Integral Research on Ibogaine’s Therapeutic Effects

“Have you ever experienced a moment in which you are fully aware; your whole being feels congruently aligned to a greater natural force; and a clear transparent dimension arises where time does not exist and you exist in oneness with everything? Alternative states of consciousness provide an experience of ego dis-identification, a shift in perception and a dreamlike reality, these elements help facilitate processes of self-development.  Ordinary states of consciousness arise naturally like sleeping or dreaming while alternative (non-ordinary) states can be induced through practices or substances, some peak states happen as an outcome of certain circumstances like when playing music, dancing or practicing a sport.” (from the research conducted by Paulina Alanis)

Through out the history of humanity psychedelic substances have been used for thousands of years in cultures all over the world, cannabis and certain mushrooms were used by the Vedas in India around 5000 BC.  Archeological evidence from the Cupisnique culture (1200– 200 BCE) from Peru depicts mushrooms, feline images and decapitated heads often associated with the use of mushrooms (Walsh, 2009).The plants that contain psychedelic substances vary widely, including cacti, mushrooms, morning glory vines and reed canary grass.

The reasons, methods, purpose and communities that use psychedelics vary widely not only in generation perspectival time frames but also in cultural beliefs and traditions.  The shamanistic cultures are the first known to have used psychedelics as a way to heal and to view the future when they confronted conflict or scarcity, and to contact the spirit dimension.  These cultures used psychedelics within ceremony, in community, with usually at least one medicine man who used the psychedelic to guide the healing or divination.

As part of my own path for self-discovery I have participated in ceremony and used of entheogens, among other practices. I believe that the possible usefulness of inducing an alternative state with a psychedelic for therapeutic purposes is related to how it opens a person into experiencing your Self by stepping back out of yourself with a striking change of perception and viewing aspects of oneself that were previously unknown as well as the liberation of the mind into its creative capacities. During a psychedelic experience what was previously blocked and needs to be released seems to surface, this material might be intense, hard to digest and assimilate so it is important to have the support, knowledge, capacity and tools to integrate.

Follow the link to learn more about this research study done by Paulina Alanis on the use of ibogaine for transformation: Ibogaine: a therapeutic tool for transformative practice

 

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The Opiate Epidemic and the Need for Psychedelic Medicine

In the wake of the most serious drug epidemic America has ever seen, the need for addiction treatment that works has never been greater. Opioid addiction (mainly prescription pills and heroin) has skyrocketed over the past decade. Heroin-related deaths have more than quadrupled since 2010. And while effective treatment for this deadly epidemic is now needed more than ever, traditional drug rehab programs only work a small percentage of the time.

And it’s not just drug rehab that isn’t working. People seeking treatment for alcohol addiction in traditional rehab facilities are finding themselves returning time and time again. It’s estimated that 40-60 percent of people who attend rehab will relapse. And with most drug and alcohol rehabilitation based around the 12-step programs, many people are being left behind. There’s got to be another way.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), and the 12-step principles around which this program is based, was founded way back in 1935. It has since become tightly woven into the foundation of traditional addiction treatment in the US. Of the countless treatment centers and rehabs available to treat drug and alcohol addiction, most are loosely based upon the ideals AA upholds.

While statistics on the success rates of AA are hard to come by, there’s evidence that shows they are not very effective for long-term sobriety. And while most people think of AA as the one and only solution to addiction, they only believe this because it’s all they have really been exposed to. The problem is, we lack exposure to alternative methods.

When people choose to get treatment for addiction, they’re obviously looking to end their addiction for good. No one wants to relapse, but, unfortunately, relapse is now considered normal.

Very few addicts check into rehab expecting to fail. But the reality is, rehab, in the traditional sense, isn’t working for well over half of the people that go in for treatment. And it’s been this way for years. The reason? Because, even as the science and understanding behind addiction has changed drastically over the past 80 years since the advent of AA, treatment is still based off these outdated principles.

One of the biggest problems in the philosophy of AA is the belief that if the program doesn’t work for someone. All the blame rests on the individual. If the 12-steps aren’t working then somehow the individual is deeply flawed. Because, according to AA’s bible, The Big Book, “those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program, usually men and women who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves.” In this sense, if AA doesn’t work then it seems that the individual just can’t be honest enough with themselves to overcome their addiction.

