10 of Our Great Reads from 2020

As challenging as 2020 was, it has been a remarkably active time in the field of psychedelics. When we launched Lucid News in April, we set out to cover the full spectrum of stories in this space, from business developments and clinical breakthroughs to personal stories of transformation and reflections on the impact of psychedelics on society.

As the calendar approaches a new, hopefully much better annum, we want to offer some of the highlights we published during Lucid News’ first year. This list of 10 favorites (not strictly reads; one is a video) reflects the range of innovation and activity in today’s psychedelic space. We hope you enjoy it.

1. Challenges to a Company’s Psilocybin Patent Highlight Contrasting Business Strategies for Developers of Psychedelic Therapies by Ann Harrison

Tactics used by Compass Pathways common to pharma companies pose ethical questions for the emerging psychedelics industry.

2. The Bitter Side of Ayahuasca by Itzhak Beery

Many are saying that the Ayahuasca experience is a gift from spirit to humanity. But what is the hidden cost of your plant medicine cup?

3. Don’t Get Caught in a Trip Trap; Psychedelic Lessons for this Collective Moment by Bett Williams

There are many things that make this moment like an acid trip. Everybody seems to be experiencing elaborate downloads. Here is where having a decade of consistent practice with psychedelics comes in handy.

4. Breonna Taylor Is Dead Because of the Racist War on Drugs by Ifetayo Harvey

Had it not been for the war on drugs which sustains the increasing use of no-knock warrants, Breonna Taylor would be alive today.

5. Bill Wilson, LSD and the Secret Psychedelic History of Alcoholics Anonymous by Don Lattin

Bill Wilson, the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, was a firm believer in the ability of LSD to free some hardcore alcoholics from their addiction.

6. Adventures of the Psyche, Episode 1 – Troy Dayton by Mareesa Stertz

In this episode of the video series Adventures of the Psyche, Troy Dayton shares his personal and profound experiences with ayahuasca and how this medicine helped him shift a life long panic disorder.

7. Set and Setting for Society’s 21st Century Trip by Ido Hartogsohn

One of the lessons that could be drawn from the story of mid-twentieth-century psychedelic history is that the psychedelic experience is not a given. It is always crucially shaped by the set and setting of the culture and the society in which it is embedded.

8. Paranormal Psychedelic Experiences Surveyed in Comprehensive Study by Ken Jordan and Faye Sakellaridis

The paper proposes a framework for classifying and analyzing strange sensory phenomena induced by psychedelics. Author David Luke explores this liminal terrain in an in-depth interview.

9. Pioneering Psychedelic Researcher Once Again Paves the Way with Historic Psilocybin Study for End of Life Patients by Ann Harrison

Researcher and professor Dr. Charles Grob discusses The Lundquist Institute’s announcement of a new multi-site clinical trial examining psilocybin for palliative care, the first study of its kind since the 1960’s, in this Q & A with Lucid News.