Neurons to Nirvana (2013) - full transcript

>> THIS IS YOUR BRAIN.

THIS IS DRUGS.

THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON DRUGS.

>> THE GERMAN STUDY SUGGESTS

THAT THE U.S. GOVERNMENT'S CLAIM

THAT ECSTASY CAUSES DEVASTATING,

IRREVERSIBLE BRAIN DAMAGE WAS A

DRAMATIC EXAGGERATION.

>> THAT'S PART OF THE REASON I

WANT TO LEGALIZE IT, TOO --

'CAUSE WE CAN FIGURE OUT, "HEY,



LOOK, THIS IS SAFE, THIS IS THE

RIGHT DOSAGE."

>> NOW, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO

THINK IT'S A BAD IDEA.

THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO THINK

SMOKING AND DRINKING ARE BAD

IDEAS.

>> [ SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE ]

>> EXPERTS THINK THAT JUST ONE

DOSE COULD MESS UP YOUR BRAIN

FOR LIFE.

>> RESEARCHERS AT A NORWEGIAN

UNIVERSITY HAVE LOOKED BACK AT

EARLY MEDICAL TRIALS OF LSD AND



FOUND EVIDENCE IT COULD BE USED

TO TREAT ALCOHOLISM.

>> PSILOCYBIN DECREASES THE

AMOUNT OF ACTIVITY THAT'S

OCCURRING, THEREFORE DECREASING

ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH

DEPRESSION.

>> ...A CALIFORNIA STATE LAW

WHERE MEDICAL MARIJUANA APPEARS

TO BE HELPING SO MANY PEOPLE

WITH CANCER.

>> THEY TAKE AYAHUASCA AS A

MEDICINE.

THEY SAY IT'S A MEDICINE FOR THE

BODY AND THE SOUL.

>> ...THOUSAND DEATHS RELATED TO

DRUG VIOLENCE.

>> WE SEE THE FAILURE OF THE

POLICY OF PROHIBITION IN OUR

SOCIETY.

>> IT'S THE BEGINNING OF A VERY

SIGNIFICANT SCIENTIFIC

INVESTIGATION OF THE ACTIONS OF

PSYCHEDELICS.

>> IN THE POPULAR PRESS,

HALLUCINOGENS HAVE BEEN

PORTRAYED AS A RECREATION, AN

ESCAPE, OR A DANGEROUS

INVITATION FOR ABUSE, BUT THERE

IS ANOTHER SIDE TO THE STORY.

THE TRUTH IS THAT MORE PEOPLE

DIE EACH YEAR FROM USING SIMPLE

PAIN RELIEVERS THAN FROM ALL

ILLEGAL DRUGS COMBINED.

AND OF THOSE CAUSED BY ILLEGAL

DRUGS, THE VAST MAJORITY ARE

CAUSED BY STREET NARCOTICS, SUCH

AS COCAINE AND HEROIN.

ALMOST NONE ARE DUE TO

PSYCHEDELICS.

>> THIS IS A GLASS OF WATER.

IT CONTAINS 100 GAMMA OF LSD-25,

1/10 OF A MILLIGRAM.

LET US OBSERVE THE EFFECT SOME

THREE HOURS LATER.

>> I CAN SEE EVERYTHING IN

COLOR...AND THE DIMENSIONS AND

ALL THE PRISMS AND THE RAYS...

AND EVERYTHING COMING DOWN

THROUGH YOU AND -- AND MOVING.

>> WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN TO

YOU?

>> I'VE NEVER SEEN SUCH INFINITE

BEAUTY IN MY LIFE.

>> THERE WAS GREAT HOPE IN THE

EARLY '50s THAT LSD WAS GOING TO

REVOLUTIONIZE PSYCHIATRY.

AND IN SOME SENSE, THAT HOPE WAS

NOT MISPLACED.

>> IN THE 1960s, DRUGS LIKE LSD

HAD MOVED OUT OF MAINSTREAM

MEDICINE INTO RECREATIONAL USE.

I THINK THE POWERS THAT BE, TO

SOME EXTENT, FELT THAT THINGS

WERE GETTING OUT OF CONTROL, SO

THAT IN THE MID-'60s, THERE WAS

A MOVE TO TRY AND PUT THE LID

BACK ON THE BOTTLE, TO GET THE

GENIE BACK INTO THE BOTTLE, TO

TRY AND RESTORE SOCIAL CONTROL

THAT APPEARED TO BE ON THE VERGE

OF BREAKING DOWN.

[ OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING ]

>> ANTIWAR DEMONSTRATORS PROTEST

U.S. INVOLVEMENT IN THE VIETNAM

WAR IN MASS MARCHES, RALLIES,

AND DEMONSTRATIONS.

>> IF WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO

PROSECUTE WARS IN THE FUTURE,

WE CAN'T HAVE TOO MANY PEOPLE

TAKING DRUGS LIKE LSD.

>> WHEN THEY WOULD TAKE IT,

THEY'D GO, "WAIT A MINUTE.

WHY AM I SUPPOSED TO GO FIGHT IN

VIETNAM?

EXACTLY EXPLAIN TO ME -- WHAT AM

I DOING OVER THERE?

YOU'RE WANTING ME TO KILL THESE

OTHER PEOPLE, BUT THEY'RE JUST

LIKE ME.

I'M KILLING A PART OF ME."

YOU DO SEE OUT OF THE BOX WITH

LSD.

YOU DO SEE PAST CULTURALLY

IMPOSED VALUES.

>> YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE GOAL WAS

TO SORT OF CRACK OPEN THE MIND,

BREAK AWAY FROM THE CONSTRAINTS

OF A CULTURE THAT WE FELT WAS

INHIBITING THE HUMAN POTENTIAL,

THAT WE MIGHT EMBRACE A NEW

REALM OF POSSIBILITIES.

>> THE UPSHOT, THOUGH, WAS QUITE

EXTRAORDINARY, IN THAT, IN ORDER

TO BAN A DRUG, YOU HAD TO PAINT

IT AS HAVING EXTREME DANGERS

LINKED TO IT.

AND THE BIGGEST AND MOST

CONVENIENT DANGER TO USE WAS THE

IDEA THAT YOU WOULD GET HOOKED.

IN ACTUAL FACT, YOU CANNOT

BECOME PHYSICALLY DEPENDENT OR

GET ADDICTED TO A DRUG LIKE LSD.

>> TO TRY TO DEAL WITH SOMETHING

LIKE THIS IN A STRAIGHTFORWARD,

SCIENTIFIC MANNER IS REALLY

DIFFICULT BECAUSE YOU'RE REALLY

DEALING WITH IRRATIONAL,

FEAR-BASED REACTIONS THAT HAVE

NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT THE

DRUGS HAVE DONE IN THE PAST AND

WHAT THEY CAN DO IN THE FUTURE.

>> IT'S BEEN 40 YEARS, 50 YEARS,

ESSENTIALLY, SINCE ALL CLINICAL

WORK ON PSYCHEDELICS WAS SHUT

DOWN.

>> DESPITE THE RESTRICTIONS ON

RESEARCH INTO LSD, ITS DRAMATIC

EFFECTS ON THE BRAIN HAVE PUT

SCIENTISTS ON THE TRAIL OF A NEW

AND INTRIGUING NEUROTRANSMITTER

CALLED SEROTONIN.

>> SEROTONIN IS REFERRED TO AS A

NEUROTRANSMITTER SYSTEM.

IT'S ALSO REFERRED TO AS AN

NEUROMODULATORY SYSTEM BECAUSE

IT MODULATES OR REGULATES NOT

ONLY A LOT OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF

PROCESSES IN THE BRAIN, BUT IT

ALSO REGULATES THE ACTIVITIES OF

OTHER NEUROTRANSMITTER SYSTEMS.

PSYCHEDELICS HAVE A SIMILAR KIND

OF ROLE IN THE BRAIN, ALTHOUGH

SOMETIMES WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS

RELEASING THE CONTROL THAT

SEROTONIN HAS OVER CERTAIN AREAS

OF THE BRAIN.

>> SO, EVERYTHING THAT'S COMING

IN THROUGH YOUR SENSES, EXCEPT

FOR SMELL, COMES IN THE BRAIN

AND GOES THROUGH AN AREA CALLED

THE THALAMUS, WHICH IS KIND OF

LIKE A GATEWAY.

THE THALAMUS DECIDES WHAT GETS

SENT TO THE CORTEX, AND THE

CORTEX -- THESE EXECUTIVE

AREAS -- IS WHAT PUTS TOGETHER

YOUR WHOLE SORT OF GESTALT, WHAT

IS YOUR REALITY.

>> NOW, THESE TWO PARTS OF THE

BRAIN -- THE LOWER PART OF THE

BRAIN THAT REGULATES THE FLOW OF

INFORMATION AND THE MIDDLE PARTS

OF THE BRAIN THAT PROVIDE THE

EMOTIONAL INTERPRETATION OF THE

INFORMATION -- ARE LINKED

THROUGH THESE SEROTONIN

CIRCUITS.

AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT

THESE PSYCHEDELICS DO IS THAT

THEY STIMULATE THIS SEROTONERGIC

CIRCUITRY THAT ENHANCES THE

CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE

EMOTIONAL BRAIN AND THIS LOWER

BEHAVIORAL AND INFORMATIONAL

BRAIN.

SO, THIS IS WHY I TALK ABOUT

THESE PSYCHEDELICS AS REALLY

BEING BETTER CHARACTERIZED AS

PSYCHOINTEGRATORS.

THEY FUNCTION MUCH LIKE

SEROTONIN IN INTEGRATING THE

ACTIVITIES AT THE DIFFERENT

LEVELS OF THE BRAIN, BUT THEY DO

SO IN A WAY THAT CHANGES THE

SEROTONIN'S SORT OF REPRESSIVE

CONTROL MECHANISMS, REGULATING

US FROM HAVING TOO MUCH

INFORMATION, TO SAYING, "YOU GET

IT ALL."

AND THIS IS PART OF THE

OVERWHELMING EXPERIENCES THAT

PEOPLE HAVE, BUT IT'S ALSO WHY

WE GET THESE INTENSE INSIGHTS,

THESE, YOU KNOW, INTUITIVE

UNDERSTANDINGS, THE SENSE THAT

EVERYTHING IS NOW ALL CONNECTED

TOGETHER -- BECAUSE THE BRAIN

REALLY IS BEING CONNECTED

TOGETHER BY THE WAY THESE

SUBSTANCES INTERFACE WITH THE

SEROTONIN SYSTEM.

>> WHAT REALLY GOT RESEARCHERS

INTERESTED IN SEROTONIN AND ITS

FUNCTIONS WAS THE FACT THAT LSD

RESEMBLED SEROTONIN, CHEMICALLY.

NOT ONLY THAT, BUT LSD AFFECTED

ALL OF THESE VARIOUS FUNCTIONS

OF SEROTONIN AND WAS REALLY USED

AS A MOLECULAR TOOL TO

UNDERSTAND WHAT SEROTONIN WAS

DOING.

>> IF YOU HAD A PSYCHIATRIC

DISORDER -- SAY YOU WERE

SCHIZOPHRENIC -- IN THE 1940s,

THE GENERAL CONSENSUS THEN WAS

OR THE BELIEF WAS THEN THAT YOU

WERE SCHIZOPHRENIC BECAUSE YOUR

MOTHER HAD FAILED IN SOME WAY --

YOU HAD NOT HAD A NURTURING

MOTHER, SHE HAD NOT BREAST-FED

YOU.

THERE WAS NO CONCEPT THAT WHAT

HAPPENED IN YOUR BEHAVIOR WAS IN

ANY WAY RELATED TO BRAIN

NEUROCHEMISTRY.

>> AMONG THESE DRUGS -- THE

HALLUCINOGENS -- ARE INCLUDED

MESCALINE, A CHEMICAL TAKEN FROM

THE PEYOTE CACTUS...

PSILOCYBIN, EXTRACTED FROM A

VARIETY OF MEXICAN MUSHROOM...

DMT, SYNTHESIZED FROM THE

COMPOUND TRYPTAMINE...

AND, OF COURSE, LSD-25.

