A GOP congressman is sharing more details about his “life-saving” experience with psychedelic therapy to treat symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)—explaining how ibogaine allowed him to not only see cosmic colors and shapes and mathematic formulas “raining down” on him but also helped resolve long-held challenges in his interpersonal relationships.
The Wall Street Journal, which published the interview on Saturday, featured retired Navy SEAL Rep. Morgan Luttrell. In it, he explained his decision to become an advocate of psychedelic drugs in Congress. Luttrell gave an honest account of how, seven years after receiving treatment with ibogaine in Mexico, he overcame severe mental issues.
Luttrell said in a recent interview he “felt unable to… start a brand new chapter in my life” following years of service. Veterans can “get lost”, psychologically, when exposed to war and are then forced to leave friends once they enter civilian life.
The people try to convince you that it is not so bad. “Sometimes the best conversation to have is one with yourself,” said Luttrell. Luttrell believes that psychedelics may help to promote this inner dialogue.
You are talking to yourself. With psychedelic treatments, you are just talking to yourselves. [or] psychiatrist—something that’ll never come out of your mouth. The medication can address the issue.
According to the Congressman, his journey began with “colors sort of streaming down.”
“It’s like raining different colors. “And then, it began to take on shapes,” said he. This is my story, okay? “This is what I experienced.” Then it became numbers and mathematics. I think I saw time travel—just all these math problems and equations… But then pictures started to populate—pictures of my life, my life only—video reels, and that kind of takes people back, like, what are you exactly saying?”
However, he did not see any images of his combat experiences during the psychedelic trip. Luttrell says he felt compelled to ask questions on reconciling his relationship to his mother. He then said that when he questioned internally if that was the question he should be answering, images began to “rain down” in his face.
“Then I said, ‘I understand.’ “And it disappeared,” he replied.
In the Wall Street Journal’s article on Luttrell, it was noted that other GOP legislators are also embracing this issue.
Noteworthy, the X-account of the GOP-controlled House Veterans Affairs Committee posted Luttrells’ post on the article. And Chairman Mike Bost said, “There should be no wrong doors or solutions when it comes getting the veterans who are living with the invisible injuries of war, the support and treatments they need in order to live again.”
House Republicans will continue leading the conversation about the use of new, safe and proven therapies in partnership with public and private health care systems. This is to help combat PTSD. We cannot allow another veteran to die by suicide.
Luttrell is open about his experience using ibogaine in interviews, op eds, and other media. In the past, he has said that ibogaine is not something he would recommend to anyone due to the intense trip and the vomiting. He has made it clear, however, that his current mental state is largely due to the negative effects of that experience.
What happens next at the congressional level remains uncertain, but Reps. Jack Bergman (R-MI) and Lou Correa (D-CA)—co-chairs of the Congressional Psychedelic Advancing Therapies (PATH) Caucus—introduced a bill last month to provide $30 million in funding annually to establish psychedelics-focused “centers for excellence” at VA facilities, where veterans could receive novel treatment involving substances like psilocybin, MDMA and ibogaine. Luttrell was an original sponsor.
Bergman has also expressed optimism about the prospects of advancing psychedelics reform under Trump, arguing that the administration’s efforts to cut spending and the federal workforce will give agencies “spines” to tackle such complex issues.
Top officials in the Trump administration are also praising the therapeutic potential of psychoedelics. This includes the director of the Food and Drug Administration, who stated, during an interview, that psychedelic medicine was a top priority, especially for helping veterans cope with the trauma of being sent into “unnecessary” wars.
The commissioner’s remarks has come in the context of a seemingly meaningful shift on psychedelics policy within this administration—with the secretaries of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that oversees FDA also having expressed support for exploring the issue. The recent nominee for U.S. Surgeon General by President Donald Trump has described how she personally benefited from psilocybin.
Just last week, VA Secretary Doug Collins touted the fact that he’s “one of the first” secretaries of the agency with a commitment to exploring psychedelics as a potential therapy option for veterans.
“What we’re seeing so far in some of the studies that are related to VA, and also outside of VA as well,” he told lawmakers during a House committee hearing, “is that there has been—especially when it comes to PTSD and also traumatic brain injury and others—we’re seeing some actual positive outcomes there, especially when it is coupled with intense counseling. “I think this is one key that we are looking forward to.”
Bergman also expressed optimism regarding the prospect of reforming psychedelics in the Trump administration, saying that Trump’s attempts to lower spending and reduce the federal workforce would give agencies the “spines they need” to address such complex problems.
Collins also recently met with a military veteran who’s become an advocate for psilocybin access to discuss the therapeutic potential of psychedelic medicine for the veteran community.
Earlier this month, the secretary separately informed Trump during a Cabinet meeting that his agency is “opening up the possibility of psychedelic treatment” for veterans.
Also, during a Senate committee hearing this month, he separately reiterated his commitment to exploring the efficacy of psychedelic therapy to address serious mental health conditions that commonly afflict veterans.
Bipartisan congressional lawmakers have also asked the VA head to meet with them to discuss ways to provide access to psychedelic medicine for military veterans.
Collins disclosed last month that he had an “eye-opening” talk with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about the medical potential of psychedelic medicine. Collins has said he would be open to vouchers from the government covering the cost of psychedelic treatment for veterans that receive VA services.
In December, VA separately announced that it’s providing $1.5 million in funding to study the efficacy of MDMA-assisted therapy for veterans with PTSD and alcohol use disorder (AUD).
According to a recent poll, most Veterans and their family members believe that VA doctors should have the ability to prescribe medical marijuana.