I’d be curious to know what Matt Johnson thinks, but don’t think it’s necessary for the researchers to have the experience. However I do think it’s useful and informative, and especially useful for the facilitators. This is one of the limitations of most current training programs—the trainees can’t legally have the experience they are administering. The Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics (full discloser: I am a co-founder) has an opportunity to offer the psilocybin experience to its trainees, since the Center will be working with “healthy normals” rather than volunteers with a clinical diagnosis. MAPS has gotten permission to do give MDMA to a limited number of trainees.
I’d be curious to know what Matt Johnson thinks, but don’t think it’s necessary for the researchers to have the experience. However I do think it’s useful and informative, and especially useful for the facilitators. This is one of the limitations of most current training programs—the trainees can’t legally have the experience they are administering. The Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics (full discloser: I am a co-founder) has an opportunity to offer the psilocybin experience to its trainees, since the Center will be working with “healthy normals” rather than volunteers with a clinical diagnosis. MAPS has gotten permission to do give MDMA to a limited number of trainees.