PSILOCYBIN CAN MAKE LASTING POSITIVE PERSONALITY CHANGES

Dr. Roland Griffiths, Heffter board member, at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is the subject of two articles on the long lasting positive affects of psilocybin on personality. Dr. Griffiths study was also published in The Journal of Psychopharmacology. He is, currently, leading two studies on anxiety reduction in cancer patients and smoking cessation therapy with the use of psilocybin. These studies are supported in part by the Heffter Research Institute .

The articles can be viewed at:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-29/magic-mushrooms-can-make-lasting-personality-changes-study-says.html

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/09/29/bloomberg_articlesLS96451A74E9.DTL&tsp=1

The study for cancer is open for enrollment, for further information please follow the link: http://www.bpru.org/cancer-studies/

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY: NYU Psilocybin Cancer Anxiety Study

The PSILOCYBIN CANCER ANXIETY STUDY at NYU under the direction of Heffter board member Dr. Stephen Ross has launched their new web site.

They are looking for volunteers to participate in a scientific study exploring the effects of spiritual or mystical states of consciousness on anxiety and emotional distress associated with a diagnosis of advanced, recurrent, or potentially life threatening cancer.

For further information please visit:

http://www.nyucanceranxiety.org/

The original investigation of Psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experiences has been published in PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY

The study was conducted by Dr. Roland Griffiths and his co-researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Please read and ponder the implications of this fascinating study and its conclusions at the following link.

http://www.springerlink.com/content/u464377x433p5957/fulltext.pdf

Dr. Griffiths is currently engaged in a Psilocybin study designed to ameliorate the symptoms of anxiety and depression in those facing a diagnosis of life threatening cancer. The study is open and actively recruiting patients. For more information please follow the link.

http://www.bpru.org/cancer-studies/

TIME MAGAZINE “MAGIC MUSHROOMS” CAN IMPROVE PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH LONG TERM

Psilocybin research conducted by Dr. Roland Griffiths at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine has been featured in TIME magazine. Please follow the link.

http://healthland.time.com/2011/06/16/magic-mushrooms-can-improve-psychological-health-long-term/#more-36198

JOHNS HOPKINS STUDY PROBES “SACRED MUSHROOM”

The continuing study at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine on psilocybin and its potential in the treatment of anxiety and depression in those facing life threatening cancer is the topic in the journal  Psychopharmacology . Please follow the links to the  press release and the Yahoo news story for more information.

www.csp.org/psilocybin/PressRelease201106.pdf

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110615/ts_yblog_thelookout/far-out-magic-mushrooms-could-have-medical-benefits-researchers-say

Also take note of an observation made by “Jerome Jaffe, M.D., of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, who served as the first White House “Drug Czar” and has also been a consultant to the World Health Organization on drug issues.” “The Hopkins psilocybin studies clearly demonstrate that this route to the mystical is not to be walked alone. But they have also demonstrated significant and lasting benefits. That raises two questions: Could psilocybin-occasioned experiences prove therapeutically useful, for example in dealing with the psychological distress experienced by some terminal patients? And should properly-informed citizens, not in distress, be allowed to receive psilocybin for its possible spiritual benefits, as we now allow them to pursue other possibly risky activities such as cosmetic surgery and mountain-climbing?”

The Hopkins  study is on going and recruiting volunteers. Please visit the recruitment link for more information.

http://www.bpru.org/cancer-studies/

Manifesting the Mind: 2011 — View Presentations On-Line!

The complete 2011 presentations of speakers at MANIFESTING THE MIND in Madison Wisconsin are now available on-line. Please follow the link and enjoy an incredible array of speakers discussing consciousness and the neurology involved in the process.

http://www.btci.org/bioethics/videos2011/default.html

10th Annual International Bioethics Forum

Heffter scientists will be speaking at this conference, in Madison, WI on April 28-29, 2011:

http://www.btci.org/bioethics/default.html

OVERVIEW: The over-arching theme of this Forum’s is exploration of the Mind-Brain phenomenon and how this relates to human consciousness. The challenge faced by planners of Manifesting the Mind was to respect the many interests of our audience, to cover a wide range of topics — ethnobotany to neurotransmitters to recent clinical reports on the use of entheogens. One goal of the Forum is the exploration of these diverse topics in understanding human potential and how we conceptualize the next step in the evolution of consciousness on this planet.

Psilocybin treatment for cancer anxiety study published in Archives of General Psychiatry

The Archives of General Psychiatry has just published the report of Dr. Charles Grob’s experimental treatment of anxiety in cancer patients. You can view the abstract here:

Grob CS, Danforth AL, Chopra GS, Hagerty M, McKay CR, Halberstadt AL, Greer GR. (2011) Pilot Study of Psilocybin Treatment for Anxiety in Patients With Advanced-Stage Cancer. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2011 Jan;68(1):71-8.

The online publication in September, 2010 generated quite a bit of media attention, and here are links to some of the stories:

ABC News: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ucla-study-finds-magic-mushrooms-curb-anxiety-advanced/story?id=11568335

Health.com: http://www.health.com/health/condition-article/0,,20415079_1,00.html

FoxNews:  http://www.foxnews.com/health/2010/09/07/magic-mushrooms-ease-anxiety-cancer-study-finds/

New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/07/health/research/07brfs-MAGICMUSHROO_BRF.html?_r=1&ref=health

CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/09/06/magic.mushrooms.ease.anxiety/index.html?hpt=Sbin

CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/08/24/psychedelic.drugs.depression/index.html

Daily Breeze: http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_16007975?source=email

MSN: http://health.msn.com/health-topics/anxiety/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100263080

LA TIMES: http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-magic-mushrooms-20100907,0,4230087.story

CBS Los Angeles video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrXX6lAdUbQ

Friday Sept. 10 Film screening of “The Medicine: Science & Psychedelics.”

Screening will be in Namaste Hall, 1453 Mission Street, 3rd floor, San Francisco, CA. Included in the film is an interview with Annie Levy about her experience taking psilocybin as a cancer patient in Dr. Charles Grob’s research study.

7:00 pm Welcome by Joseph Subbiondo

7:15 to 8:30 pm Film screening

8:30 to 9:15 pm Panel discussion with Robert Barnhart, Roslyn Dauber, Frank Echenhofer, and Charles Grob.

NYU Physician: For the Terminally Ill, an Ancient Drug Offers a New Path to Spiritual Healing

The Spring, 2010 issue of NYU Physician published the history of the Heffter-supported study at NYU and a subject’s recounting of how he “experienced a sense of transformation in his ability to feel supported and loved” with psilocybin treatment.

Afterwords, he said, “This has helped me resolve past issues about my parents and siblings. Now, I can die unburdened by the angst of my childhood.”

Read the NYU Physician story here…

Learn more about the NYU study here…