ESALEN INSTITUTE CONTINUING EDUCATION PSYCHOLOGY, MFT/LCSW, LPC, LEP, RN

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1 ESALEN INSTITUTE CONTINUING EDUCATION PSYCHOLOGY, MFT/LCSW, LPC, LEP, RN Leader Name/s: David Presti & Kristi Panik Workshop Title: Psychedelic Medicines and the Mind Workshop Description: Psychedelics produce powerful effects on the brain and mind, including intensification of thoughts and feelings, alterations of sensory perception, and loosening of psychological defenses. Psychedelics reveal connections between brain physiology and consciousness, among the most mysterious and exciting arenas in contemporary science. In their plant and fungal forms, psychedelics have been used for millennia for medicinal and spiritual purposes. Scientific research with psychedelics has taken place for more than a century, and was one of the driving forces in the early days of biological psychiatry. However, the widespread popular use of some of these substances in the 1960s contributed to legal regulation that closed down human research. Now, after 30 years of quiescence, clinical research with psychedelics has returned to mainstream science. This workshop covers the history, botany, chemistry, psychology, and sociology of psychedelics, leading up to the re-emergence of contemporary research addressing the medicinal and spiritual aspects of these substances. The group will also explore the powerful and grounding mind states that can be cultivated through the practice of meditation, and examine how these states relate to states of consciousness associated with psychedelics. This workshop is of interest and value to anyone, including health professionals from all clinical areas who wish to more deeply investigate the mind-body connection. COURSE OBJECTIVES 1. Describe the behavioral properties of psychedelic substances and the distinct differences between psychedelics and other psychoactive drugs. 2. Describe the historical use of psychedelics as psychotherapeutic medicines. 3. Describe the specific multiple areas of current clinical research using psychedelic medicines in the therapeutic treatment of mood, anxiety, and addiction syndromes. 4. Analyze and predict which kinds of future clinical research strategies might productively involve psychedelic medicines. 5. Describe possible negative reactions to use of psychedelic medicines 6. Describe psychotherapeutic strategies for ongoing therapeutic processing and integration of material that may emerge from psychedelically-assisted therapy 7. Describe how the properties of psychedelics inform study of the nature of the mind-brain connection. 8. Practice guided meditations that help access mental states related to stability of attention and conducive to internal focus of awareness. COURSE CONTENT CITATIONS Books: Badiner, A. (editor). (2015). Zig-Zag Zen: Buddhism and Psychedelics (New Edition). Santa Fe, NM: Synergetic Press.

2 Fadiman, J. (2011). The Psychedelic Explorer s Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys. Rochester, VT: Park Street Press. Grof, S. (1980/2008). LSD Psychotherapy. Sarasota, FL: Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. Hofmann, A. (1979/2009). LSD, My Problem Child: Reflections on Sacred Drugs, Mysticism, and Science. Sarasota, FL: Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. Ott, J. (1993). Pharmacotheon: Entheogenic Drugs, Their Plant Sources and History. Kennewick, WA: Natural Products Company. Pendell, D. (1995/2010). Pharmako/Poeia. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic. Presti, D. E. (2016). Foundational Concepts in Neuroscience: A Brain-Mind Odyssey. New York, NY: W. W. Norton. Richards, W. A. (2015). Sacred Knowledge: Psychedelics and Religious Experiences. New York, NY: Columbia University Press. Shroder, T. (2014). Acid Test: LSD, Ecstasy, and the Power to Heal. London, UK: Blue Rider Penguin. Wolfson, P. & Hartelius, G. (editors). (2016). The Ketamine Papers: Science, Therapy, and Transformation. Sarasota, FL: Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. Media essays: Pollan, M. (2015). The trip treatment. The New Yorker, 9 February. Slater, L. (2012). How psychedelic drugs can help patients face death. New York Times Sunday Magazine, 20 April. Articles from the scientific literature: Aan, H. R. M., et al. (2012). Ketamine for depression: where do we go from here? Biological Psychiatry, 72, Bogenschutz, M. P., & Johnson, M. W. (2016). Classical hallucinogens in the treatment of Addictions. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry, 54, Brewer, J. A., et al. (2011). Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 108,

