Podcast 088 – “Status of Psilocybin Study at Harbor-UCLA”

Guest speaker: Dr. Preet Chopra

PROGRAM NOTES:

(Minutes : Seconds into program)

02:56 Preet describes the study he is working on at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center where he and Dr. Charles Grob are giving psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) to end-stage cancer patients who are also suffering from anxiety.

05:17 A description of the inclusion and exclusion criteria for the study.

11:01 Preet takes us through a typical session with a study participant.

12:04 "According to some of the research that was done before prohibition, it was found that people who had more internal experiences were more likely to get the psychological intervention we’re going for with this."

24:03 "In my treatments as a psychiatrist I’ve never treated a psychedelic addiction. I’ve treated a lot of addicts who are addicted to a lot of stuff and who also used psychedelics, but that [psychedelic addiction] has never come into my emergency room or office."

29:39 "I think it’s kind of ridiculous to be a scientist and a doctor and not investigate and try to understand how we can use these tools in a Western culture safely."

36:11 "I think that ultimately the true wisdom about these plants comes from shamanic tradition, however, in today’s Western society people will often come to a psychiatrist to address the issue that in a different tribal kind of society they would seek out the shaman."

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Mentioned in this podcast
"Counter-Transference Issues in Psychedelic Psychotherapy" by Gary Fisher, PH.D

Additional papers by Gary Fisher, Ph.D.