Psychedelic Assisted Therapy: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

APE scares me alot.. it's like you're high, but you are literally been transported somewhere, and are truly awake or something. Like it feels as if you are in your final form or highest state of being or something. same like DMT and LSD.

Psilocybin saved my life. I was addicted to heroin for 15 years and after Psilocybin treatment I will be 3 years clean in September. I have zero cravings. This is something that truly needs to be more broadly used in addiction treatment.

Psychedelics in general have done what hundreds of hours of PTSD therapy couldn't. I went from being on 31 pill daily for mental states to 0 over the course of 13 weeks. Like everything in the world.
It's not for everyone and experiences will certainly vary. Me and my friends approached it from a lens of healing and learning and it's exactly what we got out of it.

Psychedelics are just an amazing discovery. It's quite fascinating how effective they are for depression and stress..saved my life.

After 12 years of therapy, 15 psychiatrists, 3 years on antidepressants, 3 years of meditation, 2 hypnotherapies, and 7 ketamine infusions with no symptom reduction, I was almost done with this life. So I studied the John Hopkins protocols on this mushroom, did the heroic dose, and even used the same playlist (available on Spotify) and bam.. I've heard the message “90% of your depression is your gut.” - and then my true healing really began. This medicine is sacred and it saved my life 🙏🏻🍄❤

The cost of psychedelic therapy is going to be so high because as soon as you attach the word "medical" to a thing, the price will go from $10 a hit to $200

I tripped one time and was absolutely hysterical with laughter because for the first time in 2 decades I wasn't in pain or anxious or even remotely suicidal. I stayed up all night dancing and feeling grass and just breathing. I felt happy just to be able to breathe. So no matter how bad my depression and intrusive thoughts have been since then I keep reminding myself that for one small moment I loved every single part of myself and all the bits that had made me who I am.

I’ve been closely following this issue for over a decade and John did GREAT! The only other thing I would add is every single mental health treatment hurts someone at some point, including talk therapy. We need to accept that and stand behind how incredibly rare it is with psychedelics *even when they’re completely unregulated and done in terrible settings* . TONS of Americans have done psychedelics while illegal and the number that are hurt, not having an unpleasant few hours, but actually hurt, is shockingly low. In a therapeutic setting with regulated pure material it would obviously be even less

When all of my friends came back from our combat tours in Iraq we were kinda lost at who we were, what we believed, what our relationship to the nation and society were, etc etc. Fragmented in our psyche. Somehow psilocybin ended up in our path and greatly benefited our lives, it's been over a decade now and an annual healing session is what we usually go for. So glad this is coming to light. It has been for years but now it's really taking off.

I completed ketamine treatment a bit over a month ago. It has been LIFE CHANGING. My anxiety is so drastically reduced and the nagging critical voice in my head is quiet for the first time ever. I am able to look forward to the future with positivity and I've found my creativity and passion again. This is not a substitute for therapy, but the combination for me has been absolutely gob-smacking.

The Hell Realm I had on LSD felt like a shortcut or fastpass to what I needed to see. Fucking broke me for a few hours but the clarity it provides far outweighs the pain. Because the pain is already there. You're just understanding it very quickly and it is released. The trick is to do it in safe environments and maybe with considerate friends. Alone worked for me. I've also had amazingly positive trips where I've not had to deep dive into my own introspection. I wouldn't suggest using it as a 'go to' or a 'cure all' because that's not what it's designed for. It's reflection and you might not always get the results you hoped for.

Having grown up in the era of LSD hysteria, I needed to hear this to open my closed mind. Thank you.

As a licensed therapist I appreciate and feel validated with your statement on therapist leaving the field for how fucked up insurance is. It really hit my soul.

LSD gave me completely new mental paradigms and cured my depression, then Ayahuasca helped me process trauma and cured my anxiety. I also quit alcohol and other (prescription) drugs after my experiences. I would have been dead if not for psychedelics.

