Psychedelics, spirituality, and existential distress in patients at the end of life.
Cleveland Clinic journal of medicine – April 01, 2025
Source: PubMed
Summary
Psychedelics may offer profound relief for patients facing existential distress at the end of life. Recent insights suggest these substances can enhance spirituality and alleviate deep-seated fears associated with dying. This exploration encourages a broader conversation about their potential therapeutic use in end-of-life care.
Abstract
Psychedelic-assisted therapy clinical trials conducted over the past decade have prompted increased interest in the use of psychedelics to treat nonphysical suffering, which can include significant spiritual and existential distress at the end of life. The authors explore the role of psychedelics in helping to address patients' spiritual and existential suffering from a medical, ethical, and legal perspective, with the aim of stimulating discussion and research on this timely and clinically promising topic.