David E. Nichols interviewed by Jan Irvin (2010) [1/7]

Dr. Nichols originally conceived of a privately funded Institute as the most effective mechanism for bringing research on psychedelic agents into the modern era of neuroscience. This vision led to the founding of the Heffter Research Institute in 1993. He currently is the Robert C. and Charlotte P. Anderson Distinguished Chair in Pharmacology at the Purdue University College of Pharmacy, and also is adjunct Professor of Pharmacology at the Indiana University School of Medicine. In 2004 he was named the Irwin H. Page Lecturer, and in 2006 was named the first Provost's Outstanding Graduate Mentor at Purdue. The focus of his graduate training, beginning in 1969, and of much of his research subsequent to receiving his doctorate in 1973 has been the investigation of the relationship between molecular structure and the action of psychedelic agents and other substances that modify behavioral states. His research has been continuously funded by government agencies for more three decades. He consults for the pharmaceutical industry and has served on numerous committees and government research review groups. Widely published in the scientific literature and internationally recognized for his research on centrally active drugs, he has studied all of the major classes of psychedelic agents, including LSD and other lysergic acid derivatives, psilocybin and the tryptamines, and phenethylamines related to mescaline. Among scientists, he is recognized as one of the foremost experts on the medicinal chemistry of hallucinogens. His high standards and more than four decades of research experience set the tone to ensure that rigorous methods and quality science are pursued by the Institute.

http://www.heffter.org

Podcast: http://gnosticmedia.podomatic.com/

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[romerieger]

@buekerc1 whats a transcendental experience? Tripping so hard that you break free from ego and change your paradigm of life permanently? IMO, certain people (many people) will always fight that sort of experience, whether its because of fear of losing control, or sanity all together. In Stan Grof's studies, were the patients given the drug and walked through the trip? and was it just LSD or other drugs as well?

[buekerc1]

Dr David E Nichols mentions Stanislav Grof and psychedelic assisted therapy in treatment of pain perception and mood disorders. Empiricism shows that psychedelic therapy is generally efficacious for patients reporting a transcendental experience; conversely, patients reporting no sense of transcendence who receive identical psychedelic treatment demonstrate efficacy rates comparable to the placebo condition.