
Read How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan!!
[https://www.amazon.com/Change-Your-Mind-Consciousness-
Transc...](https://www.amazon.com/Change-Your-Mind-Consciousness-
Transcendence/dp/B07B1V3RF5/ref=sr_1_3?crid=EROMFS1IY7LV&keywords=how+to+change+your+mind+michael+pollan&qid=1567657534&s=gateway&sprefix=how+to+change+your+m%2Caps%2C341&sr=8-3)

~~~
abyssin
I spent some years reading on the topic of psychedelics and this book would
have saved me a lot of time. It's an enjoyable read, a nice story, and it
covers most aspects of the topic.

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roymurdock
Lots of revived interest in psychedelics that is finally coming front and
center in no small part due to Michael Pollan's recent book "How to Change
Your Mind". Rolland Griffiths plays a pivotal role in the book (and in the
real life advocacy and study of psychedelics) and Pollan probably seeded the
ideas of psilocybin's potential into the right ears around Berkeley and on his
book tour [1]. Think there's a ton of potential here and looking forward to
what research comes out of this new group.

[1] The center's operational expenses for the first five years will be covered
by private funding from the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation and four
philanthropists: Tim Ferriss, author and technology investor; Matt Mullenweg,
co-founder of WordPress; Blake Mycoskie, founder of the shoe and accessory
brand TOMS; and investor Craig Nerenberg.

~~~
gravelc
Suspect Joe Rogan has also been a fair influence too. His podcast has a
massive and varied fan base, and he's a pretty consistent promoter of the
benefits of psychedelics.

~~~
imesh
I think it's just the world. Joe Rogan is popular because currently "Joe Rogan
Things" are growing (Weed, fitness, nutrition, MMA, psychadelics). These are
all trending.

~~~
cjhveal
There's likely a feedback loop involved. Commentators who happen to talk about
trending topics become popular; their popular platform can bring those topics
to a broader audience; that broader audience stokes the hype around the trend
and builds the audience further through (social media-amplified) word of
mouth.

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sova
Our nation has been in a fully impaired state since fearmongering the 70s
caused LSD to become a Schedule 1 substance, more illegal than Cocaine.
Hopefully meaningful research will result in legislative changes allowing more
people access to beneficial and potentially lifechanging medicines and
experiences. It seems that the cat is out of the proverbial petri dish
compared to that era, and now it's only a matter of time before these
relatively new pharmacological compounds (and ancient sources like Morning
Glories and Psilocybin) are rigorously investigated, either at home or abroad.
It is lovely for the most medically advanced nation to grab the reins on such
a thing, there's nothing but benefit when we consider we've been at the rock
bottom of Psychedelic Research for 4+ decades.

~~~
monomyth
I think we were at the rock bottom of Psychedelic Medical Research, research
(search?) in Psychedelics never really stopped.

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anon9001
At minimum, those substances would be very useful in a therapy setting with a
trusted therapist.

They might also be useful on their own merits, as in, if you have severe
depression and eat a bunch of mushrooms maybe you won't be so depressed
anymore. Given the current state of anti-depressants, it certainly seems worth
a shot.

~~~
RangerScience
Hi!

You are correct. The first usages of MDMA (the defining ingredient in ecstasy)
were in therapy.

If you have severe depression (or severe anything really), I would not
recommend experimenting without an experienced guide. Think of it like like
scuba diving or sky diving: first you learn how with those who already know.

~~~
jokowueu
Some say mdma without a guide is still good but you never know . Rick doblin
once got a call from a friend who was treating a woman who had depression with
mdma and what happened was that she remembered her rape and her being almost
murdered ,this memory was complelty blocked by her brain and mdma brought them
back . More mdma did not work so Rick doblin decided lsd was better equipped
to treat her which worked .

There is a video of her speaking about what happened many years later

~~~
RangerScience
They can all still be good without a guide, just like once you've learned to
dive you do it on your own.

I think a huge part of having a guide the first few times is just so you
experience it all being OK, so that if on a solo jaunt it's starting to not be
OK you've got some understanding that it'll pass as, physiologically, so does
the substance.

