Psychonautical engineering: Synergizing the magic of mindfulness, mushrooms, and mindsets for police officer well-being
Renae M. Stevenson
Journal of Community Safety and Well-Being September 14, 2023 DOI: 10.35502/jcswb.339 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | Psilocybin Mindfulness-based psychotherapy |
| Topics | Meditation Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Mental health Contemplation Battle Psychotherapist Public relations |
| Key points | Argues that psilocybin combined with mindfulness-based psychotherapy could help police officers address mental health issues and build resilience, drawing on Indigenous and Eastern wisdom. |
Abstract
The setting of policing exposes its officers to a host of negative health outcomes physiologically, psychologically, and spiritually. Policing mindsets around accessing mental health are far from fixing the epidemic of its mental health crisis or being able to sustain a healthy workforce. Policing is losing the battle with a misguided and a scientifically misinformed war on drugs. Canadian legislators are shifting mindsets from decriminalizing substance use towards applying a public health lens to the mycelium underlying its root causes. So too should its peace officers—not just to restore peace in society—but also in their own minds and in their dysregulated nervous systems by synergizing psilocybin’s neural benefits with mindfulness-based psychotherapy. Western science’s exploration into the healing magic of mushrooms and mindfulness is in its infancy compared with the centuries of wisdom from both Indigenous science and eastern contemplative traditions. Not only does their fusion amplify hope for those suffering but perhaps it offers a scientific key to the neurogenesis of resilience. This is a pracademic trip driven by a retired and now reformed agent from Canada’s War on Drugs.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mechanisms of mindfulness | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cites 31
- Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial Journal of Psychopharmacology November 30, 2016
- Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Psychopharmacology July 7, 2006
- Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: six-month follow-up. Psychopharmacology November 8, 2017
- The Therapeutic Potential of Psychedelic Drugs: Past, Present, and Future. Neuropsychopharmacology April 26, 2017
- Psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression: fMRI-measured brain mechanisms. Scientific Reports October 13, 2017
and 26 more in the library