Dear friends,

Some of you may know that I was undergoing immunotherapy treatment against liver cancer for the best part of last year, during which time I continued to work on the Beckley Foundation’s exciting collaborative research programmes. Unfortunately, however, the treatment has not worked and as a result I have shifted my focus to spending more precious time with my family and friends. 

It is 60 years since I first tried LSD and discovered the extraordinary potential psychedelics have to help individuals and society. It struck me then that these were a “gift of the gods” that could expand one’s vision and understanding of reality. And what an exciting journey I have been on ever since! I feel immeasurable gratitude towards all the people who have inspired me, collaborated with me, and supported me up the long and winding path that has slowly led us all to today’s psychedelic renaissance.

Looking back, I am filled with a tremendous sense of satisfaction about what we have all achieved together. The taboo has been broken. Science, medicine, and society are returning to psychedelics as invaluable tools for human health and flourishing. 

Looking forward, I am filled with hope that, more than ever and despite the seeming turmoil all around us, there are legions of people committed to take this vision forward with compassion and integrity. No doubt there will be many more bumps in the road, but I have absolute faith we will get there. 

With love and best wishes,

Amanda Feilding

Dear Friends,

Happy New Year from myself and all at the Beckley Foundation!

25 years ago this year, I made the decision to transform myself, from a woman with no letters after my name, to a Foundation. After decades of using art and political campaigns, I had come to realise that Science was the best way to overcome the taboo and break through the oppressive wall of the War on Drugs.

For several years, our work at the Beckley Foundation was thought of as fringe and dangerous, not to be taken seriously. But in time, the data we produced spoke for itself. Now, after all this time, public opinion of psychedelics and altered states of consciousness is at an all-time high in our culture.

We have witnessed significant strides in drug policy reform across multiple continents, including decriminalisation, legalisation, and medicalisation. Just recently, the UN officially shifted its stance towards harm reduction and human rights-based drug policies, and away from prohibitionist criminalisation.

Still humanity faces the heavy costs of war, the ever-growing mental health epidemic, environmental disasters, and economic struggles. We know that psychedelics have the potential to help us heal at least some of humanity’s traumas and help guide us towards a better future. Thus, it’s vital that we fast forward our progress despite the remaining challenges and bureaucratic obstacles. Cutting-edge research is essential to break the enduring taboos that hinder our progress.

I am therefore excited to be nearing a new era for the Beckley Foundation. As some of you may know, I have, over the last year or two, been developing the Double-Headed Research Programme, which focuses particularly on LSD, in macro- and micro- doses. This is some of the most cutting-edge research I have ever conceived, exploring the underlying mechanisms of the psychedelics and the mystical experience, as well as their potential to enhance cognitive function, restore mental health and help alleviate problems associated with aging, such as the decline of cerebral circulation and production of brain energy.

I am very proud of how far we have come, and I thank all our kind funders for your invaluable support.

Wishing you a lovely Christmas, and a very happy and productive New Year!

Amanda

25 Years of the Beckley Foundation

In honour of our 25th anniversary, we would like to present to you a short reflection on the past, and glimpse into the future of the Beckley Foundation… 

Science Updates

While the process of getting psychedelic studies off the ground can often be an unnecessarily arduous and lengthy endeavour, we are excited that the Double-Headed Research Programme is now very near ‘take-off’. Conducted with scientists from top universities around the world, the programme will investigate LSD in both macro- and micro- doses, and explore the realms of mechanistic, clinical and observational research. We believe this is the most ambitious research programme into LSD yet conceived.

Long ago, I promised Albert Hoffmann, that for his 100th birthday present, I would bring his ‘problem child’ back into civilised society. But sadly, I failed because of unexpected taboos… as the saying goes: “the gods never tell the time“. But hopefully, now, this programme will help make it happen by exposing the incredible potential of LSD at so many different levels. By utilising the most advanced neuroimaging technologies, we will shine new light on many of the mechanisms involved, from the most transformative psychedelic experiences, to the most minute details of LSD’s effect on the microvascular system.

Beyond mechanisms, we will be conducting clinical trials into the effect of LSD microdosing on a variety of indications which have not yet been studied, opening up the possibility of psychedelics being used as a powerful tool for healthy ageing and a more connected living for neurodivergent people.