The belief that AA and 12 step programs is the answer is so deeply ingrained in the general population of the US that it’s these very programs that are backed by doctors and therapists alike. Court mandated AA meetings are the norm and these 12 step programs are always the answer in the eyes of the powers that be. If they work so well, however, why are we seeing people check into rehab time and time again for the same addiction? Why are relapse rates through the roof, and why are so many people falling victim to overdose?

There needs to be another way. For the 10 percent of people AA is working for, great. But that still leaves 90 percent of people lost in the depths of an addiction from which they can’t find a way out. Alternatives to these glorified treatments need to be recognized and looked at seriously for the potential they contain.

Science based treatments like Ibogaine treatment and other psychedelic medicines have shown amazing potential. These treatments don’t focus on the “inability within a person to be honest with themselves about their addiction”, but rather allows a person to take an honest look at the reasons behind their addiction in the first place.

These treatments work like nothing else, which means they may work exceptionally well–and especially for those who aren’t finding success through traditional programs. A look inside one’s subconscious mind and reasons for the addiction is something these psychedelic treatments offer. This is something you won’t find in any traditional rehab programs.

It’s science over tradition.

Psychedelic treatments like Ibogaine aren’t the typical 28-day inpatient rehab program most people are familiar with. They are raw and very effective–with programs usually lasting a week. And while we have been sold on the idea that psychedelics are just as dangerous and addictive as heroin itself, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

These psychedelic medicines have been used for thousands of years for healing and guidance by many different cultures. They are non-addictive, non-habit forming, and they bring insight into the psychological aspect of addiction that cannot be found in any traditional program.

It’s time to let go of the idea that one addiction treatment, set in place almost a century ago, works for everyone. It simply isn’t working. No one deserves to be blamed for an endless cycle of relapse and rehab simply because the treatment isn’t working. Especially when there are other options available. Psychedelic treatment is extremely effective and it’s time we give it proper respect and attention.

The post The Opiate Epidemic and the Need for Psychedelic Medicine appeared first on Crossroads Research Initiative.

The New History of Psychedelic Medicine

There’s been a surge in psychedelic medicine over the past decade. Ayahuasca is something almost everyone’s heard of, and ibogaine’s becoming one of the most sought after addiction treatments. Psilocybin treats cluster headaches and depression, and MDMA is making amazing progress for treating PTSD and anxiety. And as we move steadily into the new millennium we’re starting to see a lot more people take notice of this.

The Early History of Psychedelic Medicine

Research on psychedelics isn’t anything new. Before the 1960s, psychedelics weren’t just studied, they were respected. LSD showed great promise in treating addiction and was studied for its efficacy against many different psychological disorders. Long before this, however, psychedelic plants were being used in various ritual ceremonies and among various native tribes around the world. There’s also strong evidence that cultural use of psychotropic plants has been happening for centuries.

Peyote has been used ceremonially since 1000BC and is an integral part of Native American culture. Psilocybin is central to Aztec tribes. How long psychedelic mushrooms were used by them is unknown because Roman Catholic missionaries destroyed most records in Mexico. Rock paintings of mushrooms and temples dedicated to mushroom gods go back to 7000BC, however.

The history of psychedelics is long. And if those stand behind the medicinal benefits they offer can continue to research these beneficial effects, their history is far from over.

The “Recent” History of Psychedelic Medicine

During the mid-20^th century, chemists and other scientists started taking more interest in natural psychedelic substances and began to make new synthetic compounds that imitated what was found in nature. They then gave them to their friends. The very early days of modern psychedelic research was done with private patients and friends of scientists, researchers, and chemists.

It was these friends and private patients who first dipped their toes into the strange waters of psychedelic drugs. These pioneers of psychedelic research included academics, intellectuals, research scientists, artists, writers, anthropologists, and others. The changes they experienced in consciousness sparked a revolution that is still going strong today.

The early days of psychedelics included studies on LSD in anticipation of its effectiveness to treat a list of psychological disorders. The US Navy experimented with mescaline in the late 1940s as a truth serum and mescaline was studied in the early 1950s to see how good it was at replicating adrenaline.

During the 1950s and 1960s, most of the research conducted on psychedelic medicine was done on LSD. It was made available for research based on the premise that it was helpful “to elicit the release of repressed material and provide mental relaxation, particularly in anxiety states and obsessional neuroses.” There were also a lot of psychiatrists at the time personally experimenting with LSD so they could “gain insight into the world and ideas and sensations of mental patients.”

