Reflections on Psychedelic Medicine and Cultural Trauma

Sep 12

CAN THE PROMISE OF EGO DISSOLUTION WORK WHEN BLACK EGO DEFENSES ARE NEEDED TO WITHSTAND RACISM IN AMERICA?

— Nicholas Byron Powers, PhD, "Black Masks, Rainbow Bodies: Race and Psychedelics", 2017, Horizons

We would like to share some of the things we learned at the Psychedelic Medicine and Cultural Trauma workshop in Kentucky, which our entire six-person therapy team attended on August 10–11th. It was an incredible learning and collaborative experience! The workshop was jam-packed with thought-provoking presentations and heartfelt sharing of personal narratives.

We got the chance to meet others who are working to start expanded access sites for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in their communities, and discussed with others how to best involve our local communities in these efforts. Our very own community organizer, Ayele Katuryah, led a dynamic discussion about what it means to be a community organizer in this space.

Throughout the conference, presenters discussed the challenge of inclusivity and diversity in research trials, such as the one currently being run by MAPS regarding MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD. Marginalized people — and Black and Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) in particular — have been subjects of serious ethical violations in the past, such as the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment. This immoral study knowingly caused harm to black study participants by depriving them of effective treatments for syphilis. As researchers and providers, it is important to consider that we need to be mindful about inclusivity — as this also determines who will get access to effective treatments down the line — but also be aware that people may be hesitant or unwilling to participate because there is appropriate skepticism towards the medical establishment.

African American researcher Carl Hart also called on us to remember just how much damage the War on Drugs has and continues to inflict on communities of color. We understand the resultant wariness that black people may have toward participating in research that involve substances that are still criminalized. The evidence for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD has been compelling so far, but it is still in phase III trials. As early adopters of this therapy, we need to do all we can to help get people who identify as being part of a marginalized group trained in this modality and included in the research trials but only as willing, respected, and supported participants. Following our 2 day workshop was the largest ever training for potential MDMA-assisted therapists of color so that marginalized communities can have a face in shaping these programs, and people can have access to providers who have similar experiences to their own..

One highlight of the conference was Monnica T. Williams’ presentation about culturally-informed therapy. Some of the main issues discussed in her talk, including the historic exclusion of people of color from psychedelic research and advocacy spaces, are explored. Here is an excellent article she wrote in 2018, about this topic, entitled “Psychedelic Psychotherapy Is Coming: Who Will Be Included?”, which goes over some of the main issues that were discussed in her talk.

Another fascinating presentation was given by Joe Tafur, M.D. who wrote the book, The Fellowship of the River, about his training with shamans in Peru to learn to work with ayahuasca. There was a lot of discussion of the importance of acknowledging and grappling with the fact that MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, and other psychedelic medicines, borrows much of its approach from indigenous traditions, such as ayahuasca and peyote ceremonies. Many different speakers brought up the dilemma of what it means to have an ‘entire country built on stolen land’ when it comes to psychedelic research, and how this work should best honor that fact.

We are excited to integrate all that we learned in Kentucky into our process to start the SoundMind Center in West Philly! We are also looking forward to discussing these topics with many of you in person - as we consider how these may be relevant to our own neighborhood.