Psychedelic therapy - hype or hope?

In recent years, there seems to be evidence for highly promising effects of psychedelic therapy.

Everything from depression, anxiety and PTSD to addiction problems and chronic pain can be radically improved after just a few treatments.

And, as a pleasant side effect, some report a sense of deeper meaning in life.

What's not to like?But critics are skeptical and talk about a psychedelic hype.

The research is weak and driven by activists, they claim, and the empirical evidence is insufficient.

Serious side effects and drawbacks are downplayed.Is psychedelic therapy just a passing fad, the latest in a long line of miracle cures that promise more than they can deliver? Or are we facing a paradigm shift in the treatment of mental disorders?