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Psychedelic Outlaws: The Movement Revolutionizing Modern Medicine
An award-winning sociologist unearths how a group of ordinary people debilitated by excruciating pain developed their own medicine from home-grown psilocybin mushrooms—crafting near-clinical grade dosing protocols--and fought for recognition in a broken medical system.
Cluster headache, a diagnosis sometimes referred to as a ‘suicide headache,’ is widely considered the most severe pain disorder that humans experience. There is no cure, and little funding available for research into developing treatments.
When Joanna Kempner met Bob Wold in 2012, she was introduced to a world beyond most people's comprehension—a clandestine network determined to find relief using magic mushrooms. These ‘Clusterbusters,’ a group united only by the internet and a desire to survive, decided to do the research that medicine left unfinished. They produced their own psychedelic treatment protocols and managed to get academics at Harvard and Yale to test their results. Along the way, Kempner explores not only the fascinating history and exploding popularity of psychedelic science, but also a regulatory system so repressive that the sick are forced to find their own homegrown remedies, and corporate America and university professors stand to profit from their transgressions.
From the windswept shores of the North Sea through the verdant jungle of Peruvian Amazon to a kitschy underground palace built in a missile silo in Kansas, Psychedelic Outlaws chronicles the rise of psychedelic medicine amid a healthcare system in turmoil. Kempner’s gripping tale of community and resilience brings readers on a eye-opening journey through the politics of pain, through the stories of people desperate enough to defy the law for a moment of relief.
Michael Pollan’s bestseller How to Change Your Mind introduced the new science of psychedelic medicine for mental health and addiction to mainstream readers. This book follows a group of patients—most of whom don’t have any medical training—who rely on “magic mushrooms” as a last resort to treat severe pain. It explores not only the fascinating history and exploding popularity of mushroom science, but also proves that the United States has set up a regulatory and legal system so repressive that our most innovative therapies for pain and medicine are being developed underground by sick people forced to break the law just to find relief, and how, in turn, corporate America, and sometimes devious academics, stand to profit from their work and self-advocacy.
Cluster headache, a diagnosis sometimes referred to as a ‘suicide headache,’ is widely considered the most severe pain disorder that humans experience. There is no cure, and little funding available for research into developing treatments.
When Joanna Kempner met Bob Wold in 2012, she was introduced to a world beyond most people's comprehension—a clandestine network determined to find relief using magic mushrooms. These ‘Clusterbusters,’ a group united only by the internet and a desire to survive, decided to do the research that medicine left unfinished. They produced their own psychedelic treatment protocols and managed to get academics at Harvard and Yale to test their results. Along the way, Kempner explores not only the fascinating history and exploding popularity of psychedelic science, but also a regulatory system so repressive that the sick are forced to find their own homegrown remedies, and corporate America and university professors stand to profit from their transgressions.
From the windswept shores of the North Sea through the verdant jungle of Peruvian Amazon to a kitschy underground palace built in a missile silo in Kansas, Psychedelic Outlaws chronicles the rise of psychedelic medicine amid a healthcare system in turmoil. Kempner’s gripping tale of community and resilience brings readers on a eye-opening journey through the politics of pain, through the stories of people desperate enough to defy the law for a moment of relief.
Michael Pollan’s bestseller How to Change Your Mind introduced the new science of psychedelic medicine for mental health and addiction to mainstream readers. This book follows a group of patients—most of whom don’t have any medical training—who rely on “magic mushrooms” as a last resort to treat severe pain. It explores not only the fascinating history and exploding popularity of mushroom science, but also proves that the United States has set up a regulatory and legal system so repressive that our most innovative therapies for pain and medicine are being developed underground by sick people forced to break the law just to find relief, and how, in turn, corporate America, and sometimes devious academics, stand to profit from their work and self-advocacy.
- GenresScienceNonfictionHealth
384 pages, Hardcover
First published June 4, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 16, 2024
Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
Psychedelic Outlaws is a sobering, often distressing, look at pharmaceutical development and protocol approval by Dr. Joanna Kempner (PhD in sociology and healthcare policy). Released 4th June 2024 by Hachette, it's 384 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links.
This is a layman accessible, fascinating, and often frustrating examination of a group of patients with cluster headaches on their search for relief from their chronic pain. The pharmaceutical research system is absolutely set up to be completely outside practicality for small/single/individual researchers (however legitimate and well meaning) in order to winnow out the charlatans and "snake oil" salesmen. It's expensive, eye-wateringly expensive, to research and bring a drug to clinical trials and eventually to market.
This book is written as a human interest history about a group of cluster headache sufferers (aka "suicide headaches" for the brutal pain they cause) who found one another online and eventually banded together to find treatments in a system they felt abandoned by and to advocate for research.
Not written in impenetrable academic style, the book is well annotated throughout, and the chapter notes, bibliography, and references will provide readers with many hours of further reading. It's good that it's not written as a "gotcha" story, but it does take a frank look at the sometimes unfair treatment of smaller groups of sufferers who are nonetheless in desperate need of healing.
Five stars. Highly recommended for science/nonfiction readers, as well as for public library acquisition, or possibly gift giving to someone touched by chronic medical issues.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Psychedelic Outlaws is a sobering, often distressing, look at pharmaceutical development and protocol approval by Dr. Joanna Kempner (PhD in sociology and healthcare policy). Released 4th June 2024 by Hachette, it's 384 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links.
