KQED's Forum What RFK Jr.’s Support for Psychedelic Therapy Means for Its Future
Nov 6, 2025
Michael Silver, director of the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics, delves into how psychedelics interact with the brain, emphasizing gaps in understanding subjective experiences. Marlena Robbins, an Indigenous public health consultant, raises concerns about biopiracy and advocates for integrating Indigenous knowledge into modern science. Berra Yazar-Klosinski discusses the evolving landscape of clinical trials and the impact of political support on psychedelic research, highlighting both the potential benefits and regulatory hurdles facing this promising field.
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Big Knowledge Gap Between Molecule And Experience
- Researchers know receptors and brain locations for psychedelics but not how those interactions create the profound subjective experience.
- Michael Silver highlights a major knowledge gap between molecular action and the psychedelic experience.
Potential For Enduring Therapeutic Change
- Psychedelic treatments aim for lasting psychological insight rather than chronic symptom management.
- Michael Silver contrasts this with standard psychiatric drugs that mainly manage symptoms.
Medicines As Sacred Cultural Technologies
- Indigenous communities treat these medicines as sentient, ceremonial beings with protocols and songs guiding use.
- Marlena Robbins warns of extraction of ceremony and knowledge into commercial markets.