Psychedelics such as MDMA, LSD, psilocybin (another compound found in magic mushrooms) and ketamine have been gaining attention in the Western world as a possible way to tackle burgeoning mental health crises. Their proponents see some psychedelic compounds as a potential new class of blockbuster treatments for psychiatric disorders such as anxiety, depression and substance abuse, among others. It’s thought that the compounds may help to alter the perspective of individuals with so-called “diseases of despair”, including suicide, drug overdose and alcohol abuse, in conjunction with talking therapy. However, these treatments have also been criticised as over-hyped and potentially harmful.
As this emerging field of medicine develops – and not without many twists and turns in the road (see factbox: No MDMA for PTSD) – discoveries such as the shaman’s bag in the Bolivian Andes are shedding light on the role psychedelics played in ancient societies. (Read more about how our ancestors coped with trauma.)