Therapy with psychedelic drugs has shown remarkable promise in treating depression, PTSD and the terminally ill. But scientists are still unsure how it works – why going on a single psychedelic journey could help to rewire a person’s brain. Dr. Anthony Back is an oncologist who found his way to this research through his work in palliative care. As part of his training, he took his own psychedelic journey and wrote about it in a medical journal.  We talk about what captivates him about this therapy, what his own experience was like and how it’s made him think differently about the human mind and body.  

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Anthony L. Back MD

Pocket Science is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. It is hosted by Gabriel Spitzer, edited by Jim Gates and produced by Shane Mehling. 

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Therapy with psychedelic drugs has shown remarkable promise in treating depression, PTSD and the terminally ill. But scientists are still unsure how it works &ndash; why going on a single psychedelic journey could help to rewire a person&rsquo;s brain. Dr. Anthony Back is an oncologist who found his way to this research through his work in palliative care. As part of his training, he took his own psychedelic journey and wrote about it in a medical journal.&nbsp; We talk about what captivates him about this therapy, what his own experience was like and how it&rsquo;s made him think differently about the human mind and body.&nbsp;&nbsp;
More resources:
<a href="https://www.uwmedicine.org/bios/anthony-back#about-tab">Anthony L. Back MD</a>
Pocket Science is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. It is hosted by Gabriel Spitzer, edited by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/jim-gates">Jim Gates</a> and produced by Shane Mehling.&nbsp;
We can only make Pocket Science because listeners support us.<a href="https://donate.kuow.org/donate/pocket-science-show-notes"> Tap here</a> to make a gift and keep Pocket Science in your feed.

Discovery is happening all around Seattle… if you know where to look. On Pocket Science, we dig into the fascinating, weird, and groundbreaking research happening right here in our backyard—and meet the scientists in the thick of it.

From lab benches to tidal mudflats, it all starts with one simple question: what are you working on? The answers might surprise you. Take your curiosity with you on Pocket Science.

Pocket Science launches July 6 with new episodes available every other Monday.

Discovery is happening all around Seattle&hellip; if you know where to look. On Pocket Science, we dig into the fascinating, weird, and groundbreaking research happening right here in our backyard&mdash;and meet the scientists in the thick of it. From lab benches to tidal mudflats, it all starts with one simple question: what are you working on? The answers might surprise you. Take your curiosity with you on Pocket Science.
Pocket Science launches July 6 with new episodes available every other Monday.

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Oncologist Dr. Anthony Back explains how psychedelic drugs can rewire our brains to help people deal with PTSD and stress from terminal illness.