Psychedelic substances have wide -ranging, established medical & psychological benefits, yet are widely misunderstood.

The dangers of their intake are vastly overstated, and the substances are surrounded by myth and legend. They are among some of the most strictly controlled and regulated chemicals in the world, yet their illegality is based on reactionary United States government policy. If allowed to be used for medicinal and research purposes, the fi eld of medicine and psychotherapy would improve, and many prospective benefiters would be able to use their effects to increase their well-being and/or to manage psychological health issues. Therefore, psychedelic drug policy in the United States should be amended to allow for both legal research and licensing of psychiatrists to commit therapy using these substances, as was done with incredible success in the Nineteen - Fifties and Sixties. What is a psychedelic, anyway? There are numerous literally hundreds - of chemicals which fall under the header, with effects ranging from slight visual distortion to vomiting of psychological baggage (as it is perceived) to apparent transportation to other dimensions and contact with hyper -intelligent otherworldly entities.

Loosely, the term encompasses any psychoacti ve chemical, compound or otherwise, which affects cognition and perception, and is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as relating to or denoting drugs (particularly LSD) that produce hallucinations and the apparent expansion of consciousness (Psychedelic) . This last point is interesting, and while the term apparent implies that the expansion of consciousness is dubious, hopefully this paper will convince the reader that this is not the case. The term psychedelic itself was coined by the Anthropologist Humphry Osmond by combining the Greek terms for mind (psyche) and manifest (deloun), coming together in a coin age meaning mind -manifesting (Psychedelic). The psychedelics most ingrained in popular culture appear to be LSD, which rose to promin ence during the Fifties and Sixties; MDMA, which emerged as a favorite for recreational use during the Eighties but has been used for decades as an incredibly effective tool in psychotherapy; and psilocybin, which is the chemical in so- called magic mu shrooms which have been used ceremoniously for thousands of years and began to make an appearance in the United States in the Fifties. However, as stated, there are a plethora of chemicals, mostly

found in plants, which fall under this category. While this paper will focus mainly on the three already listed, a few others will be discussed or mentioned: namely, ibogaine, an African root which causes an unpleasant, self-reflective psychedelic experience that has been proven to be effective against both alcoh ol and opiate addiction (Lotsof); and Ayahuasca, the collective name for a variety of brews made by Amazonian cultures from a variety of plant sources, all containing the fascinati ng compound Dimethyltryptamine, which is known for its rapid onset of often completely ineffaceable other - worldly hallucinations, with contact with entities and transportation to other dimensions commonly reported (Rodriguez, McKenna) . This DMT containing brew is responsible for the vom it inducing effects known as La Purga, the purge, because of its psychotherapeutic effect. And although it will receive only a minor mention here due to its uniqueness and inability to be adequately contained by any one specific classification, cannabis has been shown to have medicinal and psychotherapeutic effects. All of the above substances fall under the category psychedelic because of their potential to induce some degree of what is called the psychedelic experience.

This, like anything else hav ing to relate to experience, is riddled with inefficacy and can be hard to accurately describe without actually having experienced it. However, it can be said that such an experience is a non -ordinary state of consciousness in which cognition (anything relating to thought or other mental processes) and perception (the organization and interpretation of sensory information) are altered, often with an increase in awareness of novelty, detachment and consideration of conditioned patterns of thinking, and metac ognition. Another important feature, too often described as the most prominent feature, is hallucination, particularly of the visual sort. However, as will be elaborated on, to focus on just this aspect of the psychedelic experience is to misunderstand and understate the effects of a decent psychedelic experience. As stated, these chemicals have medical benefits, particularly when it comes to mental illness and mental phenomena that are resistant to other forms of treatment. As I established in a previous paper, MDMA and psilocybin have used in a variety of studies to treat medical and psychological ailments, with high rates of success (Townsend). There is ample evidence to support the claims of medicinal benefits of these substances. For example, a

recent study undertaken by researchers of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies has shown that MDMA is vastly effective on treatment resistant Post -Traumatic Stress Disorder (Michoefer), and before its prohibition in 1985 due to its intersecti on with the rave scene (which constitutes irresponsible use), MDMA was widely used as a facilitator for therapy, with a high rate of success (Greer). As explored below, The Varieties of Psychedelic Experience has well over a hundred studies of people finding tremendous benefit from often a lone psychedelic experience under a trained guide (Masters). However, it is important to note that these substances also offer a variety of benefits to a comparably average, normal person, which was established by the researchers R.E.L. Master s and Jean Houston in their 1966 work, The Varieties of Psychedelic Experience. The work s main effort is to detail means

