Cody McConnell, a sophomore at the University of Oregon, has been embarking on a psychedelic therapy program after exploring various paths offered by mental health facilitators. Each morning, he takes a small dose of psilocybin mushrooms. He compares the dose to an antidepressant, as it doesn’t induce a hallucinogenic experience but provides a mild mental boost. “It’s not a drug trip. It’s more like a little pick-me-up, waking you up in the morning,” McConnell says.
McConnell’s program is highly individualized, emphasizing breathwork, self-discovery, reading, meditation and the use of psilocybin to delve deeper into one’s existing self. “This is all inside. All that dopamine, happiness, [solidifies] in thoughts that bubble up. And all [mushrooms] are really doing is bringing out those thoughts. Making those bubbles,” he says.
The accessibility of this new therapy McConnell describes is wider now than ever in Oregon. As of November 2020, Oregon voters passed Measure 109, which decriminalized psychedelics and established a program for administering psilocybin products to individuals aged 21 and older. This program covers psychedelic treatments, including ketamine and “magic mushrooms,” both known for their ability to alter perception, provide clarity in feelings and distort time. However, the effects of psychedelics vary among individuals.
The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and the Oregon Psilocybin Advisory Board (OPAB) formulated a set of rules and regulations as a foundation for psilocybin treatment centers. The treatment process includes three main sessions: a preparation session, where clients meet with licensed facilitators to discuss the process and review medical history; an administration session, where clients consume the product at the service center under the guidance of licensed facilitators; and an integration session, where clients have the option to follow up with a licensed facilitator and explore additional peer support and resources.
Jesse Sweet, an OHA policy analyst, is actively involved in establishing a framework for psilocybin services to operate in Oregon. The measures implemented by OHA aim to enhance client safety by accounting for product manufacturing, testing, security at service centers and facilitator training. Oregon Psilocybin Services have been criticized for the high cost of these services. Sweet clarified their section does not control product or service costs, but they do manage license fees, which fund the program.
Confronted with financial barriers, alongside the fact treatment centers don’t implement practices from other therapies or shamanistic traditions, others have found a way to utilize psychedelic healing here in Eugene.
James Hin established PSILO as a non-profit organization and a religious community.
When exploring psychedelic therapy, Hin realized treatment centers were not accessible to a diverse clientele and saw value in creating a space that could serve people from various financial backgrounds. Originally Hin was going to wait for a license, but due to his personal concerns about the licensing process, he decided not to delay the work any longer. “I’m not interested in micromanaging what I’m doing when that prevents me from helping people,” Hin says.
PSILO is a part of the North American Association of Visionary Churches (NAAVC), which advocates for the freedom of visionary religions that employ substances to alter consciousness and engage in spiritual practices. However, the legality of PSILO and similar organizations is in question as the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) decides how to regulate substances like psilocybin, empowered by the Controlled Substances Act.
Despite the legal risk, Hin believes helping people heal is worth it and the First Amendment provides adequate protection. “The reason that this country was founded was religious freedom. There is precedent for the Ayahuasca churches like this, for things that the DEA has given exemptions to,” Hin says.
Hin strongly emphasizes PSILO temple is not crossing legal boundaries with grounds to be persecuted. Hin notes his practice is no more dangerous than those treatment centers that are regulated. “It’s not about danger to the community. There is no increase in danger to the community. So putting this false narrative, like it’s unsafe and people can’t have it themselves, is bullshit,” he says.
Hin founded PSILO believing psychedelics can unlock the inner potential within all individuals. His vision was to create a space where people could not only experience psychedelics but also apply the insights gained from those experiences to their lives. “No one taught me that you need to know that [psychedelics] are the first part of the journey. The next and most important and bigger keys is what are you going to do with what you’ve learned. I really started to hone in on one of those practices, and that’s where our meditation practice and our whole transformative journey of having a custom program that helps you with the lifestyle change,” Hin says.
Hin, being 12 years sober and having previously battled a heroin addiction he developed as a teenager, was confronting family trauma and recent loss when he discovered psychedelics. His sponsor, whom Hin described as a father, passed away, and Hin was grappling with the aftermath of a dental accident that left him in emotional and physical pain.
“It took me to the lowest point in my life,” Hin says. While weighing his life, Hin came across a advertisement that spoke to the effects Ayahuasca had on individuals contemplating suicide. It felt like a sign to Hin and motivated him to consider giving Ayahuasca a shot.
This led Hin to Joshua Tree National Park in California where he took Ayahuasca for the first time, fundamentally altering his perspective. Following this ceremony, Hin found it difficult to articulate the emotional trials he had endured, but those close to him noticed a significant shift in his attitude: He had rediscovered the will to live.
McConnell says, “It takes us one small step. And eventually people get the help that they need.”
Moving forward, the OHA hopes to expand services to a more diverse clientele, PSILO will continue to offer services to anyone seeking change in their life and other nationwide services are available by doctors recommendations.
Psilocybin therapy encourages inner reflection. Users will often say they have the solutions they just don’t know how to find. McConnell views mushrooms as tools to access solutions that are already within oneself. “Imagine you’re skiing down a mountain, and the path to serenity is at the bottom. The mushrooms are like paving those paths. They help you discover the way, so the next time you start from the top, the path is already there, and you know how to reach your destination,” he says.
