Magic psilocybin truffle study targets war veterans exclusively – finds salient reductions in PTSD, anxiety & depression up to 8 weeks.
An observational study into a veteran psilocybin truffle treatment protocol
In September 2021 a group of 9 military veterans followed a protocol by ‘Psychedelic Insights BV’ to assess and measure the results of their mental wellbeing, and document their experiences.
Neurologist Luisa Prochazkova, a PHD candidate at Cognitive Neuroscience at Leiden University, led the observational pilot study.
This is the summary of her findings:
- Reduction of PTSD after 4 weeks 31%
- 29% drop in anxiety over 8 weeks
- Depression dropped by 18% over 8 weeks
- Improvement in wellbeing after 8 weeks 11%
- 34% change in relationships, perception of closeness
Why is the study unique?
In this pilot study, the treatment of war veterans with psilocybin was studied, and the emotional well-being of the veterans was monitored.
While some research has been done on treatments with psilocybin [1,2,6], no studies were found that specifically targeted war veterans as the study group.
A war veteran is a military veteran who once served in combat in war. [8] Veterans have often experienced more violence, death, pain, and traumatic events than civilians. This can cause serious mental health problems. Other emotional issues could emerge due to them being unable to be vulnerable. In other words, putting all their emotions away and “building a wall around themselves” so nothing would affect them during service. [9]
A study by Cambridge University Press found that the prevalence of mental health symptoms increased after deployment compared to pre-deployment in the Dutch military. [10] This also suggests that war veterans have an increased risk of mental health diseases. In general, veterans have a higher risk of acquiring PTSD, depression, anxiety, substance abuse disorders, and suicidal thoughts. All this makes war veterans an interesting group to target in mental health studies because most indeed have developed mental health issues.
Concerns before the study
Veterans are an interesting target group, however there are some concerns about giving psychedelics to veterans. Psilocybin can have a profound effect on mood and emotion. Soldiers are trained to suppress and block their emotions during combat. This toughness is a problem for veterans because there is an association between emotional toughness and screening positive for a mental health condition in war veterans. [11] These mental health conditions can cause a bad trip during the treatment.
Bad trips are often triggered by unresolved psychological tensions during the experience. These tensions can be overwhelming for veterans to have that many emotions come back up all at once, resulting in a bad trip.
Another reason why there are some concerns regarding using veterans is experiential avoidance (EA). Experiential avoidance is the phenomenon that occurs when a person attempts to avoid emotions, thoughts, memories, and bodily sensations. This is a coping style that may maintain problems or produce new ones because you do not deal with the problems but avoid-suppress them. Feingold and Zerach (2020) found that experiential avoidance may be a factor for the association between mental health problems and war veterans. [12] This EA can cause the emotional suppression during the treatment with psilocybin.
Materials and Methods
9 individuals participated in this observational study to measure the protocols used by a psychedelic retreat “psychedelic insights”. Participants were measured on quality of life and resilience following 2 doses of Psilocybin (truffles). All participants: 8 of whom male and 1 female, were Dutch military veterans with moderate PTSD symptoms participating on a path towards self-development or spirituality. The 9 individuals were screened based on mental and physical health measures. Exclusion criteria that rendered participants unsuitable for the study were psychiatric disorders, previous psychotic or manic events, and other underlying health conditions. The study took place at a wooden house in a forest surrounded by nature, which intended to create a safe, relaxed base for trust. Rapport was established by having a team work closely with the participants who themselves had had extensive experience with various psychedelics. The overall aim was to create an atmosphere of union, openness, and comfortability
Before, during, and after the study participants answered several clinical study questionnaires from which a data set was created. Analysis of this data set was performed for this research project. At a baseline level, 2 days before receiving the first dose, the baseline application form assessing mental health, intentions, and personal information was answered.
The questionnaires included:
– PTSD questionnaire
– Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD-7)
– The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS)
– Relationships Questionnaire
– IOS Questionnaire
– Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)
– The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISK)
1 day before administering the drug, participants were assessed on fear/stress levels using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and on closeness to the group. The participants then received their first dose, 45 grams of truffles. This amount is roughly 3 times the regular dosage; however, it was believed the veterans could handle it due to the tolerance and preservation they were taught in their profession.
