Opinion: I took part in a 2012 psilocybin trial. What I’m seeing now horrifies me

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Source: STAT News

Original: https://www.statnews.com/2026/02/19/psychedelic-therapy-more-than-just-drugs/?ut...

Published: Thu, 19 Feb 2026 09:30:00 +0000

Erica Rex participated in the first clinical trial of psilocybin at Johns Hopkins in 2012 for the treatment of cancer-related depression.[5] During a psychedelic session, she experienced visual images such as a yellow sky after a violin and a comet's tail with body parts.[5] She was accompanied by two well-trained guides, one male and one female, throughout the session.[5] After the exam, she had days for debriefing and support from study staff.[5] A psychiatrist from another university suggested she find community support after returning to Great Britain.[5] The author is the writer of the new book "See what's there".[5]