Reports from the Guardian state that the University of Exeter in England is launching one of the very first postgraduate degrees in psychedelics. The program, Psychedelics, Mind, Medicine, and Culture, aims at leveraging Exeter’s psychedelics center to share their expertise with therapists, health care workers, and mental health advocates. University of Exeter revealed its plans recently at Europe’s biggest psychedelics convention Breaking Convention.
Globalization is bringing about a “psychedelic Renaissance”. Australia was the first nation to permit psychiatrists to prescribe psychoactive drugs for depression that is resistant to treatment. We can now appreciate the efforts of The University of Exeter in training students across the Atlantic. This is evident in the United States in the ketamine assisted therapy to treat treatment resistant depression. It’s also seen in the efforts to legalize psilocybin in places like Oregon, Colorado and the soon to be secured legal status for MDMA in treating PTSD. Remember that, just as in the case of peyote and indigenous cultures’ relationship, psychedelic therapies have been used to achieve spiritual healing for centuries.
In this light, it is important to remember that, as a consequence of the Pandemic, everyone has a mental health concern, regardless if they are struggling with their own issues and looking for help, or if they want to assist others by using psychoedelics. Any help to normalize the psychedelic community would be welcome. It is particularly true if it is based on science and is directed towards communities who need the most help, like those that treat mental health patients, as in Psychedelics, Mind, Medicine, Culture.
The Guardian reported, that by 2028 the market for psychedelic medicines will be worth $ 8.3 billion. The Psychedelics, Mind, Medicine and Culture course aims to teach healthcare professionals how to work safely with psychoactive drugs such as psilocybin and MDMA.
This program will not only spread science-approved information on psychedelics, but also gain the trust of outsiders regarding the efficacy and safety of psychedelic assisted therapies. Psychedelics, Mind, Medicine, Culture also aims at paving the way for future programs, by creating a template that can help introduce new treatments in the coming five years, as clinical trials are completed.
Celia Morgan is a professor of Psychopharmacology and co-leader of the program at the University of Exeter. She said, “As people begin to realize that psychedelics can be a valuable tool in treating some of the most devastating mental illnesses, we must train the workforce so they are prepared to handle the growing demand.” It is clear that psychedelics work in situations where other therapies have not.
Morgan was quick to point out that accessing therapeutic mental care involving psychedelics is more difficult due to legal issues than medical risks. Morgan continued, “This is a testament to how far we’ve come since the stigma and fear that have plagued this field over the years. We also see this change reflected by leading universities in other countries conducting clinical trials of the highest quality…we are optimistic that the UK will follow suit with increasing evidence as in places like the US, Australia, and Canada.”
The University of Exeter postgraduate program addresses the decolonization of psychedelics research, as well as existing psychedelic treatments, neuroscience and psychiatry.
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