We are hopeful that at least three of the studies in the Programme will be launched in the first quarter of 2024.

To bring this research to fruition, we have partnered with incredible new collaborators from world leading universities, and we look forward to giving more details in the New Year.

We would like to give many thanks to our supporters, who make this work possible. We hope you will continue to be by our side as we embark on our most exciting adventure yet.

Conferences

Amanda has spoken at Breaking Convention since its beginning. This year’s event in April was held at Exeter University, where Amanda took the stage once again alongside her friend David Luke and other great minds in the field.

Amanda’s old friend, Rick, made history this year with the MAPS Psychedelic Science 2023 conference in Denver, Colorado, which broke the record of the largest psychedelic conference ever held. Amanda’s talk, A Life of Science and Dreams, was held in front of a packed audience (you can read the talk here). It was a wonderful occasion to meet friends old and new.

You can watch Amanda’s talks here:

A Life of Science and Dreams: The Dawn of the Psychedelic Age

A conversation with Amanda Feilding and Rick Doblin, Ph.D.

A Family Legacy: From a Mother to her Sons

Our friends from Beckley Waves (including Amanda’s son, Rock) also kindly held a wonderful party in Denver to celebrate Amanda’s achievements and the 25th anniversary of the Beckley Foundation. It was an incredible opportunity to reflect on our mission and how far we have come, whilst connecting with new passionate minds who are ready to push the field into the future alongside us. 

A short film, once again filmed and edited by Alice Rausch, can be seen below.

Media

2023 saw Amanda’s contributions to the field of psychedelics celebrated by many influential media outlets. Beatrice Hodgkin of the Financial Times wrote one of the best feature articles ever written about Amanda, with greatphotographs by Mark Anthony Fox. The response to the article has been incredible, drawing new eyes to Amanda’s work.

“My hope is that the concept of altered states of consciousness is accepted by society.” – Amanda Feilding in conversation with the Financial Times

On her way to Denver in June, Amanda stopped by Austin, Texas to see Joe Rogan for a intriguing conversation about her life and work. A passionate psychedelics advocate, Rogan has amassed a diverse and enthusiastic audience bigger than most major television networks combined.

“I really appreciate your life’s work, what you have done has been remarkable.” – Joe Rogan

Also during the summer, Amanda had inspiring and thrilling conversation with the charming powerhouse, Dua Lipa, for her acclaimed podcast series, At Your Service. They spoke about Amanda’s years of dedication and resilience against the taboo on expanded states of consciousness, and about her vision for the future of psychedelics.

Other media releases from this year include:

– 27th January 2023 – Sophie Benge – Country and Town Magazine: [Tripping with Truffles]
– 30th January 2023 – Mattha Busby – DoubleBlind Magazine: [Psychedelic Legend Amanda Feilding is Turning 80—And Her Retreats are Open for Business]
– 17th April 2023 – Mick O’Hare – [The New European: The ‘Queen of Consciousness’ on 80 years of LSD]
– 3rd April 2023 – Seeking Podcast – Psychedelics 2 | Rediscovery
– June 19th 2023 – Zach Haigney – The Trip Report by Beckley Waves –  The Artist’s Way: 25 Years of Amanda Feilding’s Beckley Foundation (see also Part II and Part III)

Policy

Just last week, we released our new report: Reversing the Exploitation of Amazonian Indigenous Peoples: Drug Trafficking and Extractive Economies in Peru.

In an effort to shed light on the critical situation in the Amazon, the Beckley Foundation commissioned a report by the distinguished Peruvian lawyer, Ricardo Soberón Garrido, director of the Research Center on Drugs and Human Rights and past President of the National Commission for the Development of a Life without Drugs, (DEVIDA). The report delves into the complex dynamics that are currently jeopardising the Amazon and its native inhabitants, which include drug trafficking propped up by failed drug policies.

In honour of Roland Griffiths

It was with great sadness that we received the news this October that our dear friend and colleague, Roland Griffiths, passed away after bravely facing a terminal cancer diagnosis. He was a remarkably courageous, kind and spirited human being, a true role model for many young researchers in our field. He will be sorely missed, and we are eternally grateful for everything his life represented.