By the time the mid-60s rolled around, over 40,000 patients had taken LSD. The vast amount of psychedelic research that took place during the some 15 years it was studied, generated over 1,000 peer-reviewed scientific papers, several books and manuscripts, and six international conferences.

What Early Psychedelic Research Revealed

Of the many studies conducted on LSD during this time, the positive effects it showed on alcoholism were perhaps the most remarkable out of them all. In 1951, a study was performed on the most severe cases of alcoholism that could be found. Twenty-four patients who had been drinking uncontrollably for some 12 years and not responded to other treatments partook in the study. One single dose of LSD was given to each patient. Long-term results of this single dose found 25% of patients recovered completely and another 25% who had considerably improved. This was compared to the some 10% who responded favorably to traditional treatments of the time.

Psychedelics weren’t just used to treat alcoholism. They were also studied for their effects regarding pain management. One study tested 50 patients who were critically ill and in a great deal of pain. Each patient was given Dilaudid, Demerol, and a dose of LSD so their pain-relieving properties could be measured. Results showed that the LSD not only provided better analgesic properties, but the effects lasted longer as well.

This study was at the forefront of the effects LSD had on pain and inspired many further studies that all showed promising results as well. It was because of these first studies that LSD went on to show it provided superior pain relief to opiates and was used on patients to control extreme pain. These early studies on pain management with the critically ill also showed something else–LSD made them better accept (and even welcome) the impending fate that awaited them.

The Ban of Psychedelic Research

With as much promise LSD and other psychedelics held during the mid-20^th century, nothing could stop the backlash against these substances that took place in the late 1960s. As more people discovered the effects of LSD (and they were made widely available by the pioneers that experimented with them) and other psychedelics, they were used recreationally…and became a symbol of the counterculture of that time.

All psychedelics were banned by the DEA in 1970, and all research on them subsequently stopped. Suddenly, the very substances that showed so much medical promise now contained no medical benefits at all. Psychedelics were instead deemed dangerous and listed as illegal Schedule I substances. Not only were they now considered to be some of the most dangerous drugs of all, but were considered to hold high potential for abuse and had no medical use whatsoever.

Although many people held onto the false notion that psychedelics were dangerous for decades, things are beginning to change. There’s a resurgence in psychedelic research, with well-respected institutions and scientists again studying the beneficial effects of psychedelic medicine. For the past two decades, people have been performing new research on psychedelics and the results are showing what many people have known for years–psychedelics make great medicine.

The New Psychedelic History

The new wave of psychedelic study began in 1990 when the FDA approved research on DMT (dimethyltryptamine). Four years earlier, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) was created so that MDMA could be further studied. In 1993, the Heffter Research Institute was formed, pumping some $1 million into the research of the medical benefits of psychedelics.

The wave of new psychedelic research had begun, and hasn’t stopped for over 20 years. There are numerous different studies being performed around the world, and the medical benefits they offer continue to pour in. The results are coming from places like Stanford, John Hopkins University, UCLA, and NYU. People devoted to psychedelic research have revived what once showed such great promise.

Psychedelics have shown to be very promising for their medical benefits, and as more people turn away from conventional treatment, they’re looking for alternatives that can help–such as ibogaine treatment. The need for medical treatments that work largely prevails over outdated (and false) claims. We’ve seen it happen with medical marijuana, and can hope that this resurgence in research is just the beginning of a revolution of healing assisted through the many benefits of psychedelic medicine.

The post The New History of Psychedelic Medicine appeared first on Crossroads Research Initiative.

The New History of Psychedelic Medicine Copy

There’s been a surge in psychedelic medicine over the past decade. Ayahuasca is something almost everyone’s heard of, and ibogaine’s becoming one of the most sought ought addiction treatments there are. Psilocybin treats cluster headaches and PTSD, and MDMA is making amazing progress for treating trauma and depression. And as we move steadily into the new millennium we’re starting to see a lot more people take notice of this.

The Early History of Psychedelic Medicine

Research on psychedelics isn’t anything new. Before the 1960s, psychedelics weren’t just studied, they were respected. LSD showed great promise in treating addiction and was studied for its efficacy against many different psychological disorders. Long before this, however, psychedelic plants were being used in various ritual ceremonies and among various native tribes around the world. There’s also strong evidence that cultural use of psychotropic plants has been happening for centuries.

Peyote has been used ceremonially since 1000BC and is an integral part of Native American culture. Psilocybin is central to Aztec tribes. How long psychedelic mushrooms were used by them is unknown because Roman Catholic missionaries destroyed most records in Mexico. Rock paintings of mushrooms and temples dedicated to mushroom gods back to 7000BC, however.

