Researchers set out to investigate the effects of Sami on the ground. That's what they found out

After the active substance in ecstasy was officially recognized as helping to treat post-traumatic victims, the researchers went to the field to check the effects of secondary substances on users. One team went as far as popular music festivals

Researchers set out to investigate the effects of Sami on the ground. That's what they found out

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The world of psychiatry has known for decades the therapeutic effect that psychedelic drugs have on the human soul. In fact, MDMA - which is the active substance in the ecstasy drug, was first developed in Germany in the early 20th century as a psychiatric drug and was extensively researched in its 50s and 60s, alongside the study of the psychedelic properties of magic mushrooms and LSD, but the studies were discontinued due to severe side effects, And because these drugs have been associated with debauchery and hedonism.

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About two decades ago, the studies came back, more monitored and safer, and following the impressive results, the FDA announced in 2017 that MDMA would soon be marketed as an innovative and highly effective treatment for post-traumatic victims. There has also recently been a resurgence in science about the benefits of psilocybin (the substance in magic mushrooms) and in 2018, veterans at University of Veterans Research John Hopkins urged the federal government to train it. Last year, the university launched a center dedicated solely to psychedelic research, following studies that looked at the effects psychedelic drugs have on depression, anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder.

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Most research done on the possible medical benefits of psychedelic drugs takes place in a sterile lab environment. This means that scientists still don't have enough evidence to confirm whether people will respond to them in the real world in the same way they would react in the lab. For this reason, Molly Crockett, a neuroscientist at Yale University, decided to lead a group of researchers to several major music festivals where psychedelic drug use is very common, and to see what effect they have in a natural environment.

This is how the research went

The researchers did not personally experience drugs, but surveyed 1,200 British and American participants at six music festivals, from 2015-2017. Crews set up “Science Games” booths in busy areas of the festival from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and encouraged passing people to come and chat with them. Participants in the study filled out surveys for 15 minutes about their use of psychoactive substances and personal information such as age, gender, creed, political orientation and level of education. They were also asked if they had a transformative experience at the festival - meaning "an experience that changes you so profoundly that you are radically different from what you were before" - and if so, did they enjoy it.

Most of the participants were college graduates around the age of 30, relatively liberal in their opinions. About 80 percent of them drank alcohol at the festival, 50 percent used cannabis and 26.6 percent used psychedelic drugs (only 12.3 percent reported taking nothing). The researchers only invited people who were noticeably intoxicated, and included a question in their survey that functioned as a sobriety test and excluded participants who were too drunk to answer correctly.

Some users even experienced a change in their moral values. Giff girl dancing on beach (Photo: Giphy)

Flower girl in nature dancing and smiling staunchly (Photo: Giphy)

The researchers, led by Crockett, found the results were strongest among people taking the drug in the last day, though most seemed to experience their effects hours after they already had to expire. They found that those who took psychedelic drugs were more likely to feel positive, and some even experienced a change in their moral values. The study did not examine negative responses beyond the participants' response if their transformative experience was positive or negative.

The team could not ascertain what drug each person was taking, how much and if it was mixed with other substances, but even their overall findings were helpful and corresponded with the results obtained in controlled laboratory studies that found that psychedelic drugs make us more socially connected.

Need more research

The team of researchers sought to understand whether participants' expectations of their "high" sense - perhaps people who take psychedelic drugs wanted or planned to undergo a transformation, and that participating in the event may be such an experience even without the drugs. "We have found that psychedelic use is associated with a transformative experience that is beyond expectation and desire for such experiences," Crockett told the insider, adding: "We still don't understand much about the effects of psychedelic drugs on the mind and mind and need more research on how to use them to reduce suffering, and how to minimize it. The risks and potential adverse effects associated with their use ”.