Psychedelic Therapy
Trauma resolution, break neural patterns.
HISTORY
Naturally occurring psychedelic medicines have been used for centuries or even millennia, for ritual, recreational and healing purposes in many cultures throughout the world. Modern study of psychedelics began in 1943 when the renowned chemist Albert Hoffman accidentally discovered Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), which was distributed among experts in neurology and psychiatry for research and later, successful treatment of a variety of conditions including; addiction, personality disorder and anxiety.
Due to political agendas, bad manufacturing practices and irresponsible use of psychedelic substances, the Substances Act of 1970 was passed in the United States (US). LSD, psilocybin and several other psychedelic substances were placed in the Schedule I category, which greatly hindered research and marred the reputation of these medicines.
A resurgence of research in recent years has brought psychedelic compounds back to the limelight with multiple studies showing benefits for a wide range of mental illnesses, including end-of-life anxiety, treatment resistant depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance use disorders.
WHAT WE OFFER
We offer assisted Psychedelic Therapy using psilocybin as part of The Rēcovery Protocol and the Rēhabilitation Program. Our team has over 15 years of experience working with plant medicines for therapeutic purposes. Psilocybin is an extraordinary compound that has the potential to be life changing - with this power comes great responsibility. To ensure safety and to enhance efficacy the protocol before, intention during and the integration after Psychedelic Therapy are of utmost importance. Our programs guide participants through this process using various modalities and technology. We assess each participant to tailor the dose, number of sessions and decide if this therapy is suitable.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Psychedelic medicines evoke a unique response in every person, the experience is difficult to summarize. Depending on the dose, a temporary state of altered consciousness can be induced with an alteration in perception. Many people see shapes, colors and imagery that are often symbolic as well as a strong sense of connection that can spark lasting changes in habitual patterns of thoughts and behaviors.
The exact therapeutic mechanism is unknown but the effectiveness is incomparable to other psychiatric treatments. We believe access to the subconscious, a temporary pause in the reactivity of the autonomic nervous system, interaction with the default mode network (DMN) and enhanced connectivity between all areas of the brain are part of the mechanism.
Our brains are the result of every experience we have had since conception to the present day. Most people have programming that they are not even aware of. Due to such a high amount of input from our environment via the five senses, our brains try to reduce energy expenditure by reducing what information we take in and creating patterns/concepts to speed up the process and to help ensure our survival. These patterns of neural connections (some of which can be self-destructive) get engrained in our programming like a sledging path and the effort required to create a new path is high. Psychedelic effectively blast away those patterns and suppress the DMN which is active during mental chatter, anxious thoughts, rumination of thoughts and self-absorption. The result is a dissolution of ego and a new perspective of self and the world.
This figure is from a 2014 study in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface. The image on the left is of a human brain on a placebo, and the image on the right is of a brain on psilocybin.
BAD TRIPS
Many people are rightfully wary of psychedelic drugs because they have heard of or may have even experienced a bad trip. As mentioned previously, these incredible substances are powerful and should be used responsibly with a therapeutic protocol before, during and after the trip. Rave culture adopted psychedelics for recreational use - this environment is not the best place to bring repressed trauma to the surface or expose life-altering emotions; it can also be a waste of the period of neurogenesis that occurs after a psychedelic trip that facilitates behavior change through the creation of new neural circuits.
Psilocybin has a low risk profile but to ensure safety and to enhance efficacy, it is advised to prepare for the trip with psychotherapy and other modalities (we find Neurofeedback and our personal development program are very effective), work with an experienced facilitator before and during the trip and integrate the trip afterwards with psychotherapy and other personal development tools.
The Rēcovery Protocol and the Rēhabilitation Program are designed to enhance Psychedelic Therapy with Psychotherapy, Neurofeedback, HRV Training and various other therapies and personal development tools before and after the trip, plus facilitation and integration with a senior Psychedelic Therapy facilitator.
Resources
maps.org
hopkinspsychedelic.org
This content is for informational purposes only not a substitute for medical treatment nor is it intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent any illness or medical condition.