Dr. Roland Griffiths passes at age 77

Hi there 🍄 

This week, we’re holding a moment of silence for Dr. Roland Griffiths.

A pioneer who answered his calling

Dr. Roland Griffiths, the leading psychedelic researcher pioneer, died at 77 in his home in Baltimore, Maryland. His work spanned disciplines, but he was most well-known for his advocacy and leadership in psychedelic research, starting with his mindblowing 2006 study.

The paper, “Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance,” showed psilocybin could positively put the cancer patients the study was on at ease from their terminal diagnosis. It’s largely responsible for the renewed scientific discourse about psychedelics and the subsequent legislation shifts we see. When The Economist covered the study, the article was titled, “The God Pill.”

He continued to pioneer the field, founding the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, and told The New York Times in April, “As a scientist, it’s like a kid in the candy store with respect to what research, what questions need to be answered about psychedelics and the theme of the endowment and human flourishing.”

His cancer diagnosis came as a shock at 76 because he was a relatively healthy man, but he met the news with a warm embrace. In fact, he had never done psychedelics prior but decided to take LSD after the news to clean out the skeletons of his closet, he told NPR.

The experience altered him in a beautiful way, reassuring him that there was meaning and understanding beyond what he could know. In the last year of his life, he toured the world, speaking to audiences about psychedelics and his experience facing death. More than anything, he was inspired to share his message about living life completely and fully, seeing the occasion as a celebration.

"My parting invitation is to celebrate. I'm inviting you to celebrate what I'm celebrating and that is this experience of the miracle of where we find ourselves. You need not have a terminal diagnosis to lean in more fully, and I promise you it's worth it."

Read more about Dr. Griffiths.

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