Psychedelic medicine could revolutionise how we treat mental illness

Psychedelic therapy

So, what does psychedelic therapy entail?

The specifics are still a work in progress, but would look something like this. A certified practitioner will guide patients through several hours of a psychedelic experience. The patient will have taken a substance like LSD, psilocybin, ketamine, MDMA, DMT or 5-Meo-DMT. Each therapy session will be different. Therapists will adapt to variations in past experiences, and the unique way each patient's brain reacts to the substance.

Some therapists suggest that psychedelics can deal with the source of our pain instead of just numbing it - as antidepressants tend to do .

"Psychedelics offer something different," Ayla agrees. "Something more transformative. They don't create dependency, and you don't have to taper off them. In some patients, one or two sessions is enough to make a profound, lasting difference to their wellbeing."

"They act on the serotonin system, with some effects on dopamine and glutamate systems. They may improve mood and creativity, and promote neuroplasticity."

After successful psychedelic therapy sessions, patients report long-lasting benefits. These range from an increased sense of empathy and connection, to an enhanced appreciation of nature and interconnectedness. Some report a stronger commitment to altruistic behaviours (such as donating or volunteering). Meaningful lifestyle changes are common too, from healthier diets, improved mindfulness, to quitting smoking and drinking.

Behind these changes is what researchers call the 'snow globe effect'. This refers to psychedelics' ability to 'shake up' the brain's communication networks, akin to shaking up a snow globe.

In this analogy, snowflakes stand in for lines of communication (or thoughts). In contrast to a settled, sober state, the psychedelic state allows snowflakes to disperse and float in directions they otherwise wouldn't.

This is a state where new connections can be made. Sometimes, old patterns of thought can be rewired.

"The psychedelic state resembles that of a dream, allowing free-flowing communication across neural networks. In the sober state, communication between certain brain areas is restricted. For example, visual areas will only communicate with other visual areas. In the psychedelic brain these boundaries are crossed."

You could think of neural pathways being like well-used roads. The more we use the same routes, the more reinforced they become. By going down paths less travelled, we can make surprising connections and reframe how we perceive ourselves and the world.

"A lot of suffering comes from thought patterns that are too rigid," Ayla says. "Psychedelics allow people to relinquish control and relearn."

Another way to conceptualise this is entropy - the amount of chaos and noise the brain allows for in its normal state. OCD, compulsive, and addictive behaviours could be characterised as 'low entropy' brain states, where randomness is tightly controlled. By inducing 'higher entropy' states, psychedelics can shake up the snow globe, and raise people out of their ruts.

"By relaxing entrenched mental patterns and rigid thoughts, psychedelics foster creative, divergent thinking and the integration of new neural networks.

"The oppressive feedback loops of negative thought patterns, self-doubt, and spirals of despair dissolve. This can provide patients with clarity and the potential for profound psychological healing."