Magic Mushrooms for the Terminal Soul

I had to go for this article right when I saw it. Alexander Zaitchik writes about experimental psilocybin treatments for terminally ill cancer patients, and I think it's a fantastic idea. So many cancer victims spend their last days even weeks in a hospital paralyzed by the fear of their encroaching death. From the article it is obvious that there have been promising results, but I don't see this being more than an experiment. If this starts to gain any momentum it will have a serious battle ahead of them. Every anti-drug crusader and their mother will be out campaigning against the treatment without any consideration for the cancer patients themselves. No human should lives their lives in fear especially someone that is terminally ill. Hospitals already get patients into experimental chemo treatments which can be very dangerous. Why not try something experimental that won't hurt the patient. Now I'm not saying that everyone needs to run out and get some 'shrooms, but if you were in a terminal patient's shoes.. Wouldn't you want to at least be at peace with the life you have if nothing else?


Zaitchik is obviously on the side of the doctors in this article. He kicks off the article by taking the reader on an adventure with Kristof Kossut, a terminally ill man going into the Bluestone Center for Clinical Research. After the Kossut story the author quotes different doctors that vouch for this experimental treatment. He also takes a look at the expensive treatments that take place in the last moments of one's life. He says that if we just helped the person cope with what was coming rather than spending so much on useless treatments a lot of money could be saved. This article definitely isn't trying to pull anyone on his side. The article is more of a look into the psychedelic side of things for someone that is alright with it in the first place.


Article: Flashback! Psychedelic Research Returns