>> ALBERT HOFMANN DISCOVERED LSD

IN 1943.

SANDOZ BEGAN TO SEND IT OUT TO

PSYCHOLOGISTS AND PSYCHIATRISTS,

SAYING, "HERE'S SOMETHING THAT

PRODUCES A STATE LIKE MENTAL

ILLNESS.

YOU CAN USE IT TO LEARN ABOUT

IT, POSSIBLY USE IT AS A TOOL TO

STUDY MENTAL ILLNESS."

SO, SEROTONIN, WHICH PRINCIPALLY

OCCURS IN THE GUT, WAS ISOLATED

AND IDENTIFIED IN ABOUT 1948,

ABOUT FIVE YEARS LATER.

>> LSD, YOU KNOW, SHOWED

TREMENDOUS PROMISE AND CONTINUED

TO SHOW PROMISE AS A TOOL IN

NEUROSCIENCE, AS A TOOL FOR

UNDERSTANDING BRAIN FUNCTIONS.

>> WILLIAM JAMES, THE FAMOUS

AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGIST, MADE A

DISTINCTION BETWEEN TWO

DIFFERENT KINDS OF WAYS BEHAVIOR

CHANGED.

AND HE TALKED ABOUT THE

EDUCATIONAL VARIETY OF BEHAVIOR

CHANGE, WHERE THINGS OCCUR

INCREMENTALLY, WE LEARN THINGS.

AND THAT'S HOW WE NORMALLY THINK

ABOUT BEHAVIOR CHANGE.

AND THEN HE SAID, YOU KNOW,

THERE'S A DIFFERENT KIND OF WAY

HUMAN BEHAVIOR CHANGES, AND

THAT'S AN ALL-OR-NONE TYPE OF

CHANGE.

PSYCHOLOGISTS HAVE USED VARIOUS

TERMS TO DESCRIBE CONVERSION

EXPERIENCES OR QUANTUM CHANGE OR

EPIPHANIES TO KIND OF GRAB THE

IDEA THAT THE HUMAN ORGANISM IS

CAPABLE OF HAVING A PROFOUND

SHIFT OF PERCEPTIONAL AWARENESS.

>> OFTEN IN A PSYCHEDELIC

SESSION, THERE IS A SENSE THAT

THERE IS A PROCESS UNFOLDING

THAT'S JUST INCREDIBLY

WELL-CRAFTED, INCREDIBLY WISE.

AND IT'S NOT COMING FROM THE

PERSON WHO HAS INGESTED THE

SUBSTANCE OR THE GUIDE.

IT'S COMING FROM THE DEPTHS OF

THE UNCONSCIOUS ITSELF.

>> PEOPLE RECOGNIZE VERY OFTEN

THE PAIN THAT THEY'VE BEEN

RUNNING AWAY FROM ALL THEIR

LIVES, BUT THEY ALSO RECOGNIZE

THAT CENTRAL AND INDESTRUCTIBLE

PART OF THEMSELVES THAT THEY'VE

NEVER SEEN BEFORE, AT LEAST,

THAT THEY'VE LOST TOUCH WITH.

>> AND ULTIMATELY THAT ENTAILS

FEELING DRAWN INTO THIS

TRANSCENDENTAL, MYSTICAL REALM

OF THE SELF BEYOND THE

INDIVIDUAL HISTORICAL LIFE AND

BEYOND THAT, TO THE PROFOUND

UNITIVE STATES THAT THE HINDU

WOULD CALL SAMADHI OR THE

CHRISTIAN MIGHT CALL THE

BEATIFIC VISION OR A SUFI WOULD

CALL FANA, THE PROFOUND

AWARENESS AT THE VERY CORE OF

THE MYSTERY OF WHAT WE ARE.

>> I'M REMINDED OF A SLOGAN OR

TWO I SAW SOME STUDENTS CARRYING

ONCE.

ONE SAID, "ALL WARS ARE CIVIL

WARS BECAUSE ALL MEN ARE

BROTHERS."

>> RIGHT.

>> ANOTHER ONE SAID, "THERE IS

NO 'THEY.'"

>> RIGHT. EXACTLY.

AND THAT'S ONE OF THE COMPONENTS

OF THE LSD EXPERIENCE -- THE

UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE IS NO

"THEY," THERE'S NO OTHER.

IT IS ALL ONE.

>> THIS MEMBER OF THE MUSHROOM

FAMILY, THIS FUNGUS, IS, FOR THE

MOMENT, KNOWN ONLY AS "X."

IT WAS DISCOVERED BARELY WEEKS

AGO, GROWING IN A REMOTE

RAINFOREST.

SCIENCE HAS NOT YET GIVEN IT A

NAME, FOR SCIENCE KNOWS SCARCELY

ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

BUT IT IS FELT THAT "X" MIGHT

HAVE ONE REMARKABLE QUALITY --

THAT IT STIMULATES EXTRASENSORY

PERCEPTION, ENABLING THE MIND TO

BECOME TELEPATHIC AND

CLAIRVOYANT.

NOW, THAT'S A RATHER LARGE

CLAIM.

IS IT TRUE OR FALSE?

THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION TOOK

US ON A UNIQUE AND DISTANT

JOURNEY.

>> WE SUDDENLY FOUND A WAY TO

EXPLORE A CONTINENT THAT WE

DIDN'T KNOW EXISTED AND NOT MANY

OTHER PEOPLE KNEW EXISTED,

EITHER.

JUST LIKE MARCO POLO -- YOU

KNOW, IN THE 14th CENTURY, HE

WENT WITH HIS UNCLE AND HIS

FATHER TO CHINA AND THEN CAME

BACK AND SAID STORIES ABOUT

CHINA, AND PEOPLE SAID, "OH,

YOU'RE HALLUCINATING.

[ Chuckling ] YOU'RE CRAZY.

THERE'S NO SUCH THING.

THERE'S NO SUCH PLACE, YOU KNOW.

YOU MADE THAT UP.

YOU'RE FANTASIZING."

HE SAID, "NO, YOU CAN GO FOR

YOURSELF."

SO, WE SUDDENLY FOUND THAT

THERE'S A SHIP THAT CAN TAKE YOU

TO THIS OTHER CONTINENT THAT YOU

DIDN'T KNOW EXISTED AND THERE'S

ALL THESE AMAZING ANIMALS AND

PEOPLE AND TREES AND PLANTS AND

MOUNTAINS AND SITUATIONS GOING

ON THAT YOU NEVER HEARD ABOUT

BEFORE AND THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE

INCREDIBLY INTERESTING, THAT

HAVE ALL KINDS OF FASCINATING

RELATIONSHIPS TO OUR OWN SELVES

AND GIVE US INSIGHTS INTO WHO WE

ARE IN A VERY INTERESTING WAY, A

NOVEL AND PRODUCTIVE WAY.

SO, WE WOULD TAKE PSILOCYBIN AND

SIT AROUND IN A GROUP AND TALK

TO EACH OTHER.

NOW, LATER ON -- AND NOWADAYS,

I WOULDN'T DO THAT.

I MEAN, THAT'S NOT A GOOD WAY TO

DO IT.

YOU MIGHT SIT IN A GROUP AND

TAKE PSILOCYBIN, BUT YOU'D STOP

TALKING, YOU SEE.

IN PSYCHEDELIC THERAPY, YOU PUT

YOUR EYESHADES ON AND LISTEN TO

MUSIC AND PAY ATTENTION TO

WHAT'S COMING THROUGH FROM

WITHIN.

OF COURSE, THEN YOU'D DO

EXTERNAL TALK IN ORDER TO

INTEGRATE AND UNDERSTAND YOUR

EXPERIENCE AND BRING BACK

TRANSLATION.

THAT'S LIKE YOU COME BACK FROM

THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY AND

THEN YOU TALK TO OTHER PEOPLE

WHO HAVE ALSO BEEN THERE AND

SAY, "WELL, WHAT DID YOU FIND?

AND WHAT DID YOU FIND?"

AND MAYBE SOME PEOPLE ARE

SPECIALISTS IN THE PLANTS AND

OTHERS IN THE ANIMALS AND OTHERS

IN THE PEOPLE AND THE CULTURE

AND THE GEOGRAPHY AND SO FORTH,

LIKE THAT.

AND SO IT'S LIKE AN EXPEDITION.

>> IN THE '60s, SOME PEOPLE USED

MUSHROOMS FOR THE HALLUCINOGENIC

EFFECTS.

WELL, NOW THOSE SAME SO-CALLED

MAGIC MUSHROOMS ARE BEING USED

TO EASE THE PAIN AND ANXIETY OF

OF CANCER PATIENTS.

>> YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT THAT THE

PEOPLE THAT WOULD COME TO US

WOULD BE BIASED, THEY WOULD HAVE

BEEN CHILDREN OF THE '60s, THEY

WOULD HAVE DONE HALLUCINOGENS A

LOT IN THEIR YOUTH, AND THEY

WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE GROOVY

HIPPIES OR EX-HIPPIES THAT CAME

TO US.

THAT HAS NOT BEEN THE CASE OF

THE PEOPLE WE'VE TREATED SO FAR,

JUST SORT OF BRAVE INDIVIDUALS

WHO HAVE ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF

DISTRESS ASSOCIATED WITH HAVING

CANCER, WHO WEREN'T BIASED IN

ANY WAY BY THESE DRUGS.

THEY JUST WERE LOOKING TO GET

OUT OF THE SUFFERING THEY WERE

IN.

>> WHEN THE INDIVIDUAL IS TOLD

THAT HE OR SHE HAS A LIMITED

LIFE EXPECTANCY, IT IS VERY

COMMON TO HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF

ANXIETY ABOUT THE ANTICIPATED

PAIN THAT MIGHT OCCUR AND

ANXIETY ABOUT THE UNKNOWN.

WHAT DOES THE PASSAGE TO DEATH

SIGNIFY?

THERE'S ALSO OFTEN A GREAT DEAL

OF APPREHENSION ABOUT WHAT WILL

HAPPEN TO SIGNIFICANT OTHERS

THAT WILL BE LEFT BEHIND.

>> I WAS VERY SKEPTICAL AT

FIRST.

I WAS VERY WORRIED ABOUT TAKING

PEOPLE WHO WERE DYING OF CANCER

AND WHO WERE ALREADY ANXIOUS AND

ABOUT MAKING THEM MORE ANXIOUS.

I SPENT A LOT OF TIME LOOKING

INTO THE SAFETY LITERATURE AND

SPEAKING TO THE GROUPS AT

JOHNS HOPKINS AND UCLA AND

ACTUALLY HEARING SOME

TESTIMONIES OF FORMER PATIENTS

AND EVEN SPEAKING TO SOME FORMER

PATIENTS.

AND I BECAME MORE AND MORE

REASSURED THAT THIS WAS SAFE AND

THAT IF YOU SCREENED PATIENTS

PROPERLY, THAT THIS WAS

POTENTIALLY VERY BENEFICIAL.

>> WE SAW A CONSIDERABLE

INDICATION THAT THERE WAS BOTH A

SHORT-TERM AND A

SUSTAINED-OVER-TIME ALLEVIATION

OF ANXIETY, AND HERE WE'RE

TALKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE

ANXIETY -- THE EXISTENTIAL

ANXIETY ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR

LIMITED LIFE EXPECTANCY.

>> A NEW REPORT IN THE

PROCEEDINGS OF THE

NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

SUGGESTS THAT THE KEY INGREDIENT

IN MAGIC MUSHROOMS --

PSILOCYBIN -- MAY BE THE PERFECT

AID FOR CERTAIN MENTAL

DISORDERS.

EARLY RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT

PSILOCYBIN IS HELPFUL FOR

TERMINALLY ILL CANCER PATIENTS

DEALING WITH ANXIETY AND

POSSIBLY PEOPLE WITH SEVERE

FORMS OF DEPRESSION.

>> THE GOOD FRIDAY EXPERIMENT

WAS AN ATTEMPT TO TAKE THE TOOLS

OF SCIENCE TO LOOK AT THIS

QUESTION, CAN PSYCHEDELICS --

IN THIS CASE, PSILOCYBIN --

CATALYZE A RELIGIOUS MYSTICAL

EXPERIENCE?

BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE WERE

DIVINITY STUDENTS AT THE TIME,

MOST OF THEM WERE MINISTERS

AFTER ALL THESE YEARS.

AND MANY OF THEM REPORTED THAT

THEY HAD HAD NON-DRUG MYSTICAL

EXPERIENCES IN THEIR LIFE AFTER

THE GOOD FRIDAY EXPERIMENT.

AND THAT GAVE THEM A POINT OF

REFERENCE TO COMPARE TO THEIR

DRUG EXPERIENCE.

AND THESE PEOPLE COMPARED IT IN

A WAY THAT IT WAS, AGAIN, EITHER

IDENTICAL OR VERY SIMILAR TO,

BUT THEY DETERMINED, IN THEIR

VIEW, THAT THEIR PSILOCYBIN

EXPERIENCE WAS GENUINELY

MYSTICAL.

>> THE EXPERIENCE THAT DAY

DEMONSTRATED TO ME THE REALITY

OF GOD'S PRESENCE IN ALL THE

WORLD AND IN ALL EXPERIENCE, IF

OUR EYES ARE OPENED AND WE ARE

ABLE TO PERCEIVE AND TAKE THAT

IN.

AND BY "EYES," I MEAN OUR

SPIRITUAL INNER AWARENESSES.

I WOULD SAY, YEAH, IT DID CHANGE

MY LIFE.

>> WHEN THEY STARTED TALKING

ABOUT WHAT THE IMPLICATIONS OF

THAT EXPERIENCE HAD BEEN FOR

THEIR LIFE, THAT'S WHEN I

STARTED UNDERSTANDING WHAT TO ME

FELT LIKE ONE OF THE KEYS TO THE

1960s, TO THE CULTURAL

REVOLUTION OF THE '60s.

THEY FELT THAT THEY WERE

MOTIVATED TO BE PART OF THE

CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, THE

ANTIWAR MOVEMENT, THE WOMEN'S

RIGHTS MOVEMENT, THE

ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT.

>> THE HIPPIES IN THE '60s --

I MEAN, WE HAD A RACIAL BIAS A

LOT OF PLACES, BUT THE HIPPIES

WERE BLACK AND WHITE AND YELLOW

AND EVERY OTHER COLOR BECAUSE

THOSE BARRIERS CAME DOWN WHEN

PEOPLE TOOK PSYCHEDELICS.

THOSE CULTURAL BARRIERS WERE

GONE, AND THEY COULD SEE THROUGH

THAT.

THERE WAS A TRANSPARENCY, AND

THEY SAID, "WELL, HE'S JUST LIKE

ME.

SHE'S JUST LIKE ME.

WE'RE ALL PART OF THIS THING."

AND IF THEY HAD MYSTICAL

EXPERIENCES, IT WAS EVEN MORE

PROFOUND BECAUSE THEY REALIZED

EVERYTHING IS ALL A PART,

EVERYTHING IS ALL ONE.

>> WHEN YOU HAVE THIS UNITIVE

MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE, BECAUSE

IT'S UNITIVE, YOU IDENTIFY WITH

PEOPLE THAT YOU MIGHT NORMALLY

NOT, SO THAT THERE'S A DEEPER

PART OF OURSELVES, DEEPER THAN

OUR COUNTRY, DEEPER THAN OUR

NATIONALITY, DEEPER THAN OUR

RELIGION, DEEPER THAN OUR

GENDER, DEEPER THAN OUR SKIN

COLOR, DEEPER THAN OUR SEXUAL

ORIENTATION, THAT THERE'S THIS

CORE ELEMENT THAT BINDS US

TOGETHER.

>> A HALLMARK FEATURE TO THE

MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE IS ONE IN

WHICH THERE'S JUST A SENSE OF

THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF ALL

PEOPLE AND THINGS, A SENSE THAT

ALL IS ONE.

AND THAT EXPERIENCE IS

ACCOMPANIED BY THIS NOETIC SENSE

THAT THE EXPERIENCE, AT ITS

CORE, IS MORE REAL AND MORE TRUE

THAN EVERYDAY WAKING

CONSCIOUSNESS.

>> LUCID DREAMING IS, YOU'RE

DREAMING, BUT YOU'RE CONSCIOUS

THAT YOU ARE DREAMING.

SO, SUDDENLY YOU'RE HAVING A

DREAM, AND YOU GO, "I'M HAVING A

DREAM," AND YOU'RE AWARE THAT

YOU'RE HAVING A DREAM WITHIN THE

DREAM.

PSYCHEDELICS HAVE BEEN SUGGESTED

TO PRODUCE AN EFFECT LIKE THAT,

AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE

ELECTRICAL STATE OF THE BRAIN IN

A WAKING, NORMAL PERSON, YOU SEE

A LOT OF ACTIVITY IN THE FRONTAL

CORTEX BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE ALL

THE INFORMATION IS COMING IN TO

BE PROCESSED.

SO, WHEN PEOPLE TAKE A

PSYCHEDELIC AND HAVE THAT

MYSTICAL, TRANSCENDENT

EXPERIENCE, THE BRAIN IS STILL

FUNCTIONING AND CONSCIOUS, BUT

IT'S GETTING NO DATA FROM YOUR

FEELING TOUCH, THE BODY.

THE BODY'S GONE.

SO NOW YOU JUST HAVE THIS,

BASICALLY, PURE CONSCIOUSNESS.

SO, WHAT HAPPENS THEN?

YEAH, I DON'T KNOW.

[ CHUCKLES ]

YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S

INCREDIBLY INTERESTING.

>> WE STILL DON'T KNOW.

AND THESE DRUGS ARE THE TOOLS

THAT WILL ENABLE US TO FIGURE IT

OUT.

>> WE'VE ASKED THE QUESTION,

WHERE DOES IT WORK IN THE BRAIN

TO PRODUCE ITS EFFECTS?

AND HOW DO THE CHANGES IT

PRODUCES IN THE BRAIN LEAD TO

THESE REMARKABLE EXPERIENCES,

BOTH OF ALTERATIONS IN

SENSATION, BUT ALSO ALTERATIONS

IN FEELING AND EMOTION AND THIS

SENSE OF BEING MORE AT ONE WITH

THE UNIVERSE?

AND WHAT WE FOUND WAS COMPLETELY

SURPRISING AND EXACTLY THE

OPPOSITE OF WHAT WE PREDICTED

BECAUSE WE FOUND THAT PSILOCYBIN

TURNED OFF BLOOD FLOW IN KEY

PARTS OF THE BRAIN, SUCH AS THE

PREFRONTAL CORTEX, THE SORT OF

POSTERIOR CORTEX, AND THE

THALAMUS.

AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THOSE PARTS

OF THE BRAIN, YOU REALIZE THAT

THEY ACTUALLY ARE THE PARTS OF

THE BRAIN WHICH CONTROL AND

INTEGRATE THE WAY IN WHICH THE

BRAIN PROCESSES INFORMATION.

THEY'RE THE KIND OF GATEKEEPER

REGIONS, THE NODES WHICH

REGULATE WHAT YOU DO AND HOW YOU

FEEL.

AND BY SWITCHING THOSE OFF, WE

KIND OF LIBERATE THE REST OF THE

BRAIN SO THAT IT CAN DO OTHER

THINGS, AND THAT'S WHY YOU GET

THE EXPANSION OF CONSCIOUSNESS.

>> THE CORE OF WHAT WE FOUND IN

OUR STUDIES IN HEALTHY

VOLUNTEERS AT JOHNS HOPKINS IS

THAT THERE IS THIS QUANTUM

CHANGE, IF YOU WILL, IN TERMS OF

PERCEPTION OF LIFE AND SELF AND

ATTITUDES AND MOODS AND

BEHAVIOR.

MOST PEOPLE ARE STILL ENDORSING

THAT THIS EXPERIENCE IS AMONG

THE MOST PERSONALLY MEANINGFUL

AND SPIRITUALLY SIGNIFICANT

EXPERIENCES OF THEIR ENTIRE

LIVES.

>> SO, WE CAN NOW ACTUALLY STUDY

THE MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE -- OR

"TRANSCENDENT EXPERIENCE" IS

MAYBE A BETTER TERM FOR IT,

TRANSPERSONAL EXPERIENCE -- WITH

PHARMACOLOGICAL TOOLS, USING

SCIENTIFIC TOOLS.

I THINK THAT'S A HUGE

ACCOMPLISHMENT AND A HUGE SORT

OF BREAK FROM THE WAY IT'S

ALWAYS BEEN.

>> WE'RE JUST RELEARNING HOW TO

LET IT BE OKAY TO CALL THESE

THINGS REAL, TO CALL THESE

PRACTICES REAL AGAIN.

>> SEEING THAT THESE KINDS OF

EXPERIENCES CAN BE OCCASIONED

AND THAT THEY'RE PRODUCING

REPORTS OF LONG-LASTING

ATTRIBUTIONS OF PERSONAL MEANING

AND SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE

REALLY GOT MY ATTENTION.

>> I WAS DIAGNOSED TO HAVE

TERMINAL CANCER A FEW MONTHS

AGO, AND NATURALLY THERE'S A LOT

OF FEAR AND ANGER AND PAIN,

EMOTIONAL PAIN, THAT SURROUNDS

SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

IT HAS ALLOWED ME TO OPEN UP AND

HAVE COMMUNICATION WITH MY

FAMILY THAT I NEVER HAVE BEEN

ABLE TO HAVE BEFORE.

>> THIS MORNING, THE DRUG

ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION IS

ANNOUNCING ITS INTENTION TO

PLACE THE DRUG KNOWN AS MDMA --

OR BY THE STREET NAME ECSTASY --

UNDER EMERGENCY CONTROLS AND

SCHEDULE 1.

>> THERE WERE TRIALS WHERE A

D.E.A. ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE

HEARD HOURS AND HOURS OF

TESTIMONY AND MADE THE DECISION

THAT SCHEDULE 3 MADE THE MOST

SENSE.

IT WOULD BE A PRESCRIPTION

MEDICINE AND THERE WOULD BE A

LOT OF RESTRICTIONS ON IT, BUT

IT WOULD BE MUCH, MUCH EASIER TO

DO CLINICAL RESEARCH WITH IT.

BUT THE D.E.A. DID NOT TAKE ITS

OWN ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE'S

RECOMMENDATION, AND THEY WENT

AHEAD AND PUT MDMA IN

SCHEDULE 1.

AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S

INTERESTING IS MDMA's BEEN IN

SCHEDULE 1 FOR 25 YEARS NOW, AND

IT'S, YOU KNOW, JUST AS EASY TO

GET AS IT'S EVER BEEN, IF NOT

MORE.

I MEAN, IT'S BECOME A VERY

POPULAR DRUG OF ABUSE.

MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AROUND THE

WORLD ARE TAKING THIS DRUG

RECREATIONALLY.

I MEAN, ONE THING THAT YOU SEE

IS THAT WHEN YOU'RE TAKING SORT

OF A KNOWN QUANTITY OF A KNOWN

SUBSTANCE IN A MEDICAL SETTING

OR A THERAPEUTIC SETTING, IT'S

VERY SAFE.

BECAUSE THIS DRUG IS ILLEGAL,

WHEN SOMEBODY BUYS ECSTASY, THEY

MAY BE GETTING MDMA, OR THEY

COULD BE GETTING ANY NUMBER OF

CHEMICALS THAT ARE NOT BAD FOR

YOU OR HORRIBLY BAD FOR YOU.

BECAUSE OF PROHIBITION, THE

ISSUE OF DRUG SUBSTITUTION AND

COUNTERFEIT PILLS AND THINGS

LIKE THAT IS VERY MUCH AN ISSUE.

>> THAT'S ONE OF THE PROBLEMS

WITH THE WAY DRUGS ARE

APPROACHED IN THIS SOCIETY --

KIDS DON'T LEARN ABOUT USING

THESE THINGS IN A SAFE AND WISE

WAY.

>> WHEN MDMA FIRST CAME INTO

PUBLIC AWARENESS, THE GOVERNMENT

OFFICIALS WERE CALLING IT

ANOTHER HALLUCINOGENIC

AMPHETAMINE.