I have ptsd and did ketamine therapy. I didn’t get the full reduction of symptoms i was hoping for and did have some moderate, short term side effects and i still absolutely believe it’s incredibly important therapy with huge potential. I just really hope it does get managed and administered in responsible manners and I’m very worried that it isn’t and won’t be. I’m exploring doing the treatment again in a different way.

I once had a depressive phase in which I felt that nothing in my life was going right. By chance, I came into possession of some shrooms. I had never tried anything like that in my entire life, but I thought, what the heck. It wasn't a fun trip, didn't feel like a party drug, but one night changed everything. I realized that all the things that were dragging me down were completely irrelevant. I was focusing way too much on little things and ignoring the big picture. Just one week later I made some radical decisions and changed some things fundamentally in my life and since then I have never been even remotely that depressed again. It was as if this experience opened my eyes and made me look behind the curtain. It made me realize that I was only hurting myself by dragging myself down and that it was up to me to pull myself out of it, and that's exactly what I did. The result was a new career, a new girlfriend and a completely different direction in life. Admittedly, these were hard cuts, but it was like a reboot; everything back to the beginning and not repeating the same mistakes a second time.

I consider the “hell-realm” experience I had on DMT to be moreso a very self-reflective learning experience. Sure, it was absolutely friggen terrifying, but it gave me perspective on non-existence and fragility of my consciousness. I also think I could absolutely take on that experience again with knowledge I now have.
The other important thing to always remember from before you even take a psychedelic (regardless of if the trip turns out pleasant or bad), is that the experience is temporary. It’s how I always manage to get through any bad trip. The constant mental reminder that “this too shall pass.” ❤️

This show is saving my life. I haven't laughed this deeply or this genuinely in so long. Amazing development, amazing writing, amazing delivery. This show is firing on all cylinders and I could not be more grateful for it THANK YOU!

Thank you for another (should be an award winning🏆) investigative report. What great public service announcements Mr. Oliver does !🏆🏆👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

Terrific! I’m always excited to see you covering medical topics. I’m a neuroscience researcher, and I’m eager to hear your team’s take on CTE

A big thing to note re: the potential for "hell realm experiences" is that a hell realm experience is often the everyday experience for those who'd qualify for these treatments, such as people with PTSD, permanent depression, etc.
There was a period in my life where I didn't feel happiness at all for over 5 YEARS STRAIGHT, to the point where I couldn't remember or imagine what it felt like anymore. If I was given this treatment opportunity back then, with the risk vs reward situation laid out, there is not a doubt in my mind on whether I'd take that gamble.
When every day of your life is one of the worst days of your life, it's totally worth the risk of an hour of trippy suffering for the chance at a peek through the clouds to glimpse hope.
(Don't worry, I'm safe, I'm doing great now, with years of therapy under my belt, a great therapist I can go to whenever I need, and an effective medication combo figured out with my longtime doctor.)

As someone who's done mdma tens of times, I have never once imagined my mom dying 🤣
Usually it's like "what if everything I touched felt great and I wanted to talk shit for 3 hours"
But medicinally I've had mdma show me what happiness is - reminding me that depression is not the norm. The has shaken me out of a depression I didn't even realize I was in

it is really wonderful to read other people’s experiences with healing through psychedelics here. I’ve only done shrooms once, and they didn’t hit very hard, but my girlfriend and i felt way more connected afterwards. it felt like we were able to communicate and see each other’s perspectives vividly, and while it didn’t cure my mental illnesses or anything, it did give me a boost of confidence and new motivation to pursue my interests. as someone with treatment resistant depression who has been in therapy for five years, tried 25+ SSRI’s, and trans-cranial magnetic stimulation, I would be incredibly excited to try them or something similar with a therapist guiding me. experiencing that is definitely something I can see opening up new ways to cope with depressive episodes.

Three months felt like three years without John Oliver. Congratulations on 10 seasons. This season is gonna be the best yet.

