Part 2: Can Death-Related Anxiety and Depression be Overcome?

Last week's post talked about a study done by NYU and Johns Hopkins researchers about the therapeutic benefits of the synthetic drug, psilocybin - the active ingredient in "magic mushrooms".

Today, I will be posting the link to Fresh Air where host Terry Gross interviews the writer Michael Pollan. Many may remember him as the author of The Omnivore's Dilemma.

No surprise in this, but what brought tears to my eyes during this interview, was the story about the woman who had advanced ovarian cancer and how taking psilocybin impacted her.

The interview was one of Gross' top 10 listened to of 2018 and for good reason. During the interview, Pollan recounts his own experiences during the guided treatment, covering instructions he receives before the event, and his fears and his experiences during and after the event. He also talks about the interviews he conducts with people who underwent the experience.

Pollan's book is How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression and Transcendence.