AND I KNEW A LOT ABOUT WHAT THE

STRUCTURES OF HALLUCINOGENIC

AMPHETAMINES LOOKED LIKE, AND I

THOUGHT, THAT DOESN'T MAKE

SENSE THAT THAT'S A

HALLUCINOGEN.

MY LABORATORY ACTUALLY PUBLISHED

THE FIRST BIOCHEMICAL WORK ON

MDMA IN 1982, BEFORE ANYONE EVEN

CALLED IT ECSTASY OR KNEW WHAT

IT WAS.

WE SHOWED THAT IT RELEASED

SEROTONIN.

AMPHETAMINES THEMSELVES --

AMPHETAMINE OR

METHAMPHETAMINE -- RELEASE

PRINCIPALLY A DOPAMINE, A

TRANSMITTER CALLED DOPAMINE --

AND ALSO NOREPINEPHRINE -- BUT

ALSO RELEASE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF

SEROTONIN.

MDMA HAS MOSTLY ITS EFFECT ON

SEROTONIN.

IT RELEASES SEROTONIN, BUT ALSO

RELEASES NOREPINEPHRINE AND ALSO

RELEASES DOPAMINE.

SO, IN SOME RESPECTS, IT'S

WORKING LIKE METHAMPHETAMINE,

BUT THE PROFILE IS SOMEWHAT

REVERSED.

>> MDMA IS NOT A HALLUCINOGEN.

IT REALLY IS UNIQUE IN

PSYCHIATRY.

THERE'S NO OTHER DRUG LIKE IT.

BECAUSE IT IS THIS MASSIVE

SEROTONIN AGONIST, IT BASICALLY

FLOODS THE SYNAPSE OR FLOODS THE

BRAIN WITH SEROTONIN.

IT'S ALMOST LIKE AN

IMMEDIATE-ACTING ANTIDEPRESSANT

OR AN IMMEDIATE-ACTING

ANTIANXIETY MEDICINE.

THEY'RE CALLED ANXIOLYTICS.

SOMETHING THAT DECREASES ANXIETY

IS AN ANXIOLYTIC.

AND IN PSYCHIATRY, ALL THE

ANXIOLYTICS ARE SEDATING.

SO, THERE IS NO

IMMEDIATE-ACTING, NON-SEDATING

ANXIOLYTIC IN PSYCHIATRY.

BUT MDMA IS AN IMMEDIATE-ACTING,

NON-SEDATING ANXIOLYTIC.

30, 45 MINUTES AFTER SOMEBODY

TAKES MDMA, MOST PEOPLE BECOME

VERY RELAXED AND HAPPY AND

CONTENT.

THEY'RE ALSO AWAKE, ALERT,

COMPLETELY CONSCIOUS, COGNIZANT

OF EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON.

THEY HAVE ENHANCED MEMORY FOR

THE EXPERIENCE, AND THERE'S ALSO

ENHANCED MEMORY FOR EARLY

REPRESSED TRAUMAS.

SO, IT'S PARTICULARLY

WELL-SUITED TO PSYCHOTHERAPY, TO

BEING A CATALYST FOR

PSYCHOTHERAPY.

>> WE SEE IT RIGHT NOW FOR

POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER,

FOR VETERANS COMING BACK FROM

AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ.

THERE'S A GREAT NEED FOR

TREATMENTS THAT THE CURRENT

MEDICATIONS, THE CURRENT

PSYCHOTHERAPIES, ONLY WORK

PARTIALLY AND ONLY WORK ON

CERTAIN SUBJECTS.

SO, THE NEED IS GROWING FOR THE

PSYCHEDELIC MEDICINES.

>> ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH

TREATING PTSD IS THAT PEOPLE

EITHER HAVE TOO MUCH ANXIETY OR

TOO MUCH EMOTIONAL NUMBING IN

ORDER TO BE ABLE TO REVISIT THE

TRAUMA IN A THERAPEUTIC WAY.

AND WHAT MDMA SEEMS TO DO IS TO

ALLOW PEOPLE TO FACE THEIR FEARS

WITHOUT BEING OVERWHELMED, BUT

YET HAVE AN EMOTIONAL

CONNECTION.

WE JUST RECENTLY COMPLETED

WHAT'S CALLED A PHASE II

CLINICAL TRIAL OF MDMA-ASSISTED

THERAPY, PSYCHOTHERAPY, FOR

TREATMENT-RESISTANT

POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER.

WE WOULD ENCOURAGE THEM TO SPEND

A GOOD BIT TIME OF THE TIME

FOCUSING INWARD, WITHOUT

TALKING.

AND WE HAD HEADPHONES WITH A

PROGRAM OF MUSIC AND EYESHADES.

WE HAD AN AGREEMENT WITH

EVERYONE THAT IF NOTHING ABOUT

THEIR TRAUMA CAME UP, THEN WE

COULD BRING IT UP, BUT WE NEVER

HAD TO DO THAT.

IT ALWAYS CAME UP SPONTANEOUSLY,

BUT NOT NECESSARILY RIGHT AWAY.

WE ENCOURAGED PEOPLE TO BE OPEN

TO THE IDEA THAT KIND OF THEIR

OWN INNER HEALING, INTELLIGENCE,

WOULD BRING WHATEVER EXPERIENCE

NEEDED TO COME.

IT SEEMS THAT MDMA HELPS PEOPLE

STAY IN WHAT'S CALLED AN

OPTIMAL AROUSAL ZONE.

>> SO, ONE OTHER UNIQUE THING

ABOUT MDMA IS THAT IT INDUCES,

IN MOST PEOPLE, SORT OF A HEART

OPENING AND A SENSE OF

CONNECTEDNESS AND EMPATHY WITH

OTHER PEOPLE.

THAT MAY BE BECAUSE IT ENHANCES

OXYTOCIN RELEASE IN THE BRAIN, A

HORMONE THAT IS INVOLVED WITH

BONDING.

SO, I SUPPOSE, IN A WORLD WHERE

MORE PEOPLE WERE UNDERGOING

MDMA-ASSISTED PSYCHOTHERAPY, YOU

WOULD HAVE MORE PEOPLE WHO WERE

HAPPY AND RELAXED AND MORE

TRUSTING OF OTHER PEOPLE AND

MORE CARING AND MORE EMPATHIC.

>> MY TAKE ON IT IN GENERAL IS

THAT IT SOMEHOW ALLOWS ACCESS TO

AN EXPERIENCE THAT IS A

FUNDAMENTAL, INHERENT CAPACITY

THAT PEOPLE HAVE.

PEOPLE SEEM TO HAVE MORE EMPATHY

FOR OTHERS AND FOR THEMSELVES.

IT SEEMS AS IF IT REMOVES THE

OBSTACLES TO ACCESSING THAT

SENSE OF EMPATHY.

>> IN THE OLD TIME, YOU COULD GO

FOR 10 YEARS FOR MEDITATION, AND

THEN ONCE, IF YOU WERE LUCKY ON

THE WAY, YOU WOULD REALIZE, "AH,

THAT'S WHAT JESUS OR BUDDHA

MEANT."

NOW YOU CAN DO IT IN SIX HOURS,

IN ECSTASY.

IT WILL NOT KEEP, BUT YOU GET

THE INSIGHT.

AND IF THEN YOU ARE SERIOUS, YOU

CAN START TO WORK WITH THAT

INSIGHT.

BUT FIRST THE DOOR HAS TO OPEN.

>> IT WOULD NOT BE THE BEST USE

OF IT IF PEOPLE GET THE IDEA

THAT THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN FEEL

BETTER IS TO TAKE THE DRUG

AGAIN.

I THINK THAT GETS INTO A PATTERN

THAT'S NOT USEFUL.

>> PSYCHEDELIC IS A BEAUTIFUL

HELP TO OPEN THE DOOR, AS LONG

AS YOU ARE READY TO ACCEPT IT IS

NOT THE SOLUTION.

>> IT'S AN INTERESTING COMPOUND,

AND WE NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT

IT.

WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE RISKS

AND BENEFITS, AND THE ONLY WAY

YOU'RE REALLY GONNA UNDERSTAND

IT IS TO DO CLINICAL RESEARCH.

>> MARIJUANA, THE DRIED LEAVES

AND FLOWERS OF THE INDIAN HEMP

WEED, IS USED IN THE FORM OF THE

CIGARETTE.

MARIJUANA SMOKING, EXPERTS POINT

OUT, CAN MAKE A HELPLESS ADDICT

OF ITS VICTIM WITHIN WEEKS,

CAUSING PHYSICAL AND MORAL RUIN

AND DEATH.

SHOULD YOU EVER BE CONFRONTED

WITH THE TEMPTATION OF TAKING

THAT FIRST PUFF OF A MARIJUANA

CIGARETTE, DON'T DO IT!

>> ONE OF THE MOST REMARKABLE

ASPECTS ABOUT CANNABIS IS THAT

THE PLANT ITSELF CONTAINS

HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF

DIFFERENT COMPOUNDS, MANY OF

WHICH ARE LIKELY TO HAVE

THERAPEUTIC VALUE.

NOW, MOSTLY, WE FOCUS ON THC,

WHICH IS, OF COURSE, THE

COMPONENT OF CANNABIS THAT

MAKES YOU STONED.

BUT THERE'S ANOTHER VERY

IMPORTANT COMPONENT CALLED

CANNABIDIOL.

BUT CANNABIDIOL ITSELF IS ALSO A

RELAXANT DRUG.

IT'S RECENTLY BEEN SHOWN TO

REDUCE ANXIETY.

IT MAY ALSO PROMOTE SLEEP.

>> EARLY MAN BEGAN TO USE

PSYCHOACTIVE POTIONS.

IN THE CAVE PAINTINGS, YOU CAN

SEE THE SIGNS OF AN ALTERED

STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS.

>> INITIALLY, OF COURSE, ANCIENT

PEOPLE DIDN'T HAVE ANY

UNDERSTANDING OF THINGS LIKE

THC, CHEMICAL MOLECULES, THESE

TYPES OF THINGS, THEIR EFFECTS

ON THE BRAIN.

AND THE EFFECTS OF PLANTS LIKE

CANNABIS, OPIUM, COCA,

MUSHROOMS, CACTI, WERE ALL

GENERALLY SEEN AS MAGICAL

EFFECTS THAT CAME TO THEM

THROUGH THE GODS.

>> SO, CANNABIS HAS A VERY BROAD

RANGE OF ACTIONS.

AND IT'S BEEN AROUND FOR 4,000

YEARS, SO IT'S NOT SURPRISING

THAT ITS UTILITY HAS BEEN WIDELY

EXPERIENCE AND WIDELY TESTED.

IT WAS VERY POPULAR WITH

QUEEN VICTORIA IN ENGLAND IN THE

1800s.

SHE USED IT TO TREAT PERIOD

PAINS.

SHE USED IT TO TREAT THE PAIN OF

CHILDBIRTH.

AND IN FACT IT WAS A LEGAL

MEDICINE IN BRITAIN UNTIL 1971.

AND THEN WHEN YOUNG PEOPLE

STARTED USING IT, IT WAS BANNED.

>> I CERTAINLY THINK WE HAVE

MADE MISTAKES IN PENALIZING

PEOPLE FOR MEDICINAL USE.

WE SAW SOME CASES THAT WERE

ABSOLUTELY LUDICROUS, PEOPLE

RAISING IT FOR THOSE PURPOSES,

WHO'D BEEN DIRECTED TO USE IT.

I THINK WE SHOULD OPEN UP THIS

WHOLE CAN OF WORMS.

AND I WOULD HOPE THAT THE

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT COULD WORK

WITH THIS COMMITTEE AND WORK

WITH MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND

OTHER ADVOCATES AS TO HOW BETTER

TO ASSESS THE USE OF MARIJUANA.

>> CAN THEY COME UP WITH EVEN

ONE POSITIVE THING AS A RESULT

OF PROHIBITION OF MARIJUANA?

AND IF THEY START SAYING, "OH,

IT'S TO KEEP THE DRUGS AWAY FROM

OUR CHILDREN," THEY'RE WRONG.