3 Carhart-Harris, R. L., et al. (2012). Neural correlates of the psychedelic state as determined by fmri studies of psilocybin. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 109, Carhart-Harris, R. L., et al. (2012). Implications for psychedelically-assisted psychotherapy: functional magnetic resonance imaging study with psilocybin. British Journal of Psychiatry, 200, Carhart-Harris, R. L., et al. (2016). Neural correlates of the LSD experience revealed by multimodal neuroimaging. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 113, Chevaleyre, V., Takahashi, K. A., & Castillo, P. E. (2006). Endocannabinoid-mediated synaptic plasticity in the CNS. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 29, Cowan, P. (2016). Altered states: psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression. Lancet Psychiatry, 3, Danforth, A. L., Struble, C. M., Yazar-Klosinski, B., & Grob, C. S. (2016). MDMA-assisted therapy: A new treatment model for social anxiety in autistic adults. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry, 64, Gasser, P., Kirchner, K., & Passie, T. (2015). LSD-assisted psychotherapy for anxiety associated with lifethreatening illness: a qualitative study of acute and sustained subjective effects. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 29, Griffiths, R. R., & Grob, C. S. (2010). Hallucinogens as medicine. Scientific American, 303(6), Griffiths, R. R., et al. (2008). Mystical-type experiences occasioned by psilocybin mediate the attribution of personal meaning and spiritual significance 14 months later. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 22, Griffiths, R. R., et al. (2006). Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance. Psychopharmacology, 187, Griffiths, R. R., et al. (2006). Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 30, Grob, C. S., et al. (2011). Pilot study of psilocybin treatment for anxiety in patients with advanced-stage cancer. Archives of General Psychiatry, 68, Hasenkamp, W., & Barsalou, L. W. (2012). Effects of meditation experience on functional connectivity of distributed brain networks. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 6, 38 (doi: /fnhum ).

4 Hendricks, P. S., Thorne, C. B., Clark, C. B., Coombs, D. W., & Johnson, M. W. (2015). Classical psychedelic use is associated with reduced psychological distress and suicidality in the United States adult population. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 29, Johansen, P.-Ø., & Krebs, T. S. (2015). Psychedelics not linked to mental helath problems or suicidal behavior: a population study. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 29, Johnson, M. J., Garcia-Romeu, A., Cosimano, M. P., & Griffiths, R. R. (2014). Pilot study of the 5-HT 2AR agonist psilocybin in the treatment of tobacco addiction. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 28, Mithoefer, M. C., et al. (2011). The safety and efficacy of {+/-}3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamineassisted psychotherapy in subjects with chronic, treatment-resistant posttraumatic stress disorder: the first randomized controlled pilot study. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 25, Mithoefer, M. C., et al. (2013). Durability of improvement in post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and absence of harmful effects or drug dependency after 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamineassisted psychotherapy: a prospective long-term follow-up study. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 27, Nichols, D. E. (2016). Psychedelics. Pharmacological Reviews, 68, Nutt, D. (2016). Psilocybin for anxiety and depression in cancer care? Lessons from the past and prospects for the future. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 30, Ross, S., et al. (2016). Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 30, Roth, B. L., et al. (2002). Salvinorin A: a potent naturally occurring nonnitrogenous kappa opioid selective agonist. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 99, Sessa, B. (2015). Turn on and tune in to evidence-based psychedelic research. Lancet Psychiatry, 2, Sessa, B., & Nutt, D. (2015). Making a medicine out of MDMA. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 206, 4-6. Snyder, S. H. (2009). Neurotransmitters, receptors, and second messengers galore in 40 years. The Journal of Neuroscience, 29, Strassman, R. J. (1996). Human psychopharmacology of N,N-dimethyltryptamine. Behavioural Brain Research, 73, Vollenweider, F. X., & Kometer, M. (2010). The neurobiology of psychedelic drugs: implications for the treatment of mood disorders. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 11,

5 Wacker, D., et al. (2017). Crystal Structure of an LSD-Bound Human Serotonin Receptor. Cell, 168, This course meets the qualifications for 10 hours of continuing education credit for: LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. Esalen is an approved provider of continuing education by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, CA BRN, APA, NCBTMB, and the California Board of Acupuncture. Esalen Institute is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Esalen Institute maintains responsibility for programs and their content. Esalen Institute maintains responsibility for this program and its content. You may contact us at We encourage you to be in touch with our office with any grievances in a timely manner.