by which the average person may pass through new dimensions of awareness and self-knowledge to a transforming experience resulting in actualization of latent capacities, philosophical reorientation, emotional and sensory at -homeness in the world, and still other changes beneficial to the person. The work is

enlightening and revealing, and is the catalyst to this authors understanding of the benefits of the psychedelic experience. It can be found whole online in PDF format and even a glance is suggested to orient the non -familiar reader with both the nature a nd the benefits of the psychedelic experience. It contains fifteen years of unbiased research, primarily with LSD and mescaline (an alkaloid found in certain species of cacti which grow in arid areas of the United States, which have been used in religious and sacramental ceremonies by Native Americans for thousands of years.) The work provides case study after case study (numbering well over a hundred) which highlight the ways in which comparably average individuals found great benefit and increasing in w ellbeing from their psychedelic psychotherapy (The Varieties of Psychedelic Experience .) The substances need to be re -evaluated and placed on a lower degree of regulation Scheduling, as it is called for usage in clinical and therapeutic sessions. Presently, these chemicals are on the strictest level of Scheduling available, level One, which states that Substances in this schedule have a high potential for abuse, have no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and there is a lack of

accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision. It seems apparent in light of the evidence that this is simply not the case. With the lowering in Schedule, physicians and therapists should be able to acquire a lic ense to use these chemicals in therapeutic manners, as was done in The Varieties of Psychedelic Experience and throughout previous decades. However, the requirements to acquire these licenses should be strict, and the criteria for prescribing them should b e similarly arduous, so as to prevent this system from being anything like the Medical Marijuana facilities open in many states. In most cases, one can simply purchase a Doctors Recommendation to allow them to legally medicate with cannabis, although many falsify their need. Therefore, thee usage of these chemicals would be at a doctors discretion, with harsh fines and penalties for irresponsibl e prescription and malpractice, and usage would be only permitted with a guide not for take home consumpt ion. The fact that these substances are illegal is a matter of some controversy, however, research reveals that this is mostly dictated by reactionary United States governmental policy during the height of the counter culture movement, particularly due to the work of LSD-

proselytizer Timothy Leary, who Nixon called th e most dangerous man in America. In the Sixties, many of the youth involved adopted the usage of psychedelic drugs as a method to bring about, at the least, an altered and non-conforming state of consciousness, while those with larger aspirations dreamt of a state of global interconnectivity. A main argument against the legalization of these chemicals goes something along the lines of, these substances are illegal, and therefore they must have some degree of danger and should be kept illegal. It is somewhat true that there is some degr ee of danger with these substances, the amount of which is both greatly exaggerated and, in most cases, no more so than other substances which are legal and consumed on a regular basis. The main danger comes generally not from the substances themselves, bu t from usage by unprepared persons in an incorrect setting and the resultant bad trip. Having established that, the argument is revealed as the circular fallacy it is these chemicals are illegal, therefore they should be illegal. Also, these are subst ances which are surrounded by a variety of myths, most of which are purely untrue, with no basis in reality. For example, many think that LSD is

stored in spinal fluid, or that psilocybin causes holes to form in the brain. There is absolutely no evidence for either of these being true. There are also urban legends which have sprung up around the substances, such as the oft- repeated case of someone having a bad trip and winding up in a mental hospital, believing they are a glass of orange juice. It seems t hat these stories are but mere rumor and legend, which has been perpetuated throughout the years and grown in the way that things of these sort do. If one actually looks into the research, theres nothing at all to suggest that anything like these cases is possible, let alone happened. Most psychedelic substances are remarkably non lethal, with overdose being practically impossible or unfeasible in human terms. Not all fall under this category, as MDMA has been linked to a number of deaths but often with incorrect usage or combined with other substances, leading to dangerous contraindication. A study in the UK found that out of 81 deaths involving MDMA, only six were the result of MDMA alone, due to lack of hydration and adequate responsible usage of the substance. A simple look at the LD - 50s the lethal dosage fatal to fifty percent of participants studied of rats for these substances highlights that these drugs