On the subsequent day, participants answered the STAI again as well as questionnaires assessing the quality of their experience (whether mystical or challenging).
Mystical experiences included positive aspects such as feeling a sense of unity/awareness, and challenging experiences included more negative feelings such as a sense of panic, despair, or grief.
Participants received the second dose of truffles (35 gram) a day later and completed the same questionnaires assessing fear/stress, relationships, and mystical/challenging experiences.
2-, 4-, and 8-weeks post-retreat, participants answered the same clinical study questionnaires as they had answered in the application baseline.
World’s largest producer of natural psychedelics, ‘Fresh Mushrooms Ltd.’ ready for global export with new marketing director
AMSTERDAM February 8.
Fresh Mushrooms Ltd. has been the absolute global market leader, cultivating high quality and volumes fresh psychedelic psilocybin truffles and grow kits, for over 25 years. Fresh Mushrooms Ltd. CEO Hans Grootewal has appointed Luc van Poelje as marketing director to lead the new export ambitions of natural psilocybin truffles and microdosing products, to meet international demand.
Quality
The sophisticated production processes of the truffle results in a high quality natural product that is grown with maximum care and provides the best cultivation results. The company operates under supervision of the Dutch government to ensure that all legal, health, hygiene and food safety requirements are met. The extraordinary psychological and medicinal properties of psilocybin truffles have been studied and published all over the world. Having 25 years of experience has positioned Fresh Mushrooms Ldt. as the global front runner, ready to serve an international market.
Market
The psychedelic drug market is expected to reach USD 6,859.95 million by 2027, according to Data bridge Research. There is an increased prevalence of mental health problems worldwide acting as a driver for the demand of this industry disrupting organic market newcomer. Changes in life style and ways for enhanced quality of life and alternative health care solutions are propelling market growth. Focus and special designation from the regulatory authority can increase demand and last but not least all decriminalisation and legalisation changes. The cost saving aspects of psilocybin therapy compared to regular therapeutic healthcare models are quite considerate while the efficacy may prove to be far greater if we look to new and known areas of psychedelic research. E.g. Depression, anxieties, end of life distress, trauma, autism, dementia, PTSD and many others.
Ready for export
To pursue the mission, CEO Hans Grootewal of Fresh Mushrooms has appointed a new Marketing Director; Luc van Poelje. Luc, plant medicine advocate and CEO of Psychedelic Insights, is delighted to join forces. They passionately share the same mission. To serve the needs of the medical, scientific, research and nutriceutical markets, Fresh Mushrooms Ltd. provides the truffles for export. The truffles reside under the EU food safety regulations (EU 1881/2006). Microdosing doesn’t fall under the UN Psychotropic treaty. The website of FreshMushrooms.nl has been renewed to inform and facilitate the export.
Fresh Mushrooms will provide a global market with high quality bulk truffles and the best Microdose product available today: A unique 6X1 gram blister-sealed packaging. No mould contamination health risks or accidental over dosing because of plain large bags sold as microdosing, but precise measured 1 gram portions to suit the microdosing (para) medical and psychological objectives, safely.
Fresh Mushrooms’ Marketing director, Luc van Poelje and CEO Hans Grootewal will serve the market and create a safe and legal way for psilocybin truffles and microdose products to reach a broad international audience. Thanks to the preferred quality, the Fresh Mushrooms’ Magic Truffle dealer network covers most of Europe to date.
For more information, see Fresh Mushrooms or contact Luc van Poelje at: luc@psychedelicinsights.com
[end of press release]
Reconscious Medical Group consults Psychedelic Insights psilocybin sessions
Psychedelic Insights is proudly supported by Reconscious Medical. The Reconscious Medical Group leverages decades of clinical experience providing therapeutic, medical and psychiatric consulting services that use plant-based therapies as a tool in the treatment of addictions and psychiatric disorders for children and adults.
Psychedelic Insights brings together an interdisciplinary team of authentic and experienced psychologists, therapists, scientists and psychiatrists, who offer mental health and medical screening, psychological guidance before, during and after your psychedelic psilocybin assisted experience. Pre and post experience counseling is included and provided for personal development, in order for the experience to be fully integrated and beneficial.
