One of the threads of this Blog is Entheogens, with the question of whether their sacramental use might be beneficial for us. My answer, in case you didn’t realize it yet, is a qualified “yes.” Qualified because taking Entheogens is not something to be taken lightly. That’s what “sacramental use” means — that they are to be taken with “fear and trembling” (to use Kierkagaard’s phrase) and with a deep desire and willingness to Know and Experience the Truth, or Truth; so the “set and setting” are key elements of entheogen use, and due precautions must be taken, correct dosage is essential, etc. And “qualified” also because we should realize that entheogens are not for everyone — “bad trips” do happen — and they are but one path.
Now let’s move on to the new Johns Hopkins study. I want to thank Dr. Martin Polanco for bringing this to my attention. If you have been diagnosed with cancer, this new Johns Hopkins study is something that you might really want to look into (the link can be found below):
Seeking Volunteers with a Cancer Diagnosis
to participate in a scientific study of self-exploration
and personal meaning
In recent years, scientists at some U.S. universities have been conducting studies using entheogens, resuming research in pharmacology, psychology, creativity, and spirituality that was suspended following the drug excesses of the 1960s.
Entheogens include the peyote cactus used by the Native American Church, the psilocybin-containing mushrooms used as sacraments in Mesoamerica, and certain other plants and chemicals. Such substances have been used for thousands of years in cultures from the Amazon to ancient Greece as a means of inducing non-ordinary states of consciousness for psychological self-exploration and spiritual or religious purposes.
These states of consciousness are most widely known in connection with practices such as meditation and prolonged fasting. Context seems to play a major role in shaping entheogen experiences and their consequences. Despite the well-known problems that can arise in unstructured settings, the risks of entheogens in research and ritual contexts have proven to be very small.
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University are seeking volunteers with a current or past diagnosis of cancer who have some anxiety or are feeling down about their cancer to participate in a scientific study of self-exploration and personal meaning brought about by the entheogen psilocybin, a psychoactive substance found in mushrooms used as a sacrament in some cultures, given in a comfortable, supportive setting. Questionnaires and interviews will be used to assess the effects of the substance on consciousness, mood, and behavior.
Volunteers enrolled in the study will receive careful preparation and 2 sessions in which they will receive psilocybin. Structured guidance will be provided during the session and afterwards to facilitate integration of the experiences. The study complies with FDA regulations.
Volunteer must be between the ages of 21 and 70, have no personal history of severe psychiatric illness, or recent history of alcoholism or drug abuse, have someone willing to pick them up and drive them home at the end of the two psilocybin sessions (around 5:00 PM).
If you would like to discuss the possibility of volunteering, please call 410–550–5990 or email cancer@bpru.org and ask for Mary, the study’s research coordinator. Confidentiality will be maintained for all applicants and participants.
Principal Investigator: Roland R. Griffiths, Ph.D., Protocol: NA_00001390
The link is : http://www.bpru.org/cancer/insight/
And here’s a fascinating CNN report about the previous Johns Hopkins study:
