Johns Hopkins Study Probes "Sacred Mushroom" Chemical

[drokhole]

Newswise — BALTIMORE, June 15 -- Scientists at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have zeroed in on the dose levels of the “sacred mushroom” chemical capable of yielding positive, life-changing experiences, while minimizing the chance of transient negative reactions in screened volunteers under supportive, carefully monitored conditions.
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Looking back over a year later, most of the experiment’s 18 volunteers (94 percent) rated a psilocybin session as among the top five most or as the topmost spiritually significant experience of his or her life. Under higher doses, up to a third experienced great fear or anxiety or had delusions, yet those reactions, the researchers report, were managed with gentle reassurance from the study monitors and did not outlast the session or harm the volunteers.
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Two Practical Questions

Commenting on the findings, Jerome Jaffe, M.D., of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, who served as the first White House “Drug Czar” and has also been a consultant to the World Health Organization on drug issues, remarked, “The Hopkins psilocybin studies clearly demonstrate that this route to the mystical is not to be walked alone. But they have also demonstrated significant and lasting benefits. That raises two questions: Could psilocybin-occasioned experiences prove therapeutically useful, for example in dealing with the psychological distress experienced by some terminal patients? And should properly-informed citizens, not in distress, be allowed to receive psilocybin for its possible spiritual benefits, as we now allow them to pursue other possibly risky activities such as cosmetic surgery and mountain-climbing?”

more at http://www.newswise.com/articles/study-probes-sacred-mushroom-chemical


Yet another miraculous plant brought to you by Nature, and finally being validated by science (sorry it took so long Timothy and Terence). Love the fact that they acknowledge its ancient heritage/legitimacy, and its potential use for "properly informed citizens, not in distress." Proper Set and Setting, this kind of stuff could change the world. End the War on "Drugs" now, Obama (et al)!

[HysteryDiagnosis]

1. Homeopathetic, oil of snake, voo doo, it doesn't do anything medical nonsense. n/t

[TheWraith]

3. To be fair, there have been some studies about it's use in psychotheraputic contexts.

The idea being to use it to effectively deactivate some of the mental defense mechanisms in people, and allow them a kind of mental purge. Not advocating, but saying that it should be studied. Declaring "no medical use" when it hasn't really been scientifically tested is what they did to marijuana, and now we know that's not the case.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

4. Yeah, I was being the devil's advocate.... I like to think of such magical plant stuffs as

plant based defrag. Sertov.

[callous taoboy]

29. I'm stealing "plant-based defrag."

[HysteryDiagnosis]

30. Well...... DHA comes from algae.... and

www.DHADepot.com

[Gabi Hayes]

7. terminal cancer depression studies, from Sci American:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=psilocybin-found-to-ease-end-of-lif-2010-09-08

comments are interesting

[Gabi Hayes]

5. yep....that Johns Hopkins bunch is a serious group of nutbag practitioners, aren't they:

they only have 16 Nobel Prize winners in medicine, six in chemistry. must be sucky in those areas, yes?

http://webapps.jhu.edu/jhuniverse/information_about_hopkins/facts_and_statistics/nobel_prize_winners/index.cfm

[HysteryDiagnosis]

6. Damn druggers, they're everywhere I tell ya, everywhere. n/t

[WhiteTara]

15. ...

:hug:
You are so droll.

[TheMadMonk]

10. Scientologist? /nt

[Webster Green]

11. Oh fuck man, you just need to eat a few more.

Pretty sure your comment was :sarcasm: :hippie:

[WhiteTara]

14. AMA all the way. n/t

[MilesColtrane]

18. You know from personal experience?

[HysteryDiagnosis]

27. I know what works. n/t

[knowbody0]

2. I learned to speak to trees

my sense of "self" was completely rebooted I am very grateful for my experiences with magic shrooms.

[Warren Stupidity]

9. I had a long conversation with a rock.

It was very serious.

[Webster Green]

12. Along the lines of "Help, I'm a rock!" ?

RIP Frank!

[Fly by night]

20. My experience also.

Being able to look through leaves, to sit in one of my pastures and see the sedimentary rocks scattered throughout shimmering like living coral underwater (which, when I was finished with the experience, I learned that they were -- fossilized coral remnants that is), feeling everything ...

I have never needed (or wanted) to take another mushroom since, for any reason.

The experience was complete when it was completed.

And, perhaps, so was I.

[callous taoboy]

28. A river talked to me as I sat among the Oregon old growth.

Friend and I looked down and saw a beetle unlike any we had ever seen. It had the most ornate, iridescent decorations on its back.

Some of the best times in my life were with the shrooms. Very positive, enlightening experiences.

[pscot]

8. A third question:

Which major drug manufacturer enjoys a financial arrangement with Johns Hopkins and thus stands to profit hugely by this.

[drokhole]

13. Would hope for a Jonas Salk-esque "could you patent the sun?"...

...especially considering they really aren't changing the chemical structure from the natural plant form. But, you're probably right, no way that altruistic shit is happening.

[saras]

16. Research is difficult, not impossible

The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies: http://www.maps.org

One of the things that psychedelics do that makes them difficult to study is that they greatly amplify the placebo effect. Just think how many studies weren't designed to allow for large shifts in the value of the placebo effect, and assumed it was a constant...

Since the 1950s, the research consistently suggests that psychedelics can be beneficial when administered in certain contexts. Recently PTSD research is one active area.

[Maru Kitteh]

17. Where's the link to the actual study? The sample is n=16??? Urgh.

Snake venom is also natural, and studied every day. Some people give themselves worms on purpose. So, thanks, but no.

[novealphtang]

19. Obama's drug war Czar (happens to be the grandchild of Trotsky-no not making up)....

... Fully supports the current drug war, she claims she understands addiction because of her chocolate addiction. http://nyti.ms/jSjnrG
Another dissatisfied Obama supporter....

[deutsey]

21. Bill Hicks did his own experiments

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQq9cmMGSQc

[drokhole]

25. +1000 for Hicks! nt

[Lance_Boyle]

22. Not plant, fungus.

The hallucinogenic itself probably has no organic therapeutic value, but it seems that it can be a useful adjunct to talk therapy. Tripping breaks barriers.

[drokhole]

24. My mistake, didn't mean to shortchange fungi...

...which, in all of its diverse species, is incredibly useful beyond our wildest imaginations:

Paul Stamets: 6 ways mushrooms can save the world
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI5frPV58tY

But, in an attempt to save some face, here is a plant substance (a Schedule I "drug," of course) that has been reported to have similar beneficial affects as psilocybin...including the accompanying "hallucinations":

IBOGAINE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syztZcpj69U

[GeorgeGist]

23. down the memory hole?

Original article not found at Psychoparmacology

[felix_numinous]

26. K&R

for Terrence McKenna and Drokhole :thumbsup: