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."

For more psychedelic news and research, visit the psychedelic health professional network homepage.

Previous
Previous

A Psychoanalytic Perspective on Psychedelic Experience

Next
Next

Body mass index (BMI) does not predict responses to psilocybin