Author: Marisa C de Baca

In July 2022 The American Psychiatric Association issued a position statement stating that a growing interest involving Psychedelics for treatment of serious conditions such as treatment resisted depression and PTSD were still investigational. They are waiting on the full review of these agents for clinical indications and state that their position is that they do not support the use until they have further evidence. It is important to note both MDMA and Psilocybin containing mushrooms were both granted breakthrough Therapy Designation for the treatment of PTSD and Treatment resistant Depression and our currently in phase 3 testing at MAPS and Compass Pathways. 

We are certainly aware we are in liminal times in all aspects of life and especially in health care.  The desperate need for efficacious results for medicine use has led to states of emergency, such as the emergency use (EUA) of countermeasures during public measures in a pandemic. Although we are not advocating for EUA use of these substances, and we certainly aren’t stating this is a panacea or that there is a panacea…..we do take serious consideration of the severity of mental health issues and Substance abuse disorders that have plagued New Mexicans with severe consequences affecting the SDOH (Social Detirminates of Health) of New Mexicans for decades. We are very serious about the progress and support in the continued research as well as respect in doing so for New Mexicans. 

We want to make clear that NMPSS is a Science society and research and phase testing are critically important for our mission in creating equitable access to New Mexicans.  We also want to make clear that as New Mexicans we are serious about the continued process in developing safe, respectful, equitable measures of study and implication of policy that addresses and protects are unique cultures of New Mexico in this approach. 

Psychedelic Assisted Therapy is a type of therapy that includes the use of psychedelic substances and what is called Integration work after the effects of the psychedelic journey. The Psychotherapy is not actually conducted during the journey, or what some still call “trip.” Rather, the psychedelic substances are used as an aid in the therapeutic practice. 

The use of hallucinogenic substances, also known as entheogens and or plant medicines have been used for centuries. Some say as old as man kind. They were used as sacraments for spiritual practices. 

Today many of these psychedelic substances such as LSD, Psilocybin, MDMA and others are making their way through clinical studies for the treatment of anxiety, addiction, and depression. Many of these studies are showing that not only are these substances safer than we thought when they were put into their schedule one category that made them illegal for personal use, clinical, use and scientific study… we are also finding that they are actually showing to have positive affects on untreated disorders as well as personal well being. 

NMPSS as well as many other organizations such as CIIS, MAPS and others that are assisting in getting law makers and clinical professionals to draw out a framework for this modality and how it will look if legalized. But currently there is no standard administration and practice that is legally implemented other than with the use of ketamine which looks a little different. Oregon is about release their therapeutic training program and centers. What we do know now is that there is an administration of a low to moderate does of the the psychedelic drug, supervision from a trained guide or sitter for the duration of the journey, and an integrated therapeutic session after the journey (up to a few days after) with a trained psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, or psychiatric nurse practitioner. 

During the actual journey the effect of ones surroundings including the guides (Set and Setting) are imperative for the safety as well as efficacy of this form of treatment or expansion. (This will be outlined in another blog post coming soon.) 

Questions to ask oneself when thinking about embarking on a journey using this modality. 

1. Where am I currently seeking healing or growth?
2. What is the main reason bringing me to the medicine at this time?
3. What am I hoping to receive from this experience. 

If decided on, using these questions to form a grounded form of intention is very important for anchoring. (Again Will touch on in future writing) 

There is no doubt that there has been a need for help in the mental health sector for sometime. Yet in the wake of a global pandemic and a growing uncertainty of the times ahead. People are growing more and more anxious and stressed. Death of loved ones, loss of jobs, children out of school. The times are growing increasingly unsteady. The talk of a mental health crisis is becoming louder and louder as we see children being taken into hospitals because of depression. There is also the fear of virus exposure and infection, as well as the struggle to keep up with all the changing laws and regulations. Its enough to have a headache just thinking about it.

Psychedelics can come into play with the findings from the recent case studies where more than 80 percent of anxiety riddled patients, experienced feeling much calmer and at ease with their surrounding and the bigger picture, rather than getting extremely overy anxious and stressed about all the micro managed aspects of ones life. As far as any trauma or shock or grief, MDMA has a strong record showing also positive results when it came it PTSD. Many studies have been done with refuting solders from the military, and many of those studies are considered to be extreme. However when it comes to shock from an accident, a death, a fight or any trauma causing stimulus, MDMA has proven to be a positive tool when treating the diagnosis with MDMA.

