Those without any experience with psychedelic compounds may not easily see the connection between a psychedelic “trip” and therapy/counseling. However, those who have used psychedelics understand that the time during a “trip” (the time during which the psychedelics act on the mind and body) is a time when a person feels most connected to their own self.

The discovery of the therapeutic benefits was fairly accidental for psychedelics like LSD, psilocybin, mescaline, DMT, ketamine, and others. Recreational users of the compounds found that they produced a state in-which humans can see exactly how the universe works, and their place in that universe. The first pioneers of these discoveries were not modern scientists, but regular men and women who lived thousands of years ago.

Psychedelics have a long history, stretching back to ancient times — where the compounds were used in spiritual or tribal rituals.

Mechanisms of Psychedelics and Therapy

While the exact mechanisms of psychedelics are not known, we do know that those in a psychedelic state are more pliable to life-changing influences. In short, a person on psychedelics is more likely to implement permanent behavioral and overall perspective changes in their brains when on the compounds.

It is important to understand that these changes are not forced, and these changes are not a form of brainwashing. The individual themselves are the ones that re-train their brains in a natural manner. In most cases these changes are positive changes and corrective ones. It is as-if the psychedelic compounds make the brain more pliable and flexible for a short period of time, so the brain can correct or optimize  its own processes.

The best way to try and give more explanation is through example…

Example #1: Self Esteem Issues and Psychedelics

A great example of how psychedelics can allow for positive brain changes is with one’s self identity. Self identity is by-far the strongest force that affects a person’s behavior. How you see yourself, affects how you act. Negative views about yourself produce negative behaviors. Changing your perspective about yourself is the best way to change your general behaviors.

For instance, Patient A has a poor self-outlook before psychedelic therapy. He feels he is ugly, and feels that he has no talents or nothing to offer others. His symptoms include drug and alcohol use, depression, anxiety (especially in social situations), suicidal thoughts and feelings, and his overall health, nutrition and hygiene are suffering.

We know the root of Patient A’s problems — its his perspective and outlook on himself, and therefore his negative outlook on life that is causing all the symptoms and problems. But changing a person’s sense of self-worth can be difficult, especially if this person has gone a lifetime (10+ years) of this negative self outlook. Making things more difficult, the change needs to happen in Patient A’s mind.

This is a deeply-rooted fundamental mental health problem that has ties to traumatic past experiences and current recurring trauma. It is very traumatic to not love yourself. To start to untie this knot of a mental problem, Patient A needs a change of perspective. A psychedelic state produced by ketamine or other psychoactive compounds may help to give that new perspective to the patient.

In this exact scenario, ketamine therapy patients have found a new perspective opened up to them by both the psychedelics and the positive guidance and reinforcement of the ketamine therapists. The hope is that ketamine therapy will give Patient A’s brain the pliability (flexibility) needed to change his perspective on life and himself. With this new perspective, the patient and therapist begin to untie the knots in the mind and ultimately overcome the symptoms.

Example #2: Psychedelics to Bypass Natural Self Defense Mechanisms

In general, our instincts and self defense mechanisms are good, and are born into us to keep us safe and out of danger. However, just like any other bodily system can malfunction, so can our natural self defense mechanisms.

When our body’s natural security system malfunctions, it can actually put us into danger. When this occurs, your brain is telling you bad information. It might tell you to run away and hide when you should be comfortable in your surroundings, and may push you into dangerous situations that you think are comfortable. This is why so many trauma survivors develop drug and alcohol problems or sexual issues.

PTSD and Trauma are rooted in a traumatic past experiences. The past experience can be anything that put your mind and body into “fight or flight”, shock, or other symptoms of trauma. Often, the experience is one of a sexual, abusive, or uncomfortable nature. This experience may have happened in the past, but the symptoms of trauma persist and are causing serious quality of life and/or behavioral issues.

Using Psychedelics to Heal Trauma

The positive experience that can be provided by controlled and guided psychedelic therapy can be a very useful tool in unlocking past trauma that may be obscured by denial, or other methods the brain uses to trick itself. Patients of psychedelic therapy have found it to be a very comfortable and loving experience that occurs from their soul-outward. The overall experience can often be enough to expand a person’s perspective beyond the negatives they are used to.

Sexual trauma can also be treated with the use of psychedelic therapy. Many of those who have healed-from past sexual traumas state that love is what overcomes the hate — good prevails against evil, and that their positive new experiences with psychedelics are what helped to show the good in life and love and let it win.

Again, it is the pliability of the brain during psychedelic therapy that allows for a changing of a person’s perspective, behavior, emotions. This is especially needed to get past the walls and defenses a mind and body can put-up against uncomfortable thoughts and memories. The brain change is what allows a person to heal naturally from their trauma.

Example #3: Psychedelics for Depression

The FDA has approved several medications using psychedelic compounds for the treatment of depression, recognizing the usefulness of psychedelics for depression treatment. Why do psychedelics help with depression so well? Again, it has to do with the pliability of the brain with psychedelics.

Psychedelic trips are a state of mind where you can see deeply and introspectively into any idea or problem your mind can fathom. Within these states, you can and will look at your life from an outside perspective. Not from the perspective of your “Ego” (the I and Me voice inside your head), but from a new and different perspective.

This dissociative effect is similar to the “disconnected from their body feeling” that many report in near-death-experiences. From this perspective, the small details and problems in your life lose their connection to you as well. They seem to not matter as much, as your mind is focused on higher and higher thoughts.

These higher vibrational thoughts and frequencies are described by many as seeing your life from the perspective of a higher power (God, Higher Beings, Etc.). You begin to see your own problems not as a child, but from the perspective of a parent — showing you how to overcome and grow.

Psychedelics Are In The Body For A Few Hours But The Effects Last A Lifetime

It is important to remember that the window of time that the psychedelics are active on your brain and body is relatively short — maybe a few hours long. However, the thoughts and feelings you have during that short time are what you take with you. You are supposed to learn from the experience for the rest of your life, and your brain recognizes this responsibility. That is why psychedelics for depression have such high success rates — the patient wants and becomes dedicated to positive changes.

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