This Month in Psychedelics - May 2020

We’ve reached the third month of the COVID-19 lockdown in America and the pandemic is still showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Some brave—or perhaps foolish—states have started to reopen, but it’ll be a couple weeks before we know how that process turns out.

Meanwhile, there has been a ton of movement in the psychedelic community, as per usual. The pandemic is still affecting things but there has been a lot of non-COVID news too, including a positive update on MAPS’ Phase 3 Trials of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of PTSD, the release of a new psychedelic documentary to the masses, novel psychedelic research findings, and an ethical pledge for the psychedelic industry.

Here is a slimmed-down video recap version that is available for those who prefer an easier-to-digest option:

Without further ado, let’s jump into the news:

Cannabis and Ketamine for Coronavirus?

Scientists all around the world have been working day and night trying to discover a cure for COVID-19. The importance of finding a way to help patients is prompting them to look just about everywhere, even at controversial drugs.

A new preprint study found that cannabis extracts may be able to prevent the novel coronavirus from infecting human cells. The researchers found that using cannabis oils containing CBD and THC may be capable of lowering human cell production of two key proteins that act as a vector for the virus to enter the body and cause infection.

And another study (which hasn’t been conducted yet) is hoping to see if either ketamine or naltrexone could be an effective treatment for COVID-19. The hypothesis is that the two drugs might be able to interrupt the immune system response that can occur with some patients with the virus. Scientists are hoping that by reducing the hyperinflammatory autoimmune response, ketamine and naltrexone may be able to prevent the destruction of normal tissues that can result in death.

MAPS Phase 3 Trials Are Looking Good

The Multi-Disciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies announced the outcome from an interim analysis of the data from the first of its two Phase 3 clinical trials of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD.

The results from the first 60 out of 100 participants found that there is a 90% or greater probability that the trial will detect statistically significant results when all participants have completed treatment, and that the trial won’t require any additional participants beyond the initial 100.

But before you go run and tell your friends that ecstasy is capable of curing PTSD in 90% of people, you should know that that’s not exactly the case here.

The report simply indicates that the MAPS Phase 3 trials have a 90% chance of uncovering statistical significant findings when they are complete, which means that the FDA could still approve MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD as early as 2022.

DMT Makes You Believe in God

New research adds support to the idea that psychedelics may have the potential to open people up to spirituality. A study from Johns Hopkins University found that more than half of people who use DMT report encountering autonomous entities during their trips and more than half of those who previously identified as atheist before the experience no longer hold that belief.

The online survey asked more than 2500 respondents a series of questions to learn more about what happens when people come across entities in the DMT space. The range of entities that one can encounter after taking a few puffs off a DMT pipe included aliens, spirits, angels, demons, gnomes and fairies. More than 80 percent of the respondents reported that encountering entities during a trip permanently altered their concept of reality.

So before you take the ultimate plunge into entheospace with dimethyltryptamine, just know that it might completely alter the way that you view things forever.

Have a Good Trip Documentary Is Out On Netflix

If you’ve ever wanted to see a movie full of celebrities talking about their psychedelic experiences, then look no further because a new documentary called Have A Good Trip came out this month on Netflix that features exactly that.

The film features an impressive cast of actors, comedians, and musicians including Sting, Anthony Bourdain, Ben Stiller, Carrie Fisher, Nick Offerman, Bill Kreutzmann, and Sarah Silverman, in addition to many more.

Have A Good Trip has been somewhat controversial in the psychedelic community. Similar to Michael Pollan’s 2018 book How to Change Your Mind or the first episode from The Goop Lab Netflix series that came out earlier this year, the film is aimed more toward a mainstream audience than experienced psychonauts. But if you can get past some of the more overtly lame aspects of Have A Good Trip, you might find some things that you enjoy. If you decide to check it out, have a good trip!

Coronavirus Ravages Ayahuasca Capital

The ayahuasca capital of the world (Iquitos, Peru) has been hit extremely hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Iquitos is the largest city in the world that can only be reached by plane or boat, and right before COVID-19 showed up the population was already dealing with a nasty dengue fever outbreak. To top it all off, hospitals are relying on intermittent air deliveries of essential supplies of medicine, personal protective equipment, and oxygen.

If you’d like to help, there are some institutions accepting donations and a petition that you can sign that is aiming to get funds and resources distributed evenly throughout the country.

Researchers Accidentally Get High from Inhaling Too Much Nitrous Oxide-Rich Penguin Poop

When you think of getting high you probably don’t think of inhaling penguin poop, but scientists in Antartica found out—completely unintentionally—that it’s possible to experience psychoactive effects from doing just that.

The researchers went a little crazy after spending time surrounded on all sides by the animals’ colonies. That’s because penguin guano produces significantly high levels of nitrous oxide.

