Good morning New Health Clubbers!
Today we have something pretty special for you. Something possibly life changing.
I talked to Rachel Yehuda, a professor of psychiatry and neuroscience, the Vice Chair for Veterans Affairs in the Psychiatry Department, and the Director of the Traumatic Stress Studies Division at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. She also leads the PTSD clinical research program at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center. In 2020 she became director of the Center for Psychedelic Psychotherapy and Trauma Research at Mount Sinai.
Rachel is an important woman, and will be even more important in the years to come. She is researching the generational effect of the holocaust trauma. The neuroscientist and I discuss how the Holocaust, famine, and other catastrophic experiences can affect our DNA. And how MDMA therapy might be able to change that.
I could not wait to talk to Rachel! She is a specialist in researching epigenetic trauma in the context of Holocaust survivors and she is a pioneer in understanding how the effects of stress and trauma can transmit biologically to the next generation. She has studied the children of Holocaust survivors and of pregnant women who survived the 9/11 attacks. How is it possible that children or grandchildren of traumatised parents struggle with anxiety and depression but not the parents themselves? And where do psychedelics fit into this picture? Rachel will also start a research program to treat these trauma-related depression with MDMA, all in collaboration with MAPS.
What happens if one undertakes a psychedelic journey, and experiences their traumatic past during their trip? What does that mean for our future ability to look at the world in general? How can we do the work on post-traumatic growth? What new stories can come from exploring this psychodynamic narrative? And what tools do we need to re-story our past? Using psychedelics and MDMA can be really powerful tools in understanding conflict, shame and guilt on a deeper personal level.
So much to think about! But now over to Rachel and her amazing research.
A Research Round-Up by Ewan Waddell.
In infotainment news: a new award-winning documentary is now available that chronicles the work of Dr Stanislav Grof. You can stream here!
Who is he? Dr Grof was a pioneer and one of the primary psychiatrists in the development of psychedelic psychotherapy. The current psychedelic renaissance could simply not exist without Grof’s tireless, 60 year career in human consciousness research.
In psychedelic clinic news: the world’s first psychedelic-assisted therapy clinic of its kind is set to open in the UK soon. Psychedelic mental healthcare company Awakn Life Sciences is set to open the doors to its Bristol clinic in just two months offering ketamine-assisted therapy (and other psychedelics soon!).
Why their example should be followed: though they are a for-profit business, their endgame is not to serve the wealthy few, but rather all who need. Whilst they gear up for the (hopefully soon) medicalizations of MDMA and psilocybin, Awakn are firm in their intention to not remain a private clinic for long and aim to be integrated into the UK’s social healthcare framework as soon as possible. You can listen to our podcast with Awakn’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Ben Sessa here!
In unfortunate legality news: a couple in the Czech Republic were recently arrested and are still being detained due to allegations that they were conducting ayahuasca ceremonies.
Why this story needs to be heard: it’s easy to sit back and relax, imagining that the recent legalization bills in places like Oregon are going to be fluidly copied by the rest of the world overnight, but the reality is, we still have a lot of work to do. Everyday people all around the world are being thrown in prison for the harmless ‘crime’ of exploring their own consciousness or healing their mental health. Clinical trials are wonderful and necessary, but decriminalization movements are vital to upholding a free and fair global society. Let's do this together.
All for now. Talk next week!
🍄 The New Health Club #44 - Using MDMA to understand Holocaust-related generational trauma. A conversation with Rachel Yehuda PhD.