Psychedelics: the fifth revolution in psychology

In this article, Kath Temple, Psychologist at healthy living and aging platform, Goldster, who has recently been working alongside addiction and trauma expert Dr Gabor Maté, shares her thoughts on why she believes psychedelics are the fifth revolution in psychology.

Psychedelic-assisted therapy reduces the impact of grief, depression, and anxiety. It can also improve connections with others. For best effect, it can be used alongside therapeutic approaches such as solution-focused psychotherapy, or CBT – Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or an NLP approach – Neuro-Linguistic Programming.

In June of last year, I worked side by side in person in the Holy Land with the amazing author and medical doctor, Dr Gabor Maté, treating trauma and PTSD. I will be working alongside him this month too, but on a virtual conference. Gabor is a great advocate of using psychedelics for PTSD, trauma, depression and addiction and has much experience of its positive powerful impact.

Substances used include plant medicine Ayahuasca, psilocybin, MDMA, and ketamine.

There have been experiments with psychedelics since the 1940s. Harvard Psychologist, Timothy Leary was jailed for giving LSD to prisoners. He should have been given a novel prize for his work. 

Prisoners reoffending rates generally run at 87% – it is known as the ‘revolving door’ – with the majority back in prison within six months of leaving. However, there was a 0% reoffending rate in Leary’s group treated with LSD.

The important part is that it needs to be used in partnership with some talk therapy to further process the experience and make sense of it. People often report spiritual experiences and life becoming much more meaningful after an experience with psychedelics. 

In NLP we recognise that when we work with people at the spiritual level, it is the highest level we can work at and it will create the greatest change in people’s lives, bringing back a sense of purpose and deeper meaning to our lives.

I have trained people in the use of NLP and Hypnosis to support the guided process of using psychedelics with those who are experiencing grief, loss, PTSD, depression and anxiety.

I also recognise that it is possible to change consciousness using NLP and Hypnosis without the use of psychedelics, simply using the ability our minds already have to explore the higher realms.

It is wonderful that these methods are now being taken much more seriously.

The psychosensory therapies, EFT, the Emotional Freedom Technique, and Havening are also clinically proven to be highly effective in dealing with PTSD, trauma, depression and anxiety. These, and the use of psychedelics, are the 5th revolution in Psychology.

Kath Temple
Psychologist,
Goldster, a digital platform for healthy aging (physically and mentally)
www.goldster.co.uk

Kath Temple is a psychologist holding various qualifications including a Master of Science, Occupational & Organisational Psychology, a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with Honours, a Diploma in Hypnotherapy and Solution-Focused Psychotherapy extensive training in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT).  She is the Happiness Psychologist at Goldster.