Psychedelic are just an amazing discovery. Is quite fascinating how effective they are for depression and stress disorder. Really saved my life.

we have only had two experiences on mushrooms, and the first wasn't intense. The second one changed us fundamentally, though. We realized that we were ignoring our own needs and doing things we didn't enjoy for the sake of others. We realized that we felt more shame than we thought we did, in general, and on mushrooms, the shame just wasn't there. We were able to reflect on ourselves and our relationship to our identity, life, and needs with a striking clarity, and ever since then, our approach with oirselves has been much more honest. Our life has its difficulties still, but we are able to sit with uncomfortable truths with clarity and without judgement. It completely changes the game.

Thank you so much. Genuinely started sobbing part way through the video, it made be feel just the slightest bit of hope that some of us will get reprieve soon.

I had severe depression for around 10 years and there are a few things I can point to that helped me overcome it, and an apparently low dose of psilocybin I had when I was on holiday in Amsterdam was one of the major things. I felt so well and alive for several weeks afterwards and it gave me so much clarity on the way I was feeling and the thought patterns I was having that perpetuated the depression that I was brought to tears. It was definitely a huge stepping stone to getting better and I really think it should be administered as medicine for severe cases.
By the way, this is probably obvious to most but just in case, if a bunch of "people" reply to this telling you to contact a certain person or visit a certain website to obtain psychadelics, they are spam bots and it is a scam.

There's a lot of potential in psychedelics, I can't wait to try any of them DMT specifically but it's just so hard to find a reliable source over here, l'll be glad if anyone can be of help

I was depressed for over 15 years. Tried LSD and during the third trip I could literally feel the depression being washed away from my body. It completely changed my life for the better and I'm now a 31 year old man with an amazing outlook on life and myself. Funny thing is that LSD also "told me" that I was done with the drug after the 7th trip and I haven't felt the need or desire to do it anymore. My last trip was 3 years ago.
"If you get the message, hang up the phone" - Alan Watts

I had a 12 days ayahuasca retreat in Peru with Shipibo shamans. It healed me from trauma I had since childhood and made me a much more loving person. Its healing power is far, far beyond anything we have in the West.

Oooh John, i did not realise how much I missed you. So glad to have you back. Don't know if this particular subject is maybe extra suitable but by God this was a banger, and shedding light on such an important subject.

One of your best. As always, benefits/motivations and warnings. I dislike i when science isn't heard. Of course there is the concern of self-medication (not just recreational use) if made too expensive, and the jumping onto the newest/oldest medicine even if not appropriate for the specific situation.

Thank you for this very interesting and informative video! Didn't know the range of positive effects that psychedelics contain before watching this video. I don't know the exact time stem, but the parody of Werner Herzog literally killed me 😂😂😂 it was very funny and accurate, so props to John by a random German guy like me 👍

About the reactions to LSD, I had a really bad trip a very long time ago. So much so that 2 of my friends were extremely concerned for me (despite tripping balls themselves) and 1 friend refused to ever do LSD with me again. Suffice to say I did not repeat it anyway. It has its benefits, but "buyer beware" springs to mind.

I really appreciate how John took the time to specify that psychedelics are probably not good for people with psychosis. So often non-doctors will put psychedelics forward as a kind of miracle cure for all psychiatric conditions and its nice to see John acknowledge that there are some key limitations.

Thank you Jhon for covering this, I think it benefits us all to have more awareness about how these medicines can really help out people. HOWEVER, I think that what is missing from this particular video is an emphasis on indigenous rights towards their own medicine. Because of these companies that want to patent either psylocibin or DMT, it has terrible consequences for the indigenous populations that have historically, and persistently been driven out of the conversation when it is such an essential part of their culture, way of life, and vision of the world. There are now several indigenous organizations fighting for the protection of their medicines, because these are more than substances, these ARE SACRED. And ignoring their knowledge about these medicines is arrogant and blind, and can also lead to terrible consequences.

