Psychedelic Healing and its Deeper Implications

“I believe that the exploration of non-ordinary states of consciousness for spiritual and mental healing is necessary for true health and well-being for all of us and the lack of this connection to the greater universe with-in is endangering the survival of the planet Earth.”

Psychedelics are becoming more mainstream and are now gracing the cover of newspapers like the New York Times. Turns out that psilocybin and MDMA are one of the best treatments for end of life depression and anxiety as well as healing for all types of PTSD.

These studies are not something new but rather part of a tradition of clinical research which began near the start of the 20^th century (1900’s) with the study of mescaline and peyote. Psychedelic research expended greatly in the West with Albert Hofmann’s discovery of LSD at Sandoz Laboratory in Switzerland in the year 1942. Hofmann discovered LSD when he was making derivative of ergot. Hofmann himself states that he was drawn to the substance for mysterious reasons and he believes it called out to him. When working with this new compound he accidentally ingested the substance through unknown means and he became the first person to experience LSD. (See my article Psychedelic research Past and Present for more information  https://transpersonalspirit.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/psychdelic-research-past-and-present/ )

From the generations of psychedelic researchers to follow Stanislav Grof mas made the greatest contribution and discovered the healing potential for LSD and non-ordinary states of consciousness by the mid 1960’s. There was a back lash from the political war on drugs which worked to end psychedelic research and condemn the globe to an expensive and human rights degrading time of history which we are just starting to dismantle. MAPS and Rick Doblin have continued to brilliantly advance this research despite the huge challenges. It is now common news that Silicon Valley was highly inspired by engineers who used LSD to develop ideas, the arts and music was forever changed.

By: Alex Grey

The larger picture here is that psychedelics in general have enormous healing potential and cultural impact which some people have already discovered and utilized and which indigenous communities have honored since pre-history. Psychedelics also hold the key to something far greater then higher quality of life and better mental health they unlock the mysteries of religion and give a glimpse of expanded consciousness.  In truth, this glimpse and immersion into the universal life force and love is often the true catalyst for the deepest healing. Many people feel disconnected from the greater reality, a greater reality whose principles agree much more with quantum physics and the mystic sages then with the material sciences.

The reintroduction and sanctioned use of consciousness expanding plants into American culture will allow people to open their minds to parts of human experience that they may have never known existed. In America the number of people who never catch a glimpse of the true potential of human consciousness and never feel the most powerful ecstasy of human experience is leading to a dangerous mental sickness which cannot be named and the only cure is to connect with our expanded self. People are seeking something outside themselves which is truly to be found inside but it can only be found if we have done the work to seek it out using methods which are effective. Many people associate these states of ecstasy as being frightening because they lose control have to surrender are in an unfamiliar space which is located inside themselves; its rightly terrifying that there is a deep vast place inside which we rarely see and feels filled with angels and demons.

Anna Mendieta

When these parts of ourselves are rejected and hidden we feel incomplete and lose touch with who we are and can lose a sense of purpose. For extreme blocks built with trauma and ignorance psychedelic therapy and give a vision of what we are and we can taste “truth” inside of ourselves. It can go so much further and then all this; cultures for thousands of years, generation to generation have developed relationships with these other realms of consciousness and the plants and practices that get us there. The knowledge they hold and practice is a part of their way of life and is essential to the way they see the world. I believe that the exploration of non-ordinary states of consciousness for spiritual and mental healing is necessary for true health and well-being for all of us and the lack of this connection is endangering the survival of the planet earth.   Perhaps, through the newly emerging legalization of marijuana and the development of therapist guided psychedelic therapy many more people will be able to utilize the most effective mental health treatment ever developed but it is also possible that another political backlash could keep these medicines hidden for another 100 years.