Opening Doors of Perception: Psychedelic Drugs and End-of-Life Care
JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute October 25, 2012 Norra MacReady 5 citations
Interest in psychedelic drugs for therapeutic use has revived, with recent studies examining psilocybin for anxiety in advanced-stage cancer patients. A 2010 study by Charles Grob and colleagues, the first in 35 years, gave 12 patients a modest dose (0.2 mg/kg) or placebo, finding no adverse effects and psychological benefits like restored meaning and autobiographical life review. A NYU team using a higher dose (0.3 mg/kg) plus psychotherapy reports rapid clinical improvement, reduced death anxiety, and increased spirituality, though data are not yet analyzed. Researchers suggest benefits stem from spiritual epiphany, which meditation might also induce.