New Research Program: Effects Of Psychedelic Group Ceremonies On Veterans With Traumatic Brain Injury

The non-profit Heroic Hearts Project (HHP), psychedelic retreats and healthcare company Beckley Retreats and Imperial College London (ICL)’s Centre for Psychedelic Research have partnered to advance new research on the psychological effects of psilocybin ceremonies on veterans suffering from traumatic brain injuries (TBI).

The observational study, sponsored by ICL and led by its director Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris, is set to begin in March at Beckley Retreats’ location in Jamaica.

Dr. Carhart-Harris says the hope is to collect “some much-needed data on the potential of real-world psilocybin mushroom use for the treatment of brain injury-related symptoms in combat veterans,” adding that psychedelics’ mainstream makes it increasingly important to monitor their use and utility outside of clinical and lab settings.

“This program and research is vitally important for our soldiers coming home with all numbers of traumas, and head trauma is one that is rarely given the attention it deserves,” said Neil Markey, Beckley Retreats, co-founder and CEO and US army captain special operations. “As a veteran, myself, it’s a dream to be able to support the incredible work of Heroic Hearts Project and their mission to not only provide veterans access to life-changing psychedelic experiences, but also to further the scientific research that will ultimately help to make psychedelics legal worldwide and even more accessible to veterans.”

See also: Are Veterans And Psychedelics A Match? New Data Partnership Looks To Find Out

A total of 40 U.S. military veterans will participate. During the 7-day retreat, researchers will examine the acute and long-term impacts of psychedelic use in ceremonial group settings. 

The ceremony study will start with a 12-person retreat in March and is set to run throughout 2023. It will include two high-dose psilocybin ceremonies, integration work and wellness activities.

With the goal of assessing both the psychological and physiological effects of group psilocybin use for TBI, the data to be collected will include CNS Vital Signs, EEG analysis, demographics, questionnaires on TBI symptoms and quality of life, preparedness for the psychedelic experience and transpersonal outcomes including reports of mystical experience and psychological insight.

Photo: Benzinga edit with photo by Pixabay and Pexels.