Illustration by Stephen Doyle
Writing for the New Yorker, Michael Pollan reports on recent clinical studies using psilocybin (psychedelic mushrooms) to comfort the terminally ill.
Participants reported feelings of spirituality, an acceptance of mortality, and greater awareness of love and gratitude for the lives they have led. Eddie Marritz, now in remission from small-cell carcinoma, agreed to talk about his experience in a video for the magazine. Marritz describes the experience as non-corporeal, and notes overlaps with Christian ritual and tradition.
Would you consider this type of treatment? Would you suggest it to someone you knew who was struggling with spiritual concerns?