Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy shows promise for patients with cancer who experience persistent existential suffering, even when standard treatments have failed. A scoping review of eight studies found that most patients reported positive experiences, including themes of death acceptance, reflection, and broadened spirituality. The therapy, which uses a naturally occurring compound from certain mushrooms to induce an altered state of consciousness, is still in early clinical testing. Reed's Self-Transcendence Theory offers a framework for understanding existential concerns in patients facing life-threatening illness. Future work must tailor the intervention to select patients and involve clinicians in assessing outcomes.
People with COPD often have high anxiety that worsens shortness of breath and leads to avoidance of activities, increasing illness and death. Meditation and mind/body practices can reduce anxiety in general populations, but results for COPD have been mixed. This mixed-method study of a community-based meditation and mind/body intervention for COPD included eight weekly one-hour classes teaching concentration, insight meditation, and exercises to increase body and emotional awareness. Of 41 participants, 32 provided detailed accounts of learning and practicing these skills, yielding four themes: barriers to practice, learning style, emotional processing, and benefits. Among those 32, 21 reported improved physical or emotional symptoms, and 13 described adapting meditation into daily life to improve emotional function and lessen breathlessness. Anxiety sensitivity to social situations was linked to lack of participation.