Thank you thank you thank you for doing a segment on this! Mushrooms have saved me from medication resistant depression after only a few tries, after 15 years of different medications, therapies, etc. This is important to get out there!

We've had psychedelics in European traditional medicine as well, but since the local varieties are a lot more unpredictable in terms of how much substance you're actually getting they were only ever applied externally so they could be washed off by whoever was supervising the trip

Thank you for this segment. I have done treatments for addiction to alcohol and it changed my life.
What I love most is how you show the positives and negatives (things to be aware of). I love your show, keep up the good work!

CW:
I have bipolar and PTSD/CPTSD diagnoses and went through a period of extreme suicidal ideation back in 2019. I was so desperate for relief at the time that I was actively seeking ECT. I had to wait months to see a doctor for that consultation and he told me to come back after I’d tried a ketamine trial first. Im so glad he did. Obviously, with severe mental illness, you shouldn’t expect any one thing to “cure” the problems you experience - it’s often a lifelong process of treatment, but I’m so glad that doctor talked me out of ECT and into Ketamine. As John mentions, it’s not right for everyone, but it definitely saved my life. I’m so glad John is talking about how important these treatments are - they are literally life-changing.

I hope this show never ends, it's hard to overstate how important it is

One thing John didn’t touch on though is HPPD, Depersonalization, Derealization, and Dissociation. Which with this kind of therapy I think needs to be discussed. These are real disorders and possible side effects of Psychedelics. I do like that he touched on the fact that people who have a history of psychosis and schizophrenia may react differently to the drugs and the hell realm thing is real. I would also like to clarify that I am completely for psychedelics being used for therapy! I just think there needs to be more awareness of the potential side effects, because speaking from experience they can be extremely traumatic and debilitating

This would also seriously help abuse victims. After my abusive marriage, the therapist I saw used EMDR therapy which is what they currently use for PSTD

Greetings fellow L.W.T. Fans! I just wanted to mention that I proudly live in Oregon, which is the first state to legalize psilocybin therapy! The whole time I was hoping John would mention it as I felt it would pertain to this episode😂!

The only time I felt genuinely comfortable and happy in my own head was when I microdosed shrooms. It’s hands down the most effective antidepressant I’ve ever had.

I had pretty intense PTSD after my step dad's suicide by shotgun, and having to ID his body, and clean up the mess left behind. Then, my daughter killed herself a year and a half later. I had done psychedelics in my youth, recreationally. But now, as an adult, i had a completely other reason to try them. I can honestly say that i have probably had a 70-80% reduction in PTSD symptoms after taking larger doses 3-4 times per year, It's like a brain reset EVERY TIME. Thank you for covering this important topic. And yes, let's not fuck this up again for ourselves.

As someone who started microdosing a year ago, it's definitely made a difference. Unfortunately psychadelic therapy is not an option for me, but going from an antidepressant that killed my soul to something that i don't really feel and on occasion makes me REALLY enjoy star trek on truly makes a difference

Love this. Thank you, John. As a person living with PTSD for a few years now, knowing that ic could be treated in mere months is astonishing. Hoping this type of therapy blossoms, cause we need it, and the medical drugs sure ain't doing it

A more accurate historic view is that Psychedelics created the counter culture, throughout the entire world. The greatest singular change in human history. So huge that it even redefined the Beatles! That’s huge!!!

This might be the best episode you've done. And that is saying something.
By the way a hit of acid costs like $5.

I think my favorite part about LWT is how accessible it's been for years. I dont have to pay a subscription to see his show, of course there's more on the network but this is plenty for me

I’ve been micro dosing for grief and trauma after the sudden death of my fiancé. I’m lucky to have had access and hope the wider populace is granted the same.
It was transformative - I went from not wanting to live another hour to embracing death as a part of life.
I’m not less sad but I’m able to make room for joy again.

