My journey into psychedelics, and joining the team at Mindbloom

In January of this year, I had the most intensely beautiful experience of my life — a psychedelic medicine ceremony and healing journey, where a therapist supported me working through my tougher formative experiences and unconscious belief systems. It was five hours flush with more connectedness and unity than I could have dreamed of, even if very difficult at times. The dêlos root in pyschedelic — to manifest or reveal — is a comedy of understatement, and I was catapulted onto a new path of exploration.

The spring would bring a few more journeys, one in a group setting and another with a new compound, each reliably reinforcing everything I had been reading about psychedelics the decade prior. Finally having some first-hand experience to line up with the marvelous How to Change Your Mind, it became abundantly clear that the lab research and FDA trial progress were well ahead of the public’s knowledge (and certainly perception!) of our ability to use these compounds for good. In June my company did a layoff — the universe had freed me up to focus my work attention here as well.

It’s exceedingly lucky to have a path unfold the way that 2023 has for me, and I would be derelict to pretend something else could align my body and spirit right now. After a bit of searching with existing players and exploring starting my own thing again, I’m excited to have joined the team at Mindbloom, working on the technical and people systems we use to deliver at-home Ketamine-assisted therapy.

In a much-needed return to ancient and indigenous practices, the Western world is poised to rediscover the healing and mystical power of altered states of consciousness. It’s imperative that we do so with humility and the thoughtful care it deserves.

PS: want to come work with me? I’m hiring for a Back-end & Infrastructure Lead to help shape the future vision of our production systems.

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Psychedelics as an interest has been with me for the majority of the past decade, but I never felt specifically called to do them, and the consideration was always intellectual and for recreational settings. With such a risk profile they remained at arms-length, especially given a few harrowing experiences with weed that I did not want to repeat. These were still in the “drugs” category from protestant upbringing, pushing the stigma to outweigh the benefit. In the past few years, however, we’ve seen some major forces come together to help redefine these encounters in a way that can foster healing, connection, and mystical experiencing.

First, pop culture releases like Michael Polan’s How to Change Your Mind (and accompanying Netflix series), have effectively resurrected the science and history of how these compounds came about (and were subsequently made illegal). Next, seeing and hearing real stories of public figures talking openly about their healing experiences with MDMA, psilocybin, ayahuasca, and ibogaine all help to give these compounds legitimacy as catalysts for healing. Finally, a bevy of recent scientific literature has green-lit psychedelic compounds as safe and effective, allowing for a massive shift toward them being accepted as a fundamental good for society.

America is currently locked into ketamine as the only route of having a fully legal psychedelic-assisted experience, but a few recent state and federal efforts are set the change the landscape dramatically in the next few years.

• Oregon and Colorado recently passed state-wide decriminalization of natural plant medicines for personal use (psilocybin, ayahuasca, iboga, and non-peyote mescaline) that will go into effect in 2024 and 2025, bringing these compounds into similar standing as current state-permitted-but-federally-still-illegal cannabis. Here we should expect to see similar commercial headwinds due to the legal ambiguity of how the DEA will choose to enforce.
• The second landmark phase 3 trial of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD arrived in September with unbelievable results, demonstrating a 70% “cure” rate for enrolled participants. MAPS is expected to submit a New Drug Application to the FDA, with approval widely expected around the middle of next year.
• Similar trials exploring psilocybin and LSD for use in treatment of Major Depressive Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder are underway, with results and similar federal NDAs expected a few years behind those for MDMA

When I joined Levels a few years ago, it was the direct result of me needing to align my work efforts with a cause that would lift society should we be successful. In setting out to look for my next role after the layoff, I still had this principle as a non-negotiable for the types of companies I was looking for. Mindbloom was incredibly purpose-aligned with me, and I found the team filled with unbelievably competent and mission-obsessed individuals, almost all of which shared with me their own psychedelic journey and its subsequent leading of them to Mindbloom. These were my people.

We’re currently watching the massive collapse of ketamine clinics in both the US and Canada, likely due to the over-medicalized nature of delivery; it turns out the needles, blood pressure cuffs, and hospital beep aren’t quite conducive to having an emotionally safe and open experience (not to mention the cost and physical proximity requirements). Looking to deploy and scale bespoke medicine work is extremely hard, and we’re already seeing the results of ZIRP dynamics crossed with excitement for a new wave of mental health solutions. Purely capitalist approaches aren’t going to fare well, and I think that’s for the best.

As I spent more time with Dylan and the team, it was clear that at-home ketamine was phase 1 of an ambitious plan to help much of the Western world re-acquaint themselves with these substances, with particular attention being paid to the mystical and emotionally supportive pieces of the experience. MDMA is poised to enter the arena next year, and we will be here to welcome it with loving arms (and quiet amygdalas), no matter the necessary company and model changes needed to sustainably support these customers.

Psychedelics are set to have their moment again in a big way, and a whole crop of conscientious stewards are needed to help scale what was previously confined to clinical trials. Recapitulating the Leary-era hysteria is a very real risk, one that humanity will suffer greatly for should we get too cavalier and repeat the same mistakes of thoughtless consumption.