Psychedelics for Use and Wellbeing Cultural Context and Recent Developments: A Jamaican Perspective
Online Journal of Complementary & Alternative Medicine – October 28, 2022
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Psilocybin, now a "new frontier" in mental health, boasts a history far predating its 1956 scientific discovery. Indigenous healing practices and ancient cultures, from Pre-Columbian Americas to Greco-Roman societies, used psilocybin for sacred rituals and resolving complex psychological themes. Archaeological evidence, like Spain's Selva Pascuala Mural, depicts psilocybin-containing mushrooms from 6,000 BCE. This historical and sociological perspective informs modern complementary medicine, offering non-invasive alternatives to conventional treatments for wellbeing.
Abstract
Proclaimed as the "new frontier" in psychiatry, the use of Psychedelics, including Psilocybin as a treatment for mental health and wellbeing has gained momentum over the last few years [1,2].The scientific progress and clinical promise of this movement owes much of its success to the history of indigenous healing practices.Though "discovered" in 1956 by Roger Heim [3], the history of Psilocybin use extends to as far back as 6,000 BCE with depictions of Psilocybin containing mushrooms in the Selva Pascuala Mural in Spain [4].There have been documented use among indigenous peoples from Pre-Columbian Americas, ancient Egypt, and Greco-Roman ceremonies for sacred rituals, and as a way of "communing with the gods" and resolving complex themes [5][6][7].This kind of use falls within the realm of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM).This approach seeks therapies which accompany traditional medicine to contribute to and diversify current frameworks, and is also seen as pleasant and non-invasive, in contrast to conventional medical practices and the use of manufactured pharmaceutical products [8].