BMC Medical Education
October 24, 2024
Susanne Birnkammer, Olga Chernoloz, Sergio R Pérez Rosal et al.
10 citations
As psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) advances to phase III trials in the USA, Europe, particularly Germany, must develop professional education and regulatory frameworks to catch up. Australia has already approved MDMA and psilocybin for mental health, Ukraine is exploring MDMA for war-related PTSD, and Switzerland restarted restricted medical use of MDMA and LSD around 2014, establishing precedents for nations where these substances were illicit. Key challenges include practitioner training standards, accessibility, and oversight. The paper outlines ethical considerations, training protocols, and governmental roles for building infrastructure in Germany to support PAT rollout, aiming to influence broader European policy and help Europe reclaim its historical lead in psychiatric innovation.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
October 29, 2024
Pamela Kryskow, Paul Stamets, Joseph la Torre et al.
4 citations
In a program offering psilocybin-assisted therapy for end-of-life distress, participants received synthetic psilocybin, whole Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms, and a mycological extract on separate occasions. Post-treatment interview transcripts revealed broad consensus that all three forms were helpful and similar, generating visual and perceptual distortions, emotional and cognitive insight, and mystical experiences. However, synthetic psilocybin was described as feeling less natural and its overall quality of experience was inferior to the organic forms. These preliminary findings suggest that research should include whole psychedelic mushrooms and extract alongside synthetic psilocybin, given that traditional medicine keepers have used whole mushrooms and plant material for millennia.
Research Square
November 5, 2025
Joseph la Torre, Step Cheung, Ariana Kam et al.
In a study with 236 participants, the largest sample to date, researchers asked open-ended questions to people in an ibogaine-assisted treatment program in Mexico. Common themes emerged: emotional amplification, life review, perceptual and sensory changes, visionary states, and a sense that ibogaine has its own character or agency. The findings provide a detailed, empirically grounded portrait of ibogaine's subjective effects and show its capacity to evoke structured, meaningful, and potentially transformative states of consciousness. The study's strengths include its large sample, rapid data collection, a safe clinical setting, careful participant preparation, and open-ended questions that captured the full range of experiences.