------
Ancalagon
I personally haven't taken any psychedelics, but if this produces some
meaningful therapeutic methods then I am 100% for it.

~~~
0x8BADF00D
It can change your life...but it can also change your life.

------
MrLeap
This probably isn't the place for it, but here's my anecdote to give
background to why I think this is a step in a more humane direction than most.

Once upon a time, I chopped up a bag of dry mushrooms and mixed them with some
general tso chicken. I really love my general tso.

This particular meal occurred during a point in my life where I was near my
lowest. I was depressed, burned out, reeling from failure.

For about an hour, the world remained as it always had. Then, I started
periodically feeling something akin to an electric shock pass through my body.
Electricity is only a useful explanation in so far as how long the pulses
lasted. On and off in an instant.

The shocks were like momentary flashes of comfort. In the time between seconds
when those flashes occurred, the chair I was sitting on was softer, my clothes
were more comfortable and I felt a glow of appreciation for the people in the
room with me.

I decided to set a watch and eat more general tso on the hour.

Eventually the pulses blurred from spikes to rolling hills. I realized they
happened when I was stimulated by something beautiful. The mundane became
beautiful. The contrast and saturation of my vision increased. My brain
streamed my visual frame buffer through a pixel shader that made everything
photogenic, perfectly tone mapped. It was like HDR for the eyes.

Beauty is something I had never had a refined eye for. Stuff looked "neat".
This felt like a visual sense that perhaps existed normally in other people,
but for me I was only borrowing.

Then my alarm went off. Time for more chicken!

While I was eating, we started watching dune. I was stunned by how colorful
David Lynch's dune is. Vibrant purple and green matte backgrounds. I would
have told you the movie was all desert tone yesterday.

I shut off my alarm until the movie was done.

I ate one more scoop of general tso after that. Then, I laid down in the dark.
I was able to visualize incredibly complicated 3d shapes. I could persist
those shapes, rotate, scale and modify them while keeping the image at the
forefront. This capability was clearly an enhancement. I got up, opened
blender and "printed" some of the things created entirely mentally.

After I laid back down, I thought about my childhood. I thought about frayed
relationships and trauma I had experienced. Every negative experience I could
come up with bounced off simple epiphany after simple epiphany.

Prior to this, I was under a crushing amount of stress. I felt like I was
being hunted, under attack in a world devoid of merit. I was misanthropic.

I thought about the situation I was in, and determined I was fine. Everything
is going to be okay. We're all bouncing amidst a manifold, influenced by each
other. The whole of humanity, even the crabs pulling at our feet, is
beautiful. Quite a few people try to pierce the manifold to transcend the
chaos. Maybe we'll never do it? It's valuable to try regardless.

The evil in my life became re-framed as force that might send me towards the
boundary. Approaching the boundary is the goal.

Even if I fail at everything, I'm better for trying, even after death.

~~~
ZhuanXia
Is it possible to do mathematics while on such drugs? I am working through a
textbook on projective geometry and I feel like those visualization
enhancements would be super useful.

~~~
KhoomeiK
I was able to visualize four dimensional structures on LSD. I can't see it
"instinctually" anymore, but I had a vision of our universe as the 3D surface
of a 4D hypersphere, and from that perspective it's subjective whether you
consider the entirety of the universe inside of you or outside of you.

After coming down I thought it was probably some nonsense that my brain dreamt
up, but I analogized it as a 2D surface of a 3D sphere and it makes complete
sense. Drawing a circle on a sphere and calling one side of the line you draw
the "inside" is completely subjective—we just tend to call the smaller side
inside. If you grow the circle to the greatest meridian of the sphere, which
side is now "inside"? Is my brain on the inside and the universe on the
outside, or is the universe on the inside and my brain on the outside?

I also kept seeing (when I say "see", it isn't the type of hallucination that
appears like a real object in front of you, these all form in my mind's eye
but are more vivid than what I can usually visualize) these grid-like,
branching "corridors". I'm not sure what the best term for it would be and it
may have not been 4 dimensional per se, but I don't think the way it's laid
out would work in 3 dimensions. It was like I was floating in an intersection
with rows (x), columns (y), and aisles (z) passing through me. A lot of this
is hard to visualize when not tripping.

~~~
smk43
> these all form in my mind's eye

I'm pretty certain I know what you're talking about - your description is so
accurate :)

If you still do this, can you verify that you indeed see that clearly? We
assume that it's impossible to transfer any thought from the 4d mode into out
common 3d mode, simply because our memory in the 3d mode isn't fit for that.
Just like a flat pixelated screen can't adequately capture a 3d object.
However it's possible to transfer simple forms, like a simple flat drawing or
a number. You can imagine some complex 4d form, imagine a section and count
something or just remember the shape. Then in the usual 3d mode you can still
compute that shape using some equations, although it would take some time, and
compare the result with what you've seen.

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scarejunba
Thank fuck. LSD changed my life. As I bounced around inside the confines of my
own mind I became so much of a better person. More cognizant of my failings
and the insecurities that made me less than I could be. I came out capable of
talking about them as things and not inherent and true parts of me. I came out
capable of taking intensity of feeling in any form (shame, grief, anger,
pleasure, joy) and directing it towards something good.

