Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy protocol
Compound: Psilocybin
Status: research
Classic psychedelic showing promise for depression and end-of-life anxiety
Dosing
Dose: 25 mg
Route: Oral (synthetic)
Duration: 4-6 hours
Sessions: 1-2 with preparation/integration
Dose: 10 mg
Route: Oral (synthetic)
Duration: 4-6 hours
Sessions: Low dose comparator in trials
Safety
Monitoring: Continuous facilitator presence, vital signs pre/post
Side effects
- Anxiety
- Confusion
- Nausea
- Headache
- Elevated heart rate
Contraindications
- Personal/family history of psychosis or schizophrenia
- Severe cardiovascular disease
- Pregnancy
Overview
Mechanism: 5-HT2A receptor agonist, promotes neuroplasticity and emotional processing
Indications
- Major depressive disorder
- Treatment-resistant depression
- End-of-life anxiety
- Addiction
Evidence level: Moderate - Phase 2/3 trials ongoing, FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation
Citations
Doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(16)30065-7
Year: 2016
Title: Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression
Doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.3285
Year: 2021
Title: Effects of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy on Major Depressive Disorder
Integration
Prompts
- What emerged during the experience?
- Any symbolic or visual content?
- Emotional breakthroughs?
- New perspectives on life challenges?
Framework: Multiple integration sessions post-experience, voice logging captures insights for later processing
Preparation
Screening
- Personal/family history of psychosis
- Cardiovascular health
- Current medications (SSRIs)
- Psychological readiness assessment
Set setting: Comfortable, aesthetically pleasing room with trained facilitators, music playlist, eyeshades
Reference material only. Nothing on this page is medical advice or a personal recommendation.