I recently published an article about Oregon’s pioneering psilocybin services program and its appeal to older adults, in the online magazine Next Avenue. As a writer, I consider addressing misunderstandings and stigma about consciousness-expanding drugs to be a big part of my job. That’s why I appreciate the opportunity to publish in this very mainstream … Read More »
Articles
Entering Elderhood – A New Psychedelic Ceremonial Rite of Passage
The generation that came of age in the 60s and 70s is now aging into our 60s and 70s. And young at heart as we boomers may feel, we are sorely ill-prepared for the realities of aging and dying. But now, with remarkably auspicious timing, the psychedelic drugs of our youth are making a comeback. … Read More »
Psychedelics as an End of Life Rite of Passage
I recently conducted a fascinating interview with Dr. Lou Lukas, a palliative care physician in Nebraska, for a blog post I wrote for Brain Futures – a non-profit interested in scientific advances related to the brain. Lukas spoke about the promise of psychedelics for her field – from a very personal perspective. In 2011 she … Read More »
Writing about Psychedelics for Older Adults
Not a few baby boomers are probably scratching their heads over the current “psychedelic renaissance,” wondering how and when those dangerous drugs that can fry your brain sunny side up suddenly became a promising new “miracle cure” for depression and PTSD. As a journalist of a certain age, I have been watching, fascinated, as psychedelic … Read More »
A Mid-Life Trip
I recently traveled to New York to attend the Horizons conference on psychedelics – now in its 15th year. Particularly exciting for me was the opportunity to hear Dr. Anthony Bossis of NYU talk about psychedelics in palliative care – a topic that has intrigued me since reading Michael Pollan’s How To Change Your Mind in … Read More »