Reconscious Medical enhances patient and practitioner access to evidence-based psychedelic therapies by integrating user friendly technologies for in-clinic and telemedicine experiences.
Modern psychiatry focuses on pharmacological “cures” versus a wellness model that focuses on the patient’s personal responsibility for his or her healthcare. We know there is a better way. By harnessing the power of the natural world in conjunction with evidence-based research protocols and holistic psychiatric treatment modalities, we truly believe that we can bring humanity to a healthier and happier place. Our guiding principles for the future of legal psychedelic assisted psychotherapy relies on the stewardship of safety, compliance, and efficacy.
Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy allows you to expand and deepen your healing potential through lowering your defences to more safely access difficult emotions compared to traditional talk therapy.
Clients deserve the best experience. That’s why Reconscious Medical meticulously selects each of its telehealth and in-person practitioners who are approachable, empathetic and professional psychiatrists, therapists, and healthcare professionals.
Red Light Holland Announces Intention to Acquire Controlling Interest in Psychedelic Insights Providing Psychological Guidance of Psychedelic Experiences with Truffles in the Netherlands
Newsfile Corp.December 9, 2020·6 min read
Toronto, Ontario–(Newsfile Corp. – December 9, 2020) – Red Light Holland Corp. (CSE: TRIP) (FSE: 4YX) (OTC: TRUFF) (“Red Light Holland“) is pleased to announce it has entered into a non-binding letter of intent to acquire 51% of Psychedelic Insights in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Psychedelic Insights currently provides psychedelic assistance to clients from all over the world, who are in need and wanting to try a safe and psychological guided experience. Psychedelic Insights’ dedicated and compassionate facilitators, including a team of psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists and scientists, provide psychological guidance of psychedelic experiences in many different categories including: (i) individuals or small groups (ii) psychedelic palliative care (iii) Re-connecting Veterans and (iv) provides global mental health screening. Psychedelic Insights portfolio also includes unique therapist training and psychedelic assisted leadership coaching.
As part of the expected 51% acquisition, a condition in the agreement will include: an exclusive supply agreement with Red Light Holland’s Truffles, grown from Red Light Holland’s facility in Horst, Netherlands with the intention to be used solely by Psychedelic Insights’ clients.
“I find it so interesting that behind the scenes we’ve been working on this deal for months in the Netherlands, and we just happened to agree to it on the same day Canada granted 17 healthcare professionals to possess and use psilocybin for professional training in psilocybin therapy,” said CEO Todd Shapiro. “Luc Van Poelje, CEO of Psychedelic Insights and his team have a very professional and compassionate business and we are looking forward to potentially helping it grow, because of the capital Red Light Holland can provide. There is a careful due diligence process, but we are very excited at this potential to create another alternative revenue stream as we stay true to our mission of helping people gain access to psilocybin via our Red Light Holland Truffles, responsibly.”
“Our team of psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists and scientists at Psychedelic Insights are all excited to potentially be partnering with Red Light Holland so we can continue to grow our psychedelic assisted service to clients from all over the world, who are in need and wanting to try a safe and psychologically guided experience. Our dedicated and compassionate facilitators are also pleased to potentially use Red Light Holland’s Truffles, exclusively and are pleased at this intention to grow our business so ultimately we can hopefully help more people in need,” added Luc Van Poelje, CEO Psychedelic Insights.
Recently, Red Light Holland announced a non-binding letter of intent with Halo Labs Inc. (“Halo“) for the purposes of creating a joint venture to become a licensed psilocybin manufacturer to supply psilocybin products to licensed service centers in the State of Oregon, and to explore other potential business opportunities in this new regulated market, subject to compliance with all applicable Oregon laws and regulations. The planned acquisition of a majority interest in Psychedelic Insights in The Netherlands keeps in line with the aforementioned theme and future plans of Red Light Holland’s potentially being involved (in multiple countries) in legal psilocybin-assisted initiatives.
In Canada on December 8th, 2020, 17 healthcare professionals were approved by the Canadian Federal Health Minister, Patty Hajdu, to possess and use psilocybin for professional training in psilocybin therapy. The approved healthcare professionals include psychologists, psychiatrists, clinical counselors, social workers, general practitioners, and nurses. More…
Meet The Innovative Psychedelics Incubator By Tabula Rasa Ventures
by Javier Hasse June 2, 2020 3:39 pm
Venture capital firm Tabula Rasa Ventures launched a psychedelics business incubator.
