--- title: "Veterans Are Taking a Psychedelic Plant to Fight PTSD" description: "Veterans are spending several thousand dollars to go on special ayahuasca retreats in central America to treat a variety of mental disorders." date: "2020-08-31" modified: "2020-08-31" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/veterans-psychedelic-plant-fight-ptsd" categories: - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "dmt" - "hallucinogens" - "psychedelics" - "PTSD" - "veterans" --- # Veterans Are Taking a Psychedelic Plant to Fight PTSD ![Veterans are spending several thousand dollars to go on special ayahuasca retreats in central America to treat a variety of mental disorders.]() *\Image: Images via Pixabay/Victor Tangermann\* Veterans are spending thousands on retreats in central America where they take ayahuasca, a psychedelic drug one attendant called a "Hail Mary" for PTSD symptoms, [according to *The New York Times*](). The trend has grown significantly over the last couple years, becoming a sought-after alternative to common prescription drugs like antidepressants. Specialized facilities feature therapy sessions and posh amenities, according to the *NYT*, but the experience of taking ayahuasca often involves ceremonial singing, pacing, and frequent vomiting — an experience, needless to say, that falls squarely outside the standard realm of American health care. An increasing number of veterans swear by it, but the health effects of ayahuasca, a special brew that contains the hallucinogen dimethyltryptamine (DMT), are not entirely understood yet. Some of its consumers are finding the experience to provide a much-needed mental reset, while health experts warn that it could have irreversible negative health effects as well — particularly when being taken in combination with antidepressants. A [2019 study]() by the Imperial College London found it to make brain waves unpredictable and more chaotic — almost like dreaming while awake. "From the altered brainwaves and participants’ reports, it’s clear these people are completely immersed in their experience," lead researcher Christopher Timmermann said in a press release at the time. "It’s like daydreaming only far more vivid and immersive; it’s like dreaming but with your eyes open." "These experiences have a way of completely blasting people out of the mental ruts they’re stuck in and to look at a broader set of possibilities," Matthew Johnson at Johns Hopkins, told the *Times*. "It seemed to almost rewire my brain," Jesse Gould, a former Army Ranger, who went on several retreats and has raised funds for other veterans to go on retreats as well, told *NYT*. Despite the success stories, there's always the possibility that the drug could do more harm than good. "You have to recognize that there’s a Wild West element," Johnson admitted to the newspaper. ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()