Psychedelics: Treating Addiction, Depression, and Anxiety with Dr. Roland Griffiths

This episode is brought to you by InsideTracker and Pendulum . Psychedelics were the subject of serious medical research from the 1940s through the 1960s, when many scientists believed some of the mind-bending compounds held tremendous therapeutic promise for treating a number of conditions, including severe mental health problems and alcohol addiction. But by the mid-1960s, research into psychedelics was shut down, a policy that would last for decades. After the blackout ended, the doctor we have on the podcast today was among the first to initiate a new series of studies on psilocybin—the psychoactive compound in “magic” mushrooms. Today on The Dhru Purohit Podcast , Dhru sits down with Dr. Roland Griffiths, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Griffiths has conducted extensive research with sedative-hypnotics, caffeine, and novel mood-altering drugs. In 1999, he initiated a research program at Johns Hopkins investigating the effects of the classic hallucinogen psilocybin. The program includes studies of psilocybin-facilitated treatment of psychological distress in cancer patients and cigarette-smoking cessation as well as the compound’s effects in beginning and long-term meditators and religious leaders. In this episode, Dhru and Dr. Griffiths discuss his research on psilocybin in the treatment of psychological distress in cancer patients and cigarette-smoking cessation. They discuss the connection between psilocybin, spirituality, and consciousness and their potential for treating conditions ranging from drug and alcohol dependence to depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. In this episode, Dhru and Dr. Griffiths dive into: -The connection between psychedelics, spirituality, and consciousness (3:30) -The history of psychedelic research (12:32) -The reintroduction of psychedelic research by Dr. Roland Griffiths and others (16:31) -Why research participants rated their psychedelic experience as one of their most meaningful (20:57) -What is happening in the brain when using psychedelics (27:39) -How psychedelics can help us understand altered states of consciousness (33:13) -The therapeutic benefits of psilocybin for the treatment of addiction (44:20) -How a single dose of psilocybin substantially diminished depression and anxiety in cancer patients (48:56) -The future of psychedelics (52:11) -The downside and risks of psychedelics (1:00:18) -Learn more about Dr. Roland Griffiths and his work (1:04:28) For more on Dr. Roland Griffiths and his research on psychedelics, check out his website https://www.hopkinspsychedelic.org . InsideTracker provides detailed nutrition and lifestyle guidance based on your individual needs. Right now, they’re offering my podcast community 20% off. Just go to https://www.insidetracker.com/DHRU to get your discount and try it out for yourself. Pendulum is the first company to figure out how to harness the amazing benefits of Akkermansia in a probiotic capsule. To receive 20% off your first purchase of Pendulum’s Akkermansia probiotic supplement, go to https://www.Pendulumlife.com and use code DHRU20. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices