In treatment rooms, retreats, laboratories and policy chambers, the same sound is becoming louder and louder: psychedelics are going to play an essential role in the mental health care of the future. What was once a taboo subject is now the subject of serious conversations among pharmaceutical companies, investors and governments. And that is no mean feat. The science stands firm. The human need is great. And the efficacy of these natural remedies is now undeniable.
Science that can no longer be ignored
In a recent double-blind placebo-controlled study of microdosing with psilocybin, published on PubMed, 34 healthy volunteers were followed for several weeks. The participants who actually received microdoses of psilocybin showed significant improvements see in terms of mood, creativity and cognitive flexibility, compared with the placebo group. Participants reported more openness, increased well-being, and an improved sense of connection with themselves and the world around them.
More importantly: no adverse effects on anxiety or depression were found, and there were no harmful side effects. This substantiates what many therapists and counselors have seen in practice for years: microdosing with psilocybin is not only effective, but also safe.
Whereas classical antidepressants are often associated with side effects and long build-up times, psilocybin works quickly, naturally and deeply. And unlike synthetic variants, magic truffles contain a combination of active substances (including baeocystin, norbaeocystin and aeruginascin), which together form a so-called entourage effect create. This makes the effect richer and more subtle than psilocybin alone.
From science to system change
What is striking is that this shift is not only supported by scientists and therapists, but now also the pharmaceutical industry, policymakers and investors in motion.
Take, for example AbbVie, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. Whereas last year the company wanted to distance itself from the word "psychedelics", it is now in talks to Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals to be acquired - a developer of psychedelic drugs, including the psychoactive GM-2505. A year ago, AbbVie called such substances "neuroplastogens", to keep their distance. Today, they are buying in.
Also Compass Pathways, known for large-scale clinical trials of psilocybin in depression, speaks positively about Germany's new programme for 'compassionate use' of psilocybin. Although Compass itself is not yet directly involved in it, it sees it as an "important recognition of the therapeutic potential" of psychedelics. More and more governments are opening the door - Germany leading the way.
The power of human stories
Perhaps even more compelling than data, are the people behind the numbers. In Jamaica, Kevin Bourke and his partner V. run a retreat centre for US veterans. With support from the Special Forces Foundation, he guides ex-military personnel with severe PTSD through in-depth truffle retreats. His speech at a recent event in Texas struck a chord:
"Every day, 22 veterans commit suicide. 22 lives, 22 families destroyed. What we do with these truffle retreats is not only to offer healing, it literally saves lives."
His approach, in which truffles, nature, integration and group bonding coming together offers what regular care often cannot: an experience that reconnects people with themselves and life. For an investment of $6,000, one veteran can be guided to a new beginning. The results are not only tangible, they are measurable.
The zeitgeist is ripe
The combination of scientific evidence, social urgency and economic movement all point in the same direction: psychedelics will have a permanent place in the mental health treatment palette. Not as a panacea or last resort, but as a full-fledged part of a broader spectrum of natural, people-centred therapies.
That requires courage, vision and policy. But the foundations are there. Research shows effectiveness. Retreats show impact. And collective awareness is growing. Psychedelics are not hype, but an answer to a problem the old systems no longer succeed in solving.
Conclusion: the future is natural
Tomorrow's mental health care will not be built on pills alone, but on experiencing, processing and connecting. And in this, psychedelics, especially in their natural form as truffles, have a unique role to play. They open up not only consciousness, but also new perspectives for how we approach care, healing and human development.
We are not at the beginning of this movement. We are in the middle of it.
Sources:
- Prochazkova et al, 2022. "Microdosing with psilocybin mushrooms: a double-blind placebo-controlled study" (PMC)
- Josh Hardman, Psychedelic Alpha Bulletin (2025)
- LinkedIn post Kevin Bourke @W Retreats
- Compass Pathways statement on German psilocybin pilot
- News on acquisition of Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals by AbbVie