Men's Psychedelic Clinic

The Highest Point of Leverage for Improving Society?

I thought of the following yesterday and have been occupied by the idea for the last 24 hours. I wanted to share it with Trip Report readers to see if it passes the sniff test.

Please respond with any thoughts, critiques, support or additional ideas if you feel up to it.

Hypothesis:

Mitigating the burden of repressed male trauma might be the highest point of leverage for improving human life across society, especially for the most vulnerable.

Here’s the idea: 'Pay What You Can' Psychedelic Assisted Therapy for male victims and/or perpetrators of violence, abuse, or other form of trauma.

A highest point of leverage is where the ratio between input and desired output is maximized. Put another way, the most efficient, having the biggest impact.

(This is not an argument for privilege or a denial of privilege. It is a strategy to create a value to society. It is not an argument for prioritizing access for men.)

It is the highest point of leverage because men cause so much suffering through their actions, words and decisions while simultaneously serving a heroic role in many places in society through their actions, words and decisions.

The goal of this clinic arrangement would be to help more men escape from the former and develop the understanding, courage and belief that they can serve themselves, their families, community and society.

Rationale

There is a long history of psychedelic use across societies as a tool to live better and the recent painstaking work of researchers, scientists, clinicians, advocates and beneficiaries are building a scientific, altruistic and hopeful argument for their re-introduction to society.

The ills that these compounds, combined with the support, setting and guidance, address are some of the most devastating for individuals and society and they are those that we don't like to talk about.

They are the issues that society feels collectively uncomfortable about discussing. Trauma, Depression, Addiction, compulsivity, fear and other forms of emotional disregulation.

When these issues afflict men they negate a man's ability to serve himself, his family and community and increases the chance of hurting himself, his family or his community.

Psychedelic assisted therapy should be available to all men especially the most vulnerable and the most destructive.

Repressed Violence

The release of this trauma for men is often violent. The brilliant and important documentary The Work displays raw power, strength and, yes, violence that is released when men do this emotional work.

I don't know if the MAPS trials documented this kind of experience, how common it has been and if adverse events resulted. But it is intense.

I have witnessed the power, strength, violence and ferocity first hand as a witness at an Evryman retreat this past spring.

Shaking, screaming, convulsing and thrashing are not uncommon and men, particularly men for the emotional residue of trauma remains.

Pay What You Can

The thinking behind the pay what you can model comes from my experience at a vipassana retreat in which registration and participation are free and participants can choose to make a donation on the final day. This model has spawned a global network of retreat centers.

This kind of work, that produces this kind of insight, often of life saving importance, is valued by many people so much so that they will give what they can.

At the time that I participated I was able to pay $250. For others the value was a donation of over a $10,000, to some it was valued over a Million dollars, and they paid it.

Psychedelic Therapy has to stay out of insurance.

It has to.

This payment model, for this demographic, with these consequences, is perhaps one way to do it.