The South by Southwest conference, held in Austin from March 11 to 20, is a privileged place to observe emerging trends at the frontiers of technology and culture. For several years, sessions around the use of psychedelic drugs officially prohibited for sale such as MMDA, LSD or psilocybin have multiplied there, especially as a support for creativity and well-being with microdosing. . But these drugs are also of increasing interest to psychiatrists and neuroscientists for their medical applications, particularly in palliative care. It is not a question of making the dying “high”, but of helping them to better accept the inevitable.
Why is this interesting. Sign of the growing interest in psychedelic substances in the United States, a dozen conferences were organized on this theme during South by Southwest. They covered topics ranging from tourism to investment. But psychedelics are also increasingly of interest in research for medical applications. These substances can indeed reduce anxiety during serious illness and at the end of life when administered in a controlled environment. A paradigm shift both medical and cultural according to the specialists who spoke on this subject.
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