It's a travesty that acid is still illegal, but fortunately it's really easy
to get. I started using it originally as a party drug, funnily enough. But
it's much more than that.

------
patientplatypus
"You're not being asked to believe it," said Dr. Robert. "The real thing isn't
a proposition; it's a state of being. We don't teach our children creeds or
get them worked up over emotionally charged symbols. When it's time for them
to learn the deepest truths of religion, we set them to climb a precipice and
then give them four hundred milligrams of revelation. Two firsthand
experiences of reality, from which any reasonably intelligent boy or girl can
derive a very good idea of what's what."

~~~
mistermann
Island, by Aldous Huxley?

Possibly the full text:

[https://archive.org/stream/AmusingOurselvesToDeathByNeil203/...](https://archive.org/stream/AmusingOurselvesToDeathByNeil203/IslandByAldousHuxley-281__djvu.txt)

~~~
patientplatypus
My favorite book of all time.

------
rblion
seven ayahuasca ceremonies and two bufo ceremonies over the course of two
years changed my life in the deepest way. Grateful that people are starting to
realize this is MEDICINE.

------
a_imho
Admittedly I'm very skeptical of big pharma, can't help but read it as _we are
stuck with innovation, let 's just dust this old thing off and give it a
facelift_. Afterall ingesting psychedelic substances can be made legal when
pharma profits from it.

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in3d
There is now also more research about Ketamine. It looks just as promising and
a first drug (nasal spray Spravato) was recently approved by the FDA for
treatment-resistant depression.

~~~
leetbulb
Wow, that stuff costs a pretty penny. From the Wiki:

> The cost of the nasal spray as of 2019 will be US$4,700 to $6,800 for the
> first month.

~~~
Synaesthesia
It's ridiculous, you're paying thousands of dollars for a cheap medicine, to
be injected in a medical setting. I mean it's typical of how medical things
work. But you can DIY that for like way less if you really wanna. Just do a
bit of research.

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llamataboot
I like that they specifically call out research on consciousness/mind as well
as more straightforward therapeutic studies.

This has been a long time coming.

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sizzzzlerz
50 years too late. Of course, 50+ years ago, it was the hippies doing the
experimentation. As The Man hated the hippies and the youth culture of the
time, they instituted these draconian drug laws we've lived under since making
it impossible to determine whether drugs like LSD or psilocybin or cannabis
might have beneficial therapeutic effects.

~~~
refurb
Meh... 50 years ago psychedelics were overplayed and used in inappropriate
settings. Not surprising the backlash.

It looks like this time around the experiments are much more controlled and
looking to get hard data rather than just "turn on, tune in, drop out".

~~~
Synaesthesia
At the same time the people who did take it seriously were also unfairly
discredited. There was a legitimate theory of the psychedelic state as a
"model psychosis" which was simply rejected during the anti-drug hysteria
which followed.

The government (CIA) also used psychedelics in all kinds of horrible,
torturous ways with their experiments.

------
RyanAF7
"I smoked pot with Johnny Hopkins! It was Sloan Ketterin and Johnny Hopkins
and they were blazing that shit up every day."

This might be true.

------
jjmorrison
So exciting to see. What does society look like when science starts
investigating consciousness with a more eastern philosophy lens?

~~~
peteretep
> investigating consciousness with a more eastern philosophy lens

Is taking drugs under controlled conditions something that’s especially
Eastern?

~~~
mistermann
Many people think psychedelics and meditation (commonly associated with
eastern religions like Buddhism) are very similar.

~~~
reify_null
There certainly is a large overlap between people who are advocates of one or
the other. Though I think, coming from the eastern philosophy side of things,
the association is kind of strange. Literally, withholding from intoxicants is
part of the five householder precepts in Buddishm & Taoism, maybe in others as
well . With good reason (my opinion). At least from a vipassana perspective,
anything like psychedelics will just get in the way.

That being said, I like the idea of using these kind of tools in a controlled
setting for treating certain psychological issues. I hope they're careful in
not getting too many people zonked out on newly created mental constructions.
Though I suppose its better to be happy than depressed, regardless of the
conditions surrounding it.

~~~
palimpsests
The key word here being, "intoxicants". All medicines are not intoxicating.
Giving one access to pure nondualistic states of consciousness, in a safe,
controlled, and intentional setting, as many entheogenic medicines are capable
of doing, is the exact opposite of intoxicating.

