Psilocybin mushrooms for psychological and existential distress: Treatment for a patient with palliative lung cancer

The authors of this free full-text case study write: "Psychedelic medicine is currently undergoing a renaissance, with interest in the medical use of these compounds exploding after decades of dormancy.1 This has occurred primarily under the purview of medical researchers; however, recent legal precedents in Canada have allowed some access to psilocybin (the psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms) for front-line clinicians and their patients.  Here we describe the case of a woman with advanced lung cancer and substantial existential and psychological distress who was treated with psilocybin-assisted therapy by family physicians in a rural community setting. Consistent with the use of psilocybin in clinical trials, the 1 psilocybin session occasioned an experience of a mystical nature that the patient would later describe as the single-most personally meaningful experience of her life. This experience led to immediate, substantial, and sustained improvements in her distress and quality of life."

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