The history of psychedelics is long. And if those stand behind the medicinal benefits they contain can continue to research these beneficial effects, their history is far from over.

The “Recent” History of Psychedelic Medicine

During the mid-20^th century, chemists and other scientists started taking more interest in natural psychedelic substances and began to synthetically make new compounds that imitated what was found in nature. They then gave them out to their friends. The very early days of modern psychedelic research was done with private patients and friends of scientists, researchers, and chemists.

It was these friends and private patients who first dipped their toes in the strange waters of psychedelic drugs. These pioneers of psychedelic research included professors, intellectuals, research scientists, artists, writers, anthropologists, and more. The changes they experienced in consciousness sparked a revolution that is still going strong today.

The early days of psychedelics included studies on LSD in anticipation of its effectiveness to treat a list of psychological disorders. The US Navy experimented with mescaline in the late 1940s as a truth serum and mescaline was studied in the early 1950s to see how good it was at replicating adrenaline.

During the 1950s and 1960s, most of the research conducted on psychedelic medicine was done on LSD. It was made available for research based on the premise that it was helpful “to elicit the release of repressed material and provide mental relaxation, particularly in anxiety states and obsessional neuroses.” There were also a lot of psychiatrists at the time personally experimenting with LSD so they could “gain insight into the world and ideas and sensations of mental patients.”

By the time the mid-60s rolled around, over 40,000 patients had taken LSD. The vast amount of psychedelic research that took place during the some 15 years it was studied, generated over 1,000 scientific papers, several books and manuscripts, and several international conferences.

What Early Psychedelic Research Revealed

Of the many studies conducted on LSD during this time, the positive effects it showed on alcoholism were perhaps the most remarkable out of them all. In 1951, a study was performed on the most severe cases of alcoholism that could be found. Twenty-four patients who had been drinking uncontrollably for some 12 years and not responded to other treatments partook in the study. One single dose of LSD was given to each patient. Long-term results of this single dose found 25% of patients recovered completely, and another 25% who had considerably improved. This was compared to the some 10% who responded favorably to traditional treatments of the time.

Psychedelics weren’t just used to treat alcoholism. They were also studied for their effects regarding pain management. One study tested 50 patients who were critically ill and in a great deal of pain. Each patient was given Dilaudid, Demerol, and a dose of LSD so their pain-relieving properties could be measured. Results showed that the LSD not only provided better analgesic properties, but the effects lasted longer as well.

This study was at the forefront of the effects LSD had on pain and inspired many further studies that all showed promising results as well. It because of these first studies that LSD went on to show it provided superior pain relief to opiates and was used on patients to control extreme pain. These early studies on pain management with the critically ill also showed something else–LSD made them better accept (and even welcome) the impending fate that awaited them.

The Ban of Psychedelic Research

With as much promise LSD and other psychedelics held during the mid-20^th century, nothing could stop the backlash against these substances that took place in the late 1960s. As more people discovered the effects of LSD (and they were made widely available by the pioneers that experimented with them) and other psychedelics, they were used recreationally…and became a symbol of the counterculture of that time.

All psychedelics were banned by the DEA in 1967, and all research on them subsequently stopped. Suddenly, the very substances that showed so much medical promise now contained no medical benefits at all. Psychedelics were instead deemed dangerous and listed as a Schedule Class I Substance. Not only were they now considered to be some of the most dangerous drugs of all, but were considered to hold high potential for abuse and no medical advantages whatsoever.

Although many people held onto the false notion that psychedelics were dangerous for decades, things are beginning to change. There’s a resurgence in psychedelic research, with well-respected institutions and scientists again studying the beneficial effects of psychedelic medicine. For the past two decades, people have been performing new research on psychedelics and the results are showing what many people have known for years–psychedelics make great medicine.

The New Psychedelic History

The new wave of psychedelic study began in 1990 when the FDA approved research on DMT (dimethyltryptamine). Four years earlier, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) was created so that MDMA could be further studied. In 1993, the Heffter Research Institute was formed, pumping some $1million into the research of the medical benefits of psychedelics.

The wave of new psychedelic research began, and hasn’t stopped for over 20 years. There are numerous different studies being performed around the world, and the medical benefits they contain continue to pour in. And the results are coming from places like Stanford, John Hopkins University, UCLA, and the University of New Mexico. People devoted to psychedelic research have revived what once showed such great promise.

