Psychedelic Experiential Pharmacology: Pioneering Clinical Explorations with Salvador Roquet (How I Came to All of This: Ketamine, Admixtures and Adjuvants, Don Juan and Carlos Castaneda Too): An Interview with Richard Yensen
International Journal of Transpersonal Studies – July 01, 2014
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Pioneering psychedelic drug studies, utilizing compounds like MDA and LSD, revealed profound potential for experiential learning in psychotherapy. Dr. Yensen, a seasoned psychotherapist, conducted FDA-approved research from 1972-1976, exploring neurotransmitter receptor influence on behavior with diverse patients. His Psychology Ph.D. focused on MDA with neurotic outpatients. Later, under IND 3250 until 2006, he continued LSD research, evolving a non-drug psychoanalysis, Perceptual Affective Therapy, from these natural compound pharmacology insights.
Abstract
Richard Yensen was a research fellow at the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center from 1972 to 1976. He studied psychedelic psychotherapy with Stanislav Grof, M.D. and other senior staff. During this time he treated patients with substance abuse disorders, cancer, neurosis, and other health professionals seeking a training experience. Dr. Yensen did his Ph.D. dissertation on the use of MDA in psychotherapy with neurotic outpatients and conducted his research at the MPRC. Through many years of experience in governmentsanctioned psychedelic research, he has evolved a non-drug shamanistic psychotherapy called Perceptual Affective Therapy. In the 1990’s Richard was co-holder of IND 3250, an investigational new drug permit issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to study LSD and psychotherapy until 2006. He is currently a licensed psychologist in California and director of the Orenda Institute in Vancouver and Cortes Island, British Columbia, Canada and president of the Salvador Roquet Psychosynthesis Association. He has served on the faculties of Harvard Medical School, Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland Medical School in Baltimore.