However this wasn’t a fun experience—the scientists began to feel ill and get a headache after breathing in guano for several hours at a time. So you probably shouldn’t rush off to buy a penguin to harvest its poop or order some primo guano from the Dark Web to scratch your itch for nitrous oxide. After all, you can probably find some at a store in your own city instead.

An Ethical Pledge for Psychedelic Businesses

An organization that goes by the name North Star shared an ethical pledge for psychedelic businesses that is meant to help guide the emerging psychedelic industry.

The pledge describes itself as “a commitment to a set of principles for individuals working professionally in the field of psychedelics”, and it’s currently comprised of seven principles:

1. Start Within

2. Study the Traditions

3. Build Trust

4. Consider the Gravity

5. Focus on Process

6. Create Equality and Justice

7. Pay It Forward.

Now those of us working in the psychedelic space have a set of guidelines that can help us make decisions that will bring benefit to the overall field.

Global Drug Survey: Special COVID-19 Edition

The Global Drug Survey is the largest survey in the world focusing on drug use. It normally only accepts responses at the end of each year, but the global pandemic inspired a special COVID-19 edition to open up.

If you would like to help the world’s largest drug survey learn how the pandemic is affecting people’s lives, relationships, mental health, well being, and drug use, then make sure you submit a response before the survey closes mid-June.

New York Bill to Decriminalize Psilocybin

A New York assemblywoman has introduced a measure to decriminalize psilocybin. Sponsored by Linda Rosenthal, who has historically proven to be pro-cannabis, this bill is one of the first of its kind because it was introduced from within the state’s legislature as opposed to coming from an activist group like Decriminalize Nature.

However, the measure has raised questions among activists because it appears to be aimed more at paving the way for pharmaceutical psychedelic industry rather than giving psychonauts a license to use psilocybin mushrooms recreationally or spiritually. That’s because instead of including provisions for amounts, cultivation, or distribution, the bill would simply remove psilocybin from the New York State Controlled Substances Act. In fact, it doesn’t mention mushrooms at all, instead focusing solely on the active ingredient psilocybin, which is far more likely to be created in a pharmaceutical laboratory than grown at home.

This is definitely a bill that we (as a community) need to keep our eyes on.

Joe Biden Is Pushing Marijuana decriminalization

Former Vice President and presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has a long history as one of America’s most adamant drug warriors but is looks like he is beginning to soften his stance on cannabis.

Biden released a new plan that would decriminalize the use of cannabis and expunge prior cannabis convictions as part of his “Plan for Black America”. He has also advocated for ending the crack vs. cocaine sentencing disparity (which he played a key role in creating in the first place), repealing mandatory minimums, and sending people with minor drug convictions to treatment instead of prison.

The question on the minds of many drug policy reformers is: “Is this enough to convince people who were harmed by Biden’s actions in the past to vote for him now?” We’ll have to wait until November to find out (assuming the pandemic has calmed down enough by then that we’ll even be able to vote).

Virginia Finally Decriminalizes Marijuana

The long fight to decriminalize cannabis in Virginia is finally over now that Governor Ralph Northam has signed two identical bills into law. The law will go into effect on July 1, and starting on that date, people who possess up to one ounce of marijuana will merely receive a $25 fine with no jail time or criminal record. It’s a small step forward, but it’s a step in the right direction nonetheless.

Cannabis Pre-Employment Testing Is Ending

Along with the relaxation of cannabis policies at both the state and federal level, many municipalities have begun to put an end to testing their public employees for cannabis use as well. As states continue to reform cannabis policies and the chance of decriminalizing or legalizing marijuana at the federal level becomes more of a reality than a pipe dream, we can probably expect to see more municipal offices loosening up when it comes to allowing their employees to use cannabis. As long as employees spark up off the clock, of course.

Could Psilocybin Help People Lose Weight?

A company looking to develop psilocybin microdoses to help people lose weight has filed for a patent that would allow the chemical to be used as a weight loss supplement. NeonMind Biosciences thinks that psilocybin might be able to reduce food cravings, put a stop to impulsive eating, and increase metabolism—all things that could help people struggling with their weight and enable the company to treat obesity-related diseases like diabetes.

However it is important to bear in mind that this is just a patent and it doesn’t prove that psilocybin is capable of addressing excessive weight gain. We will need to wait for more scientific research to be conducted in this area before we can say for sure.

A Florida Ayahuasca Church Is Suing the DEA

An ayahuasca church in Florida has filed a lawsuit with the DEA in an attempt to receive a religious exemption from the Controlled Substances Act. The group claims that the government’s legal restrictions when it comes to using ayahuasca in their ceremonies is an affront to their right to free speech that is granted by the First Amendment.

Soul Quest is a non-profit organization that has specialized in offering ayahuasca ceremonies to military veterans in a country where the DMT-containing brew is illegal. The group first filed a petition asking the DEA to provide an exemption three years ago but the agency did not respond. It’s safe to say that this lawsuit will prompt a reaction though!

