Barry Blechman, 81, an analyst specializing in international relations who is battling metastatic bladder cancer, made a trip last winter from his residence in Washington, D.C., to a clinic in Bend, Oregon. where he consumed a tea that had psilocybin, the psychoactive element found in magic mushrooms. He then lay down on the floor and shut his eyes. When he called his wife, Kitty, 10 hours later, she was taken aback by the lightness in his tone. “He sounded two decades younger, as if a burden had been lifted from him,” she remarked. In the months that followed, Mr. Blechman stated that the anxiety and depression brought on by his cancer diagnosis no longer troubled him, and he has gained deep insights into aspects of his personality that he believes negatively impacted his relationships. “Psilocybin therapy has been transformative for me,” he shared. Mr. Blechman is one of many Americans facing serious health issues who have turned to psychedelic treatments to cope with the anxiety and existential worries often associated with a potentially terminal illness. Those who can afford the $2,000 procedures have been flocking to psilocybin clinics in Oregon, one of the two states along with Colorado where such clinics can operate legally. (Colorado’s psilocybin program will start in 2025.) Many others have been using ketamine either in their therapist’s office or at home. While not a traditional psychedelic like LSD or psilocybin, ketamine is a strong anesthetic that is commonly regarded as a psychedelic therapy due to its effects. It can be legally prescribed for psychiatric conditions in an “off label” capacity, and it is much cheaper than psilocybin therapy. We are experiencing difficulty accessing the article content. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings. Thank you for your patience as we verify access. If you’re in Reader mode, please leave and sign into your Times account or subscribe to access all of The Times. We appreciate your patience while we confirm your access. Are you already a subscriber? Sign in.. Do you want access to all of The Times?