I've taken psychedelics nearly my whole life and I can honestly tell you the only time I've had an actual "bad trip" is when the mushrooms I took actually made me feel physically nauseous and my stomach hurt - that was the only thing that could've made it a negative overall experience for me

I was so high I spent more than one hour trying to find this episode, as I kept typing James Oliver. Silly me. Keep on with the great work John!

Reminds me of the docu on this topic that was on Netflix...quite eye-opening.glad to see legislation is changing towards this and hopefully structures will be put in place to make it more accessible to anyone who needs help.

While PAT has a lot of promise, traditional psychotherapy can be very effective to for PTSD and other problems. I was having a lot of thoughts of suicide before I finally went to VA for help, and meds and counselling for PTSD made huge improvement in my life, and VA checks up on my every 3 months at least. For me, VA was literally life-saving.

Love your show! LOVE IT! Thanks for everything you and your team creates, brother. We love ya. Keep the truth coming and the truth . . . . will set you free! 🙂

Tip: If you ever meet anyone who exclaims “let’s imagine the worst thing possible” while under the influence of a hallucinatory drug, just steer clear of them

Psychedelic is the answer to most severe anxiety and depression...The use of magic mushrooms completely helps one get over depression and makes you feel like yourself...I used antidepressants for some years but it only made me feel like a zombie but with immediate use of mushroom 🍄 in few months I feel like I'm living a whole new Life.

As a mental disorder sufferer I have personal experience with this. I had panic attacks every day until I took shrooms and had a terrifying experience ever since I rarely have panic attacks it's been three years now.

I envy those who've had a chance to explore psychedelics safely & theraputically. I have major depressive & anxiety disorders, and before my Dr and I even considered the "mushroom" subject, I got started on an MAOinhibitor - which diminishes the effects of things like psylocibin, and makes them more dangerous. And, like every mental health pill I've ever taken, the MAOi started out effective and ended up only noticeable if I miss a dose and feel all of my worst depressive symptoms returning. If there's a way to get off it and transition to psychedelic therapy without falling apart, I haven't found it.

An excellent way of covering this topic. The therapeutic importance of set and setting can't be understated. I recently was treated at Asheville Integrative Psychiatry in Asheville NC and it was life changing. What a transformative experience and an opportunity to set the stage to enjoy the rest of my life. I sincerely hope the government regulators wont take this away from our psychiatric community, there is always a risk with so many shady providers popping up and not following the effective protocols.

This is am issue I have followed closely for years. My own experience with psychedelics have made me truly believe in their benefits. I fear that government and profit will likely prevail and that makes me very sad. I really hope that people can access this type of therapy soon and that it's affordable.

I'm a veteran who's been using shrooms to help me deal with my PTSD from the military. I've been doing it on my own, starting with a little less than a gram and working my way up. But honestly, it's been way more helpful than anything the VA has given me.

As a veteran who has gone to the VA for suicidal ideations and once for an attempt; my experience was DRASTICALLY different from Luebecky’s. I was admitted immediately, given therapy sessions, and medication to assist in treatment.

“I was born tragically and medically- British” made me snort laugh in the breakroom at work. 😂

The list of adverse events from this treatment would be the funnest and scariest thing to read ever

I can personally vouch for the use of psychedelics in treating addiction. I tried for so long to get sober, but after receiving ketamine treatment and using a few doses of LSD it turned from a constant uphill struggle to something I didn’t even have to think about anymore. What a massive weight off my chest. I will say that I didn’t see any long term change in my depressive symptoms afterwards, but it helped me develop the skills I needed to get it under control myself

Best popular media treatment of the issue I've ever seen 👏. Fucking bravo

I spent most of my life wanting to die and even trying several times. I was in therapy for 10 years with no relief. I did a few sessions of psychedelics and now I'm living my best life even years after not taking them again. I was able to talk about and face things I never had and come to conclusions I never saw before. So much better now 🥰

I grew MM for years (well past Statute of Limitations - no problem admitting it) and guided dozens of people through their experience. Knowing how to 'Ride the Wave' is essential and will be helped by guides like myself. I hope that as the medical community accepts Psychedelics they will incorporate the experiences and wisdom that can be provided by the marginalized element to assist in bringing this therapy to the mainstream.

