(NewsNation) — Psychedelic’s aren’t just for the counterculture anymore.
Your friends and neighbors may be giving LSD, mushrooms, ketamine or other psychedelics a second look.
Even corporate America is turning to so-called psychedelic retreats designed to help workers find clarity in their thinking and a renewed sense of purpose.
Rick Doblin, a drug activist and founder of the Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies, is currently running advanced clinical trials on psychotherapy utilizing MDMA, or Ecstacy, for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“MDMA works by reducing activity in the amygdala, the fear-processing part of our brain, and increasing the supply of oxytocin, the hormone of love. And also increasing activity in our prefrontal cortex,” Doblin explained on NewsNation’s “Banfield.”
The only legal psychedelic treatment is ketamine. It’s being used at Nushama Psychedelic Wellness Center, in a medically supervised program of psychedelic treatments for depression, chronic pain, addiction, mood disorders and more.
Nushama co-founder Jay Godfrey said there have been long debates on whether psychedelics are safe or addictive. As long as used appropriately, psychedelic treatments aren’t dangerous, according to Godfrey.
Clinical psychologist Amy Robbins had an “extremely powerful” experience with psychedelic treatment.
“I did it under the supervision of someone who was well trained, which I think is is very important. We don’t necessarily know how we’re going to respond to them,” Robbins said. “I felt like I was really able to access parts of myself that you just can’t get to in traditional talk therapy.”
NewsNation’s Brian Entin asked viewers if they had ever take psychedelic drugs with co-workers during a work retreat.
Out of 892 respondents, 21.6% of NewsNation Twitter followers said yes, and 78.4% said no.
If you do choose to seek psychedelic treatment, it’s very important that the experience is supervised by a professional, according to Godfrey.
Godfrey also encouraged people to get screened by a medical professional before trying psychedelic treatment and to keep in mind that most psychedelics cannot be used with antidepressants.