For people with cancer, a single dose of the magic mushroom–derived drug psilocybin, combined with nine psychotherapy sessions, led to reductions in anxiety and depression that have lasted nearly five years, a study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology has found. According to lead investigator Gabby Agin-Liebes, a PhD candidate at Palo Alto University in California, the drug facilitates a deep, lasting, meaningful experience that can fundamentally change a person’s mindset and outlook. However, she cautioned, psilocybin should be taken only in a controlled, psychologically safe setting, preferably with counseling from trained mental health practitioners.