This is a layman accessible, fascinating, and often frustrating examination of a group of patients with cluster headaches on their search for relief from their chronic pain. The pharmaceutical research system is absolutely set up to be completely outside practicality for small/single/individual researchers (however legitimate and well meaning) in order to winnow out the charlatans and "snake oil" salesmen. It's expensive, eye-wateringly expensive, to research and bring a drug to clinical trials and eventually to market.
This book is written as a human interest history about a group of cluster headache sufferers (aka "suicide headaches" for the brutal pain they cause) who found one another online and eventually banded together to find treatments in a system they felt abandoned by and to advocate for research.
Not written in impenetrable academic style, the book is well annotated throughout, and the chapter notes, bibliography, and references will provide readers with many hours of further reading. It's good that it's not written as a "gotcha" story, but it does take a frank look at the sometimes unfair treatment of smaller groups of sufferers who are nonetheless in desperate need of healing.
Five stars. Highly recommended for science/nonfiction readers, as well as for public library acquisition, or possibly gift giving to someone touched by chronic medical issues.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
May 28, 2024
Psychedelic Outlaws follows a fascinating group of people affected by cluster headache, the most painful condition known to medicine. Based on self-reported successes in using psilocybin to prevent or abort these horrific attacks, these citizen scientists formed a legit non-profit to share their journeys. By making enough noise and taking no crap, Clusterbusters has successfully partnered with Yale University to research the methods they created over years of real world experience and data-collecting.
The 20-year jump from cluster headache message boards to working with a prestigious university to legitimize not only their disease, but also the life-changing effects of psilocybin has been a long and interesting trip. Egos and self-interest from researchers and the NIH have side-lined progress for years, while people continue to suffer and commit suicide at MUCH higher rates than the national average.
The book also gives a mind-blowing history of synthetic psychedelics, such as LSD, the government’s involvement and human exploration of the drug and the ultimate ban of these substances, despite the promising health benefits.
The citizen scientists who have chosen to work underground to find ways to treat themselves have clearly been failed by a medical system that is supposed to care FOR them. It’s truly a remarkable story about how these psychedelic outlaws have forged their own path to bring attention to their disease and bring their psychedelic medicine aboveground.
“I received a free copy of PSYCHEDELIC OUTLAWS as part of a review program, but my review is independent and my opinion is my own.”
The 20-year jump from cluster headache message boards to working with a prestigious university to legitimize not only their disease, but also the life-changing effects of psilocybin has been a long and interesting trip. Egos and self-interest from researchers and the NIH have side-lined progress for years, while people continue to suffer and commit suicide at MUCH higher rates than the national average.
The book also gives a mind-blowing history of synthetic psychedelics, such as LSD, the government’s involvement and human exploration of the drug and the ultimate ban of these substances, despite the promising health benefits.
The citizen scientists who have chosen to work underground to find ways to treat themselves have clearly been failed by a medical system that is supposed to care FOR them. It’s truly a remarkable story about how these psychedelic outlaws have forged their own path to bring attention to their disease and bring their psychedelic medicine aboveground.
“I received a free copy of PSYCHEDELIC OUTLAWS as part of a review program, but my review is independent and my opinion is my own.”
June 11, 2024
Great book to read to hear about how some people deal with cluster headaches.
June 26, 2024
I just finished the last page of Joanna Kempner's book Psychedelic Outlaws. A tear is still rolling down my cheek (not something that happens often at all). Words can't express the magnitude of this book, of this life, of this organization called Clusterbusters. I've been attending book club and the book was divided into 4 parts. I'm not going to lie, Part 3 had me wanting to bang my head against a brick wall. It was such a heavy weight to read each word with all the bickering and nonsense going on when there were patients suffering.
I have loved learning the history of clusterbusters, psychedelics and all the people that have shaped this story. Living with cluster headaches has been difficult, but this organization has saved my life. I just wish the path to helping others like me could have been paved rather than as rocky as it has been- but this book shows we are resilient.
I took a deep breath, sat down today, finally finished the last few pages of part 3, and moved on to part 4. Dr. Schindler is an amazing soul and it was captured so well in this book why she has made such a difference in our community.
I will carry this book with me, and when people ask me what I do, I can show them this book- this is what I do - the work never ends, it just continues and shifts. There are still many people out there with cluster headache that are undiagnosed, misdiagnosed, unable to get an oxygen supplier to fill their script for oxygen, insurance refuses to pay for oxygen, Emgality, or other prescription medications and psychedelics are still schedule 1. If you believe they should be schedule 1- I encourage you to read this book, then decide. People suffering need access to whatever works - they need access now. Later may be too late.
I have loved learning the history of clusterbusters, psychedelics and all the people that have shaped this story. Living with cluster headaches has been difficult, but this organization has saved my life. I just wish the path to helping others like me could have been paved rather than as rocky as it has been- but this book shows we are resilient.
I took a deep breath, sat down today, finally finished the last few pages of part 3, and moved on to part 4. Dr. Schindler is an amazing soul and it was captured so well in this book why she has made such a difference in our community.
I will carry this book with me, and when people ask me what I do, I can show them this book- this is what I do - the work never ends, it just continues and shifts. There are still many people out there with cluster headache that are undiagnosed, misdiagnosed, unable to get an oxygen supplier to fill their script for oxygen, insurance refuses to pay for oxygen, Emgality, or other prescription medications and psychedelics are still schedule 1. If you believe they should be schedule 1- I encourage you to read this book, then decide. People suffering need access to whatever works - they need access now. Later may be too late.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews