Psychedelics have a deeply rooted history in various indigenous groups around the world for the purpose of achieving enlightenment and divination. Due to past ignorance and social stigmas surrounding mind-altering substances, our knowledge is still limited and the field of study is relatively pristine. From the 1950s through the 1970s there were many barriers to examining the use of psychedelics in psychotherapy regarding the legality of the substances and funding for research (as cited in Griffiths et al. 2016). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The use of these drugs has recently made a resurgence in modern clinical and recreational settings. Psychedelics have shown promise in some key areas of research. Individuals suffering from life-threatening illnesses can benefit greatly from psychedelic therapy as it has been shown to significantly reduce cases of depression, anxiety, and suicidality that are common among cancer patients (Griffiths et al. 2016). The powerful mystical experiences one undergoes through the use of psilocybin have also proven to be strong catalysts for change in individuals struggling with addiction. In a pilot study conducted by Albert Garcia-Romeu et al. Psilocybin has been shown to be effective in helping people struggling with tobacco addiction. While psychedelics such as ibogaine have also been shown to have the potential to treat opioid addiction on a molecular level (Noller et al. 2016), perhaps meaning that the benefits of psychedelic therapy are not only psychological but also physiological . This article will examine the role of psychedelics in providing individual benefits through ego dissolution and how they encourage us to be more introspective. It is widely accepted that the use of psychedelics can bring about feelings of unity and compassion, while at the same time instilling a sense of awe of the outside world (Griffiths et al. 2006). Because of the positive feelings associated with psychedelic use, they have powerful applications in therapy for individuals dealing with life-threatening illnesses such as cancer. Understandably, the realization that life is limited can place a great mental burden on some individuals, and cancer patients often experience higher levels of anxiety, depression, and suicidality (Griffiths et al. 2016). These increased rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidality are also directly correlated with “decreased treatment adherence, prolonged hospitalization, and decreased quality of life” (as cited in Griffiths et al. 2016). Griffiths has shown that psilocybin has an invaluable role in eliminating these negative feelings for people with life-threatening tumors. Not only did negative psychological symptoms go into remission after prolonged psychedelic therapy, but the benefits were shown to be maintained even after a period of 6 months (Griffiths et al. 2016). After a 12-month period, individuals undergoing LSD-assisted psychotherapy reported an overall decrease in anxiety and worry, while also reporting an increase in “insightful, cathartic, and interpersonal experiences” (Gasser et al. 2014). Overwhelmed by feelings of optimism and a surge of positive thoughts, individuals dealing with life-threatening illnesses that typically burden the psyche with negative feelings like depression and anxiety are seeing promising results that are sustained for 6 to 12 monthsfrom the use of LSD and Psilocybin in therapeutic contexts. This potentially demonstrates the validity of the role of psychedelics in psychotherapy as an effective alternative to traditional antidepressants without the same potential for abuse. The reason for this is that prior experience using psychedelics has been shown to reduce the risk of opioid dependence, while prior use of other substances has been linked to increased opioid dependence (Pisano 2017), the which means that although psychedelics are classified as prohibited drugs in Canada, they do not exhibit the typical addictive properties that would be assumed. It is also important to note that traditionally medications prescribed for many of the above-mentioned diseases are only effective when they are present in the body and require continued use. This can be problematic because, as discussed previously; Treatment adherence in cancer patients has been shown to decrease due to depression and anxiety, meaning that the effectiveness of antidepressants would also decrease with reduced consumption. So far the promising role of entheogens in reducing psychological distress for individuals struggling with life Potentially dangerous diseases have been examined, but these powerful psychoactive substances have also demonstrated validity in reducing individual dependence that occurs through prolonged use of alcohol, tobacco and other various opioids. The widespread problem of addiction has enormous socioeconomic implications worldwide, and global health systems are extremely burdened due to addiction and other treatment-resistant disorders. Decreased psychosocial skills, inability to maintain healthy relationships, job loss, and ultimately mortality are just some of the socioeconomic complications that arise from addiction (Noller et al. 