However this issue of therapy use at home, since the lock down, proves to have some kinks to work out with as well when it comes to home therapy. Since set and setting is one of the most upheld common protocols when it comes to Psychedelic assisted Psychotherapy. However the benefits certainly outweigh the negatives or any potential risks as we have seen in the past year.

I wanted to make this post a tribute post to a great inspirational leader I am incredibly inspired by. Claudio Naranjo was a Chilean born Moorish, Spanish, Jewish decent. He was a a Psychotherapist who held a special vision for a more united and fair world. He was the founder of an institute called, “The Seekers after truth.” As well as one the founders and developer of Enneogram Personality Theories, which is a model of the human Psyche which is principally understood and taught as nine different but interconnected personality types. He became a medical doctor in the 1950’s later studying Psychology and later worked and conducted research fro Harvard and Berkeley. He became key figure at Eselan institute. He was close friends with Carlos Castaneda.

He has written over 20 acclaimed books on the subjects of Psychedelic assisted Psychotherapy as well as Spirituality, concerns for the way the world has become obsessed with economic gain at the expense of our health and well being as well as our planet. He was very interested in Buddhist philosophy as well as mediation practices. He was deeply concerned with the education for our kids globally and believed that true change and needed wisdom starts with education. A good equal and fair education.

He had a devastating tragedy when his young adult son was suddenly killed in a car crash. He went on a 2 year pilgrimage and created some of his best, insightful, incredible work after the pilgrimage.

He was a deeply caring teacher and had stated that he wanted to create a program for Psychotherapists that took out much of the stigmas and hierarchy of the Psychological world in Academia that had always been a certain nature that was not so inclusive to say the least. His trainings, institutes and programs were to provide access to teachings that would normally not be possible for certain people. He called this the “democratization of psychotherapy,” and education of future teachers, who may be able to assist their students in their personal growth.

He gave his last talk in 2019 in his 80s in Spain. His Parkinson’s disease had his arm swinging everywhere but he still delivers a key not address that shook the room.

Claudio Naranjo was not just a pioneer he was also a kind teacher and now who deeply cared about humans and the human condition. His love for humanity and what availabilities to the mental health world is undeniable and permanently changed because of this man and his work. I am forever grateful for what he has left behind for us.

So many people are caught up on the legalization of these medications, and rightfully so. However this is quite the same for Big Pharma who will be hard at work synthesizing their own compound formula. There will be quite a bit of inquiry on authentication on the matter. This will surely not slow down these huge companies and corporations from keeping up with the future in this field and eventually industry.

Dosing is still quite new with these organic medicines, and can be quite tricky because of their organic nature. This will make an advantage for these organic substances. MDMA and Ketamine is already synthesized and will just need to be made by those respective FDA approved pharmaceutical companies.

Pharmaceutical companies are necessarily the bad guy as a prohibition shifts, however they certainly are an origin. They want to make a profit, so this makes it a little funky when you can actually grow or find your own organic medicines, you cannot do this with Tylenol per se, so this will be something that will pose a challenge in selling and distribution.

This makes this industry susceptible to a shift in distribution, investments, and legalities. Which opens the doors to new opportunities of growth to the structures that create large limitations to the way people currently access or pay for their medications.

The New England Journal of medicine announced that in a small study done from Imperial College of London, that Psilocybin could be even more effective at treating depression than Anti depressants. This is a strong hypothesis, however the initial hypothesis was that they would be close or hopefully just as effective in treating a plague of a threat of depression and anxiety that has reached havoc on our nation. Although there were some limitations in the study such as the small sample size and a limitation of 6 weeks. half the volunteers were given a placebo and the other were given the psilocybin mushrooms. In a double blind placebo. However the results were remarkable, with almost 100 percent of the women volunteers having positive results.