IT'S EASIER FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE

TO GET MARIJUANA THAN ALCOHOL.

IF THEY'RE GOING TO SAY, "WELL,

WE'RE GOING TO REDUCE VIOLENCE,

WE'RE GOING TO PERPETUATE THE

RULE OF LAW," THEY'RE WRONG.

IT'S DOING THE ABSOLUTE

OPPOSITE.

60% OF ALL OF THE DRUG CARTELS'

PROFITS IN MEXICO COME FROM THE

SALE OF MARIJUANA, WITH ALL OF

THE DRUG-RELATED VIOLENCE THAT

GOES DOWN THERE.

IT ISN'T THE DRUGS THAT ARE

CAUSING THE HARM.

IT'S THE DRUG MONEY.

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

SAY THIS ALL THE TIME, THAT

THERE'S NO STUDY SHOWING THAT

MARIJUANA IS AN EFFECTIVE

MEDICINE.

AND YOU KNOW SOMETHING?

THEY'RE RIGHT.

HOWEVER, IT'S BEYOND HYPOCRISY

FOR THEM BECAUSE IT'S THE

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT CONTROLS

THE MARIJUANA.

AND NUMBERS OF REPUTABLE

GROUPS -- THE CENTERS FOR

DISEASE CONTROL, THE

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, AND

OTHERS -- HAVE REQUESTED TO

CONDUCT THE STUDIES, AND THEY'VE

BEEN DEPRIVED OF THAT

AUTHORIZATION.

>> SO, THERE'S NO RESEARCH

BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT HASN'T

ALLOWED THE RESEARCH.

>> THE GOVERNMENT AFFIRMATIVELY

DOES NOT ALLOW THIS RESEARCH TO

TAKE PLACE, AND THEN THEY

SANCTIMONIOUSLY SAY, "WELL,

THERE'S NO RESEARCH THAT SHOWS

IT."

IT'S BEYOND HYPOCRISY.

I VIEW IT AS CHUTZPAH.

>> CANNABIS IS LESS HARMFUL TO

THE HEALTH THAN ALCOHOL OR

TOBACCO.

AND THEREFORE, IT IS COMPLETELY

OUT OF ORDER THAT IT SHOULD BE

IN THIS HIGH-PROHIBITED

CATEGORY.

>> TOBACCO, TO THE BEST OF MY

KNOWLEDGE, IS THE ONLY SUBSTANCE

THAT WE SELL IN THE

UNITED STATES THAT, WHEN USED AS

DIRECTED, CAUSES DEATH.

>> RIGHT. ABSOLUTELY.

>> SHOULDN'T WE BE INCORPORATING

TOBACCO INTO OUR DRUG POLICIES?

>> WELL, CERTAINLY, CERTAINLY.

>> AND THAT ARGUES MORE AND MORE

FOR IT BEING A PUBLIC-HEALTH

ISSUE RATHER THAN A CRIMINAL

ISSUE.

>> I THINK THE ULTIMATE THREAT

OF THESE SUBSTANCES, WHEN IT

COMES TO MODERN SOCIETY, IS

THEIR ABILITY TO BREAK CONSENSUS

TRENDS AND THROW PEOPLE INTO

LOOKING AT THINGS IN A NOVEL,

NEW WAY.

SOCIETY WENT THROUGH A MASSIVE

UPHEAVAL.

THERE WAS A SEXUAL REVOLUTION.

PEOPLE STARTED PROTESTING WARS.

AND THE GOVERNMENT THEMSELVES

DIRECTLY SOUGHT A RELATION

BETWEEN THIS AND DRUG USE,

PARTICULARLY CANNABIS USE.

>> WE MUST WAGE WHAT I HAVE

CALLED TOTAL WAR AGAINST PUBLIC

ENEMY NUMBER ONE IN THE

UNITED STATES -- THE PROBLEM OF

DANGEROUS DRUGS.

>> DRUGS ARE MENACING OUR

SOCIETY.

THEY'RE THREATENING OUR VALUES

AND UNDERCUTTING OUR

INSTITUTIONS.

>> RONALD REAGAN, FOR

INSTANCE -- HIS SON,

RONALD REAGAN JR., IN AN

INTERVIEW, WHEN QUESTIONED ABOUT

HIS MOTHER NANCY'S "JUST SAY NO"

CAMPAIGN AND HIS FATHER'S

SUPPORT FOR THE WAR ON DRUGS,

SAID IN RELATION TO MARIJUANA,

"IT'S NOT MARIJUANA, THE MILDLY

MIND-ALTERING SUBSTANCE.

IT'S MARIJUANA, THE ANTITHESIS

OF THE STATE."

>> AT THE TIME, I HAD NO REASON

TO BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS

ANYTHING SINISTER GOING ON.

>> THIS ESTATE LOOKS LIKE A

NICE PLACE TO RAISE A FAMILY,

BUT THIS SEEMINGLY SAFE SUBURB

WAS HIDING A DANGEROUS SECRET,

POLICE FINDING FIVE CANNABIS

GROW HOUSES ON TWO NEIGHBORING

STREETS.

>> I'M A BIT SCARED.

>> CHELSEA AND HER FAMILY LIVE

IN THE AREA, BUT ARE NOW MOVING

OUT SOLELY BECAUSE OF THE DRUG

RAID.

>> I'VE GOT RENTAL AGREEMENTS.

I'M GOING TO FIND ANOTHER PLACE

TO LIVE.

>> YEAH, CANNABIS HAS HAD A

ROUGH TIME OVER THE LAST CENTURY

OR SO.

AND ONE OF THE REAL PROBLEMS I

THINK WE HAVE NOW IS THAT

MEDICINAL CANNABIS IS ONLY

AVAILABLE IN SOME COUNTRIES,

STILL NOT AVAILABLE IN THE

UNITED KINGDOM, AND THAT'S A

SERIOUS LOSS AND IS A DETRIMENT

TO MANY OF OUR PATIENTS.

>> WE'VE DONE RESEARCH ON THE

DIFFERENT CONSTITUENTS OF

CANNABIS -- THC, WHICH GETS YOU

HIGH, CBD, WHICH IS AN AMAZING

COMPOUND WHICH IS ANTIPSYCHOTIC,

ANTIANXIOLYTIC, ANTIDIABETIC.

IT'S A VERY GOOD COMPOUND.

IT'S BEEN GROWN OUT OF THE CROP

BECAUSE THE CROP HAS BEEN

MODIFIED AND GROWN SO THAT IT

HAS AS HIGH THC AS POSSIBLE.

IT'S A TRAGEDY THAT OUR YOUTH

CAN ONLY GET THAT TYPE OF

CANNABIS, MORE OR LESS.

>> THERE'S A LOT TO BE LEARNED

ABOUT THAT, AND I THINK IT CAN

BE A REAL PROBLEM FOR KIDS USING

IT IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T HAVE

THAT KIND OF SET AND SETTING.

>> THERE'S A LOT OF LEARNED

KNOWLEDGE WHICH CAN MORE EASILY

BE PASSED ON IN A REGULATED

SYSTEM.

>> ON ONE HAND, WE DECRY THE

SCOURGE OF DRUG ABUSE.

ON THE OTHER HAND, WE SAY THAT,

YOU KNOW, YOU SHOULD TAKE DRUGS

INSTEAD OF DEALING WITH A

BEHAVIORAL PROBLEM, INSTEAD OF

IMPLEMENTING NOVEL THINGS SUCH

AS PARENTING -- KIDS ARE

BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS, SO THEY CAN

BE MEDICATED SO THAT THEY'RE NO

LONGER A PROBLEM.

AS A RESULT, WE HAVE A WHOLE

GENERATION THAT HAS GROWN UP TO

RELY ON DRUGS.

AND SO THEN THEY FIND OUT THAT

THE DRUGS THAT ARE PROHIBITED

ACTUALLY WORK MUCH BETTER THAN

THE PHARMACEUTICAL DRUGS.

THEY'RE OFTEN MORE EFFECTIVE.

AND SO THEY CAN SEE NO REASON

NOT TO USE THOSE SUBSTANCES.

>> WHILE AUTISM IS NOT A

QUALIFYING MEDICAL CONDITION

LIKE CANCER OR SEVERE PAIN, IN

ALEX'S CASE, THE SEIZURES ARE.

HIS PARENTS GIVE HIM A LIQUID

FORM OF THE DRUG, AND AFTER A

FEW MONTHS OF TREATMENT, THE

ECHOLS SAY THEY SAW A DRAMATIC

IMPROVEMENT.

>> HE WENT FROM HITTING HIMSELF,

BLOODYING HIS FACE -- WITHIN AN

HOUR, HOUR AND A HALF, HE WOULD

BE PLAYING WITH TOYS, USING HIS

HANDS, SOMETHING THAT AT THAT

TIME WAS ALMOST UNHEARD OF.

>> THEY'RE NOT ADVOCATING THE

USE OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA FOR ALL

AUTISTIC CHILDREN, BUT THEY SAY

WALK A MILE IN THEIR SHOES, AND

THE TREATMENT MIGHT NOT SEEM SO

EXTREME.

>> SENIOR ARE THE

FASTEST-GROWING GROUP TAKING UP

POT.

A WARNING -- THIS REPORT DOES

CONTAIN DRUG REFERENCES.

>> I DON'T BELIEVE IN DRUGS.

BUT THEN I'VE ALSO NEVER BEEN

SOMEONE WHO'S SUFFERED FROM

PAIN.

MARIJUANA KEPT ME ALIVE.

>> I'VE TALKED TO SO MANY

PEOPLE -- ELDERS -- WHO SAID, "I

NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD DO

ANYTHING ILLEGAL IN MY ENTIRE

LIFE.

I'M A LITTLE OLD LADY WHO'S

FOLLOWED EVERY RULE I'VE EVER

HEARD OF.

BUT WHEN MY HUSBAND WAS

SUFFERING FROM CHEMOTHERAPY, I

FOUND MYSELF HUNTING FOR

MARIJUANA, AND I HAD TO GO

ACROSS THAT LINE TO FIND IT.

IT MADE ME REALIZE THAT NOT ALL

THE RULES ARE HERE TO PROTECT US

AND THAT SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO

LOOK BEYOND THOSE BOUNDARIES TO

FIND WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY

ENTITLED TO HAVE."

>> AND CNN's CHIEF MEDICAL

CORRESPONDENT, DR. SANJAY GUPTA,

JOINS ME.

NOW, SANJAY, WELCOME TO YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

>> SO, COME ON.

YOU'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THIS FOR

A YEAR, AND I WANT TO REMIND YOU

THAT IN 2009, YOU WROTE A TIME

MAGAZINE ARTICLE ENTITLED "WHY I

WOULD VOTE NO ON POT."

YOU'VE CHANGED YOUR MIND.

>> IF YOU LOOK AT ALL THE PAPERS

THAT ARE WRITTEN IN THE

UNITED STATES ABOUT MARIJUANA,

THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEM ARE

ABOUT THE HARM.

WE FUND STUDIES ON HARM.

WE DON'T FUND STUDIES ON BENEFIT

NEARLY AS MUCH, SO IT GIVES A

DISTORTED PICTURE.

BUT, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T LOOK FAR

ENOUGH.

I DIDN'T LOOK DEEP ENOUGH.

I DIDN'T LOOK AT LABS IN OTHER

COUNTRIES THAT ARE DOING SOME

INCREDIBLE RESEARCH.

I DIDN'T LISTEN TO THE CHORUS OF

PATIENTS WHO SAID, "NOT ONLY

DOES MARIJUANA WORK FOR ME,

IT'S THE ONLY THING THAT WORKS

FOR ME."

I TOOK THE D.E.A. AT THEIR WORD

WHEN THEY SAID IT IS A

SCHEDULE 1 SUBSTANCE AND HAS NO

MEDICAL APPLICATIONS.

THERE WAS NO SCIENTIFIC BASIS

FOR THEM TO SAY THAT.

THE SCIENCE IS THERE.

THIS ISN'T ANECDOTAL.

THIS ISN'T IN THE REALM OF

CONJECTURE ANYMORE.

I MEAN, FOR A LONG TIME, WE'VE

JUST IGNORED THESE PAPERS, BUT

THIS WAS A DRUG, YOU KNOW, THAT

WAS USED FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS.