First time I did mdma, I broke down crying, because Id felt true confidence for the first time.

I was a heroin addict for 4 years following my second deployment overseas. Though I did not go through any approved therapy, it’s use did ultimately help me overcome my addiction, depression, and overall dysfunction. Suboxone also played and is still playing a large roll too.

I ate mushrooms one time in the woods and came across a log covered in glowing moss. We were all amazed and wathced it for what seemed like hours. It seemed to breathe and flow with the energy of the universe. For the rest of the night anything green seemed to glow. Turns out there is such a thing as bioluminescent moss.....so we weren't just tripping. I also had a very intimate experience with a bumble bee while on LSD. It kept flying around me and I could feel the wind from its wings on my face, it looked like it was the size of a bird. I cupped my hands and it hovered right above them and looked me right in the eyes. Serveral people around me just watched in awe. When it flew away I felt one with nature.

Interesting that he didn't mention Ket, considering that it has had more attention for it's therapeutic promise than LSD. Research today about the potential benefits of classic psychs typically only looks at shrooms, and Ketamine is literally FDA approved for treatment resistant depression, so it feels like it's worth a mention.

I will say that when my eating disorder and body dysmorphia was at its worst, I looked in the bowling alley bathroom mirror while on shrooms and finally saw myself as a human person. Like it was crazy, I was just a normal person and it felt so good. I haven’t done shrooms in a while, but I often think back to that experience whenever my dysmorphia gets real bad.

Best trip I ever had that made me dive deep in myself. I had to go through a terrible one before that. Made me think and look at all my bullshit. I was in hell realm but when I broke free I couldn't stop crying and laughing with joy. I believe in this therapy.

Not even a minute in this video and I'm already bursting in laughter. It's great to see these videos again.

I have epilepsy but when I started taking cannabis I had fewer seizures felt more confident in myself and was somehow to think clearer

I am an MD and I have pure O/OCD with comorbid depression. I tried LSD in a good setting to get into a better state of mind, and LSD sent me into a negative spiral that put me into suicidal depression for multiple months. The reason is that LSD as John Oliver stated leads to rapidly increased neurogenesis, so basically, the psychedelic makes your brain malleable. So it is a double edged sword, because if you experience negative trips, they can produce new negative synaptic connection or even give you PTSD, make your depression or especially obsessive thinking way worse. They just enhance the pathways that you use during the trip. LSD and Psilocybin also do not dampen your amygdala like MDMA does, that could be misunderstood from the video. So you can experience massive fear during trips and the thought of your mum dying will actually feel way worse than usual. MDMA works differently than LSD and psilocybin. That was a word of warning for everyone who thinks they could try this at home. This is more complicated than "lets all do psychedelics and get rid of our psychological issues altogether"

I loved your episode on psychedlelics! You missed/skipped a hugely important part on that subject, Alexander Shulgin. father of MDMA, and psychopharmacology in general. He authored two books named PiHKAL and TiHKAL. wikipedia has a great review of his life.

I ate some psychedelic truffels with some friends and during the trip and after I felt like I had been emotionally reset. Things that stressed me out and resisted in my mind for months I was able to accept and lay to rest. I did them for fun, but it was a really mind opening and cleansing experience

seeing your worst moments from a neutral standpoint had to be the number 1 most interesting thing I've experienced. And the hellscape is different

Just a thought: Mr. Oliver points out that psychedelic therapy may cost upwards of $15 K. First, its effects seem lasting. Which means that for a person who lives 30 more years beyond that point, it's cost $500 a year, or about $40+ per month, maybe less. Some of us spend more than that at Starbucks.
But I can see those who practice talk therapy for over $100 per session, for years on end might not want its use. Sad to say, we have some very materialistic people out here, who would fearmonger to keep those who could really benefit (both personally & financially) from using this therapy.

