Psychedelic Medicine

The Healing Powers of LSD, MDMA, Psilocybin, and Ayahuasca

By: Dr. Richard Louis Miller

Narrated by: Andy Rick

Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

Explores the potential of psychedelics as medicine and the intersections of politics, science, and psychedelics

• Explores the tumultuous history of psychedelic research, the efforts to restore psychedelic therapies, and the links between psychiatric drugs and mental illness
• Offers non-technical summaries of the most recent, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies with MDMA, psilocybin, LSD, and ayahuasca
• Includes the work of Rick Doblin, Stanislav Grof, James Fadiman, Julie Holland, Dennis McKenna, David Nichols, Charles Grob, Phil Wolfson, Michael and Annie Mithoefer, Roland Griffiths, Katherine MacLean, and Robert Whitaker

Embracing the revival of psychedelic research and the discovery of new therapeutic uses, clinical psychologist Dr. Richard Louis Miller discusses what is happening today in psychedelic medicine - and what will happen in the future - with top researchers and thinkers in this field, including Rick Doblin, Stanislav Grof, James Fadiman, Julie Holland, Dennis McKenna, David Nichols, Charles Grob, Phil Wolfson, Michael and Annie Mithoefer, Roland Griffiths, Katherine MacLean, and Robert Whitaker.

Dr. Miller and his contributors cover the tumultuous history of early psychedelic research brought to a halt 50 years ago by the US government as well as offering non-technical summaries of the most recent studies with MDMA, psilocybin, LSD, and ayahuasca. They explore the biochemistry of consciousness and the use of psychedelics for self-discovery and healing. They discuss the use of psilocybin for releasing fear in the terminally ill and the potential for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in the treatment of PTSD. They examine Dr. Charles Grob’s research on the indigenous use and therapeutic properties of ayahuasca and Dr. Gabor Mate’s attempt to transport this plant medicine to a clinical setting with the help of Canada’s Department of National Health.

Dr. Miller and his contributors explore the ongoing efforts to restore psychedelic therapies to the health field, the growing threat of overmedication by the pharmaceutical industry, and the links between psychiatric drugs and mental illness. They also discuss the newly shifting political climate and the push for new research, offering hope for an end to the War on Drugs and a potential renaissance of research into psychedelic medicines around the world.

©2017 Dr. Richard Louis Miller (P)2019 Inner Traditions Audio

Critic reviews

"Imagine that you could ask almost every noteworthy psychedelic researcher not only to discuss their work in depth outside of the jargon of heavy journal descriptions but also to discuss the implications of their work and where it will be going in the future. Imagine an interviewer that knows the research backward and forward and presses each person to think in new directions. It’s all there in Psychedelic Medicine. I have been hoping for some years that there would be a book that I could point to that includes almost everything that’s going on. This is as close as we’re likely going to get. I’m in the book as well which is why I can attest to Miller’s knowledgeable and invaluable questioning." (James Fadiman, PhD, microdose researcher and author of The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide)

“We love Dr. Richard Miller’s perceptive, up-close-and-personal interviews with the courageous pioneers of the psychedelic renaissance. Psychedelic Medicine is a treasure trove of insights into psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy’s well-documented ability to facilitate lasting healing and life-changing mystical experience.” (Jerry and Julie Brown, coauthors of The Psychedelic Gospels)

“Lively, in-depth, and insightful interviews with both pioneering and contemporary members of the psychedelic research community. An excellent introduction to many of the themes and figures involved in the recent resurgence of clinical studies with these drugs." (Rick Strassman, MD, author of DMT: The Spirit Molecule)

my mind is soo open. probably one of my favorites

I can't say enough about this book. I learned so much and enjoyed all of it. It was delivered in a way that anyone can understand.

Great information!

The information in this book is Incredibly important. The way the book is written, in interview form, makes it cumbersome.
Overall, I would recommend reading it.

Amazing Book

Fantastic review of the state os plant medicine research in the US TODAY. Thank you for the interviews with key players in this field...

Great information and scientific background

The information in this was just what I was looking for. Just enough science for the general reader (as a scientist I would have liked a bit more). There back and forth interview presentation was a bit had to follow. Short of having two different voices, not sure how else it would be done.

Good, not great.

Good content (a bit dated in 2021). Since these arer transcripts it would have made more sense to listen to the original interviews.

A must read on psychedelic science.

A well written and respectful approach to psychedelic medicine and real healing. Definitely a good read.

Good information from multiple scientists

Information is excellent, covers a lot about the therepeutic uses of the drugs and the social implications behind use and how we can go forward. I also really liked the end where he introduces studies of classes of drugs used today and their effectiveness or lack of. Negatives? Interview format kinda sucked. Would've preferred a recording of the interview. If reading is your thing, that may be better but it's still doable. I still enjoyed it and learned a lot.

A Great Crime is Being Committed

I was a drug addict for 10 years of my life. I voluntarily checked into rehab for medical detox and 30 days of treatment. This consisted of daily AA shenanigans and repeatedly being told that I had a disease which was chronic and that relapse was part of it. In other words, planting the seeds of doubt and making excuses for relapses that had not occurred yet. That was 8 years ago and I've never thought of using again. I know many fail trying to get clean. One of the reasons for this is "treatment" is an industry that is not evidence-based but rather the demonstrably worthless, faith-based criteria set forth by AA or any number of equally worthless 12-step programs. Perhaps they benefit the masses as a support tool, but treatment or therapy it most definitely is not. Even in the first days of detox, I thought, "my god, they want me to pray away my addiction." That was 8 years ago and I remain sober today and have never relapsed. I succeeded through self-awareness of my behaviors and impulses, dealing with them rationally with some short-term therapy. The first year was enormously difficult and where most people relapse. As a person who had an addiction to a drug, I do not believe and never have believed that addiction is a disease. It is truly sad that our government has demonized certain substances which may be potentially life changing therapies. All in the name of political power. Of course, the War on Drugs was used by Nixon as a tool to control the perceived threat of minorities and hippies. This policy may be one of the greatest, if not the greatest, policy disaster this country has ever faced. It is STILL choking scientific research and creating criminals out of desperately sick people. And addicts are sick people though not (necessarily) diseased. This book is both illuminating and important. It was not the easiest of listens, but was highly informative.

Eye opening, professional points of view

This book is a collection of professional points of view and research into the current state of psychology and psychopharmacology and how these are effecting our society as a whole. It not only digs into current medications on the market but also how psychedelics could be a better answer, with less side effects and taken less often than current SSRIs and anti-psychotics, which are being over prescribed for the human condition and our way of living rather than changing the way we live which is causing the sickness in the first place.

A great read/listen.

Transcribed interviews, read out loud...

Very interesting content, poorly structured. Besides, to have transcribed interviews read out loud - is quite absurd. I would have loved to hear the original interviews. Also, having the initials of each interviewed said out loud each time they speak, is annoying, and same thing goes for the "quote on quote" being repeated like 100 times in the whole audiobook...