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