The Psychedelic Revolution and collective Longing
Psychedelics are like, really hot right now. Once again enjoying an ascent from fringe edges of Western society (and of course, appropriated from a great many other cultures) to the covers of peer reviewed journals and popular media magazines alike. It’s been huge - the idea that mind-altering substances might enter the body and clear out trauma, stress, depression, and anxiety, changing maladaptive behaviors, improving relationships, and saving lives. This promise has been all but codified in some cases by very respectable science, but also appeals to those who tune in to other ways of knowing. Intuitively AND empirically, psilocybin, MDMA, and ketamine so far, especially when paired with appropriate support/ psychotherapy, seem like miracles. Unsurprisingly, many want in.
When Neurospark was created, it was initially to meet a need I saw in the community. A fair number of professionals had asked about how to advise their patients and clients around ketamine and psychedelics, wanting a basic education about their history, possible utility, risks, laws, and just how to bring any of this up or answer questions when they arose. Working on developing these resources has been a fun outlet for some creativity, and a way I feel I can be helpful. However, I found myself unsatisfied within the first few weeks of launching. I wanted this to be authentic, and a model for services that simply provided education was not entirely it. I discovered it was, truly, born out of a desire to foster space for discourse and connection with other healthcare workers and beyond who envision something better for themselves and those they serve. To engage with the larger community, and with a larger purpose.
So I found myself wondering to what extent psychedelics, and the associated cultural and academic movements, embody more than the hope these molecules themselves and the therapies they facilitate bring to individuals for their own healing journey. And not even just optimism about an evolution in the way mental healthcare is delivered, toward a whole-person, introspective but relationally-focused, patient-centered approach. But also, the psychedelic revolution perhaps points to a belief that it is, in fact, possible to live more beautiful, connected, meaningful, healthier lives. That the Western world is not only craving authenticity and collective growth, for intimacy with life, but also, a way to express these yearnings. “I am on board with psychedelics as medicines” is a kind of calling card - “I envision new ways we can grow and heal together.”
As a therapist and a doctor, I do believe in the power of scientific inquiry, however imperfect, to help us collect and interpret data, and then to aid in understanding for whom these medicines are safe and effective, for what, and which may be indicated in specific circumstances. But regardless of what is decided by empirical study, legal and regulatory structures, and the court of public opinion, we should capitalize on the moment - the outward desire of much of the public to think and engage in discourse around mental health, healing, wholeness, consciousness, ethics, spirituality, and the transformative potential of altered states - experiences that go beyond habitual ways of thinking, knowing, and being.
Most importantly, though, to me, to take this opportunity to acknowledge our desire to better love, support, and commune with each other - and then do something about it.
This is NeuroSpark’s “why.” And probably, also, the “How.”
