Ancient Roots of Today's Emerging Renaissance in Psychedelic Medicine.
Culture, medicine and psychiatry December 1, 2022 Daniel R George, Ryan Hanson, Darryl Wilkinson et al. 65 citations
An international ban on psychedelics in 1971 restricted clinical use of these ancient substances, but structured psychedelic use—long part of ritual healing—is regaining credibility in Western medicine for treating mental health conditions amid rising 'Deaths of Despair' (excess mortality from suicide, drug overdose, and alcoholism). Using a historical lens, the authors examine psychedelic therapies over time, translate ancient lessons to contemporary practice, and interrogate practical and ethical questions for mainstream medicine. Reflecting on COVID-19's contributions to global mental health burden, they argue that a 'psychedelic renaissance' anchored in antiquity could shift healthcare toward more humane practices attentive to underlying causes of distress and supportive of human flourishing.