psychedelic therapy
the use of hallucinogens (or psychedelic drugs) in the treatment of some types of mental or physical illness. LSD was used in the 1950s and 1960s in combination with psychotherapy to assist patients in enhancing their awareness of cognitive and psychological processes; it was also used in the management of a number of significant conditions, such as schizophrenia and alcoholism. MDMA was similarly used in the 1980s. However, various studies revealed no lasting benefit; indeed, some patients claimed to have been harmed by such treatments. These findings, coupled with reclassification of these drugs as illegal, ended for a time the use of such agents in therapy. More recently, MDMA has been studied for a potential role in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder and ibogaine for the treatment of substance dependence and withdrawal symptoms.