As psychedelic use has risen, tech founders, CEOs, and Silicon Valley elites have leaped on the bandwagon.
The trend underscores how psychedelic use extends beyond recreation and into the confines of a business—with many leaders taking these drugs with the intention of bolstering brain power, focus, and creativity. After all, the term psychedelic refers to “mind manifesting,” and the tech stars are eager to stand apart from the masses.
“They don’t want a normal person, a normal company,” Spencer Shulem, CEO of BuildBetter.ai, said in The Wall Street Journal, disclosing how he uses LSD “while working alone after hours.” “They want something extraordinary. You’re not born extraordinary.”
It’s not just Silicon Valley, either. A growing number of public figures are speaking out about their psychedelic experience. This month, New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers said his ayahuasca psychedelic experience alongside teammates was “radically life-changing.”
“I found a deeper self love,” he said. “It unlocked that whole world of what I’m really here to do is to connect, to connect with those guys, and to make those bonds and to inspire people.”
Globally, the psychedelics market is estimated to grow from $2.9 billion in 2021 to $8 billion by 2029; psychedelic use, including LSD and hallucinogens, has increased among adults in the last 20 years.
Exclusive psychedelic parties are even being organized through a messaging service called Signal, The Wall Street Journal reports.
While people use psychedelics in the name of fun and business, they have also been used to help alleviate symptoms associated with mental health issues.
Elon Musk reportedly microdoses ketamine for his depression, although his representatives have not yet responded to our request for comment on whether or not that is true.
However, Musk has been a vocal critic of the widespread use of antidepressants and has tweeted in support of ketamine as an effective treatment for mental health issues. “Depression is overdiagnosed in the US, but for some people it really is a brain chemistry issue,” Musk tweeted Tuesday. “But zombifying people with SSRIs for sure happens way too much. From what I’ve seen with friends, ketamine taken occasionally is a better option.”
Ketamine on the brain
New research suggests ketamine can treat nonpsychotic treatment-resistant depression at least as well as electroconvulsive therapy. Ketamine can increase a brain neurotransmitter called glutamate, which is associated with mood, according to Yale Medicine.
Various health systems have dedicated departments to researching how the drug can help mitigate symptoms of depression. It’s been shown to reduce anxiety and depression in cancer patients. One ketamine-assisted therapy service recently offered laid-off workers free treatments for mental health purposes.
Albeit not FDA approved—except for esketamine, a nasal spray made from ketamine that was approved in 2019—doctors can prescribe ketamine for psychiatric reasons. In treating depression, the psychedelic’s benefits work best when paired with other mental health treatments like talk therapy.
“Ketamine-assisted therapies can be powerfully transformative for people dealing with some of the more common challenges of everyday life,” Ronan Levy, the CEO of FieldTrip Health, which offers Ketamine-assisted therapies, previously told Fortune.
Generally speaking, psychedelics can impact mood and cognitive function and in some cases, influence neuroplasticity—or the brain’s ability to form new neural pathways and thought patterns.
“The drugs make it possible for the brain to change more than it ordinarily would,” Dr. Michael P. Bogenschutz, psychiatrist and director of the NYU Langone Center for Psychedelic Medicine, previously told Fortune. “In the context of therapy, enhanced neuroplasticity may lead to enhanced capacity for learning and changes in thought patterns, emotional responses and, ultimately, changes in behavior.”
While it’s generally considered safe for people, except for those who have suicidal thoughts, ketamine has a number of side effects, including:
- Dissociation
- Sedation
- Dizziness
- High blood pressue
- Headache
- Blurred vision
- Anxiety
- Nausea
- Vomiting
Ketamine and other psychedelics can be abused and self-administering psychedelics comes with a risk.
“There’s no guarantee you’re going to be the one who gets that positive outcome on your own,” Alex Penrod, an addiction specialist, told The Wall Street Journal. Specialists should help monitor the individual to rule out any side effects.
“It’s not a ‘take two and call me in the morning’ drug or like a cannabis dispensary where you walk in with a [prescription] and take it home,” Albert Garcia-Romeu PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins Medicine, previously told Fortune. “It’s all done in a special clinic under supervision.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to amend an earlier factual error.
