Richard A. Friedman, a professor of clinical psychiatry, is uniquely suited to attest to hallucinogens’ psychological benefits. But as it turns out, all that mind expansion might be completely independent of the whole melting-walls, I-see-the-oneness-of-everything experience. In The Atlantic, he details how and why that is—as well as some of the progress being made.
I don’t mean to discount the delight and power of a transcendent hallucination. Many people who’ve tripped on psychedelics describe the experience as among the most meaningful of their life. And in several studies of psilocybin for depression, the intensity of the trip correlates with the magnitude of the therapeutic effect. A trip is an extraordinary, consciousness-expanding experience that can offer the tripper new insight into her life and emotions. It also feels pretty damn good. But it’s far from the only effect the drugs have on the human brain.
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