Psychedelics have shown to be very promising for their medical benefits, and as more people turn away from conventional treatment, they’re looking for alternatives that can help–such as ibogaine treatment. The need for medical treatments that work largely prevails over outdated (and false) claims. We’ve seen it happen with medical marijuana, and can hope that this resurgence in research is just the beginning of a revolution of healing assisted through the many benefits of psychedelic medicine.

The post The New History of Psychedelic Medicine Copy appeared first on Crossroads Research Initiative.

Addiction After Injury: How Painkillers are Causing Heroin Addiction Copy

It’s no secret that there’s a heroin epidemic raging across the US. Addiction statistics are off the charts when it comes to heroin use, and it’s affecting practically every demographic there is. Those most at risk? Quite often it’s those who have suffered an injury who run the greatest possibility of becoming someone who’s hooked on heroin.

How Can Painkillers Prescribed for an Injury Lead to Heroin Use?

It all stem from the prescription pain medication prescribed after someone’s suffered an injury. This means that many who get hurt (from teen athletes injured in sports to someone who slipped and broke their ankle) are given painkillers to take until their symptoms improve. The thing is, most of these prescription pain pills hold high potential for addiction–and this addiction is what often leads to heroin use.

Heroin offers similar effects to prescription meds. It feeds addiction almost exactly the same way as painkillers do, and does so at a fraction of the cost. Painkillers can be expensive (and difficult to attain) on the black market, and heroin’s something that’s cheap. Not only that, but it’s readily available pretty much everywhere.

So, once the addiction sets in, many search for more pain medications. After being addicted to pain medication addicts seek a cheaper solution, which often leads to heroin use.

Prescription Medication Causes Dependency

Prescription painkillers are also known as opioids. They work by reducing the amount of pain signals that reach the brain while influencing certain areas in the brain that control emotion. And while they certainly do provide pain relief (and sometimes feeling of euphoria), they are also causing the biggest opioid epidemic we have ever experienced.

The increasing number of deaths from opioid addiction has reached a new high. The most commonly prescribed painkillers (oxycodone and hydrocodone) happen to be the ones involved in more deaths than any other opioid there is.

Hydrocodone

Hydrocodone, commonly known as Vicodin, is the most prescribed painkiller in the US. It’s also shown to be connected to more drug abuse than any other opioid there is. It’s a Schedule Class II Substance, and shows high potential for addiction. Withdrawal symptoms of hydrocodone include:

• Pain
• Restlessness
• Insomnia/Difficulty Sleeping
• Decreased Appetite
• Cramping
• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Oxycodone

Oxycodone is another prescription opioid known as Percocet or OxyContin. This commonly prescribed painkiller is another that shows great potential for abuse. When dependent upon oxycodone, withdrawal symptoms include:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Coughing
• Runny Nose
• Watery Eyes
• Muscle Aches
• Sweating
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Increased Heart Rate

People are prescribed these pills because they’re hurt, and the next thing they know they’re fully dependent on them. Don’t take them and feel like you’re dying. Continue taking them and feel like your normal. It’s no wonder that opioid addiction has tripled over the last ten years and overdose rates are out of control.

In 2014, more than 6 out of 10 drug overdoses were from opioids (prescription painkillers and heroin). Prescription opioids saw the highest number of deaths (5,550) that same year, which was twice as many as the year before.

Prescriptions of opioids have increased tenfold since 1990. Consequently, during this time we’ve also seen an increase in the number of people addicted to prescription pills. Along with this comes a dramatic rise in the number of heroin addicts.

From Injury to Addiction

For those that suffer an injury, prescription painkillers are often necessary. From the football player who suffered one too many concussions to the skier that broke their leg on the slopes, painkillers like oxycodone and hydrocodone are prescribed every single day. And for some, once the injury has healed, they find the desire to continue taking their painkillers somewhat overwhelming.

When someone continually takes opioids over a period of time (like someone with an injury would do), the brain begins to change. It begins to only feel “normal” when opioids are present and functions irregularly when they’re not. Once someone’s been on painkillers for a while, there often becomes a need to take more to feel this “desired” effect. Because of the changes that have taken place in the brain, dependency is something that becomes common.

It’s addiction, and it’s happening to an alarming number of people prescribed pills for pain. What’s caused by something that was supposed to benefit the body often ends up destroying it instead. When someone realizes they’re addicted to pills and can get heroin cheaper they are likely to move to heroin addiction.

