One powerful treatment, two opposite outcomes: Psychedelic therapy may heal some patients while deeply unsettling others

Psychedelic-assisted therapy is the subject of renewed focus. It involves using psilocybin—a substance found in psychoactive fungi—or LSD to treat mental disorders. Numerous studies are currently underway, with talk rife of a "revolution in psychiatry." However, doubts also persist. While some patients benefit from this therapy, others do not, and some patients even deteriorate as a result.