How science is taking tripping mainstream
5/6/202613 min
President Trump recently signed an order to speed up the evaluation of psychedelics to treat the brain. That’s coming after decades of strict prohibition on psychedelic drug use dating back to President Nixon. So how did we go from that to a psychedelic renaissance? A look into a key institution in the world of psychedelic research may give us some clues. This episode, NPR’s brain correspondent Jon Hamilton shares insight from a recent trip. (No pun intended.)
Want more psychedelic content? Catch our episode on ketamine therapy here, or learn why some scientists want to take the trip out of psychedelics here.
Have other questions about psychedelics and the brain? Let us know by emailing shortwave@npr.org!
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Transcript preview
First 90 secondsRegina Barber· Host0:00
This message comes from Equip Health. Eating disorders happen in everyday life. That's why Equip's virtual treatment program brings a full care team into your home, including a therapist, dietician, and more. Visit equip.health/npr. [gentle music] You're listening to Short Wave from NPR. Hey, Short Wavers. Regina Barber here. When it comes to research on psychedelic drugs, the times are a-changin'. At least that's what I hear from my psycho not colleague, John Hamilton. Hey, John.
Jon Hamilton0:33
Hey. How's it going, Gina?
Regina Barber· Host0:34
So you cover brain science, and you're here to talk about why mind-bending drugs from the '60s are having a moment right now, right, John?
Jon Hamilton0:41
I am, and, uh, I gotta say, things really have changed a lot since then.
Regina Barber· Host0:46
Yeah. For a long time, psychedelic drugs were seen in the mainstream as, like, dangerous, not helpful. I remember DARE. What has changed, then?
Jon Hamilton0:54
Well, two things: science and society. You know, [laughs] if you look at the past couple of decades, researchers have been taking a, a whole 'nother look at drugs like psilocybin, which is the substance, of course, that makes some mushrooms hallucinogenic- Yeah ... magic, and the emphasis hasn't been on just expanding consciousness these days. It's been on treating conditions like depression and PTSD.
Regina Barber· Host1:17
So do these drugs actually work for PTSD, depression?
Jon Hamilton1:21
There's more and more evidence that they do, and that has led to a lot more mainstream acceptance of these drugs, you know, even at the [laughs] White House, I should say. Listen