The connection between injuries and addiction is real. Understanding this not only helps people better understand how some addiction starts, but can prevent someone from becoming addicted after they’ve suffered an injury and are prescribed medication. If you or a loved one are addicted to prescription pills or heroin contact Crossroads Ibogaine for more information on how ibogaine treatment can be effective for treating your addiction.

The post Addiction After Injury: How Painkillers are Causing Heroin Addiction Copy appeared first on Crossroads Research Initiative.

The New History of Psychedelic Medicine Copy

There’s been a surge in psychedelic medicine over the past decade. Ayahuasca is something almost everyone’s heard of, and ibogaine’s becoming one of the most sought ought addiction treatments there are. Psilocybin treats cluster headaches and PTSD, and MDMA is making amazing progress for treating trauma and depression. And as we move steadily into the new millennium we’re starting to see a lot more people take notice of this.

The Early History of Psychedelic Medicine

Research on psychedelics isn’t anything new. Before the 1960s, psychedelics weren’t just studied, they were respected. LSD showed great promise in treating addiction and was studied for its efficacy against many different psychological disorders. Long before this, however, psychedelic plants were being used in various ritual ceremonies and among various native tribes around the world. There’s also strong evidence that cultural use of psychotropic plants has been happening for centuries.

Peyote has been used ceremonially since 1000BC and is an integral part of Native American culture. Psilocybin is central to Aztec tribes. How long psychedelic mushrooms were used by them is unknown because Roman Catholic missionaries destroyed most records in Mexico. Rock paintings of mushrooms and temples dedicated to mushroom gods back to 7000BC, however.

The history of psychedelics is long. And if those stand behind the medicinal benefits they contain can continue to research these beneficial effects, their history is far from over.

The “Recent” History of Psychedelic Medicine

During the mid-20^th century, chemists and other scientists started taking more interest in natural psychedelic substances and began to synthetically make new compounds that imitated what was found in nature. They then gave them out to their friends. The very early days of modern psychedelic research was done with private patients and friends of scientists, researchers, and chemists.

It was these friends and private patients who first dipped their toes in the strange waters of psychedelic drugs. These pioneers of psychedelic research included professors, intellectuals, research scientists, artists, writers, anthropologists, and more. The changes they experienced in consciousness sparked a revolution that is still going strong today.

The early days of psychedelics included studies on LSD in anticipation of its effectiveness to treat a list of psychological disorders. The US Navy experimented with mescaline in the late 1940s as a truth serum and mescaline was studied in the early 1950s to see how good it was at replicating adrenaline.

During the 1950s and 1960s, most of the research conducted on psychedelic medicine was done on LSD. It was made available for research based on the premise that it was helpful “to elicit the release of repressed material and provide mental relaxation, particularly in anxiety states and obsessional neuroses.” There were also a lot of psychiatrists at the time personally experimenting with LSD so they could “gain insight into the world and ideas and sensations of mental patients.”

By the time the mid-60s rolled around, over 40,000 patients had taken LSD. The vast amount of psychedelic research that took place during the some 15 years it was studied, generated over 1,000 scientific papers, several books and manuscripts, and several international conferences.

What Early Psychedelic Research Revealed

Of the many studies conducted on LSD during this time, the positive effects it showed on alcoholism were perhaps the most remarkable out of them all. In 1951, a study was performed on the most severe cases of alcoholism that could be found. Twenty-four patients who had been drinking uncontrollably for some 12 years and not responded to other treatments partook in the study. One single dose of LSD was given to each patient. Long-term results of this single dose found 25% of patients recovered completely, and another 25% who had considerably improved. This was compared to the some 10% who responded favorably to traditional treatments of the time.

Psychedelics weren’t just used to treat alcoholism. They were also studied for their effects regarding pain management. One study tested 50 patients who were critically ill and in a great deal of pain. Each patient was given Dilaudid, Demerol, and a dose of LSD so their pain-relieving properties could be measured. Results showed that the LSD not only provided better analgesic properties, but the effects lasted longer as well.

This study was at the forefront of the effects LSD had on pain and inspired many further studies that all showed promising results as well. It because of these first studies that LSD went on to show it provided superior pain relief to opiates and was used on patients to control extreme pain. These early studies on pain management with the critically ill also showed something else–LSD made them better accept (and even welcome) the impending fate that awaited them.

