Ceremonial Use of Psilocybin and its Potential Therapeutic Effects

Ceremonial Plant medicine use and specifically Psilocybin and other 5-Hyrdroxytryptamine agonist classic Psychedelics ( Mind-Manifesting) have been used for centuries as sacraments. From Terrence Mckenna’s Stoned Ape Theory to the 1000’s of year old Shamanic artifacts found around the world with residue of plant medicines in them, the evidence is clear that the use of these medicines as recorded in the Eleusinian Mysteries has not only been around a long time but have been central to the health and evolution of culture, society and civilization as a whole.

Just as she did then, Mother Earth continues to provide us with natural medicines from her abundant and diverse garden that is our planet. We have only began to sample and understand these medicines and what they have to offer to the individual and the collective organism. This natural pharmacy is far more diversified and offers a vast inventory of broad spectrum natural solutions to today’s dense and complex stratum of dis-ease than any corner chain pharmacy could dream of. Today, mental health is the number one dis-ease in the world and it is sadly the most overlooked in western culture and it seems it is only getting worse. The myriad of depressive and anxiety '‘dis-orders” is at a critical level and if we look back we can clearly see that the endless prescriptions being written for the new disorder or syndrome of the day is not working. The “take this pill and forget about it approach isnt working. The shadow cast by the industrial medical complex is devastating a population demonstrated by the opiod pandemic which has seen a death toll of 40 people per day and still rising. All while Purdue Pharma made over $30 million dollars per week.

In the mid- twentieth century we began putting psilocybin and other plant medicines under the microscope of science and tested them within controlled settings of the military complex and psychiatrist offices and by the late 1960s and 70’s the studies had been completely shelved due to the emerging counterculture and political backlash. Human psychedelic research was marginalized and government funding research ended followed by harsh regulation enforcement making further research impossible putting an end to nearly all human classic psychedelic studies. The overwhelming supportive data that was collected was quietly tucked away from the public. Nearly 60 years of study was lost on these medicines as a result of the political war on drugs campaign which shaped and formed a worldwide conditioned view towards these medicines and in turn veiled the amazing power that these medicines hold. In that 60 years one of the most lucrative and powerful industries in the world was diligently creating synthesized compounds as far from nature as possible and for the first time in biopharma history, a company topped the $100 billion mark in annual revenue according to Fierce Pharma’s special report on 2022 revenues. “Pfizer passed that milestone, propelled by its massive haul from its COVID-19 products. Its BioNTech-partnered vaccine, Comirnaty, raked in $37.8 billion, and oral antiviral Paxlovid made $18.9 billion.” The evidence of what COVID and the opioid epidemic did to the worlds mental health is evident and will likely and sadly bestow it’s remnants on many generations to come. The mental health of our worlds population can be seen as the sentinel chicken or pulse of this magnificent but sick organism that we call nature and which we are all an integral part of.

Now in the twenty-first century, classic psychedelics have regained attention and are finally receiving the same gold standard study’s required by science for any medicine and the results are amazing. Several promising studies have been completed and are not only validating the earlier studies but are blowing their synthetic counterparts out of the water. The primary studies we will look at here involve Psilocybin but I plan to cover even more promising studies for MDMA and Iboga in the coming articles.

In a 2022 follow up study Johns Hopkins medicine researchers showed that psychedelic treatment with psilocybin relieved major depressive disorder and mood disorder symptoms and that the large antidepressant and anxiety relieving effects of psilocybin-assisted therapy when combined with supportive integration support lasted up to a year or longer. We are not talking about taking a pill every day to get these results, this is from just one to two therapeutic doses of psilocybin. Not only is it showing amazing results for mood and depression disorders but also a range of mental health disorders and addictions. Psilocybin not only produced significant and immediate effects, it also has a long duration suggesting large decreases in depression and anxiety that last. Not only that but it shows promising results for both alcohol and tobacco addiction. Another study demonstrated that 80% of participants showed clinically significant decreases in depressed mood and anxiety and 60% showed full remission. According to Pubmed “the Long term benefits were greater for those whose psilocybin sessions subjective experiences were high in the construct of mystical-type experience, which involved the following psychological qualities: a sense of unity, a noetic quality, sacredness, positive mood, transcendence of time and space, and ineffability. No serious adverse events were attributed to psilocybin administration.” All resulted in an enduring anxiolytic and antidepressant response rates of 60%-80%. There is no synthetic drug or therapy on the market that comes close to these results!

In my personal experiences with Psilocybin I have seen these results occur within myself with profound positive effects and as I deepen my relationship with this sacred medicine and serve it to others I am blessed to witness it’s magic work for many others. Each individual called to this medicine has had their own unique life experiences and so their unfolding or the way the medicine works through them is unique. One thing I have observed after sitting with many people in the medicine space is that this medicine offers the participant the ability to see into their own internal world (clairvoyance). The deep trancendental experience is a powerful component of this medicine but this is not 100% required in order to bring profound change. The smallest awareness attained is all that’s needed. Even those tiny glimpses of the unconscious and subconscious material is enough to start an unfolding that can be life changing. All you need is that mustard seed, that tiny bit of understanding.

Integration is key for lasting results. Psychedelic Assisted therapy is not for everyone and is not a silver bullet for ones problems as it requires Will on the participants part, the will to integrate the experience to help yourself along the path. It is not recommended for those with Psychosis or Schizophrenia. Sitting with this medicine without integrating the experience into your daily life only results in a reprieve or mini mental vacation from your life with little long lasting positive effect.

The results shown from the above studies are just the tip of the iceberg of what this medicine can offer. Beyond the relief of severe trauma and self healing lies a boundless and limitless space of infinite potentiality that is necessary for the evolution and possibly even the survival of our species. From CEO’s, to Doctors, military personal to musicians and artists, the mind expanding offerings of this medicine provides an exciting and wondrous medicine that is desperately needed in this time to help shape the new and beautiful world of the coming generations and to counterbalance the current war on consciousness. Right now, a return to sovereign thought and power is necessary, there is no time to waste. A remembering of who we are and the power that we all hold within in us was systematically removed over time and It is time for us to reclaim our own consciousness and with it a better way of being in this world.

As studies progress and the findings are released we are already beginning to see the commodification of these sacred medicines. Removing molecules from the original structure that only the divine cosmic architect could create, removing the Ceremony and sacredness of these medicines. I already hear and read that if you are not using plant medicines to heal trauma then you shouldn’t be using them. Again, the healing capabilities of these medicines is only the beginning of what they can offer, the mind-manifesting, expanding potential is only limited by our own limits individually and collectively. What new and beautiful world are we capable of imagining and even more importantly what new world will we usher in?