I wanted to write this blog today because I found a link and similarity in the way we have talked about Psychedelics as harmful, destructive, substances that can do a huge amount of harm to people personally and the population at large. In a Ted talked that I recently viewed with Rick Doblin, the owner and founder of MAPS (multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies) He stated that Psychedelics are actually just tools and how we use them depends on if they will be harmful or beneficial. I thought this was an interesting topic for today given our grievance with gun violence as well as they fight politically for or against gun control. I have heard the argument mentioned about guns. Now I am not going on a spiel about gun control or rights, but I will say that I do think that when it comes to inanimate objects we are certainly the ones who prescribe meaning. When it came to Psychedelics and throwing them in a class of narcotics we created a certain identity that shunned its existence. This left very little room to create more of an intellectual understanding while the heaviness of dramatic ethos responses that created a huge amount of fear. And this is not a post to discredit the fear, I have known she horrific stories that have happened because of the dangerous situations these strong ethnogeons can have on people. The same goes for guns and I’m sure I dont need to draw a picture of the horror they have brought in abundance. However I will not bring more fear but explain why education, research, and the proper set and setting can and has really led us to some very positive and beneficial case studies that have really given us some very positive prospectives that were not seen before.

We have seen how substances like LSD, Ayahuasca, Ketamine, Psilocybin, and others, sincerely help people get in touch with their emotions. Not just acknowledge emotions that have a tendency to take control over us, but rather to see them from a more objective point of view that these hallucinogens help us move to a different perspective by the altered perspective that comes from using other areas of the brain. I read once that a woman in labor thinks from the same part of the brain as an individual under the influence of Psychedelic Mushrooms. Like a woman laboring, it is critically important that therapists are highly trained in creating a safe spot for those in potential unique and at times fragile states.

The most positive case studies have shown that people who are in hospice and are afraid of death tend to find a place of peace and acceptance after undergoing Psychedelic assisted Psychotherapy.

Psychedelics have been known among our differing and various populous for centuries. Used in ceremonial passages, Religious purposes, healing, introspective, as well as for inquiry… (but that will be for another post.) Entheogens have had different relationships to us throughout the years. As of most recent the distance that the scientific community has faced with the schedule one classifications that came about after the 60’s and the war on drugs. Much research that had already been conducted was halted. We are living in a time that he’s been defined by the medical, Psychological, and spiritual communities as a renaissance. Specifically in the mental health field, there have been some important and beneficial findings to their latest tests. Of course there is a plethora of research to be be continued and started fresh within this field alone, however what we are finding is incredibly important and beneficial information to further the future relationship we have with these possible healing modalities.

With the large numbers of people being diagnosed with depression as well as anxiety, this type of therapy may help with these numbers. Although, as with any type of healing practice, medication, therapy, there are risks and this treatment may not be for everybody, the numbers we have from these strides, further the hypothesis that treatments structured in a certain way offer the possibility to lower those numbers.

Integrative medicine within Our Western medical field is becoming more accepted and valued through out the practice. This is very important and a valuable opportunity for the options we have in seeking out different available options for certain treatments. I believe that therapy will be incredible for the future options especially within mental health.

Many more people are tuning into these studies if not just for what the research says on what was ultimately halted almost 50 years ago. It’s truly a remarkable time for for a hardly touched territory within our science and medical fields and what comes of the opportunities for this.

The Desert Psychonaut is a blog stop for those interested in the role, function, and information on Psychedelics and Psychoactive substances within the Mental Health field. Taking a look into the history, culture, and science as well as the politics, this blog takes a deep look into what we know, what we are re-learning, as well as what we are learning for the first time within this subject.

During a time of unprecedented change we are witnessing the re-emergence or what has been called by many in the field, the “renaissance” of a special type or medicine and or tool, and unfortunately at times a poison. It is not only the possible change in it’s scheduled class and access and availability but what it means to the mental heath field and most importantly their clients. What are the benefits as well as the some of the down falls that we encounter when diving into the subject.

My name is Marisa C de Baca. I am an artist, entrepreneur, mother, creator of my world. I am a New Mexican resident, currently creating in Albuquerque. Although I am currently studying for my licensure to practice Psychedelic assisted therapy, I have a genuine interest for discussion and its evolution as well as drawing on its significant history. I would like to share some research, news, and further topics related to this subject within this blog.