The Psychology of Psychedelics

My husband, Sam, and I browse reddit on nearly a daily basis and are constantly sharing the news and information we read on this site with each other. We often leave an article, picture, or video we found on this site up on our computer screens for the other to find and, subsequently, be amazed. 


This afternoon, upon arriving home from work, I saw that Sam had left up an article from the New York Times for me to read. The article reported on researcher, Dr. Griffiths', most recent studies on the effects of psilocybin, or "mushrooms," on one's mental state. Dr. Griffiths and his colleagues published a study in 2008 finding that most subjects taking this psychedelic had "profound spiritual experience[s] with lasting positive effects." Subjects reported that their experiences being high had changed their lives for the better. Dr Griffiths and his colleagues then went on to study the how those dealing with depression and cancer responded to the drug. Like subjects from their study in 2008, people with depression and cancer experienced similar enlightening effects. In a study performed by Johns Hopkins University, one man in Washington state., Dr. Martin, took psilocybin and found that his antidepressant-resistant depression had all but vanished and his relationships with his family had also greatly improved as a result of his high on this drug. More impressive, even, is that he ranks this experience as one of the most meaningful in his life.


Though Dr. Griffiths and his colleagues warn that research in this area is only preliminary, such findings are nonetheless fascinating and worth discussing. Why might the experience of being high on psychedelics completely alter the way one thinks about one's life and the world in which one lives? The depressed Washingtonian, Dr. Martin, noted that while high, he felt the boundaries between himself and others disappear.This man, as well as other subjects, said that while high, they felt "their egos and bodies vanishing as they felt part of some larger state of consciousness in which their personal worries and insecurities vanished." As a student of psychology with a general understanding of cognitive behavioral theory (CBT), it occurred to me that these experiences support CBT's premise that our thoughts determine how we feel and behave. If being high can make our egos, personal worries, and insecurities disappear, our thoughts, in addition to what we know as our sense of self, are being completely altered. If psilocybin's high changes us to this extent, it is understandable that the feelings we have about our lives change, too, lessening our depression, improving our relationships with one another, and our level of satisfaction with our lives. 

Though this research is not necessarily advocating the use of psychedelics, it is an incredible thought that a simple chemical can drastically change how we experience our lives. I am a firm believer in the power of self-reflection, but if reaching one's "aha moment" could take a mere six hours rather than several decades, this is definitely an idea worth researching further. After all, in America, this land of instant gratification, what could be an easier, quicker route to happiness?