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One of the ways that I like to think about how a psychedelic assists the psychotherapy process is really based on a quote from Stan Grof which says that "A psychedelic is to the brain what the telescope is to astronomy or the microscope is to biology." It just allows you to go deeper and see things that perhaps you couldn't ordinarily see. And I think that's exactly why these compounds have so much potential, and particularly MDMA for PTSD. The idea of the cognitive behavioral therapies for PTSD has always been really correct and can work quite well for people, but also, equally, many people find that these therapies are just too emotionally draining or too distressing for them; many times they give up on the therapy. There's a lot of room after a traumatic exposure to kind of second-guess yourself. What happens is that this narrative can be perpetuated every time you think about the traumatic event, which can be very often, and you start to believe that the problem isn't only what happened, but it's you.

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One of the ways that / I like to think about how a psychedelic assists the psychotherapy process is really based on a quote from Stan Grof / which says that "A psychedelic is to the brain / what the telescope is to astronomy / or the microscope is to biology." / It just allows you to go deeper / and see things that perhaps you couldn't / ordinarily see. / And I think that's / exactly why these compounds have so much potential, / and particularly MDMA for PTSD. / The idea of the cognitive behavioral therapies / for PTSD / has always been really correct / and can work quite well for people, / but also, / equally, / many people / find that / these / therapies are just / too emotionally draining / or too distressing / for them; / many times they / give up on the therapy. / There's a lot of room / after a traumatic / exposure / to kind of second-guess yourself. / What happens is that this narrative can be / perpetuated every time you think about the traumatic event, / which can be very often, / and you start to believe that the problem isn't only what happened, / but it's you. //

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Being in a state that is induced by a psychedelic such as MDMA may enhance your empathy for yourself, your introspection, your ability to see things differently, and also make you feel part of the world. And this last thing is really very important because a lot of trauma survivors with PTSD feel really alienated, they feel different, they try to avoid people. MDMA is now undergoing the last stage before FDA approval, and in phase two and phase three studies, MDMA has shown remarkable efficacy for reducing symptoms of PTSD. About two-thirds of people that are treated with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy report no longer having PTSD, and also report feeling changed in a very positive direction. That's a very, very high rate of recovery for any kind of a treatment, and that's why it's exciting. MDMA is not a classic psychedelic. It works very differently than say, psilocybin or ayahuasca. Those experiences produce a much more dramatic out-of-body experience, and I think those kinds of psychedelics can and should be tried for PTSD in clinical trials. But they're different because while you're having those kind of experiences, it's hard to do psychotherapy, it's hard to be coherent in a sentence.

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Being in a state / that is induced by / a psychedelic / such as MDMA / may enhance your / empathy for yourself, / your introspection, / your ability to see things differently, / and also make you feel part of the world. And this is / this last thing is really very important because / a lot of trauma survivors / with PTSD feel really alienated, / they feel different, / they try to avoid people. // MDMA is now undergoing the last stage before FDA approval, / and in phase two and phase three studies, / MDMA has shown / remarkable efficacy / for reducing symptoms of PTSD. / About two-thirds of people that are treated with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy report / no longer having PTSD, / and also report / feeling changed / in a very positive direction. / That's a very, / very high rate of / recovery / for any kind of a treatment, / and that's why it's exciting. / MDMA is not a classic psychedelic. / It works very differently than say, / psilocybin / or ayahuasca. / Those experiences / produce a much more dramatic out-of-body experience, / and I think those kinds of psychedelics / can / and should be tried / for PTSD in clinical trials. / But they're different / because while you're having those kind of experiences, / it's hard to do psychotherapy, / it's hard to be coherent in a sentence. //