MDMA-assisted therapy could be key to healing Ukraine's war trauma—and might even help mend our own divided society's psychological wounds.

Key Insights:

MAPS' Phase 3 clinical trials showed 72.6% of severe PTSD patients no longer qualified for diagnosis after MDMA therapy

Group therapy combined with MDMA shows enormous promise for healing communities facing widespread trauma

Epigenetic research suggests processing trauma with psychedelics could prevent passing trauma to future generations

America's social division is creating its own psychological "war zone" that might benefit from psychedelic-assisted healing

Links & Resources:

MAPS - Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies

Psychedelic Science 2025 - Denver, June 16-20, 2025

Mind Body Health & Politics

Superhumans Center Ukraine

Timestamps:

(00:00:00) - Introduction: Four Decades of Psychedelic Medicine Advocacy

(00:03:00) - The Dark History Behind Drug Prohibition and Criminalization

(00:05:42) - Inside Ukraine: Air Raid Sirens and Everyday Resilience

(00:09:00) - Why MDMA Works: Revolutionary Results from PTSD Clinical Trials

(00:16:00) - "I Don't Think I'll Have to Go to Nepal Now": Patient Transformation Stories

(00:24:00) - From Underground to Mainstream: Political Science of Psychedelic Medicine

(00:32:00) - Visiting the Cemetery of Flags: Confronting Ukraine's Massive Trauma

(00:38:00) - Beyond Individual Therapy: Scaling MDMA Treatment for an Entire Nation

(00:45:00) - Group Therapy's Multiplier Effect: Learning Through Others' Healing

(00:50:00) - Transforming Relationships: MDMA's Potential for Couples and Families

(00:54:00) - America's Own War Zone: How Social Division Creates Collective Trauma

(00:59:00) - From Self-Actualization to Self-Transcendence: Maslow's Psychedelic Evolution

(01:02:00) - The Astronaut Perspective: Seeing One Planet of People, Not Countries

​Dr. Nicholas Powers reveals how psychedelics could help heal generational trauma in communities of color while reinvigorating social movements at a critical political moment.

In This Episode:

- Why the "Black psychedelic revolution" is currently a celebrity trend but needs to become accessible to working-class communities

- How the constant psychological burden of "the white superego" creates trauma in communities of color

- Why writing is a powerful tool for liberation and reclaiming your mind from today's attention economy

Links & Resources:

- [The Black Psychedelic Revolution by Nicholas Powers](https://www.blackpsychedelicrevolution.com/)

- [Mind Body Health & Politics Archive](https://mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/)

Chapters:

(00:00) - Intro: Understanding the Black Experience in America

(08:00) - The Weight of History: Carrying Ancestral Trauma

(15:00) - The Current State of Psychedelics in Communities of Color

(21:00) - Backlash Politics: Post-Election Mourning and Resistance

(30:00) - Resilience Stories: Finding Strength After Defeat

(38:00) - Addiction, Environment, and the "Rat Park" Experiment

(45:00) - Writing as Liberation: Reclaiming Your Mind from Digital Harvesting

​Mind Body Health & Politics is in its 21st year. All episodes are archived and available at mindbodyhealthpolitics.org. New episodes go live Tuesday Mornings.

While clinical trials capture headlines, 99.9% of psychedelic experiences happen outside laboratory walls. Dr. Matthew Lowe shares groundbreaking research revealing that self-guided psychedelic use can deliver the same benefits as clinical settings, including reductions in depression and anxiety.

The world's largest naturalistic psilocybin study with 8,000+ participants

How home use of magic mushrooms can match clinical outcomes

Why shame reduction may be a key mechanism in psychedelic healing

Psychedelics' complex history with marginalized communities

Links:

Unlimited Sciences: Research organization studying observational/naturalistic psychedelic use

Psychedelic Info Line: 888-210-3553 (Free consultation service)

Study Reference: "Naturalistic psilocybin use is associated with persisting improvements in mental health and well-being" (Frontiers in Psychiatry) - Open Access Link

(00:00) - Intro: The 99% of Psychedelic Use We Don't Study (01:50) - The World's Largest Naturalistic Psilocybin Study (06:30) - Real-World vs. Clinical Settings: Surprising Findings (10:22) - Adversity in Psychedelic Experiences: What Goes Wrong (14:01) - Dosage Considerations and Setting (18:51) - The Queer Community's Complex History with Psychedelics (26:19) - From Weaponization to Healing: A Research Gap (33:15) - Healing Shame and Self-Acceptance Through Ayahuasca (38:24) - The Case for Inclusive Research and Representation (42:39) - The Value of Naturalistic Research for Harm Reduction (46:00) - Free Psychedelic Education Resources (47:37) - Political Impact on Marginalized Communities