Medical Psilocybin and Drug Decriminalization Campaigns Submit Signatures

Voters in Oregon will have two opportunities to show their support for drug policy reform efforts in the state later this year. After joining forces to fight for the reformation of outdated drug policies together, the campaigns to decriminalize drug possession and legalize psilocybin mushrooms for therapeutic use submitted signatures to make it on the ballot in November.

The signatures still need to be verified by the secretary of state’s office, but the activists behind the efforts are planning to continue collecting additional signatures until the July deadline so that the campaigns can ensure that they collect more than enough valid signatures.

Psychedelics May Relieve Chronic Pain

Rounding out this month’s recap is a story about a new review of the scientific literature published in the journal Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine that found that psychedelics may have the potential to relieve chronic pain.

The researchers reviewed previous studies that tested psilocybin, LSD, and the LSD analog 2-bromolysergic acid diethylamide (BOL-148) to treat conditions like cluster headaches, migraines, cancer pain, and phantom limb pain.

This is still a new area of research and to date none of the 200+ studies that were included in the review studied the efficacy of treating chronic pain with psychedelics. Future studies will need to be conducted in order to identify the mechanisms involved and figure out what effective doses of psychedelics that will reliably provide pain relief.

This discovery just adds on to the ever-growing pile of uses for psychedelics. It’s enough to make psychonauts wonder if there is anything that psychedelics can’t do?

That’s all for this month’s update. Remember to always test and weigh your drugs and until next time—keep thinking wilder.

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Psychedelic History, Shamanic Exploration, and Palenque: An Interview with Matthew Pallamary

Earlier this month I talked with author Matthew Pallamary about his new book, shamanic exploration, and what things were like during the birth of today's modern psychedelic community. Without further ado, here is our conversation:

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Thanks for taking the time to speak with me today. Your most recent book, The Center of the Universe Is Right Between Your Eyes But Home Is Where the Heart Is, came out last November and it covers a lot of ground. How would you summarize it to give the Think Wilder audience an idea of what it’s all about?

Ultimately it’s a study of objective perception. You can’t necessarily control your external environment, which is all the stimulus that comes into you from the world around you, but you are in control of how you choose to create reality with that input. In the book, I explore shamanism and visionary states—primarily with ayahuasca, but also with other substances—to show how you decide to show up, create in the world, and interpret your reality. And I backed it up with a lot of science. Some people say it was a little bit too much, but I was going after the atheists and the intellectuals. From the shamanic perspective, everything is energy. We perceive visually through lightwaves, we listen through sound waves… our brain is filled with multitudes of different waves. Everything around us is composed of vibration in one form or another. When you spend extended time in the jungle, you really tune your brain by altering your consciousness to other realms of perception.

The book is definitely chock full of science, and I can see why you would want to include it. It is written in the same language that atheists and scientific materialists use, which probably makes it easier for them to understand.

One guy who bought the ebook told me that he followed every reference that I included. Every reference. It was a bit crazy!

It's good that they're available, and if people want to explore them then they certainly can. You must’ve worked on the book for quite a while. How long did it take you to do research and write the book?

Interestingly enough, the book kind of wrote itself. But it’s based on a lifetime of research. My first experiences with altered states involved getting dizzy and hyperventilating as a kid. I was about fourteen when I first smoked weed and around that time I was sniffing glue, which was my basic training for altered states. A couple years after that I was turned on to megadose LSD—this was back in like ‘71 or ‘72. I’ve been fascinated with altered states and shamanism for years, and I’ve also been writing about it for years. This book in particular took on a life of its own. It’s always the best when that happens. A lot of this last book was stitched-together research that I found over the course of several months. Years ago, I took an honors course in anthropology called “A Forest of Symbols: Orientation and Meaning to South American Indian Religions”. I started tying that in with my psychedelic experience and the fact that there could be spirituality in psychedelics. In my earlier years that was a totally foreign concept to me. But Terence McKenna’s book Food of the Gods opened my eyes. It was a big influence. When it comes to this book, I was actually getting ready to write another novel and all of a sudden this one started pushing its way to the surface, so I just kind of rolled with it. Next thing you know, I was into the book. And it’s done really well. I’m happy with how it came out.

One of the questions that the reader confronts in the book's introduction is, “Who or what are we really?” How do you define yourself?

In this day and age, I consider myself to be a cosmic citizen. A lot of people over the years have called me a shaman. In the past, I’ve gotten indignant about that and I actually went off one time and felt really bad about it. Are you familiar with the C-Realm Podcast?

Yes—I’ve been a listener for a long time.

