Mainstreaming Psychedelics: From FDA to Harvard to Burning Man

phr

phr

Bluelighter
Joined
May 25, 2004
Messages
36,649
Location
St. Charles, IL
We're now in the midst of a worldwide renaissance in psychedelic research, after decades of political suppression. Scientists from around the world will present their new findings at the largest psychedelic conference to take place in the US in 17 years, on April 15-18, 2010, in San Jose, CA (http://www.maps.org/conference/ ). Even media reports, which usually mention in passing the widespread use of psychedelics by the counterculture in the 1960s, are more hopeful than alarming. In this talk, we'll review the factors which led to the backlash and the lessons to be learned, discuss how the FDA opened the door to research around the world, how the ghost of Timothy Leary was buried at Harvard, and how Burning Man struggles to respond to people who have difficult psychedelic experiences. We'll conclude by explaining how non-profit drug development, initially of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for postraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), can transform psychedelics into FDA-approved prescription medicines and can lay the groundwork for the successful, long-term integration of psychedelics into the mainstream of medicine, religion, art, creativity, and celebration.

Link to the video!

speaker info said:
Rick founded MAPS in 1986. His dissertation [http://www.maps.org/dissertation/ (Public Policy, Harvards Kennedy School of Government) was on "The Regulation of the Medical Use of Psychedelics and Marijuana," and his masters thesis []http://www.maps.org/docs/doblin-mt.html ] (Harvard) focused on the attitudes and experiences of oncologists concerning the medical use of marijuana. His undergraduate thesis [http://www.maps.org/research/cluster/psilo-lsd/goodfriday.pdf (New College of Florida) was a twenty-five year follow-up to the classic Good Friday Experiment [http://www.maps.org/books/pahnke/index.html, which evaluated the potential of psychedelic drugs to catalyze religious experiences. He has also conducted a thirty-four year follow-up study to Tim Learys Concord Prison experiment [http://www.maps.org/news-letters/v09n4/09410con.html.

Rick studied with Stan Grof, M.D., and was in the first group to become certified as holotropic breathwork practitioners. His professional goal is to help develop legal contexts for the beneficial uses of psychedelics and marijuana, primarily as prescription medicines but also for personal growth for otherwise "healthy" people, and to also become a legally licensed psychedelic therapist. He resides in Boston with his wife and three children.
Click to expand...


Google Tech Talk: Mainstreaming Psychedelics: From FDA to Harvard to Burning Man
Rick Doblin
11.17.09
 
Last edited:
Hello Everyone,

If you haven't already watched this video clip, I highly suggest you do. The fact that Rick was asked to give this talk at Google speaks to the cultural shift we have seen towards acceptance of psychedelic-based clinical research. Consider that only a few years back, Google was censuring MAPS' purchase of keywords to advertize their clinical studies.


I'd love to hear people's thoughts about the talk, as I am sure our friends at MAPS would also.


Thanks,

SG
 
Google Tech Talks are usually awesome, no matter the content matter. Throw in some psychedelics and a shifting world view-point, and we've got something special :)
 
^LOL yah I have to roll my eyes at Rick Doblin sometimes, he always seems like a really legit guy until he starts going off on some tangent about "past life regression" etc. :D

I do appreciate the work the guy does, though.
 
i really want to watch this, i just havent found the time yet.

i absolutely love MAPS though. if i can ever get back in and finish school, i'd love to work with them. maybe i'll get lucky in my studies and be able to do some work in Dr Nichol's lab during my graduate studies too. %)
 
AfterGlow said:
Is anybody planning on attending this?
Click to expand...

I would LOVE to go to this conference! The topics and line up of speakers sounds like it would make for an amazing time. Unfortunately i live in Canada and cant afford to just head to CA for a conference on psychedelic research.

To the maps fellow Sebastians Ghost. I hope you guys can record some of the presentations and speakers at the conference for all of us interested, but just cant make it.

Will watch the video in the morning, too late right now heh

PS the links in the quotes sound quite interesting, but dont work! AHAHSJKDFHJSDHLJSDFH!
 
It's one hell of a shame that psychedelic therapy in Europe took a major blow when some German new-age quack killed two patients with a drug cocktail during a "psycholytic" group therapy session.

Ketamine helped me greatly. Before my therapist gave me an IV of Ketamine, I was always looking for that one wonder drug that would lift my depression and anxietys all at once. Ketamine led me to the realization that no drug can do that, but I do. I realized the way to salvation would be steep, but not unsurmountable. And I realized the futility, nay, insanity, of castigating myself by feeling obliged to somehow "make up" for the years I lost to depression. And for the first time in years, I started crying. And it felt great.

I recently read about this Israeli author, Ka-Zetnik 135633 (his "name" as a death camp inmate), a survivor of the horrors of Auschwitz. Anyway, after decades of nightmares, he at last overcame his traumatic experiences after being treated with LSD and thus finally coming to an understanding what transpired on "the planet of the ashes" (his name for Auschwitz).
That, to me, is true power - overcoming trauma not merely by repression or religiously motivated forgiveness, but through an understanding of the human condition.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top