Neuroplastic Smiles

Therapy

“Biology drives the effects of psychedelics but therapy shapes them,” says the latest scion in the Nichols psycho-pharmacological dynasty

Ron English, ‘Rabbit Grin’

The freshly ‘neuroplastic’ brain and new grey matter created during ‘neurogenesis’ both require careful curation from therapy afterwards, declares Dr Charles Nichols.

It’s notable that a hardcore neuroscientist stresses the importance of combining his drugs with talk therapy.

“If you don’t have therapy in the weeks after you may go back to that baseline state,” says the star chemist, “the process strengthens newly made connections and dampens old ones.”

It’s a clear decision he’s come to after a career formally studying the effects of mind-altering chemicals, under exhaustive laboratory conditions. And taking fatherly advice from dad David, the most prolific psychedelic chemist of his generation. 

‘Neuroplastic’ effects last for many days after the psychedelic experience itself. Little spiky nodules sticking out from the surface of brain cells called ‘dendrites’ grow in cells all over the brain. This provides fertile ground for fresher, healthier thinking patterns to germinate and grow. 

‘Neurogenesis’ is different. It’s the generation of new brain cells. Those ones your school nurse said you’d never get back. Admittedly establishment science is yet to entirely admit she was be wrong. Humans are only capable of neurogenesis in the hippocampus, boffins reckon. We get it from aerobic exercise, sex, worthwhile achievement and all the other good stuff.

No prizes whatsoever for guessing what else is said to cause neurogenesis. 

Say neurogenesis is real and not some figment of the ever-lively psychedelic imagination. Given it definitely happens in chimps and rats it probably is. These new brain cells require injecting with healthy thought patterns by integration tactics and therapy too.

What’s more, Dr Charles Nichols, born of David, categorically states that psilocybin is a more effective anti-depressant treatment than ketamine.

“If you don’t have therapy in the weeks after you may go back to that baseline state”

Although ketamine boasts impressive effects including its distinct ‘glutamate surge’ and anti-microbial properties, Charles’ rats felt psilocybin’s anti-depressant powers for much longer.

Real psychedelics use their own neuropathic pathway to create neuroplasticity, believes Charles, not the MTOR pathway usually associated with glutamate-derived GABA and any ketamine-led ‘surge’ thereof. 

Charles’ lab rats are still above their baseline satisfaction scores three months into the official testing period and counting. On ketamine they were back to baseline after one week. “Both will snap back but the difference is significant,” comments Charles.

Psilocybin for depression with Ashleigh Murphy-Beiner

My unofficial Vital Study Zine #11 with observations from Vital Psychedelic Training and recent happenings in the space

‘White Light’ from Paul Cocksedge Studio

“We have really explicit conversations about sex, about violence, about death and ego death…”

Plus of course, “Paranoia, wanting to go to the toilet, feeling like you're going to the toilet, and the physical bodily experiences,” says Ashley Murphy-Beiner, psychologist and guide at Imperial College’s landmark ‘PsiloDep 2’ trial, which sounds suitably like a Quatermass movie.

Ashleigh Murphy-Beiner is exactly the sort of impressive individual driving the psychedelic renaissance: a mediation coach and Peruvian ceremony facilitator alongside her studies at Imperial College London, she’s noted for her research on ayahuasca for treating depression too. She’s talking about preparing psychedelic novices for their first trip on synthetic psilocybin, the active ingredient in old-fashioned magic mushrooms. It’s used mostly due to stigma around LSD.

“We let them know we’re not going to judge them on anything weird… although they’re not going to do anything like that, because mainly they're worried it’ll really embarrass them or, or cause shame,” she continues, giving a window into life with depression.

Depression is a ‘global burden’. The main cause of disability and the number one reason for taking time off work affects a quarter of a billion people worldwide, and more in The West. One in six Brits are on anti-depressants, and US figures rose by up to 30% during the COVID-19 crisis. Doomongers will be pleased to know there are plenty more sad stats in this week’s ‘zine.

