Are Psychedelics the New Wonder Drug for Mental Illness and the Fear of Death?

When it comes to medicine, many of us want immediate results.

What if just one dose of medicine could dramatically shift your perception, decreasing anxiety, depression, fear of death, addictive tendencies, and so much more?

It might sound too good to be true, but the therapeutic use of psychedelics is showing us it’s possible.

Now, I’m not talking about taking magic mushrooms at a Grateful Dead concert. The medicine used in psychedelic trials is created in a lab, carefully dosed for the patient, and administered in a specific setting with a trained guide who is present throughout the entire process. This highly controlled process can yield some pretty amazing results and we will be seeing much more science emerge on the safe use of psychedelics for a variety of disorders.

This week on The Doctor’s Farmacy, Dr. Anthony Bossis joins me to elaborate on using psychedelics to expand our sensory abilities and relax our experience with death and illness.

Anthony P. Bossis, Ph.D. conducts FDA-approved clinical trials in the reemerging field of psychedelic research. He is a clinical psychologist and clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at NYU School of Medicine investigating the effects of psilocybin, a naturally occurring compound found in specific species of mushrooms. Dr. Bossis was director of palliative care research, co-principal investigator, co-author, and session guide on the 2016 landmark study showing a significant reduction in emotional distress along with enhanced existential wellbeing from a single psilocybin-generated mystical experience in persons with cancer.

Dr. Bossis is a supervisor of psychotherapy at Bellevue Hospital and co-founder and former co-director of the Bellevue Hospital Palliative Care Service and maintains a private psychotherapy practice in NYC.

Thousands of years prior to the 1960s, psychedelics were being researched in spiritual and religious frameworks. The 60s were just a small part of the story that greatly shifted public perception of psychedelics, but Dr. Bossis believes we’ll begin to see a new paradigm shift towards this type of medicine within the next ten years.

One of the most astounding things about using various compounds, like psilocybin, as medicine is the long-lasting and powerful benefits of a single dose. Tony shares that he’s seen semi-permanent and even permanent results from those treated just one time, and that he’s never seen someone witness a “bad trip” using his protocol.

We talk about all this and more on this week’s podcast episode. You don’t want to miss this fascinating look into the evolving world of psychedelic therapy.