Episode 40: Psychedelic Therapies for Healing and Recovery with Dr. David Mathai

Mind Dive

Many people who struggle with a mental illness or disorder may not know that clinical research data suggests that new treatment options may be just around the corner. On this episode of Mind Dive Podcast, board-certified psychiatrist, physician-investigator with Segal Trials, and assistant professor at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Dr. David Mathai, joins hosts Dr. Bob Boland and Dr. Kerry Horrell to discuss the importance of understanding the cultural and historical context of psychedelic drugs and why the first FDA-approved psychedelic drug therapy could come as soon as 2024.

Dr. Mathai simplifies the definition of psychedelics as "drugs, whose most prominent subjective effects often involve dramatic changes in thought, in mood and cognition." He says that, historically, these substances have been used in different cultural traditions across the globe for the purpose of healing and connection.

He further explained that the earliest wave of research surrounding psychedelics was focused on LSD, which was discovered in the 1940s. “Realizing some of the therapeutic qualities such as LSD treatment for alcohol use disorder, anxiety and depression related with end-of-life illness...all of that was bubbling up,” said Dr. Mathai.

But the Vietnam War would serve as a gateway to dismantle that research.

For example, Dr. Mathai says there became a “complicated” social association between psychedelic drugs and counterculture, particularly with American protestors of the U.S. involvement with the war, often referred to as “hippies.” Dr. Mathai suggests this clash of cultures led to a growing animosity between proponents of psychedelic use, like American psychologist Timothy Leary, and politicians who were overseeing studies and held different views.

These opposing views, along with cases of reckless use of psychedelics, eventually led to the federal government's effort to combat illegal drug use in the 1970s, which Dr. Mathis credits with “shattering” psychedelic research for several decades -- until the early 2000s.

The resurgence of psychogenic research is often credited to a paper on psilocybin (a hallucinogen in certain types of mushrooms) written by Dr. Mathai’s mentor, the late American neuroscientist, Roland Griffiths. The research shows that users of psilocybin reported their experiences as among the most meaningful or spiritually significant experiences of their life.

Dr. Mathai was involved with trials of psilocybin at Johns Hopkins for people who wanted to quit smoking, which resulted in a 60% to 70% success rate of participants cutting down on tobacco use. Similar results were found in treating individuals with alcohol use disorder.

But it’s the optimism surrounding the drug MDMA that could mean big changes for psychede

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