Enlightenment in a Pill—Testing the Efficacy of Psilocybin

A guided psychedelic experience with psilocybin may treat refractory depression by inducing a mystical experience, rather than through a simple biological drug effect. The text suggests that the therapeutic benefit could stem from the profound, transformative nature of the experience, as conceptualized by William James.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Can a guided psychedelic experience with psilocybin successfully treat refractory depression? In other words, setting aside any simple direct biological drug effect, can psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy1 alleviate suffering via what William James would call a mystical experience?2