69: Anthony Bossis – Consciousness, Death, Meaning, & Spirituality

Conversation starts at: 5:38

We begin this conversation acknowledging the dynamic between biological reductionism and mystical experience within the ever-growing field of psychedelic assisted therapies. The conversation continues by exploring consciousness, spirituality, the nature of religion, the expanding field of end of life care and psychedelics, mystical experience, the history of psychedelics as a healing modality, integration of mystical experience, Aldous Huxley’s influence, death as a spiritual process, the medicalization of healthcare, we discuss Tony’s recent chapter, Utility of psychedelics in the treatment of psycho-spiritual and existential distress in palliative care: A Promising new paradigm, the research history of psychedelics, constructivism and perennialism, legalization of psychedelics, and addressing the concern for the medicalization of psychedelics.

Bio:

Anthony P. Bossis, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist and clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at NYU School of Medicine conducting FDA-approved clinical research with the psychedelic compound psilocybin for over a decade. Dr. Bossis was director of palliative care research and co-principal investigator on the 2016 landmark clinical trial demonstrating a significant reduction in emotional distress from a single psilocybin session in persons with cancer, specifically, a rapid decrease in depression, anxiety, hopelessness, and demoralization along with improvements in spiritual well-being and quality of life. He is study director and lead session guide on a clinical trial evaluating psilocybin-generated mystical experience upon religious leaders. His primary psychedelic research interests include the treatment of end-of-life existential distress and advancing our understanding of consciousness, meaning, and spirituality. Dr. Bossis is a training supervisor of psychotherapy at NYU-Bellevue Hospital Center and co-founder of the Bellevue Hospital Palliative Care Service. He is a faculty member for The Center for Psychedelic Therapies and Research Certificate Program at the California Institute of Integral Studies and for The Art of Dying Institute in NYC. He has a long-standing interest in comparative religion, mysticism, and the interface of psychology and spirituality. He maintains a private psychotherapy and consulting practice in NYC.

Bossis, A.P. (2021). Utility of psychedelics in the treatment of psycho-spiritual and existential distress in palliative care: A Promising new paradigm. In: C. Grob & J. Grigsby (Eds.), Handbook of Medical Hallucinogens (pp. 441-473). Guilford Press.

Bossis, A.P. (2021). Psilocybin, Spirituality, and Palliative Care: Research and Implications. Alternative and Complementary Therapies, v 27(1).

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