Also, the Buddhist lineage it sounds like you are referring to is one of many.
Because you mention vipassana, I'm guessing Theravada / Hinayana. There are
other vehicles that have different precepts & ontologies, e.g. Mahayana and
Vajrayana.

That being said, I do firmly believe that having a solid foundation will
benefit any experience in expanded states of consciousness induced by
psychedelic medicines. This foundation can be nurtured and supported through
myriad means such as meditation, therapy, and other forms of mindfulness-
based, somatically-oriented practices.

With this foundation in place, it is not uncommon for people to reach much
deeper states of meditative capacity and awareness through the careful use of
these substances. This is why, within the guide communities, it's often said
that a single daylong guided experience can be equivalent to attending a
1-month silent meditation retreat, or 5 to 10 years of psychotherapy.

~~~
reify_null
Sure, there are different points of view and you have pointed that out. My
point was that the conflation of meditation and psychedelics is not something
which is universally true, or at least not universally accepted.

From my personal view, there is no comparison to 'that' and getting my every
day perspective closer to it. I think psychedelics can be interesting to see
that change is possible, that things are not set in stone, least of all your
mind, but it's ultimately proven to be no real solution (for me :) )

------
m0zg
A bit of a contrarian view. This stuff tends to go like a pendulum and it
could very well swing too far in the other direction, and a lot of people will
get fucked up in this case.

We're seeing this with marijuana right now. I live in a state where it's
legal, I voted for legalization, and I think it's wonderful that people aren't
being thrown in jail for possession anymore. But I categorically DO NOT want
this shit to be aggressively marketed to the public and normalized. It is
harmful in most cases. Smoking MJ is not that much better than smoking
tobacco, if at all. Certainly not great for the lungs. You can get really ill
from THC if you consume a lot for an extended period of time, especially if
you're fat, which most people are nowadays. Long term impact of TCH on the
brain is poorly understood, etc.

Now, granted it's better than alcohol in most ways. You're very unlikely to
even contemplate driving a car while stoned, for example, let alone be able to
do so successfully. You're unlikely to be aggressive. You're unlikely to
destroy your liver by smoking weed, and so on.

But that does not mean that it should be something people just do willy nilly
IMO. Same with psychedelics. I'd be more OK with it if it's legal but socially
frowned upon, and all marketing is forbidden.

~~~
mistermann
> It is harmful in most cases.

Are you able to substantiate this with evidence of some kind?

~~~
m0zg
There's ample evidence that inhaling smoke is harmful, for example, for the
same reasons why smoking cigarettes is harmful.

~~~
mistermann
When you say harmful, what do you mean exactly? Is this harm observable and
consequential in most cases?

------
zwilliamson
If you are in the Bay Area, and are interested in Fungi checkout the debut of
renowned Mycologist Paul Stamets film called Fantastic Fungi. He will be
speaking afterwards as well taking questions.

[https://fantasticfungi.com/castro/](https://fantasticfungi.com/castro/)

------
ptah
Hopefully it is proper research and not just trying to find clever ways to
make money from it

------
bigbluedots
It will be great to finally find out whether psychedelics are able to help
people, and/or vause harm. Anecdotes like 'I tripped hard and it cured my
stress/depression/whatever!', while interesting, are not data points.

------
techer
Just started reading "Moksha" by Aldus Huxley. He uses the term - psychodelic.

------
Zarath
Bit of a contrarian take here, but this is the first step towards capitalism
getting its grip on a transformative and disruptive thing and coopting it for
its purposes. I'm all for decriminalization, but I get nervous when something
subversive becomes just another commodity.

~~~
ghostbrainalpha
I don't know if that's contrarian really. It's just your basic "My Favorite
Band was way better before they got super popular had to go mainstream".

And my take is that that argument should probably stick to fashion and
cultural issues and stay out of medical discussions.

~~~
pasquinelli
Is it that, or could it be reasonable anxiety about powerful substances
becoming an avenue for corporate profit? Opioids are a useful class of drugs,
but they've been managed by the profit motive and that's caused havoc that's
killed thousands and may leave people who should be on them in terrible pain
because of an over correction.

~~~
spats1990
That's a valid concern, but psychedelics aren't really physically addictive
the way opiates are. And given the possible use cases described by e.g.
Michael Pollan, it's hard to imagine them being heavily overprescribed by
doctors, if they ever even reach the stage of being a generally prescribable
drug at all.

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mooselumps
Makes sense... I used to smoke pot with Johnny Hopkins in high school

------
sbussard
I've heard of Stranger Things

------
DidISayTooMuch
Look at my boy Timmy Ferris go, taking the lead on this!