Celebrating Amanda’s Dearest Ally

I would also like to celebrate my long and wonderful friendship with Vivian Kear.

Not long after I started the Foundation, and was working off the kitchen table, I was joined by a bright young woman from Chile, who would quickly become not only a life-long friend, but my greatest companion in the work I do. She has been with me now almost for as long as the Foundation has. While I have done my best to steer this ship, it has been she who helped me keep it steadily on course, working tirelessly to help me bring my ambitious aims of reinstating psychedelics into society, to fruition.

She became part of our family and will remain so. It is both with great sadness but also a sense of celebration for me that she will now take a rest from the stresses of the Foundation. I could never have asked for a better friend on this journey. She will always be there in the background, ready to give her advice and support.

Thank you Dear Vivi, for everything.

Amanda

Support

Our work has always been and continues to be possible thanks to your generous support. We have come so far on our journey to make psychedelics understood and accessible to the people who can benefit from them. Such progress is only happens when we come together as fellow human beings and pool our resources towards the work that will bring us closer to a better future. The Beckley Foundation has been honoured to play a part in this progress, and we are far from finished with our work. Thank you all for remaining by our side through both flourishing and difficult years, and we look forward to continuing to march forward alongside you.

Whether it’s your first or 100th time, consider donating to the Beckley Foundation to help our work push the field to new heights in 2024!

Once again, from Amanda Feilding an all of us at the Beckley Foundation, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

“I really appreciate your life’s work, what you have done has been remarkable.” – Joe Rogan

The two shared a fascinating conversation spanning the impact of Amanda’s work and the still untapped potential of psychedelics on our culture. 

You can also watch a few highlights from the show here:

Amanda has always sought to make psychedelics safe and available for everyone, and in that spirit she has been thrilled to find a broader audience in 2023. This week will see the release of Amanda’s inspiring and very enjoyable conversation with Dua Lipa on her acclaimed podcast series, At Your Service. They speak about Amanda’s years of dedication and resilience against the taboo on expanded states of consciousness.

You can also listen directly through the Spotify and Apple Music apps.

Last week, new research published in Nature: Scientific Reports added to the growing number of studies reporting the effects of sub-hallucinogenic microdoses of psychedelic compounds. Previous findings have been unclear and contradictory, as we described in a previous blog post. So, what did this new paper examine, and what does it add to the body of knowledge?

The international research team – headed by scientists at the University of British Columbia, alongside, among others, Beckley/Maastricht collaborator Kim Kuypers; Pam Kryskow, medical lead on the Roots To Thrive Ketamine Assisted Therapy program; and renowned mycologist Paul Stamets – used the world’s first mobile app for gathering psychedelic microdosing data, Microdose.me, developed by Quantified Citizen to enable researchers to conduct observational research in people who microdose psychedelics, by securely collecting data and allowing participants to perform surveys and assessments without the need for in-person attendance at a lab or clinic.

This novel approach meant the researchers were able to recruit the largest sample of participants in any psychedelic study to date, with over 8500 participants from 75 different countries. Participants were asked whether or not they were currently microdosing, and if they had any psychological, mental health or addiction concerns. Mental health was assessed using the DASS-21 scale, to obtain measures of depression, anxiety and stress levels.

When these scales were compared between microdosers and non-microdosers reporting mental health concerns, it was found that microdosers exhibited lower scores on all three, indicating that microdosing may be beneficial for treating certain mental health conditions.

However, there are some important caveats that must be considered before coming to any conclusions. An important confound is that people who microdose typically do not limit their use to small doses, and therefore a vast majority of participants were mixed users of both micro- and macro-doses. As a result, it’s difficult to tease apart the contribution of microdosing to mental health from that of full doses. As the number of participants who only had experience with microdosing was too small, the authors decided to instead compare the larger subgroup of people who reported mixed psychedelic use to a group only using large doses. They found that the mixed users had better mental health scores than the ones who only used full doses. These results suggest that microdosing might have an important part to play in the management of mental health, either on its own or when used in combination with larger doses. Future studies should attempt to clarify the extent to which microdosing has an effect in its own right, possibly by more precisely characterising lifetime exposure to large doses.

