Psychedelic trends
As one of the first providers of psychedelic therapy in the Netherlands, Triptherapie is always looking for areas where we can innovate. We keep our eyes peeled for new trends and even try to make predictions, such as which forms of psychedelic-assisted therapies will fall under regulated care and be reimbursed by health insurers in the future, which psychedelics will become illegal, and which form of therapy will yield the best results. To summarize the trends of 2024, we have written this article.
Psychedelics and current legislation
In the Netherlands, drug use is discouraged by the government. Our government does this primarily by making substances illegal by listing them on one of the lists of the Opium Act. For example, psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, and magic mushrooms are listed on the list 1 and therefore illegal. Truffles and LSD or MDMA analogues are not listed, and therefore it is currently legal to use these substances during therapeutic sessions. Currently, there are two conflicting developments in the legislation surrounding psychedelic drugs. On the one hand, the government wants to curb the use of psychedelic drugs by amending the Opium Act and making more substances illegal, and on the other hand, there is a movement to recognize psychedelic therapy as a medical treatment.
NPS law
In the Netherlands, the House of Representatives has passed a law that makes it easier to make entire groups of substances illegal. This amendment to the Opium Act will make it more difficult to work with analogues of currently illegal psychedelic substances. If the Senate approves the law, offering psychedelic sessions for non-medical reasons will become more difficult and may eventually become completely prohibited.
Regulation
Recognition of psychedelic therapy as a medical treatment can only come after various scientific studies have completed their various phases. On April 9, 2024, the European Parliament allocated €6.5 million for research into psilocybin in palliative care. This signals that recognition, regulation, and reimbursed care are on the way. In the Netherlands, we expect a major change in 2025.
The meaning of psychedelic therapy
Because psychedelic therapy is not yet a recognized medical treatment, some believe that "psychedelic therapy" or "Triptherapie" are terms that should not be used. Those who make this false assumption believe the word "therapy" is reserved for psychotherapy or a medical approach. Some forms of non-medical therapy include occupational therapy and aromatherapy. "Psychedelic therapy" is a term currently used to describe a legal, non-medical form of therapy under the influence of legal psychedelics.
At Triptherapie, you can also choose to have a psychedelic-assisted therapy session with trained psychologists. We're not yet allowed to call this psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, but we can call it psychedelic (aroma)therapy, or simply psychedelic therapy.
Training to become a psychedelic therapist
Providers of psychedelic sessions, ayahuasca ceremonies, and truffle ceremonies are increasingly offering training and education as a revenue model. By primarily attracting enthusiastic clients after a wonderful psychedelic journey to work as trip sitter, these individuals often invest several thousand euros in training programs designed to prepare them to become psychedelic guides or spaceholders. These practices are primarily intended to generate extra income, because beyond training and providing information about psychedelic sessions, there are no job prospects. In fact, the Dutch market for psychedelic session facilitators is now quite saturated.
Currently, there are no training programs that have any value with regard to future regulation. As soon as the regulation of psychedelic therapy comes into play, health insurers will interfere with the requirements for training programs for psychedelic therapists. We expect that a completed psychology degree will be required as a starting point, and that an additional six-month training program will allow someone to offer regulated psychedelic therapy. It's therefore still unclear how this will develop and which companies will be allowed to offer these programs.
Polydrug sessions more popular
Combining psychedelic substances is popular among recreational users. These psychonauts often have a preference for a particular combination, with hallucinogens on the one hand and an upper on the other. For example, LSD or psilocybin are often combined with MDMA, and you might think that combining these substances carries unnecessary risks, but recent research tells us that it's not that bad.
In this research It has been suggested that combining a low dose of MDMA with psilocybin or LSD can help minimize negative or challenging experiences (bad trips) and enhance certain positive effects of the trip. These findings could ultimately contribute to how psychedelic therapy might be conducted in the future using a psychedelic drug like LSD or psilocybin in combination with MDMA, making the trip easier to experience. MDMA reduces anxiety, increases empathy, and fosters acceptance. This is, of course, a positive effect for therapeutic psychedelic sessions. More research into safety and long-term effects is still needed.
Combinations of psychedelics with potency
Some psychedelic combinations that are becoming increasingly popular and gaining attention are the hippeflip (due to the research), the wizardflip (due to making LSD use more accessible), and psiloflora (due to the need for a legal version of ayahuasca).
MDMA + psilocybin = Hippielip
The combination of MDMA and psilocybin is increasingly used to reduce the risk of a bad trip. Some people choose the hippie flip because they are interested in the potential therapeutic effects of psilocybin, but find a real trip too daunting. We believe the hippie flip will become more common as a therapeutic treatment in the future.
Passion flower + psilocybin = psiloflora
Psilohuasca is popular, but a combination considered safer than both ayahuasca and psilohuasca, with similar effects, is psiloflora. The combination of passion flower and truffles provides a calmer and deeper psychedelic journey into the unconscious. The use of a milder MAO inhibitor also results in fewer physical discomforts.
LSD + psilocybin = Wizardflip
Combining LSD and psilocybin often produces more visual effects than an average psychedelic trip. This combination isn't often used as a therapeutic aid, but it is done by those who want to experience the effects of LSD. The peak experience can be intense, but not overwhelmingly long. Spiritual experiences also occur.
The dangers of combining drugs
Combining psychedelic substances carries an increased risk of complications because every psychedelic has potential side effects, and each must be assessed for safety. Furthermore, different psychedelics work synergistically, enhancing each other's effects. This creates an additional risk of adverse effects. When dosing the various drugs, the synergistic effects of these substances must be considered, and different dosages are required than for solo use. Interested in a psychedelic session with one or more psychedelics? Complete the free intake form for an initial assessment.