Psilocybin and Spiritual Practice

Eligibility criteria for volunteers who will receive psilocybin

Inclusion Criteria:

- 21 to 70 years old

- Have given written informed consent

- Have a high school level of education

- Be healthy and psychologically stable as determined by screening for medical and
psychiatric problems via a personal interview, a medical questionnaire, a physical
examination, an electrocardiogram (ECG), and routine medical blood and urinalysis
laboratory tests.

- Have an active interest in exploring and developing their spiritual lives

- Cigarette smokers must agree to abstain from smoking on psilocybin session days from
1 hour before psilocybin administration until at least 6 hours after psilocybin
administration.

- Agree to consume approximately the same amount of caffeine-containing beverage (e.g.,
coffee, tea) that he/she consumes on a usual morning, before arriving at the research
unit on the mornings of drug session days. If the volunteer does not routinely
consume caffeinated beverages, he or she must agree not to do so on session days.

- Agree to refrain from using any psychoactive drugs, including alcoholic beverages,
within 24 hours of each psilocybin administration. Exceptions include caffeine and
nicotine.

- Agree not to take any PRN medications on the mornings of psilocybin sessions

- Agree that for one week before each psilocybin session, he/she will refrain from
taking any nonprescription medication, nutritional supplement, or herbal supplement
except when approved by the study investigators. Exceptions will be evaluated by the
study investigators and will include acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs, and common doses of vitamins and minerals.

Exclusion Criteria:

General medical exclusion criteria:

- Women who are pregnant (as indicated by a positive urine pregnancy test assessed at
intake and before each drug session) or nursing; women who are of child-bearing
potential and sexually active who are not practicing an effective means of birth
control

- Cardiovascular conditions: coronary artery disease, stroke, angina, uncontrolled
hypertension, a clinically significant ECG abnormality (e.g., atrial fibrillation),
or TIA in the past year

- Epilepsy with history of seizures

- Insulin-dependent diabetes; if taking oral hypoglycemic agent, then no history of
hypoglycemia

- Currently taking psychoactive prescription medication on a regular (e.g., daily)
basis

- Currently taking on a regular (e.g., daily) basis any medications having a primary
centrally-acting pharmacological effect on serotonin neurons or medications that are
MAO inhibitors. For individuals who have intermittent or PRN use of such medications,
psilocybin sessions will not be conducted until at least 5 half-lives of the agent
have elapsed after the last dose.

- More than 20% outside the upper or lower range of ideal body weight

Psychiatric Exclusion Criteria:

- Current or past history of meeting DSM-IV criteria for Schizophrenia, Psychotic
Disorder (unless substance-induced or due to a medical condition), or Bipolar I or II
Disorder.

- Current or past history within the last 5 years of meeting DSM-IV criteria for
alcohol or drug dependence (excluding caffeine and nicotine) or severe major
depression.

- Have a first or second degree relative with Schizophrenia, Psychotic Disorder (unless
substance induced or due to a medical condition), or Bipolar I or II Disorder.

- Currently meets DSM-IV criteria for Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, or other
psychiatric conditions judged to be incompatible with establishment of rapport or
safe exposure to psilocybin