2016). The effects of addiction on the brain are well documented. Often, people who struggle with addiction are unable to handle cravings, temptation, and self-discipline. It is important to note that the lack of self-discipline and temptation experienced by drug addicts is not limited specifically to drug use. This potentially demonstrates the effectiveness of psychedelics in treating not only opioid, alcohol, and tobacco addictions, but also a wide range of non-drug addictions, such as gambling addictions and video game addictions ( as cited in Garcia-Romeu 2015). This shows that a banned substance with no known major health effects and a huge amount of social stigma can successfully treat addiction compared to legal drug substances that have known health harms to humans. Another substance used to treat heroin and cocaine addiction is ibogaine. Research shows that individuals who struggle with substance abuse have higher rates of depressive orders, but when administered ibogaine they experience a “rapid improvement in depressive mood” (Noller et al 2016). If ibogaine has the ability to improve the mood of individuals struggling with substance abuse then it should also have the ability, along with other psychedelics, to improve the mood of all individuals suffering from depression. Perhaps there is a role for psychedelics in treating a wide range of mental disorders and not just for individuals in certain circumstances (addiction, life-threatening illnesses). The foundation of human consciousness is built on the selfish structure of the ego. The dissolution of the ego achieved through mystical experiences can offer unprecedented insights into the inner landscape of the mind. It is important to ground the reader inunderstanding how psilocybin and other psychedelics generally interact with the brain. Simply put, psilocybin is an agonist that works primarily by interacting with the serotonin 5-HT2A neurotransmitters (Hassler & Grimberg, 2003). Psilocybin can alter neurotransmission in an inhibitory or excitatory manner, as shown by (Carhart-Harris et. al 2012). While we typically think of psychedelics as increasing neural activity in various areas of the brain due to the visual and perceptual changes they produce, Carhart-Harris discovered and measured an overall decrease in cerebral blood flow to the anterior and posterior cingulate cortex . This means that extreme neurological strain may not be the cause of the visual hallucinations you may experience while under the influence of psychedelics. With this in mind, one wonders what the real function of the mind is. Take a faucet for example, where you have the ability to consciously control the flow of water depending on how much you want. Likewise, consciousness can act as a control mechanism for the flow of madness produced by our minds. This gives rise to the possibility that it was evolutionarily advantageous for our minds to implement a control mechanism to manage the stream of consciousness, but that our minds naturally allow hallucinations, visual distortions, and a wide range of other sensory changes to occur. This raises the question: If our minds are controlled by consciousness, do the decisions we make truly reflect the desires we have, or are we simply subject to the primal animalistic desires exhibited by the rest of biological life on earth? Humans appear to exhibit a balance between primal desire and rational thought. In some cases, such as seeking a sexual partner, there are underlying drivers that are biologically rooted, such as reproduction; other factors are socially motivated such as financial stability, status, social pressure from peers. Freud's concept of the Ego can be divided into three separate functions: the “Id” which controls instinctive desires such as sexual activities, aggression, hunger; the “Self” which serves as a measure of reality and is influenced by the external world, and finally the “Super Self” which is essentially a moral compass developed through the contribution of society and our education (Siegfried 2014). The dissolution of the Freudian “Ego” termed “Ego” can result in the loss of a self-centered attitude in everyday decision making, which has clear benefits for society on a larger scale. While psychedelics promote a sense of oneness between nature and the world, other substances such as cocaine have been shown to promote self-centeredness over altruism (Nour 2015). This demonstrates the powerful potential of psychedelic use to positively influence personality traits. As discussed, mystical experiences encountered under the influence of entheogens have the potential to calibrate our moral compass (superego) indicating the possibility of the regenerative effects of psychedelics on a traumatic childhood. If an individual was not socialized properly from a young age, or his parents failed to instill strong moral values ​​in him, there may be a possibility that psychedelic therapy can reverse these negative character traits through profound mystical experiences. Nour's research involved surveying participants to more clearly understand their emotional perspective after ingesting ego-dissolving drugs. Participants scored extremely high on the statements of.