Imperial College psychologist, meditation coach and ayahuasca advocate Asheligh Murphy-Beiner

Can psychedelics cure long term depression where talk therapy and medications failed? Although arguably still spectacular in comparison to existing treatment, results are frankly not as good as those for psychedelic studies on treating trauma, addiction, and end-of-life crisis. That’s partly because depression mostly remains a mystery, with the widely-accepted ‘serotonin imbalance’ theory recently publicly debunked. Ashleigh calls the causes “biopsychosocial” meaning there are biological, psychological and social implications. Many patients have come crashing down to Earth when faced with the cruel reality of life in late capitalism. Preparation and integration are absolutely essential, say trial patient advocates Ian Roullier and Leone Schneider of advocacy group PsyPAN. Dr Rosalind Watts created a treatment model, Acceptance, Connection and Embodiment to cover the ground between secular dystopian life and the psychedelic experience. 

Results of psilocybin for depression trials so far though are certainly optimistic compared to market anti-depressants. A major advantage is that psychedelic treatment opens up the mind, rather than numbing out all feelings, like current anti-depressants are said to. Opportunity and relish can once more be a part of depressive’s mindset. Plus they can dump their daily regime of equally barely-understood serotonin pills with side-effects like a plummeting libido. 

This is one subject for which there is certainly no silver bullet. Here’s Ashleigh talking about ayahuasca, and the ACE therapy model used at the trials with Dr Ros, plus the ethics of the trials and therapy itself, and rounding up the trial results on the Chasing Consciousness podcast, all of which you can see on the New Psychonaut YouTube channel.

This week’s topics arranged along Vital’s core learning pillars are below.

Next issue: MAPS MDMA-AT program designers Michael and Annie Mithoefer.

Results Based

Medical

Does psilocybin therapy work, or not?

Kirsten Liu Wong, ‘How Fast the Shadows Fall’

Does psilocybin therapy soothe depression? The short answer is yes.

But don’t go getting all ‘salvation fantasy’ on me now.

Kick ass John Hopkins studies out earlier in 2022 claimed more than half of test subjects suffering from major depressive disorder were in remission (statistically cured) after treatment and a year later, after eight hours of prep (with Bill Richards, mind) and two doses, with five follow-up appointments. Which is… mind-blowing.

Imperial’s comparison to SSRI escitalopram ‘PsiloDep 2’ ran into some IRL type stuff when the scale it used turned out to give mediocre – well, equal – results. Other scales fared far better. But symptoms returned within three to six months. Is it fair to say that “the miracle cure thing ain’t gonna stick” as Rick ‘The Strass’ Strassman laid down in his own Vital lecture? 

“Some will want longer term therapy, to understand or change things in a way that others may not”

Several patients went back to SSRIs. “For some people, psilocybin was very powerful,” says Vital lecturer Ashleigh Murphy-Beiner, who acted as a guide on the trials, “They’re quite okay with saying ‘that's enough for now’. Others lived with the symptoms of depression in a new way, probably the majority, actually, did. The psilocybin brought relief.”

NYU trial subject Court Wing defended PsiloDep 2 on Psychedelics Today, saying he “received incredible benefits – my depression of five years went completely into remission and has remained there.”

Depression is one of humanity’s worst problems, barely understood. It’s a bit consumerist of us to think somebody’s suddenly sorted it, in such a romantic fashion. For now we can only defer to the inner healer, wish godspeed to the guides, researchers, and patients, then get our Forest Passage on.

“The longer term option will be costly”

From the sharp end, Ashleigh says: “I hope all options are available to people, to work very differently with the experiences that they've had in life. Some will want longer term therapy and really get to the roots, understand or change things in a way that others people may not.

A shorter treatment or less intensive psilocybin therapy might be sufficient for them. I'm worried that the longer term option will only be available privately [not via the UK National Health Service], because it will be costly of treatment. And I'd really like the longer term treatment to be available at an affordable cost.”

Thought leaders like Dr Ros evoke 12-step-esque community circles. But, Ashleigh observes, “There’ll be a push to making shorter term treatments like we have in traditional talking therapies already now, because of budgets, and funding. The people that want to resolve aspects of their mental health experiences are disadvantaged by that.”