Anecdotal reports suggest that the psychedelic substance psilocybin helps to relieve symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder during and after the acute psychedelic experience. Psilocybin is a potent 5-HT-2A antagonist, which resembles the pharmacological mechanism for antiobsessional drug response. The purpose of this study is to:

1) Establish safety and tolerability of psilocybin in human subjects;
2) Collect preliminary data regarding efficacy of psilocybin treatment in OCD;
3) Explore the dose-response relationship; and
4) Explore the relationship between degree of psychedelic response and antiobsessional effects.

Early review of data collected thus far suggests that psilocybin may be safe and well tolerated in subjects with treatment-refractory OCD and may offer at least temporary relief of OCD symptoms. Subjective experiences will be discussed in the context of the subjects psychological, spiritual, and transcendental experiences.

This MAPS sponsored lecture, recorded at the 16th International Transpersonal Association Conference, June 12-18, Palm Springs California, is made available in two mp3 format files, part 1 and part 2.