One time many years ago, the host called me a shaman, and I went off a bit too much. I actually felt bad afterwards, but I don’t refer to myself as a shaman. There are so many people running around like, “Hey I’m a shaman, here’s my business card,” you know? What I’ve finally come to terms with now is that when I get asked, especially in public, I like to say that everybody is a shaman. Most people just don’t know it and don’t realize it. I studied ayahuasca for 10 years before I found it, and now I’ve been going into the Amazon for close to 20. In my humble opinion, we are far more than we imagine ourselves to be, and we can limit ourselves by our perception. There’s an old American Indian saying that goes, “You really don’t know what another man’s life is like until you walk a mile in his moccasins.” So to me, to be a good writer—and even a good human—you have to have empathy and you have to realize that people have different perspectives and formative influences in their lives. They don’t see things in the same way. At this point in my life I’ve gone beyond that. I’d like to think that my perspective has shifted so I’m not caught in the polarities. The truth is always somewhere in the center, and I’ve worked my entire life to try to find it. When you find the center you transcend duality. You see things from the other guy’s point of view and then you have more compassion and you’re more open. As soon as you start defining things, you’re limiting yourself. The cosmos and reality as we know it is far more complex and multidimensional than most people realize. I spent years pushing the limits as far as I could, in a lot of different directions, to discover the nature of who and what we think we really are. I think that from the perspective of ultimate cosmic reality, we’re a lot more than we give ourselves credit for.

It’s a way bigger world out there than most people imagine and can suppose.

Absolutely. I think that ayahuasca, more than anything else, has shown me that. I’ve done tons of other things too, over the years, but that’s really the one that’s been talking to me the most.

So you studied ayahuasca for 10 years before you started working with it. What was that period of time like for you?

After the honors course in anthropology, I discovered the story of The Land Without Evil, which is my historical novel. It’s about first contact between the Jesuits and the Indians in South America, and it’s told from the Indians’ point of view, so it was all about shamanism. I did a lot of research at the UCSD library. This was before the Internet, so I would log into the UCSD library card catalog via modem and download pages of psychedelic content. A lot of this real groundbreaking stuff that you couldn’t find anywhere back in 1988. I spent $30 on a copy card, gathered books to copy on the machine, and took all the articles home with me. I wasn’t getting high at that time because I took a break for a while, but a few months after that I went into a headshop and there was High Times magazine. I said to myself, “Fucking High Times—that’s still around!?” I had read it back in the ‘70s, when it first came out. When I flipped open the page, there was an ad for the Entheobotany Seminars in Palenque Chiapas.

And that was the origin for the Palenque Norte visionary lecture series, right?

That’s correct. So I opened the magazine, and there were all these people that I had been researching independently on my own. They were going to be presenting! I ended up going to the first event in San Francisco in ‘96, where I met Sasha and Ann Shulgin, Jonathan Ott, Charles Grob, Wade Davis, and several other people. From that point I started going to the Entheobotany Seminars regularly. I went to one in Uxmal in ‘98 and then the next few were at Palenque, which is where I got to meet and hang out with Terence McKenna, Paul Stamets, and Christian Rätsch. I started recorded all the lectures on cassettes, and when Lorenzo Hagerty decided to start the Psychedelic Salon, I gave him a bunch of the lectures that I had recorded to help him get started. I had a lot of good friendships over the years, including one with Terence. He actually got the very first book from the initial hardcover printing of The Land Without Evil. So yeah, I’ve been steeped in this stuff for years.

It sounds like those early experiences played a big role in shaping who you have become. Thank you again for speaking with me.

You're welcome brother—we’ll talk again soon.

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I am very grateful to Matt for sharing his insights and experience. Be sure to check out his website and new book here. If you liked this interview, you might also enjoy reading my review of The Center of the Universe and an excerpt from it that explores the ways that shamanistic cultures revere elemental spirits like the wind.

Image by k_tzito, courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.

Book Review - The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster

I had been interested in reading this book since it was published in 2006, which was around the time that I was consuming a lot of atheistic and scientific materialist content from the likes of Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris. I imagine that if I had read the book back then, I would have found it more entertaining, and I wanted to like it more than I did—but I couldn't.

The book is incredibly tedious and repetitive, and runs out of steam fairly quickly. I will admit that it did make me chuckle a few times in the beginning, but as I read further into the book I found myself being frustrated and bored.

The basic idea behind the book is that it is the gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, the sarcastic equivalent of God, or the creator of our universe. It is meant to be a humorous attack on religious and non-scientific thinking, and I imagine it would appeal to scientific materialists and atheists alike. However, that line of thinking no longer resonates with me, and I ended up disliking the book almost entirely.

I wouldn't really recommend that anyone read this book. If you're interested, go for it, but don't expect anything that clever or funny. I did have that sort of expectation, and was severely let down and felt like I wasted the time I spent reading it.

2/5 stars. 169 pages.