are typically very safe, especially if used in a responsible manner. Typically, the LD-50 for humans is significantly higher for humans than for rats. The oral LD-50 of MDMA for rats is 100 -300mgs per kg of weight (MDMA Technical FAQ) , while 200mgs is a heavy dosage (MDMA Dose) for human beings. Those who have died from it have often done so not from the drug itself, but from dehydration and an overheating of internal body temperature from irresponsible use (Ecstasy Statistics). The LD-50 for rats is 46mgs/kg s (via oral administration) and 5mgs/kg (via intravenous administration) for monkeys, whereas a heavy dose of LSD is .4 mgs (LSD Dose). For psilocybin, the LD -50 is 280mgs/kg with oral administration for rats, with a heavy oral dose being 35 mgs (Psilocybin and Psilocyn dose). In short, deaths attributed to these chemicals are either untrue , misrepresented (i.e. can be traced to a different cause), or in the occasional case, the result of misuse and plain irresponsibility. Thats not to say that these are all miracle drugs, and that theres no negative things related with them. It seems most of the misunderstanding of the substances comes from users being unprepared for the mental effects of the substance, often looking for a mere recreation

enhancer, resulting in a negative reaction when faced with the unprepared -for psychedelic experience. Also, there is such a thing as Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder, in which the sufferer faces minor visual disturbances and hallucinations akin to a low -dose psychedelic experience, long after their initial experience has passed. However, it is a rare disorder, and how often one has used psychedelic substances does not seem to have any bearing on the onset of the disorder, indicating that it resultant of underlying causes exacerbated by usage of hallucinogens (Hallucinogen Persisting Perception D isorder). In the end, psychedelics are substances that are known to have profound benefits on those who use them when they are ready and prepared to use them, and evidence has shown that their illegality is misguided and completely disregards fact. However, it definitely seems that there is a trend towards not only acceptance but advocacy for these substances, and perhaps within the coming decades there will be changes in drug policy which allow for these substances to be utilized for their full potential.

Ecstasy Statistics. TheDEA.org.

Web. 8 August 2011.

Used to highlight point about the LD-50 of MDMA and the misattribution of deaths.

Greer, G. & Tolbert, R. 1990. The therapeutic use of MDMA. Ecstasy: The Clinical, Pharmacological and Neurotoxicological Effects of the Drug MDMA. 1989 ed. Print. Establishes therapeutic effectiveness and use of MDMA, particularly in the Eighties. Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder. Wikipedia. Web. 10 August 2011. Used to point out the negative aspect of psychedelics. Lotsof, Howard S., and Norma E. Alexander. Case Studies for Ibogaine Treatment: Implications for Patient Management Strategies. Dora Weiner Foundation, 2001. Web. 8 August 2011. Used to provide evidence for addiction treatment with ibogaine. LSD (Acid) Deaths. Erowid. Web. 8 August 2011. Used to illustrate non-lethality and LD-50 of LSD.

LSD Dose. Erowid. Web. 10 August 2011. Used to find dosage levels of LSD.

Masters, R. E. L. & Jean Houston. The Varieties of Psychedelic Experience. Houston: Dell, 1966. Print.

Used a variety of times for its richness of content and to provide larger context for psychedelic therapy, plus to highlight the potential for normal individuals.

McKenna, Dennis. Clinical investigation of the therapeutic potential of ayahuasca: rationale and regulatory challenges. Pharmacology & Therapeutics 102 (2004): 111129. Print. Used to provide basis for claims about ayahuasca.

MDMA dose. Erowid. Web. 8 August 2011. Used to find LD-50 and regular dose of MDMA.

MDMA Technical FAQ. TheDEA.org. n.d., Web. 8 August 2011. Used to highlight irresponsible use of MDMA.

Mithoefer, Michael C., & Rick Doblin, et al. The safety and efficacy of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted psychotherapy in subjects with chronic, treatment-resistant posttraumatic stress disorder: the first randomized controlled pilot study. The Journal of Psychopharmacology. 0.0 (2010): 1-14. Print. Used to show one type of medical benefit of MDMA.
Psilocybin and Psilocin Dose. Erowid. Web. 10 August 2011. LD-50 of Psilocybin and dosage amount.

Psychedelic. Oxford English Dictionary. 2007, third ed. Print. Definition of term. Rodriguez, Marko A. A Methodology for Studying Various

Interpretations of the Dimethyltryptamine-Induced Alternate Reality. The Journal of Scientific Exploration, 21.1 (2007): 67-84. Used to support seemingly outrageous claims concerning DMT. Townsend, Keaghan. The Medicinal Benefits of MDMA & Psilocybin. 5 July 2011. 8 August 2011. Used to illustrate medicinal benefits of psychedelics.