The Ban of Psychedelic Research

With as much promise LSD and other psychedelics held during the mid-20^th century, nothing could stop the backlash against these substances that took place in the late 1960s. As more people discovered the effects of LSD (and they were made widely available by the pioneers that experimented with them) and other psychedelics, they were used recreationally…and became a symbol of the counterculture of that time.

All psychedelics were banned by the DEA in 1967, and all research on them subsequently stopped. Suddenly, the very substances that showed so much medical promise now contained no medical benefits at all. Psychedelics were instead deemed dangerous and listed as a Schedule Class I Substance. Not only were they now considered to be some of the most dangerous drugs of all, but were considered to hold high potential for abuse and no medical advantages whatsoever.

Although many people held onto the false notion that psychedelics were dangerous for decades, things are beginning to change. There’s a resurgence in psychedelic research, with well-respected institutions and scientists again studying the beneficial effects of psychedelic medicine. For the past two decades, people have been performing new research on psychedelics and the results are showing what many people have known for years–psychedelics make great medicine.

The New Psychedelic History

The new wave of psychedelic study began in 1990 when the FDA approved research on DMT (dimethyltryptamine). Four years earlier, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) was created so that MDMA could be further studied. In 1993, the Heffter Research Institute was formed, pumping some $1million into the research of the medical benefits of psychedelics.

The wave of new psychedelic research began, and hasn’t stopped for over 20 years. There are numerous different studies being performed around the world, and the medical benefits they contain continue to pour in. And the results are coming from places like Stanford, John Hopkins University, UCLA, and the University of New Mexico. People devoted to psychedelic research have revived what once showed such great promise.

Psychedelics have shown to be very promising for their medical benefits, and as more people turn away from conventional treatment, they’re looking for alternatives that can help–such as ibogaine treatment. The need for medical treatments that work largely prevails over outdated (and false) claims. We’ve seen it happen with medical marijuana, and can hope that this resurgence in research is just the beginning of a revolution of healing assisted through the many benefits of psychedelic medicine.

The post The New History of Psychedelic Medicine Copy appeared first on Crossroads Research Initiative.

Legal Status of Ibogaine Around the World

More and more people are taking Ibogaine as they discover its amazing benefits. Ibogaine is a naturally occurring psychoactive substance that is said to alleviate the physical symptoms of opiate withdrawal. Ibogaine is made from a root bark and the medicine has been used for thousands of years as a rite of passage in parts of Africa. In America, it’s been used in a secretive and illicit way since the 1960s for spiritual development and addiction treatment. Ibogaine is a Schedule I controlled dangerous substance under State and federal law. Due to legal restrictions of Ibogaine in the US, there hasn’t been the opportunity for much clinical research. Since ibogaine is illegal in the United States, American patients travel to foreign countries for treatment.  Ibogaine is legal but unregulated in Canada and Mexico. New Zealand, South Africa, and Brazil authorize the use of ibogaine by licensed medical practitioners and is an approved medicine.

 

Wendell Beitzel, a Maryland Republican Member of House of Delegates submitted a proposal to re-introduce a bill in the next General Assembly session to study ibogaine. Wendell’s wife, provided extensive research for the legislative approval. This bill would provide ibogaine treatment at participating health care facilities targeting opioid addicts who have not responded to conventional treatments, such as suboxone and methadone for opioid dependence. President Trump declared America’s opioid crisis a public health emergency.  According to Beitzel, Maryland drug and alcohol deaths are at an all-time high. Of all intoxication deaths 86% were opioid-related last year. Beitzel and his wife know from personal experience with their son, an opiate addict, that ibogaine healed him of his addition. We have to pass this bill so that we can research ways to institutionalize ibogaine treatment in a way that is accessible and effective for all people. For the thousands of people in this country who are struggling and dying in the grips of opiate addiction. If this bill passes, the first Ibogaine Treatment Pilot Program would be set to begin by January 1, 2019 and be approved for research for up to four years. This bill specifies that during the treatment of ibogaine, the patients will be evaluated on the effectiveness of Ibogaine compared to conventional treatment methods. The General Assembly’s bill demonstrates a recognition that addiction is a disease and that recovery is possible. The need  to pass the bill could not be more urgent for the many hundreds of thousands across Maryland and the United States of America who are facing the disease of addiction and for the loved ones of those who have already lost their lives to this disease. This bill comes at a very important time for America’s opioid crisis. The American Society of Addiction Medicine estimates that there’s nearly 2.6 million Americans with an opioid addiction.