Psychedelic Builders, a three-month program, has taken on seven participants — three in the exploratory phase — along with four startups.
The goals of the incubator are to take psychedelic and psychedelic-adjacent startups and provide executive mentorship, increase diversity and inclusion within the psychedelic industry, and develop infrastructure for these entrepreneurs who won’t have access to traditional capital, the company explained.
“This industry is still in its infancy, and Tabula Rasa Ventures’s mission is to provide impact-driven value, so we see this as a perfect opportunity to do that – through the next generation of entrepreneurs,” said Tabula Rasa Ventures Founder Marik Hazan.
Some of the startups include companies like Psychedelic Insights, a business that provides private, single-day psychedelic sessions with psychological guidance for safe psychedelic experiences in Amsterdam; and Speak AI, a speech analysis software company that extracts insights like personality, tone, and clarity from audio, video, and text.
The firm is currently taking applications for its Fall 2020 program at psychedelic.builders.
Roadman Investments signs joint venture agreement with Psychedelic Insights
- Roadman Investments (TSXV:LITT) has signed a definitive joint venture agreement with Netherlands-based Psychedelic Insights
- The agreement pertains to the opening of a legal psychedelic treatment centre in California, pending legalisation and medical approval
- Roadman will contribute roughly C$710,000 to finance the centre, while Psychedelic Insights will provide a business plan and expertise
- Roadman Investments (LITT) is currently steady at 4.5 cents, with a market cap of $5.11 million
Roadman Investments (TSXV:LITT) has signed a definitive joint venture agreement with Netherlands-based Psychedelic Insights.
The agreement relates to the opening of a legal psychedelic treatment centre in California, following legalisation and medical approval.
With an existing centre in Amsterdam, Psychedelic Insights is one of the only companies in the world to offer guided psychedelic experiences with magic psilocybin truffles.
The company employs a range of specialists who aim to treat a variety of psychological conditions. Psychedelic Insights also has the necessary administrative and operational requirements in place to facilitate an expansion. More….
Truffelshooter
Wat doe je als een militair in Irak en Afghanistan een hevig trauma niet goed kan verwerken? Zelfs niet na jaren van therapie en praten met psychologen? Juist, dan ga je stevig trippen….
Zeven psychologen versleten
De manieren waarop de PTSS-klachten van Ad en Marcel zich uiten, is niet het enige verschil tussen de mariniers uit andere generaties. ‘Ad heeft zich bij zijn situatie neergelegd,’ vertelt Angela. ‘Hij heeft er destijds wel een paar afspraakjes voor gehad, maar dat mag geen naam hebben. 25 jaar geleden waren er gewoon minder mogelijkheden. Er werd überhaupt veel minder over de nasleep van oorlog en militaire uitzendingen gesproken. Je was nou eenmaal marinier geweest en daarna ging je weer naar huis. Niet zeuren, gewoon doorgaan.
Ad knikt instemmend. ‘Makkelijk was dat niet,’ zegt hij voorzichtig. ‘Vooral de overgang van het mariniersleven, waarin je een duidelijke rangorde, positie en missie hebt, naar het rustige gezinsleven, daar had ik veel moeite mee. Maar erover praten deed ik liever niet. Het hoorde er nou eenmaal bij. Wat ze tegenwoordig allemaal voor oplossingen bedenken, daarvoor werd je in mijn tijd voor gek verklaard.’
Marcel snapt precies waar zijn vader op doelt. Na een lang en slepend traject van psychologen, therapeuten en praatsessies, zoekt Marcel sinds kort buiten zijn comfortzone naar antwoorden.
‘Ik ben klaar om iets nieuws te proberen. Ik heb inmiddels zeven psychologen versleten. Vorig jaar probeerde ik EMDR-therapie (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, red.), maar daar kwam ook niets uit. Artsen blijven maar medicatie voorschrijven, maar dat weiger ik. Dat spul verdooft alleen in plaats van je beter te maken.’
More.