>> "AYAHUASCA" AND "YAGE" ARE

INDIAN WORDS FOR BANISTERIA

CAAPI.

THE LITERAL MEANING OF

"AYAHUASCA" IS "VINE OF THE

SOUL."

THIS POWERFUL HALLUCINOGEN HAS

BEEN CREDITED WITH THE ABILITY

TO TRANSPORT HUMAN BEINGS TO

REALMS OF CONSCIOUSNESS WHERE

TELEPATHY AND CLAIRVOYANCE ARE

COMMONPLACE.

THE AYAHUASCA RITUAL IS ABOUT

TO BEGIN.

>> WHAT I WAS INTO WAS LOOKING

AT HOW AMAZONIAN INDIANS THINK

ABOUT THEIR RESOURCES AND USE

THEM TO BE ABLE TO ARGUE AGAINST

THE WORLD BANK AND OTHER

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

AGENCIES THAT WERE ENACTING

THESE BIG DEFORESTATION PROJECTS

THAT WOULD TAKE LAND AWAY FROM

PEOPLE.

THIS WAS ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS AND

ECOLOGICAL DESTRUCTION AND

TRYING TO MAKE THE WORLD A

BETTER PLACE.

SO, I HAD A VESTED INTEREST IN

SHOWING THAT THESE PEOPLE WERE

RATIONAL, BUT THE PROBLEM WAS,

WHEN ASKED, THEY SAID THAT THEIR

KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE PLANTS CAME

FROM THE HALLUCINATIONS OF THEIR

SHAMANS.

"UM, MM. HMM. WELL, UM..."

AFTER CIRCLING AROUND THIS

QUESTION OF THE ORIGIN OF THEIR

KNOWLEDGE, FINALLY, ONE GUY

SAID, "BROTHER JEREMY, IF YOU

WANT TO KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT

QUESTION, YOU HAVE TO DRINK

AYAHUASCA."

HE SAID, "IT'S THE TELEVISION OF

THE FOREST, AND YOU CAN SEE

IMAGES AND LEARN THINGS."

SO, YOU KNOW, I DECIDED TO

CHECK IT OUT.

PASTEUR TRIED IT, AND ALL THE

GREAT SCIENTISTS -- THEY TRY IT

ON THEMSELVES.

THAT'S ONE OF THE BEAUTIFUL

THINGS ABOUT SCIENCE.

[ WOMAN SINGING IN FOREIGN

LANGUAGE ]

>> IT'S NOT SUCH A RADICAL

PROPOSITION TO SEE PLANTS AS

BEING TEACHERS.

IN FACT, IT'S ONLY THE

ALIENATION OF WESTERN SCIENCE

FROM OUR ROOTS THAT CREATES THAT

APPARENT SPLIT.

I MEAN, FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS,

AROUND THE WORLD, MEDICINE WAS

BASED ON PLANTS.

>> THESE PSYCHOACTIVE CHEMICALS

IN SOME WAY ARE A

CO-EVOLUTIONARY MECHANISM, A WAY

THAT -- YOU KNOW, AND HERE'S

WHERE WE GET AWAY FROM SCIENCE

AND INTO SPECULATION, BUT A

CO-EVOLUTIONARY MECHANISM BY

WHICH THE COMMUNITY OF

SPECIES -- OR AT LEAST THE

COMMUNITY OF SENTIENT SPECIES --

HAS EVOLVED TO TALK TO THIS

PRIMATE, IF YOU WANT TO PUT IT

THAT WAY, A WAY TO SHARE THE

GNOSIS, SHARE THE KNOWLEDGE.

A FAMOUS BOTANIST ONCE SAID

PLANTS HAVE SUBSTITUTED

BIOSYNTHESIS FOR BEHAVIOR.

ANIMALS INTERACT WITH THEIR

ENVIRONMENT AND DEAL WITH THEIR

ENVIRONMENT PRIMARILY THROUGH

BEHAVIOR -- YOU KNOW, THE

FLIGHT-OR-FIGHT REACTION, ALL OF

THIS STUFF.

WE MOVE AROUND.

IF WE'RE THREATENED, YOU KNOW,

WE GET UP AND RUN AWAY.

PLANTS CAN'T DO THAT.

THEY'RE STUCK IN ONE PLACE.

SO, THEY MEDIATE THEIR

RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE

ENVIRONMENT THROUGH CHEMISTRY.

THAT'S WHY THEY'RE SUCH GREAT

CHEMISTS.

>> AND IF YOU ARE AN ANIMIST, A

PERSON WHO SEES THE SPIRIT OF

PLANTS AT WORK WITH AGENCY --

MEANING THE ABILITY TO CHOOSE,

TO INTERACT WITH ANOTHER

SPECIES...

>> SUDDENLY, THE WHOLE

RELATIONSHIP BECOMES MUCH MORE

COMPLICATED BECAUSE NOW THEY CAN

BE USED AS AN AGENT,

ESSENTIALLY, TO FORM A SYMBIOSIS

WITH THIS HYPERTROPHY-BRAINED

PRIMATE.

AND SO SUDDENLY THE WHOLE

EVOLUTIONARY RELATIONSHIP, THE

CO-EVOLUTIONARY EQUATION, HAS

CHANGED.

THE PLANT HAS AN INCENTIVE TO

FORM A RELATIONSHIP WITH HUMAN

BEINGS.

>> I THINK IT'S VERY SIGNIFICANT

THAT WE TALK ABOUT THE SHAMANS'

EXPERIENCES AS AN OUT-OF-BODY

EXPERIENCE, THAT THE

EXPERIENTIAL SELF -- WHAT WE MAY

CALL THE SOUL OR THE SPIRIT OR

JUST OUR COGNITIVE POINT OF

REFERENCE -- BECOMES DETACHED

FROM THE BODY.

AND SO NOW WE HAVE THE

CAPABILITY TO LOOK AT THE WORLD

IN A WAY THAT IS MORE THAN JUST

THE BODY-BASED LIMITATIONS THAT

WE ORIGINALLY EVOLVED TO USE TO

UNDERSTAND THE PHYSICAL WORLD.

>> THERE IS A SENSE IN WHICH, IN

YOUR MIND, YOU RISE ABOVE

YOURSELF OR OUTSIDE OF YOURSELF,

AND YOU CAN SEE.

YOU SEE FILMS ABOUT YOURSELF.

>> [ CHANTING IN NATIVE

LANGUAGE ]

>> ONCE YOU DRINK, YOU SEE, AND

ONCE YOU SEE, THEN YOU CAN'T

UN-SEE.

JUST LIKE THEY SAY, YOU CAN TAKE

THIS STUFF, AND IT SHOWS YOU

THESE SPECTACULAR IMAGES THAT

TEACH YOU THINGS.

>> THERE'S A WISDOM IN THE

PSYCHE THAT BECOMES MORE AND

MORE APPARENT, OF JUST WHAT A

PARTICULAR PERSON MOST NEEDS TO

EXPERIENCE IN ORDER TO MATURE

PSYCHOLOGICALLY AND SPIRITUALLY.

>> IT IS OFTEN LIKE, "THAT IS

JUST WHAT I NEEDED TO KNOW --

PERHAPS NOT WHAT I WANTED TO

KNOW, BUT JUST WHAT I NEEDED TO

KNOW AT THAT MOMENT."

>> THOSE CULTURES WHERE

AYAHUASCA IS PART OF THE

CULTURE -- NO ONE USES IT

FRIVOLOUSLY.

THE KIDS DON'T GO OFF AND PARTY

WITH IT.

IT'S USED IN A VERY RESPECTFUL

WAY, WITH ELDERS, SHAMANS,

PEOPLE THAT KNOW HOW TO USE IT,

GUIDING AND HAVING A SAFE SET

AND SETTING.

THE MIND-SET OF THE SUBJECT AND

THE THERAPIST AND THE SETTING IN

WHICH IT OCCURS MAKES A HUGE

DIFFERENCE.

>> SO, I THINK THAT'S VERY

HOPEFUL BECAUSE YOU'RE SEEING

SORT OF A MIGRATION TOGETHER

AGAIN OF SHAMANISM, WHICH HAS

ALWAYS ESSENTIALLY BEEN A FORM

OF PSYCHOTHERAPY IN WHICH THE

USE OF THESE SUBSTANCES IS AN

INTEGRAL PART.

AND NOW THAT'S COMING TOGETHER

WITH CLINICAL PSYCHIATRY AND

CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE.

SO, I THINK THAT'S VERY

ENCOURAGING BECAUSE IT FORCES US

TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT MIND AND

SPIRIT AND SOUL ARE ALL PART OF

THIS EQUATION.

>> IT'S TRUE THAT AYAHUASCA HAS

BECOME SURPRISINGLY POPULAR IN

THE WESTERN WORLD.

WHAT'S SURPRISING ABOUT IT IS

IT'S NOT NECESSARILY AN

ENJOYABLE EXPERIENCE.

IT'S A PURGE.

IT CAN MAKE YOU VOMIT AND SO ON.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT

EXACTLY A PARTY DRUG.

>> I MUST SAY, YOU WOULDN'T

DRINK AYAHUASCA OUT OF CEREMONY.

IT'S NOT ANYTHING THAT YOU DO

LIGHTLY, AND YOU WANT TO BE

DOING IT WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE

BEEN THERE BEFORE, WHO ARE

HELPING YOU, AND WHO KNOW WHAT

THEY'RE DOING.

>> BUT I REMEMBER AFTER ONE OF

THESE SESSIONS KIND OF

INNOCENTLY SAYING TO THE MEN WHO

I'D BEEN UP ALL NIGHT WITH -- I

SAID, "MY GOD, THIS STUFF IS

REALLY INCREDIBLE.

I MEAN, IT JUST SEEMS TO -- IT'S

TERRIFYING.

I MEAN, SOME OF THE VISIONS

JUST, YOU KNOW -- DON'T YOU GUYS

GET SCARED?"

AND THEY JUST SAID, YOU KNOW,

"YEAH, YOU KNOW, IT SCARES THE

HECK OUT OF US."

THE IDEA IS TO SORT OF RIP

THROUGH THE PLACENTA OF ORDINARY

CONSCIOUSNESS TO ACHIEVE SOME

KIND OF ILLUMINATION, BUT NOBODY

SAID THE JOURNEY WAS SUPPOSED TO

BE PLEASANT.

>> IT'S NOTHING I PARTICULARLY

EITHER LOOK FORWARD TO OR ENJOY

VERY MUCH WHEN IT HAPPENS.

BUT AFTER IT HAPPENS, THERE'S A

KIND OF CLARITY AND A LIGHTNESS

THAT'S POWERFUL BECAUSE WHAT'S

BEING PURGED, ACTUALLY, IS

PSYCHIC CONTENTS THAT YOU'VE

BEEN HOLDING ON TO.

YOU'RE PURGING ANGER.

YOU'RE PURGING PAIN.

YOU'RE PURGING SOME FALSE STORY

ABOUT THE SELF.

>> WHAT FASTER WAY, IF YOU'RE A

WESTERNER, TO SORT OF FIND AN

ANTIDOTE TO SHOPPING,

MATERIALISM, AND LACK OF MEANING

BY HAVING THIS EXPERIENCE?

[ WOMAN SINGING IN FOREIGN

LANGUAGE ]

>> WHAT WE HAVE WITNESSED HERE

IS THE SURVIVAL OF A TRADITION

ALMOST AS OLD AS MAN HIMSELF.

>> AND WHAT WE HAD DONE,

LIEUTENANT, WAS TO ESTABLISH

DEFINITELY AND FOR THE FIRST

TIME, THROUGH CAREFUL

EXPERIMENTS, THAT MAN, AT

PRESENT, IS USING ONLY A

FRACTION OF HIS BRAIN CAPACITY,

ESPECIALLY IN THE FIELD OF

AWARENESS, AND THAT CERTAIN

DRUGS ARE POWERFUL DEVICES FOR

EXPANDING THIS AWARENESS TOWARD

ITS REAL POSSIBILITIES.

