Newswise — Early research in the 1950's and 1960's suggested that non-addictive hallucinogenic drugs, including LSD, aided in psychotherapy, addiction treatment, and creativity-promoting efforts. But problems then with research tactics, and the increasing illicit use of these drugs, led to legal restrictions halting most psychedelic research.
However, the September 30 Science News magazine reports that these types of experiments are now being taken out of their "hippie-era heyday" with improved scientific processes providing better research and respectability. New studies are showing the scientific and clinical promise of these drugs and other methods including self-hypnosis to "enter life-changing spiritual realms" according to Bruce Bower in "Chemical Enlightenment" .
Recent testing of psilocybin, a drug that boosts the transmission of serotonin and has reputed "mind-expanding effects" , is Bower's initial focus. Testing showed that over 60% of volunteers described having mystical experiences after taking psilocybin. Bower reports that these experiences typically included "a sense of merging with an overarching reality, perceiving unity in all things, transcending time and space, and basking in overwhelming feelings of love and other positive moods." Additionally, this research showed that months after the original drug experiment nearly 75% of volunteers reported an increase in their feelings of well-being and satisfaction with their daily lives.
With tighter clinical processes and controls than in past decades, this new study significantly improves upon efforts in earlier decades. Stronger research included the drugs' being administered in blind fashion, enabling measure of genuine effects versus those from a placebo. Interviews with family and friends of the participants verify self-reporting.
Delving further into the current scientific interest in the roots of spirituality, Bower reports on a separate study focusing on the concept that people can "spontaneously undergo mystical experiences during periods of deep hypnosis." The results were similar to those of the psilocybin study. The deep hypnosis increased personal insight, decreased nightmares, and enhanced inner peace.
Noting the recent launch of studies on psilocybin and the growing number of supporters of this type of research, Bower considers the potential impact of the drug on a range of disorders including anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and even drug addiction. He quotes a researcher who states "It's about time that psychology and related fields started taking seriously mystical and other anomalous experiences."
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