Older Adults Find Healing - and "Communitas"- in Psychedelic Group Ceremonies
A Conversation with Dr. Pamela Kryskow of Canada’s Roots to Thrive
I’m a big believer in experiencing psychedelics in group ceremony. That’s how it’s been done since time immemorial. And I’ve seen how journeying with others intensifies the healing, connection and community-building inherent in these experiences.
In fact, a recent study suggests that, for older adults, journeying in groups may be particularly beneficial. A survey of participants in group psychedelic ceremonies revealed that, for those aged 60 and over, it was the experience of communitas – the sense of connection with others in the group– and not the intensity of the drug experience - that left the greatest positive impression.
Group ceremonies tend to attract people interested in spiritual growth and expansion. But for those engaging with psychedelics for therapy, the process is typically individual, clinical and largely devoid of ceremony. That’s why I was excited to speak with Dr. Pam Kryskow, Medical Lead of the Canadian non-profit healing practice, Roots to Thrive, whose psychedelic-assisted therapy approach bridges all the worlds*.
Based in Vancouver Island, RTT has developed a group approach to psychedelic-assisted therapy that is grounded in evidence-based medicine but also integrates Indigenous and ancestral approaches to care, connection, ceremony and the healing power of community. Their multidisciplinary leadership team encompasses a diverse group of Wisdom Keepers, including a Lead Elder, Geraldine Manson of the Snuneymuxw First Nation.
I spoke with Dr. Pam over Zoom about the benefits older adults find at RTT and experiencing our inherent wholeness in older age. Following is a condensed and edited version of that delightful conversation.
Is there anything distinctive about how your older participants experience psychedelic-assisted therapy?
People come to us with all sorts of histories. If you were abused when you were young and were never heard or believed, you can be dealing with that trauma as a 30-year-old or an 80-year-old.
The trauma certainly happened but it's not happening today. So how can we address the mind’s need to continually protect ourselves from something that's not happening now? It’s really about removing all those layers that aren’t yours…and there's never a wrong time for that.
Psychedelic therapy can help people get to those essential traumas. It doesn't matter whether they are in our program for depression, anxiety, PTSD, substance use challenges, eating disorders, or existential end of life distress. It comes down to getting to the root traumas so that the symptoms of distress manifesting as mental health challenges can begin to resolve.
For example, a lot of the men in their 70s that come through our program experienced trauma but were brought up to “suck-it-up” and not show their feelings. But those feelings don’t go away. They show up as anger, irritation, social anxiety, depression, alcoholism and more. Then they go through the program and we get emails from the family, saying, ‘We got our dad back. He's awesome, He's funny. He's playing with the kids. He's having a good time.’
There’s an advantage at any age to any awakening. And it's never too late. One shouldn't have to wait to use these medicines for trauma either. We have the right to use them for creativity, for happiness, for problem solving, for whatever can make our lives better and more fulfilling.
What role do you think psychedelic experiences may have in helping make peace with older age?
Hopefully, as we learn more in our lives, we recognize that the things that bother us are actually our teachers. Not leaning into them with curiosity and working to resolve them can be the source of much of the suffering and dis-ease in our life. We have to face them, then move through and beyond them with the help of our communities and health care supports.
But it's lifelong work. As we get wiser, we realize that the irritations that appear to be coming from the external world can be softened and even resolved by working on our inner world, where we have the most power to make change. Working with a solid therapy team who can walk alongside you, intentionally, thoughtfully and ceremonially, can lead to profound shifts and healing.
We also see what happens when people get off media. We ask people in our programs to set the social media timer on their phone to five minutes, and then watch their happiness explode… Turn off the news and engage with your neighbors, your friends, family. Get involved locally where you can make a difference.
Any thoughts about thriving in older age from your own experience?
Many years ago, my mom said, ‘I look in the mirror and see this old person looking back at me. But inside, I feel so young.’ Now I’ll see a photo of myself and I'm like, ‘When did I get all those wrinkles?’ But these lines on my face and body are the lessons and wisdom I’ve gained on this journey, with all its challenges and fun.
So many of us still feel young and happy inside. We’ve gained confidence and wisdom as we get older… How to follow our intuition, listen to our gut and our heart. Still making mistakes, but laughing at ourselves instead of beating ourselves up.
One of the wise women in my life - an 80-year-old woman who was actually a patient - told me, ‘Love your body, however it is. You don’t want to get to my age and realize how much of your life you've wasted on vanity. Live in your body. Jump in the ocean. Explore the world. Have fun.’
*While psilocybin is illegal in Canada, the Health Ministry’s Special Access Program may offer exemptions allowing people with terminal illness, depression and other conditions to access psilocybin-assisted therapy.
The RTT experience in Canada, as presented by Dr. Pam, may in fact have replicas in the U.S. If so, is there an accessible informational resource that you could share with your readers?
Thanks,
Sy