Psyched

Psychedelics including psilocybin, MDMA, ketamine, ayahuasca and peyote are poised to revolutionize mental health and alter the wellness industry forever.

Once feared and misunderstood, psychedelics have emerged as one of the most promising therapies of the 21st century. Through cutting-edge research, substances such as MDMA and LSD are being recognized as powerful keys to healing and human improvement, offering solutions for mental health issues including PTSD and depression. Similarly, plant medicines like ayahuasca, peyote, and iboga, used since time immemorial by Indigenous cultures for spiritual purposes, have been shown to promote feelings of empathy, connection, and love for the self, others, and the world around us. 

But how can everyday people benefit from psychedelics? And will they really transform healthcare as we know it?

In Psyched, health journalist Amanda Siebert explores the history, culture, and potential of seven psychedelic substances. She interweaves real-life stories, clinical research, and interviews with the world’s leading psychedelics experts and cultural allies to offer a definitive guide to these cutting-edge treatments.

Amanda Siebert is an award-winning journalist and photographer covering the intersections of culture, science, and business in cannabis and psychedelics, and owes her life to the plants, fungi, and compounds she writes about. With their help, she has overcome depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder, and is committed to spreading the word about their potential to help people live more vibrant lives. Amanda is based on unceded QayQayt territory in New Westminster, B.C.

Julie Holland, MD is a psychiatrist and psychopharmacologist and author of the New York Times bestsellers Moody Bitches and Weekends at Bellevue. While now a medical advisor to the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), she was a medical monitor for several clinical studies examining the efficacy of using MDMA-assisted psychotherapy or cannabis in the treatment of PTSD. Her newest book is Good Chemistry: The Science of Connection, From Soul to Psychedelics. She lives in New York.