Excellent! Especially the first segment / portion of it. I laughed good and proper, *with* "aftershock" laughs at the rainbow material...and I wasn't even under the influence of anything. ... But don't get me wrong, *all* of it was excellent. 👍👌

Those corny smear campaigns from the 70s helped me appreciate the subtle, studied sophistication of modern brainwashing.

Psychedelics made me freak out both times i tried them. Sucks for me. I dont like weed either. Maybe cuz im left handed or something,but i am 😢

I've lived with (non-military) PTSD for years. I've done a lot of talk therapy, and my symptoms have abated enough that when I heard a chair screech at a restaurant today, I merely whipped my head around rather than diving under the table.
I found out a couple years back that I was considered a "tricky" patient to match with a therapist, mostly because of some odd cognitive and personality traits that make me a little strange in general. I was willing to take the meds and do the work, but I'm slow to trust and my mind works a little differently from the average, and that made everything harder.
If I hadn't lucked into (as it turned out) the weirdest therapist in the county, I'd probably still be having flashbacks and freezing every time a door slams. And I live in a populous urban area with decent insurance coverage. How many people like me DIDN'T luck into getting therapy from a complete weirdo who was willing to work with another one?
I hope this new research can help some of the many, MANY people who need it.

LSD helped me face the childhood traumas that id been suppressing for my entire life. It gave me the courage to recognize what had happened and to seek help for it. This all happened whilst during one of those "hell realm" trips. Still one of the worst experiences of my life but it changed mine forever for the better.
Thank you for talking about it.

I've had both amazing and terrifying experiences with these. I would absolutely recommend having others present while doing so - for safety as well as shared fun lol.

literally LSD helps me so much w my c-ptsd, parts of myself that normally can't be awake bc the trauma is so horrifying can be awake and I can actually talk with those parts of myself. It's incredible.

MDMA had a profound, permanent, positive impact on my thought process. I'm so glad I experienced it.

I'm grateful that the media is finally starting to pick up on the positive potentials with psychedelics. I've been a close listener to folks like Terence Mckenna from many years ago and still firmly support the openness to these mind expanding spiritual medicines.

I took mushrooms recreationally in college and while they were great fun, they also allowed me to accept that it’s okay that I don’t understand what other people are thinking and feeling (I’m autistic). Psychedelics allow you to tell yourself the truths you know you should believe and actually believe them

Cannabis and psychedelics lifted the veil on all things and made me see reality without conditions. It made me experience ego death, and made me a much more reflected, empathic, caring, kind and loving person.

An old friend of mine became a much better person after he had done acid a few times. He went from being a bit of a bully/asshole, to a lovely warm-hearted guy. He even apologised for treating me like shit in the past.
I dropped some with him shortly after that, and had a lovely time though not quite as life-changing.😅

Accurate, soon after I tried weed, I quit smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol. Every smoking session would become a self reflection on the past, finding closure with trauma and rejection.

FUN FACT!: The woman in the clip on this video that was talking about doctors and lawyers and the smartest people she knows that went on a trip and they’re still waiting on them to come back is the inspiration for the show “Strangers With Candy” and specifically the character Jerri Blank! The entire video is here on KRclip and is pretty funny, in context.

I will say, it can be a very positive thing. I spent my entire life without a day going by without thinking of ending it for as long as I could remember.
Then I did mushrooms for the first time. It was a very good environment - and made me completely change my life view. Even 4 years after that, that one event has completely changed my life for the better. I am happier, I have not legitimately considered ending everything since, and generally do well (although I still struggle constantly, I just don't ever reach the same lows that used to be an every day)
I have had bad experiences, and I have seen people who abuse it completely lose their minds. (although those people were already partially of their rocker before I met them)