In this episode of the Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers podcast, Dr. Reid Robison, Dr. Steve Thayer, and Derick Moody, PA-C discuss whether or not the mystical experience caused by many psychedelic medicines is a necessary factor for the healing they promote. They cover the following topics:

(1:10) Nature article about non-psychoactive psychedelics.
(4:00) What do we mean by "mystical experience"?
(10:07) The entropic brain theory of mental illness (chaos vs order).
(12:40) How psychedelics help a mind that is either too chaotic or too controlled.
(13:35) The mystical experience and stages of change.
(15:00) Ketamine can help with depression without the mystical experience.
(15:39) Why the mystical experience is important for psychological change.
(20:00) How psychedelics help people connect to meaning.
(21:40) What is consciousness?
(23:00) Measuring the relationship between the mystical experience and mental health improvements.
(23:58) Psychedelics mimic a near death experience and provide similar changes in perspective. 
(28:07) Psychedelics are both a neurological and phenomenological intervention.
(33:37) Different psychedelic compounds cause different mystical experiences.
(34:34) The challenging psychedelic experiences can be the most therapeutic. 
(36:33) The relationship between mystical experiences and changes in psychological traits.
(40:30) The "true self" and mental health. 
(43:00) the utility of psychedelics that don't have the mystical experience. 
(45:00) Movies and the mystical experience. 
 
Learn more about our podcast at https://www.psychedelictherapyfrontiers.com/

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