Photography by Joachim Gern.
In the realm of mental health treatment, unconventional approaches are increasingly gaining attention and credibility. Among these approaches, the use of psychedelics has emerged as a topic of intense discussion and debate. With a passion for exploring alternative healing modalities, Anne Philippi has dedicated herself to understanding the intricate relationship between psychedelics and mental well-being. Through her extensive research and advocacy work, she aims to destigmatize these substances and promote their responsible use for mental health healing.
SLEEK has talked to Anne Philippi about microdosing psychedelics in therapy, her path to the subject and the legalization of cannabis in Germany.
SLEEK: How did you start from being a journalist at Vogue and GQ to having your podcast The New Health Club that talks about using psychedelics as a therapy form?
Anne Philippi: To be completely honest, I have never been in contact with drugs and was even scared to try them. But then when I moved back from LA to Berlin, Michael Pollan released his book How to Change Your Mind in which he wrote about being stuck in his ways which led to him trying out LSD and mushrooms. His words really resonated with me because he described his LSD trip so nonchalant. I had been in therapy for many years at that point and felt like there were topics I couldn’t access. Reading the book, got me wanting to try out different ways and so I did a guided LSD trip with a therapist. It opened a new world to me where I became more aware of what I wanted in life and my idea for the podcast was born. Back then, the topic of psychedelics was either explained in a strictly medical context or extremely spiritual which can scare people off. So The New Health Club offers a middle ground to talk about psychedelics in a casual environment.
S: Education about drugs is lacking. How can you provide information for the youth that doesn’t have a criminalized narrative on drugs but rather teach them about the consequences?
AP: There has always been a very conservative storytelling regarding drugs but alcohol consumption is so normalized in our society. If you look back at history, the war on drugs has criminalized the reputation of psychedelics. Still, a lot of teenagers are doing MDMA because spaces that provide information are lacking. The whole story of drugs needs to be written anew because the perspectives go into contradictory extremes. The book The Immortality Key by Brian Muraresku explores the usage of psychedelics even before the establishment of the church in the ancient Greek age. During ceremonies, authors or philosophers like Aristoteles consumed a psychedelic drink comparable to beer who then wrote down the political and philosophical manifests that are still relevant today. That information has also been explored in the last decades because the topic of psychedelics has been taboo.
S: Though drugs are illegal, many people consume them, especially in a club environment. To what extent do they have a self-therapeutic purpose?
AP: Through the anti-alcohol agenda that is rising, people of all ages are slowly opening up to try new substances. It is the youth that is smoking cannabis or taking ketamine or mid-50 adults that don’t want to drink anymore because they’ll get a headache the day after. Ketamine is becoming quite a popular drug in the party scene to using it as a form of disassociation. But there it is also important in which spaces it is consumed to not create an addiction. Ketamine therapy is already legal in Germany. During the sessions, intravenous ketamine is put into your body through cannulas. There are different models with usually six sessions and breaks for your body not to get used to the opioids. In the psychedelic world, MDMA is also a frequently used drug in nightlife which can be dangerous but also I have heard stories of people who unintentionally had a revelation during their trip. In the right environment, it can lead to a better understanding of the subconscious which can be integrated in your everyday life though for that to happen there needs to be even more studies and material to understand the subject.
Image Courtesy of Igor Omilaev.
S: Will things change with the cannabis legalization in Germany that is starting on April 1st?
AP: It is an interesting move, especially for Germany. It feels like the beginning of a paradigm shift but still, you feel a lot of backlash in our society. Things never happen overnight though the EU has also started investing in clinical trials of psychedelics which is also an important step for the destigmatization of the drugs. Also, there probably will be the first approved MDMA therapy in the US which will be very expensive at first but after it becomes more common the prices will decrease. I have just read today that JP Morgan is starting to invest in companies that research the connection of MDMA usage in relation to curing depression and PTSD. So clearly on a business level there is happening a lot and considering a legalization in the future, companies will have a clear profit structure from psychedelics.
S: How accessible are psychedelics for people now?
AP: LSD is illegal but even in Berlin there are LSD shops that sell LSD with a change in their molecules which makes it legal before the new structure will also eventually become illegal. Pure LSD is the one that is best researched though. Many people travel to the Netherlands for magic mushroom trips or order from there to have it shipped to Germany. Even though the substances are illegal in Germany, they probably still arrive here as long as it is not bought in masses. With all the current movements it is clearly noticeable that the desire to micro dose for mental health purposes is increasing.
S: Does this also derive from our society confronting mental health more than ever before?
AP: People often have to wait up to six months for a therapist and then psychiatrists mostly prescribe you psychotropic drugs which a lot of people just don’t want to take anymore. So people have searched for alternatives to have a different angle on topics that are discussed in therapy. During an LSD trip, the anxious part of your brain is turned off and you subconscious can run free which you usually can’t achieve through conventional therapy.
S: Is it similar to hypnotic therapy?
AP: With hypnosis, your body isn’t as much involved whereas with a mushroom trip, they make you highly emotional. It just is a different intensity. With LSD, your brain makes completely new connections and you remember things you thought have forgotten. Up to six or eight weeks after the trip, your brain develops a new neuroplasticity which means that new brain cells are formed. This can lead to breaking up old thoughts or behavior patterns. A step of integration with a therapist is essential to process your emotions but in the long run, you can feel more connected to your inner self and create a balance within your mind.
To shine more light on this fascinating yet controversial topic, Anne Philippi, founder of the advocacy group The New Health Club, is hosting a live podcast session in the Fotografiska Ballroom on March 28th. Find out more here. Get your tickets here.