>> * BROTHER AND SISTER

* TOGETHER WE'LL MAKE IT

THROUGH *

* OH, YEAH

* SOMEDAY OUR SPIRIT WILL TAKE

YOU AND GUIDE YOU THERE *

* AND I'LL BE THERE JUST HELPING

YOU OUT WHENEVER I CAN *

>> * EVERYBODY'S FREE

>> * EVERYBODY'S FREE

* OH, YEAH-AH-AH

* OH, TO FEEL GOOD

>> THE SUCCESSFULLY MARKETED

SEROTONIN ANTIDEPRESSANTS WHICH

CAME INTO CONSUMER USE IN THE

1980s WERE SOLD AS MECHANICAL

FIX-ITS.

IN THE MARKETER'S DREAM, THE

COMPLEX SYSTEM OF SELF AND

ENVIRONMENT WAS DISTILLED INTO A

PILL TO BE CHEERFULLY SWALLOWED

ON A DAILY BASIS, OFFERING THE

PROMISE THAT YOU WOULD RETURN TO

THE PERSONA OF A PRODUCTIVE AND

CONTENTED CITIZEN.

>> THIS IDEA THAT WE CAN SOMEHOW

MEDICATE OURSELVES INTO A STATE

OF HAPPINESS -- THIS ENCOURAGES

DRUG DEPENDENCE, AND IT

ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO NOT REALLY

EXAMINE THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE

PROBLEM THAT MADE THEM FEEL BAD

IN THE FIRST PLACE BECAUSE YOU

CAN SIMPLY MASK THE SYMPTOMS.

>> IT'S NOT LIKE ANY INDIVIDUAL

IS WRONG TO DO THAT.

IT'S THE PICTURE THAT'S WRONG.

THE INDIVIDUALS ARE SUFFERING,

CLEARLY, YOU KNOW?

WE HAVE TO HAVE COMPASSION FOR

PEOPLE LOOKING FOR SOLUTIONS TO

THEIR PERSONAL PROBLEMS IN

WHATEVER WAY THEY CAN, BUT IT

DOESN'T SEEM THAT MEDICINES THAT

DAMPEN YOUR DESIRES AND DAMPEN

YOUR IDENTITY AND DAMPEN YOUR

CARING ABOUT THIS WORLD ARE GOOD

MEDICINES FOR THE INDIVIDUAL OR

FOR THE PLANET.

>> OVERBURDENED BY THEIR HMO

SCHEDULES, DOCTORS NO LONGER

HAVE THE TIME TO WORK THROUGH

SERIOUS ISSUES WITH THEIR

PATIENTS.

THEIR ONLY RECOURSE IS TO

ISSUE A QUICK PRESCRIPTION.

>> THAT'S ONE OF THE PROBLEMS

AND WHY IT'S DIFFICULT FOR DRUGS

LIKE LSD OR THE OTHER

PSYCHEDELICS TO BE INTEGRATED

INTO THE MEDICAL MODEL -- IT'S

AN EXPERIENCE.

A THERAPIST HAS TO ACTUALLY SIT

DOWN WITH THE PERSON AND TALK

WITH THEM.

>> DEPRESSION AND OTHER TYPES OF

MENTAL ILLNESSES ARE UNDERSTOOD

TO BE CHEMICAL IMBALANCES IN THE

BRAIN.

IT'S VERY RARE THAT, WHEN AN

SSRI IS PRESCRIBED, THAT

ACTUALLY MEASUREMENTS ARE TAKEN

TO ESTABLISH THAT THERE ARE

CHEMICAL IMBALANCES.

>> I DON'T THINK THAT CHEMISTRY

EXPLAINS DEPRESSION.

SO, THE IDEA THAT DEPRESSION CAN

BE RELATED SIMPLY TO SOME

BIOCHEMICAL CHANGES -- I THINK

IT'S A VERY INADEQUATE THEORY.

BENEATH DEPRESSION ARE BASICALLY

TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES.

FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, THAT'S A

SYMPTOM THAT WE HAVE SEEN MOST

FREQUENTLY CHANGED.

VERY PROFOUNDLY, WE HAVE SEEN

PEOPLE COMING OUT OF DEEP

DEPRESSION LASTING SEVERAL

YEARS, SOMETIMES AFTER ONE

SESSION.

>> THE COMPANIES ARE NOT

INTERESTED TO HEAR ABOUT A

TREATMENT THAT MAY NEED JUST TO

BE GIVEN ONCE OR TWICE, THAT

COULD MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE TO

PEOPLE.

>> AS FAR AS THE DOMINATING

CULTURE, THE PHARMACEUTICAL,

INDUSTRIAL GOVERNMENT COMPLEX --

IT'S NOT THAT THEY DON'T WANT

YOU TO BE ON DRUGS.

THEY WANT YOU TO BE ON DRUGS.

THEY JUST WANT YOU TO BE ON

CORPORATE DRUGS.

>> BUT WHAT ABOUT THE

PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES?

COULDN'T THEY MAKE A LOT OF

MONEY BY TURNING ALL THESE

SUBSTANCES INTO PHARMACEUTICAL

PRODUCTS?

>> ALL OF THESE DRUGS ARE OFF

PATENT.

MDMA -- PATENTED IN 1914 -- IT'S

IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.

LSD -- FIRST SYNTHESIZED IN

'38 -- IT'S IN THE PUBLIC

DOMAIN.

PSILOCYBIN WAS FIRST SYNTHESIZED

IN THE '50s.

IT'S IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.

MARIJUANA IS A PLANT.

THESE THINGS ARE IN THE PUBLIC

DOMAIN.

>> THE CORPORATE, GOVERNMENT

APPROACH IS, "IF WE CAN'T PATENT

IT, LET'S PROHIBIT IT."

ALL YOU DO BY BANNING THESE

THINGS PREEMPTIVELY IS YOU

CREATE A BLACK MARKET.

YOU CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR

SOMEBODY TO GET VERY RICH BY

DEALING IN, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS

NOW A PROHIBITED SUBSTANCE, AND

YOU MOTIVATE INTREPID

PSYCHONAUTS TO EXPERIMENT EVEN

MORE.

>> THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE

USING SUBSTANCES -- ALL KINDS OF

DIFFERENT SUBSTANCES, LEGAL AND

ILLEGAL -- "JUST GIVE ME

SOMETHING, LET'S JUST FORGET WHO

I AM AND WHAT'S GOING ON."

AND MEDICINE IS THE OPPOSITE --

"LET'S EXPLORE WHO I AM AND

LET'S UNDERSTAND IT."

>> PSYCHEDELICS OPEN UP THE DOOR

TO OUR INNER PSYCHE.

SO, WE HAVE HUMAN EXPERIENCES

UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A

PSYCHEDELIC RATHER THAN A

PSYCHEDELIC EXPERIENCE THAT'S

SOMEHOW OR OTHER INTRINSIC TO

THE DRUG.

>> A FLOOD OF FINDINGS WITH DRUG

ADDICTS AND CONVICTED FELONS

SHOWED THAT THESE SUBSTANCES

COULD RECONDITION BEHAVIOR,

ENABLING THEM TO MAKE DRAMATIC

CHANGES IN THEIR LIVES.

AFTER PARTICIPATING IN ONE OF

THESE EXPERIMENTS HIMSELF,

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS FOUNDER

BILL WILSON BECAME CONVINCED

THAT LSD COULD CURE CHRONIC

ALCOHOLISM.

IN A SERIES OF STUDIES CONDUCTED

BETWEEN 1954 AND 1960,

DR. HUMPHRY OSMOND PROVED HIM

RIGHT, TREATING 2,000 ALCOHOLICS

WITH LSD UNDER CAREFULLY

CONTROLLED CONDITIONS AND

ACHIEVING A SUCCESS RATE THAT

HAD NEVER BEEN DUPLICATED BY ANY

OTHER MEANS.

>> WE'VE TURNED THE CORNER ON

DRUG ADDICTION IN THE

UNITED STATES.

DRUG ADDICTION IN THE

UNITED STATES IS UNDER CONTROL.

>> FIRST OF ALL, THE WORD

"ADDICTION" ITSELF COMES FROM

THE LATIN WORD "ADDICTUS."

AN ADDICTUS WAS SOMEBODY WHO

OWED SOMEBODY MONEY, COULDN'T

PAY IT BACK, AND HAD TO BECOME A

SLAVE TO THEM.

SO, ADDICTION ALWAYS IMPLIES

SLAVERY.

THAT OF COURSE INCLUDES DRUGS,

BUT ALSO INCLUDES SHOPPING,

SEXOHOLISM, ADDICTION TO POWER,

ADDICTION TO WEALTH, ADDICTION

TO VIOLENCE, ADDICTION TO WORK.

ANYTHING THAT WE TRY AND USE TO

FILL THE INTERNAL VOID CAN

BECOME ADDICTIVE.

ON TOP OF THAT, OF COURSE, WE

LIVE IN A SOCIETY THAT VALUES

EXTERNALS.

EVERYBODY GETS THE MESSAGE THAT

THEY'RE NOT ADEQUATE BECAUSE

THOSE PERCEPTIONS OF NOT BEING

ADEQUATE IS WHAT DRIVE A LOT OF

CONSUMERISM.

SO, THIS SOCIETY AUTOMATICALLY

AND UNCONSCIOUSLY GENERATES

INSECURITY IN ALMOST EVERYBODY,

WHICH OF COURSE IS AN ALIENATION

FROM THE SELF, WHICH OF COURSE

IS A SOURCE OF INTERNAL DISTRESS

AND PAIN, WHICH AGAIN LEADS TO

ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS.

>> THE SEROTONERGIC

HALLUCINOGENS IN PARTICULAR --

THEY'RE CLASSIFIED AS DRUGS OF

ADDICTION, BUT THEY DON'T INDUCE

ADDICTIVE SYNDROMES IN ANY WAY

THAT WE CAN MEASURE THEM, EITHER

IN ANIMAL MODELS OR IN HUMAN

MODELS.

AND IN FACT, IN A WAY, THEY'RE

MISCLASSIFIED AS HAVING HIGH

ADDICTIVE POTENTIAL.

AND THE REALITY IS, WHEN USED

UNDER THE RIGHT KIND OF

CONSTRUCTS, THEY CAN ACTUALLY BE

USED TO TREAT ADDICTIVE SPECTRUM

DISORDERS.

>> THESE DRUGS ARE ILLEGAL.

AND ONE REMEMBERS

PROFESSOR DAVID NUTT.

I MEAN, IT GOT SO MANY HEADLINES

AT THE TIME.

HE WAS SACKED BY THE FORMER HOME

SECRETARY FOR HIS ADVICE, SAYING

THAT ECSTASY AND LSD WERE LESS

HARMFUL THAN ALCOHOL.

SHOULD, PERHAPS, PEOPLE VIEW

THIS IN THE CONTEXT THAT THERE

IS SOMEONE PERHAPS WHO JUST

GENERALLY WANTS LESS REGULATION

OF SOME OF THESE DRUGS?

>> WELL, THIS IS A VERY SPECIFIC

APPLICATION OF THE DRUGS.

IT'S A MEDICAL APPLICATION, AND

THESE ARE PRELIMINARY RESULTS.

AND SO WE'RE INTERESTED IN THE

POTENTIAL OF THE DRUG.

SO, REALLY, IT DOESN'T DIRECTLY

IMPLICATE THE POLICY ISSUES.

WE'RE MORE INTERESTED IN BEING

ABLE TO RESEARCH THESE DRUGS FOR

THEIR POTENTIAL BENEFITS.

>> NO THEORY OF NEUROSCIENCE, NO

THEORY OF THE BRAIN AND HOW THE

BRAIN IS RELATED TO

CONSCIOUSNESS WILL EVER BE

COMPLETE IF IT DOESN'T TAKE

THESE PHENOMENA INTO ACCOUNT.

>> I WENT TO LONDON A COUPLE OF

YEARS AGO, WHERE THERE WAS SOME

PSYCHIATRIST REALLY TRYING TO

OPEN UP JUST EVEN LOOKING AT

WHAT THE OLD RESEARCH WITH LSD

HAS SHOWN, WHAT THE OLD AND

CURRENT RESEARCH ON MDMA HAS

SHOWN.