 

Ibogaine remains a Schedule I drug, even as the opioid crisis continues to grow. This is the first time ibogaine has come up as a topic in mainstream media regarding the opioid crisis.  I believe it is the wave of decriminalisation/legalisation of marijuana that has created a backdrop to finally introduce scientific research of ibogaine in America. Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) has had some success introducing clinical trials of Ibogaine in other countries where Ibogaine is legal. A past research study sponsored by MAPS in Mexico and New Zealand, both show that a single treatment of ibogaine, for reasons unknown, someone could go cold turkey from opiates without any physical or mental symptoms of withdrawal. Just one treatment of ibogaine can reset the brain’s neurochemistry freeing the drug user from a destructive pattern of abuse. Whereas, traditional treatment methods like suboxone or methadone, need to be taken continuously, and can be addictive. This bill may not be easy to pass as traditional opiate treatments today provide big incentives for Big Pharma: Suboxone and Methadone are drugs that require daily use for extended periods of time whereas ibogaine, with its one treatment, threatens the very order of things.

 

Due to the success of ibogaine healing addicts, ibogaine treatment centers have popped up all over the world, except here in the states. Conventional science says that anecdotes do not count but when you have several hundred cases saying that Ibogaine works to cure opioid addiction, maybe anecdotal evidence should be counted. It is clear that ibogaine is a beautiful and powerful medicine that can really help facilitate transformative growth in anyone trying to overcome addiction to become the best version of themself. Ibogaine has appeared as a ray of light for millions of people suffering with heroin addiction and overdose.

 

Crossroads Ibogaine is the best Treatment Center offering a 7-day ibogaine detox treatment program that’s considered to be among the best in the world. What makes Crossroads better than other ibogaine detox programs is Crossroads believes in a 3-part Ibogaine program.  Part one is our precare preparation to help the patient achieve the greatest results.Part one includes a Skype or phone coaching call and an advanced medical screening where we answer any questions the patient may have prior to heading to the Bahamas for treatment.  Part 2 is a safe and highly transformative plant medicine experience with the Ibogaine. During part two the patient goes through a physical evaluation by a physician prior to Ibogaine treatment and is medically supervised during treatment. Also included in part two of the Crossroads treatment are optional massages, beach time and horseback riding trips. Part 3 is an extended aftercare program, helping the patient integrate back into their lives at a licensed facility in the US. Part 3 also includes: skype or phone recovery coaching once the patient returns home, access to our social media support group, personalized integration resources and optional post-ibogaine herbal supplements.

 

Crossroads has helped 1000’s of guests experience Ibogaine and achieve success over addiction for over 5 years now. Check out some of our testimonials below.

 

Crossroads Program Testimonials

 

I honestly feel like you guys have an excellent program/service there. The whole process was smooth, positive, and just what I was after. I came there just wanting to be “cured” from an addiction but it did more than I thought was even possible. The addiction was just a side effect of stuff in my mind that I didn’t even know was there. That place will forever have a special place in my heart. I have my LIFE back!! THANK YOU!! (Crossroads Patient (insert what they were addicted to? Year of treatment?)

 

The admission process was very accommodating and fast. I wasn’t left to be in withdrawals for any of the intake process. I appreciated the staff’s warm demeanor. Changed my life forever. It’s an amazing plant medicine. Gave me 100% freedom not just from my addiction but from all my deep emotional issues as well. All I can say is WOW!!! (Crossroads Patient (insert what they were addicted to? Year of treatment?)

 

The program is outstanding; I felt like everything was thought of. There was nothing to worry about while I was there; all of my needs were met. The staff was so helpful and kind. I felt like everyone there was really concerned about my healing. There was no judgement. I have never been treated that way when dealing with addiction. (Crossroads Patient (insert what they were addicted to? Year of treatment?)

 

I’m currently getting a few of my friends who had the same problems on board and Crossroads will be seeing them soon. They are in awe of my transformation and how quickly the ibogaine treatment worked. You can tell that the doctors and staff genuinely care; had lots of great conversations with all of them. Very laid-back, relaxing vibe to the house; soo good! (Crossroads Patient(insert what they were addicted to? Year of treatment?)

Fantastic location, great airy space, large rooms with high ceilings, comfortable beds. I’ve been ranting and raving already to people close to me about this treatment. Ibogaine is a serious psychedelic that you need to be careful with and your facility is excellent at making sure everything is done right and safely. (Crossroads Patient (insert what they were addicted to? Year of treatment?)

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