Once upon a time psilocybin or "Magic Mushrooms" would never be a topic of discussion in a therapy office. But, in recent years a growing body of scientific research has shown that certain psychedelics, administered by a therapist, can provide relief for a wide range of psychological disorders. Some of these disorders can vary including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, addiction and end-of-life anxiety. Recently a company called Emotional Intelligence Ventures (EI) is working to bring psychedelic-assisted therapies to the metaverse! David Nikzad, the company’s founder, wants to harness the power of virtual reality (VR) to bypass the geographical and economic barriers that have historically prevented a large portion of the population from accessing psychedelic-assisted therapies.

  While it’s very much still in its developmental stages, the metaverse has nonetheless come to be regarded by many entrepreneurs as the next big thing for marketing and customer engagement. There’s very little that seems to be off-limits in this virtual landscape that’s literally unbound by the laws of physics. Many brands from fast food chains to beer companies and banks are rushing to be the first among their competitors to set up shop in the metaverse. The psychedelic industry is now joining the virtual land grab.

How could psychedelic-assisted therapies work in the metaverse?

  After dosing themselves with a psychedelic (more on that in a moment), EI customers will theoretically put on their VR headsets, at which point they’ll embark upon a virtual journey. Those journeys, according to Nikzad’s vision, would be specially tailored to each customer’s unique background and personality. The idea, he says, is to deliver “a zone of comfortability” that can be modified “to your liking, depending on where you’re from. Not everybody’s going to have the same comfort zone. I might like beaches and waterfalls, somebody else might want to be in the Swiss Alps. We can fine-tune that experience.” 

  Nikzad’s company is currently developing a microdosing product called “Psilly”(pronounced “silly”), a name that’s derived from “psilocybin,” the active ingredient found in magic mushrooms. It has also partnered with a company called Tioga Research to develop a transdermal patch, which will be able to deliver “a mini-mini-microdose,” leading to experiences that will “last no more than 20-40 minutes.”

  There is, of course, a significant legal hurdle currently standing between Nikzad and his dream of bringing psychedelics to the metaverse. Each of the so-called ‘classic psychedelics’ – including LSD, psilocybin, DMT and mescaline – are currently listed as Schedule 1 substances by the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), meaning they have no recognized medical value and a high potential for abuse. Ongoing clinical research could soon change that ruling, and in fact a number of state and local governments across the US – such as those in Oregon and Oakland, California, for example – have already voted to decriminalize psychedelics. There are some experts within the burgeoning psychedelics industry who believe that psilocybin-assisted therapy could receive FDA approval within the next few years.

  Nikzad believes that the process of legalizing psychedelics will overlap with the technological development that will be required to make this foreword thinking a reality. Psychedelics really come into play when the hardware and software will be available to do a psychedelic journey in masses. It’s going to be a state-by-state issue. It’s going to be slow. But the end-goal for EI when envisioned a decade out, is really treating a billion people with different types of psychedelics.

Thank you for your time.