LSD/MDMA-Combination Research Set for 2021
The next chapter in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy
Articles are published on a daily basis advocating for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Writers across the world tell their stories, the stories of formerly emotionally crippled acquaintances, and the stories of successful research trials in labs across the world.
Science has recently shown us that psilocybin effectively treats treatment-resistant depression, LSD diminishes anxiety in patients with life-threatening diseases, and ketamine can improve both depression and anxiety. We’ve undoubtedly come far in psychedelic inquiry since psychedelic drugs were banned for government-sanctioned research under Nixon’s Controlled Substances Act of 1970.
Regardless, perhaps even more research is needed to further shift the paradigm toward psychedelics as therapy and expand opportunities for sourcing psychedelics in a therapeutic setting. Researchers are beginning to believe such interventions could improve (and perhaps save) lives.
Neutralizing LSD’s Pitfalls With MDMA
One company leading the way in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is Mind Medicine Inc., a start-up centered on psychedelics as psychological healing modalities. On August 18th, they posted details in the NIH sponsored ClinicalTrials.gov about their latest research: clinical trials combining LSD and MDMA set to begin on January 1, 2021.
With an enrollment of 24 participants (yet to begin), the interventional clinical trial will take place in University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland as a randomized, cross-over assignment (“100 μg LSD+MDMA placebo; LSD placebo +100 mg MDMA; 100 μg LSD + 100 mg MDMA; LSD placebo+ MDMA placebo”). The title of the study is “Effects of MDMA Co-administration on the Response to LSD in Healthy Subjects.”
Researchers involved in the work admit that though the subjective experience of LSD alone is mostly positive, reports of anxiety, paranoid thinking, and other uncomfortable experiences and sensations are in plenty. They hypothesize that due to MDMA’s ability to greatly enhance positive mood, comfort, empathy, and trust, it could cancel out the negative effects of LSD when taken in unison. Thus, the study will analyze the effects of LSD both alone and combined with MDMA.
The Potential Psychotherapeutic Power of Candyflipping
Traditionally called “candyflipping,” combining LSD and MDMA has been around for decades. A UK based, ’90s band named Candy Flip even rose to some prominence after releasing their Beatles Cover: “Strawberry Fields Forever.” The song was a number 3 hit in the UK Singles Chart.
So what’s so special about “candyflipping” that’s made it a popular approach to taking psychedelics?
“The potential of MDMA-LSD is to create a psychological state that may have the benefits of both substances and have longer lasting effects than standalone psilocybin or LSD,” states Dr. Liechti, a leader in the Department of Biomedicine University Hospital. “Inducing an overall primarily positive acute response during psychedelic assisted therapy is critical because several studies showed that a more positive acute experience is linked to a greater therapeutic long-term effect in patients.”
MindMed is very invested in eliminating negative experiences associated with LSD psychotherapy. This year, the company filed a patent for a so-called “off-switch” for LSD. This concoction has the ability to shorten or even stop “bad trips.” Having a so-called “off switch,” researchers believe, can increase the confidence of patients who undergo therapy with LSD (the effects of LSD can easily exceed 6 hours).
MindMed’s focus on securing maximum comfort during LSD experiences explains why they’re committed to this LSD/MDMA-combination study. The LSD-MDMA-combination may lessen the chance of needing an LSD “off-switch” in the first place.
“A new treatment paradigm combining MDMA and LSD may enhance the positive effects of LSD by inducing a positive psychological state with MDMA which is an empathogen to help counteract some known negative or less positive aspects of LSD or psilocybin,” adds Dr. Miri Halperin Wernli, MindMed’s president. “With this innovative treatment paradigm, we are looking to bring the participants outside the bounds of their everyday perceptions, bringing their mind into a very flexible state of mind facilitating new states of consciousness. This will provide the opportunity to step outside their usual sense of self and experience themselves from a radically different and new perspective.”
“Stepping outside” a “usual sense of self” and experiencing the self from a “radically different and new perspective” is a powerful aim of many who decide to use psychedelic drugs. Researchers are now examining the scientific basis of “ego-dissolution” by means of psychedelics. For this, scientists use something called a “Mystical Experiences Questionaire” (MEQ) to assess each participant’s Ego-Dissolution Inventory (EDI). Specialists are studying ego-dissolution because they agree that such “ego-death” experiences are of therapeutic benefit.
MindMed may soon have the means to provide steadier psychedelic encounters. These should better the chances of patients experiencing the aforementioned therapeutic benefits of psychedelics.
Researchers at University Hospital in Switzerland expect to have their results by 2022.
