As psychedelics make their way back into the laboratory for a 21st-century revival, scientists and researchers explore their incredible potential to change the brain.
Clinicians who work with clients using psychedelics are uniquely positioned to contribute to this research and help shape public policy. This article outlines how to do that safely and ethically.
Research Methods
Contributing to psychedelic research requires several different approaches. It may include using a harm-reduction approach to psychedelic use, incorporating psychedelics into psychotherapy, or pursuing further research on specific psychedelic compounds.
Harm reduction is a therapeutic approach to drug use that emphasizes the need to maximize the positive effects of drugs while minimizing their negative ones. It also seeks to avoid overly abstinence-oriented practices and pathologizing the use of certain drugs. This approach is commonly applied to marijuana and MDMA but may also apply to other psychedelics, such as LSD and psilocybin.
In applying this approach, therapists often clarify the client’s motivation for psychedelic use. This may help to prevent clients from obtaining a substance for which they are not fully prepared and could lead to harmful consequences such as dependency or overdose. Clinicians can then assist clients in identifying alternative pathways that are available to achieve their desired goals while avoiding the need for illegal psychedelics.
Another way therapists can contribute to psychedelic research is by examining the role that psychedelics play in other cultures and contexts. For example, psychedelics are used in many sacramental settings that have been practiced for centuries to facilitate spiritual experiences.
Similarly, psychedelics are commonly used in less controlled settings, such as concerts or festivals. Despite these settings’ increased likelihood of adverse events, numerous benefits can be gained from engaging in these activities. These benefits include enhanced social interactions, increased self-awareness, and community.
As a result, therapists may wish to encourage clients to consider seeking treatment for mental health issues before they pursue psychedelic use in these settings. This is particularly true for classic psychedelics, which are safe and have a low potential for physical or psychological harm when used under appropriate conditions.
In addition, therapists can help to inform clients about the risks of obtaining psychedelics from underground guides who are not subject to regulatory oversight. These guides often have little experience with psychedelics and lack the skills to protect their clients from dangerous conditions. Additionally, a client who is unaware of these risks can be at risk of experiencing a “bad trip.” In these cases, a therapist might use harm reduction principles to guide the client to a safer experience and may help them to assess the safety and trustworthiness of an underground guide.
Replication
Replication of research results is a fundamental part of high-quality psychedelic research. Repeated replication is needed to determine confidence in a finding and resolve arguments about the evidence for that claim. It is also helpful to improve the theoretical specificity of a claim by repeatedly testing replicability and generalizability across units, treatments, outcomes, and settings that might be relevant to the claim.
With repeated failures, the generalizability and replicability space shrink until the theory is so weak that it does not commit replicability.
Several factors influence the choice of whether or when to attempt a replication. Journals would prefer to wait for a result before accepting an experimental manuscript, and authors, on the other hand, may wish to see the results replicated before publication to minimize impacts on their work.
For a study to be considered a replication, it must follow the same procedures and under similar conditions as the original. Yet even in the best-case scenario, the replication team can only partially duplicate a previous event. Instead, they must use a prediction interval based on the original d, a sample size used to estimate it, and the proposed replication sample size.
This approach has been used in many replication studies, and it is a promising way to address the challenges of establishing and documenting the power of a new effect. But it is still a complex process that requires much time and resources.
The challenge of defining what qualifies as a replicative effect affects research in multiple fields, including psychedelic science.
Ethics
Ethics is a branch of philosophy that examines what is right or wrong, morally good or bad. It is often confused with morality, but that term generally refers to a specific set of beliefs and practices about what it is morally proper or incorrect to do in a given situation.
Psychedelic drugs such as LSD, magic mushrooms, and MDMA have gained much attention in scientific and medical circles because of their potential for treating anxiety disorders and emotional trauma. They may be able to rewire the brain and offer relief from negative emotions that can cause depression or substance abuse problems, according to Johns Hopkins University researcher Dr. Frederick Barrett.
However, before these suitable substances are available for medical treatment, researchers must establish their safety and efficacy. To that end, several ethical principles need to be applied to these studies.
One of these principles is the principle of replication. It is a cornerstone of the scientific method and should be adhered to when conducting psychedelic research.
Another essential principle is that researchers should be committed to conducting their studies to protect participants’ health and well-being. This is particularly true of clinical trials.
The principle of confidentiality is also a significant issue that must be considered when conducting psychedelic research. Patients and their families are the most vulnerable to potential harm. Therefore, they should be treated with the same level of sensitivity that they would expect from an informed consent form.
Psychedelics can alter the structure of individual brain cells and help rewire neural pathways. This process is called neuroplasticity and can lead to an improved ability to process memories and feelings.
These drugs can even put the patient into a transient state that allows them to process their past trauma and experiences better, so they may emerge with a new perspective on these issues.
While research is still in its early stages, preliminary clinical trials have been encouraging. These results have the potential to be life-changing for those suffering from conditions such as addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder, and major depression. These findings have prompted more interest in psychedelic research, backed by an array of funding and academic centers.
Dissemination
Psychedelics are a fascinating class of drugs that cross the blood-brain barrier, which allows them to reach the brain’s serotonin receptors. Once inside the brain, they affect the body’s chemistry and can cause hallucinations and increased feelings of connectedness. These effects may make them useful in various areas, including addiction, psycho-oncology, and palliative care.
Despite their potential benefits, psychedelics have a complicated history and often have a terrible reputation in the public eye. This has influenced the way they are studied and used.
Researchers are now embarking on a new era of psychedelic research focused on facilitating neuroplasticity and improving mental health. This is achieved through the rewiring of connections within the brain. These changes may improve symptoms and alleviate suffering, allowing for a more productive life.
In addition, many clinical trials are testing the use of psychedelics in combination with intensive psychotherapy to treat various mental illnesses and disorders, including depression, anxiety, and trauma. This approach, gaining recognition, is believed to be effective in resetting the brain and breaking long-entrenched patterns of thought and behavior that contribute to severe psychiatric and physical illness.
However, there are still many questions about the safety of psychedelics and their effects on the brain and body. Several issues must be addressed to ensure a high-quality and transparent science, including the risk of abuse, addiction, overdose, and adverse reactions.
The best way to prevent these problems is by ensuring that researchers conduct their work under the strictest scientific rigor. This requires a rigorous review of the results, and it also means that researchers must be aware of their role in promoting safety.
To achieve these goals, a wide range of stakeholders must be involved in the dissemination process. This can include consumer groups, regulators, and funders. In addition, the dissemination process should involve the development of guidelines that are both practical and easy to understand.