Another interesting observation was that of lower alcohol and tobacco use among the microdosing group. This finding is consistent with previous studies having reported healthier lifestyles in psychedelic users (e.g. Texeira et al 2021), but the extent to which it relates to microdosing more specifically remains to be demonstrated. In addition, given the higher occurrence of alcohol abuse in rural areas, and the lower percentage of microdosers there, it would be interesting to compare substance use within a subpopulation of urban/suburban residents.

While these findings are positive overall, and have been received with some optimism, they have not been without controversy. Some have pointed to the lack of placebo control and an absence of any mention of expectancy effects in the paper as reason to dismiss the results. While it is certainly possible that observed benefits were due to placebo, this was outside of the remit of the paper, which aimed to compare the practices, motivations and mental health of microdosers and non-microdosers. Furthermore, the paper does address response bias, which is more relevant than placebo or expectancy effects in the context of cross-sectional designs.

It’s important to bear in mind that this research was purely observational. As a result, data was self-reported by participants, using a widely-used and standardised scale. This means that there was less experimental control than would occur in a lab-based study. However, a benefit of this approach is that these researchers were able to investigate microdosing in a very ecologically valid manner. Participants reported the effects of their real-world microdosing practice using their own preferred doses and schedules, rather than a dosing regimen specified by an experimenter. Non-microdosers were encouraged to participate, and the relative ease of taking part meant that many submitted data throughout the study period. Although contrasting these two groups provides intriguing data, due to the observational nature of the research, it is only possible to establish correlations between microdosing and specific positive effects, rather than any causality.

Participant bias also represents an area of concern, as subjects self-selected for inclusion in a microdosing study and are therefore more likely to hold positive views towards the practice. This is, unfortunately, a problem widespread across the field of psychedelic science at this point, and is difficult to address in a study of this kind. But it is nonetheless worth noting that, while it is widely accepted in the psychedelic research field that the mindset with which people enter a psychedelic experience (one’s ‘set’), plays a key part in its quality and outcome, this same mindset is being disregarded as expectation bias when it comes to lower doses. Perhaps it is time to stop creating an illusory dichotomy between microdoses and full doses and, rather, recognise their similarities.

Other findings of note were the apparently widespread use of a practice known as ‘stacking’ – More than half of the microdosing sample reported combining their psilocybin microdoses with other, non-psychedelic substances such as Lion’s Mane mushrooms or chocolate. However, this was not found to have any influence on mental health outcomes.

In spite of certain limitations, this paper makes a solid contribution to the knowledge of microdosing and its real-world use, including its combination with other substances – a widespread practice that has not been well documented to date. It makes use of a substantially larger sample of microdosers than has been examined by prior research, and furthermore, a large and comparable group of non-microdosers for comparison. Despite promising findings of improvements to depression, anxiety, and stress in microdosers, it’s important to acknowledge, as the authors do, that the effects on psychiatric symptom severity were only small, albeit statistically significant.

It is easy to forget that we are, in the words of Amanda Feilding, at the very foothills of understanding the effects of psychedelics, and there is widespread eagerness to reach the summit. This is slow-going, however, and observational studies like this one, with large numbers of participants, are a good staging point from which to ascend further.

At the Beckley Foundation, we are convinced of the value of such ‘grassroots’ approaches to psychedelic research, and we will be collaborating with Quantified Citizen and the international team of researchers involved in this study on the second implementation of the Microdose.me remote microdosing research platform. As with any updates, this new version will address some existing bugs, including the implementation of a novel placebo control procedure.

More on this soon!

Jon Sharp & Valerie Bonnelle

The world’s first mobile microdosing study, Microdose.me, has been published in prestigious Nature Scientific Reports. It can be accessed here. The study, a collaboration between Quantified Citizen, the University of British Columbia, Maastricht University, and Paul Stamets, unpacks the varied methods and motivations for microdosing practices, laying the groundwork for further research. The study is still ongoing and both microdosers and non-microdosers are encouraged to sign up via this link.

The Beckley Foundation will soon be collaborating with Quantified Citizen and an international team of researchers on a series of more focused studies assessing the impact of microdosing in specific populations, while also controlling for expectations. Find out more about the upcoming research here and the ways in which you can support the work of the Beckley Foundation.