Religious leaders on a psychedelic journey – for science

The Guardian recently posted an interesting article about a new research going on on the effects of psilocybin. Scientists at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore have enlisted two dozen religious leaders, to participate in a study in which they will be given two powerful doses of psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms

Dr William Richards, a psychologist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland who is involved in the work, said: “With psilocybin these profound mystical experiences are quite common.”

“Their instruction is to go within and collect experiences,” Richards said, after presenting his work at the Breaking Convention conference in London this month. “So far everyone incredibly values their experience. No one has been confused or upset or regrets doing it.”

There is also a suggestion that after their psychedelic journey, the leaders’ notions of religion shifted away from the sectarian towards something more universal. “They get a greater appreciation for other world religions.” said Richards. 

“In these transcendental states of consciousness, people seem to get to levels of consciousness that seem universal,” he added. “So a good rabbi can encounter the Buddha within him.”

This is a very interesting development, because it’s these kind of science researches that will help the mainstream understand the healing and mind expanding effects of psychedelic substances.

Read the full article on The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/jul/08/religious-leaders-get-high-on-magic-mushrooms-ingredient-for-science