AND THEY'RE JUST TRYING AT THAT

LEVEL.

NO ONE'S DOING ANY RESEARCH.

THEY'RE JUST TRYING TO

REINTRODUCE THE FACT THAT THESE

DRUGS WERE USED, HAD GREAT

THERAPEUTIC RESULTS.

AND FOR SOME REASON, THE WHOLE

THING WAS SHUT DOWN AND

SQUASHED.

>> FOR VARIOUS COMPLICATED AND

MISPLACED REASONS, THESE

SUBSTANCES, WHICH HISTORICALLY

HAVE ALWAYS BEEN TOTALLY SACRED,

AT THE CENTER OF THE CULTURAL

EVOLUTION OF MAN -- THEY'VE BEEN

SHOVED IN THE BAG OF ILLEGALITY.

>> THE POWERS THAT BE HAVE HELD

THAT THESE THINGS SHOULD NOT BE

ALLOWED.

THEY'RE STILL ILLEGAL

GENERALLY -- NOT ALL OF THEM,

BUT MANY OF THEM.

THEY'RE HELD OUTSIDE -- NOT IN

OTHER COUNTRIES NECESSARILY, NOT

IN EVERY COUNTRY -- THE

COUNTRIES WHERE THEY'RE

TRADITIONS, NO, THAT PART OF

THEIR INNATE CHARACTER OF THEIR

PEOPLE AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO

THE LAND COMES THROUGH THESE

MEDICINES.

WHY WOULD THEY MAKE THEM

ILLEGAL?

THEY WOULD TEAR THE PEOPLE AWAY

FROM THEIR OWN HISTORY, FROM

THEIR OWN LAND, FROM THEIR OWN

SENSE OF NATURE, FROM THEIR OWN

HEALTH.

>> OUR DECISIONS THAT OUR

GOVERNMENTS MAKE ABOUT THE

APPLICABILITY OF THESE

SUBSTANCES FOR THE TREATMENT OF

VERY IMPORTANT MEDICAL PROBLEMS

ARE NOT BASED UPON SCIENTIFIC

EVIDENCE.

THEY'RE BASED UPON A

PROHIBITIONIST ATTITUDE THAT

SAYS THESE ARE DANGEROUS DRUGS

WITHOUT ANY MEDICAL USES

WHATSOEVER, IN SPITE OF THE FACT

THAT WE HAVE EVIDENCE THAT THESE

SUBSTANCES HAVE BEEN USED FOR

MEDICAL PURPOSES FOR TENS OF

THOUSANDS OF YEARS.

BUT BECAUSE OF GOVERNMENT

REGULATIONS, WE'RE DENYING MAJOR

ASPECTS OF OUR POPULATION ACCESS

TO MEDICINES THAT THEY DEARLY

NEED.

>> ONE DAY IF THESE DRUGS ARE

RESCHEDULED, OF COURSE THEY

WOULD HAVE TO BE USED IN

CAREFULLY CONTROLLED SETTINGS BY

TRAINED AND SKILLED PEOPLE WHO

HAD UNDERGONE, LET'S SAY,

PSYCHEDELIC, PSYCHOTHERAPY

TRAINING PROGRAMS.

AND THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE

OVERSIGHT AND REGULATION.

>> IF IT BECOMES APPROVED FOR

MEDICAL USE, THAT'S GONNA

INVOLVE A SOCIETAL CHANGE IN THE

MEDICAL PROFESSION, LEARNING HOW

TO USE THESE PROPERLY.

>> THE FUTURE OF PSYCHEDELICS ON

THE IMMEDIATE FRONT IS GETTING

THEM ACCEPTED INTO CLINICAL USE,

MAYBE ESTABLISHING CENTERS OR

TRAINING CLINICIANS WHO CAN USE

THEM IN PSYCHOTHERAPY AND HAVING

PLACES WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO AND

HAVE THESE EXPERIENCES, WHETHER

THEY HAVE SPECIFIC MENTAL OR

PHYSICAL PROBLEMS OR WHETHER

THEY JUST WANT TO GO FOR

SPIRITUAL EXPLORATION OF

CONSCIOUSNESS.

>> AND IT'S POSSIBLE -- AND I

THINK IT WOULD BE VERY

INTERESTING -- TO USE THEM NOT

JUST FOR DISEASE STATES, BUT TO

ENHANCE HUMAN GROWTH, SPIRITUAL

GROWTH, AND BEING MORE EMPATHIC

AND CONNECTED AND PERHAPS BETTER

HUMAN BEINGS.

>> IF WE LOOK AT OUR WORLD, WE

ARE INTELLECTUALLY,

TECHNOLOGICALLY VASTLY

OVERDEVELOPED, WITH VERY

PRIMITIVE EMOTIONS.

AND THAT'S WHY THE WORLD IS AT

RISK.

>> AND THAT SEEMS TO BE THE

MESSAGE THAT ONE GETS FROM

PSYCHEDELICS, IS, YOU KNOW,

"WAKE UP."

WE'RE POTENTIALLY THE SALVATION

OF THE PLANET AND ALSO

POTENTIALLY THE DESTRUCTION OF

THE PLANET.

AND IT MAY BE THAT MESSENGER

MOLECULES ARE A WAY TO TRY TO

INITIATE THIS DIALOGUE.

>> WELL, I THINK THE PEOPLE WHO

WOULD BENEFIT MOST OF ALL ARE

PROFESSORS.

I THINK IT WOULD BE EXTREMELY

GOOD FOR ALMOST ANYBODY WITH

FIXED IDEAS AND WITH A GREAT

CERTAINTY ABOUT WHAT'S WHAT TO

REALIZE THAT THE WORLD HE HAS

CONSTRUCTED IS BY NO MEANS THE

ONLY WORLD, THAT THERE ARE THESE

EXTRAORDINARY OTHER TYPES OF

UNIVERSE WHICH WE MAY INHABIT

AND WHICH WE SHOULD BE VERY

GRATEFUL FOR INHABITING, I

THINK.

>> PSYCHEDELICS -- THEY HELP

PEOPLE BECOME AWARE OF THE

MULTIDIMENSIONAL NATURE OF THE

UNIVERSE AND OF THEMSELVES.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT

TRANSFORMATION AT EVERY LEVEL --

PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, MENTAL,

SPIRITUAL.

>> THIS REDISCOVERY OF THE

SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF PSYCHEDELICS

IS OPENING THE DOOR TO THE STUDY

OF MANY ASPECTS OF SPIRIT.

AND I THINK SCIENCE WILL BE MUCH

RICHER FOR IT.

>> IN ORDER TO USE THESE

MEDICINES, YOU HAVE TO BE REBEL

ENOUGH AGAINST A TABOO TO LOOK

AT THE TABOO.

AND THE WHOLE NATURE OF A TABOO

IS THAT IT'S AN AREA OF CULTURE

WHERE WE'RE TOLD, "DON'T LOOK

THERE.

IT'S NOT GOOD TO EVEN LOOK

THERE."

>> WE HAVE NO REAL CLEAR IDEA OF

ALL THE DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT

HAVE BEEN INFLUENCED BY

PSYCHEDELICS -- KARY MULLIS, WHO

INVENTED POLYMERASE CHAIN

REACTION, FOR WHICH HE WON THE

NOBEL PRIZE.

STEVE JOBS HAS WRITTEN IN HIS

AUTOBIOGRAPHY ABOUT HOW LSD WAS

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT

EXPERIENCES OF HIS LIFE.

PSYCHEDELICS HAVE CATALYZED IN

MANY PEOPLE A CREATIVE PROCESS

THAT HAS LED THEM TO MAKE MAJOR,

PROFOUND DISCOVERIES THAT HAVE

CHANGED THE FACE OF THE WORLD.

>> THERE ONLY SEEMS TO BE ONE

INGREDIENT IN THE RECIPE OF

SOCIAL CHANGE THAT OUR

GENERATION HAS TRIED TO EXPUNGE

FROM THE RECORD, AND THAT'S THE

FACT THAT MILLIONS OF US LAY

PROSTRATE BEFORE THE GATES OF

AWE, HAVING TAKEN SOME

PSYCHEDELIC SUBSTANCE.

AND CRITICS WHO'D ALWAYS SAY,

"DON'T TAKE THESE DRUGS BECAUSE

THEY'RE GONNA CHANGE YOUR LIFE

FOREVER" -- WHAT THEY DIDN'T

UNDERSTAND IS THAT WAS THE

ENTIRE POINT.

>> I THINK IT'S UNWISE TO BE SO

SCARED OF THE POSSIBLE RISKS OF

THESE DRUGS, WHICH THERE ARE

POSSIBLE RISKS.

THERE'S RISKS IN ANYTHING.

I MEAN, THERE'S RISK IN DRIVING

A CAR.

THERE'S RISK IN CROSSING A

STREET.

BUT TO BE SO SCARED OF THEM AS

TO MAKE THEM ILLEGAL AND

INACCESSIBLE TO ANYONE AND NOT

EVEN WANT TO RESEARCH THEM OR

NOT EVEN WANT TO THINK ABOUT

THEM -- WHY WOULD WE DO THAT?

ARE WE SO SURE THAT WE CAN SOLVE

ALL THE PROBLEMS THAT CONFRONT

US, THAT WE WANT TO THROW AWAY A

POSSIBLE TOOL THAT CAN EXPAND

CONSCIOUSNESS, THAT COULD

POSSIBLY, YOU KNOW, GIVE US SOME

MORE INSIGHTS AND SOME MORE

POSSIBILITIES OF HOW TO RESOLVE

THE DIFFICULTIES THAT WE'RE

FACING?

I THINK NOT.

>> WE HAD THIS CONFLICT IN THE

'60s, WHEN PSYCHEDELICS WENT

WRONG.

WHAT, I THINK, IS EVEN DEEPER

IS, WHEN PSYCHEDELICS GO RIGHT,

NOT ONLY WOULD THESE DRUGS HAVE

THE POTENTIAL TO BE USEFUL IN

PSYCHOTHERAPY, THEY HAVE THE

POTENTIAL TO BE USEFUL IN THE

EVOLUTION OF THE HUMAN SPECIES,

AND THAT THEY COULD MAKE A MAJOR

CONTRIBUTION TO THE SURVIVAL OF

THE PLANET.

>> "ETERNITY IN AN HOUR."

IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE, OF

COURSE, AS ALL THE PATIENTS SAY,

TO DESCRIBE IT.

THERE ARE THE COLORS AND THE

BEAUTIES, THE DESIGNS, THE

BEAUTIFUL WAY THAT THINGS

APPEAR.

PEOPLE THEMSELVES, DULL

PEOPLE -- THAT I THOUGHT DULL --

APPEAR FASCINATING, INTERESTING,

MYSTERIOUS, WONDERFUL.

BUT THAT'S ONLY THE BEGINNING.

SUDDENLY YOU NOTICE THAT THERE

AREN'T THESE SEPARATIONS, THAT

WE'RE NOT ON A SEPARATE ISLAND,

SHOUTING ACROSS TO SOMEBODY ELSE

AND TRYING TO HEAR WHAT THEY'RE

SAYING AND MISUNDERSTANDING

THEM.

THERE'S THINGS FLOWING

UNDERNEATH.

WE'RE PARTS OF A SINGLE

CONTINENT.

IT MEETS UNDERNEATH THE WATER,

AND WITH THAT GOES SUCH DELIGHT,

THE SOBER CERTAINTY OF WAKING

BLISS.

[ AMY ARENA'S "LIQUID REALITY"

PLAYS ]

>> * I'M LIVING IN A NEW DREAM

* WITH A PAINTBRUSH IN MY HAND

* MY VISION'S KIND OF GRAINY

* LIKE THE PARTICLES OF SAND

* AND I FEEL THAT MAYBE THERE IS

SOMETHING MORE HERE *

* I FEEL THAT MAYBE THERE'S A

SECRET DOOR HERE *

* AND I'M READY TO GO THROUGH

THIS LIQUID REALITY *

* READY TO FLOW THROUGH THIS

LIQUID REALITY *

* I'M READY TO GO THROUGH THIS

LIQUID REALITY *

* TO THE NEXT DIMENSION