Peaking: Psychedelics and the Pursuit of Happiness explores the controversial world of psychedelic therapy, examining its potential to treat addiction, depression, and trauma through personal stories, scientific research, and a fascinating look at the history of these once-promising treatments.
by Nav Qateel
I remember a while back watching a Joe Rogan clip from his podcast on YouTube, where he and his guest started talking about a miracle cure for drug addiction involving some sort of hallucinogen.
This interested me quite a bit, as I once had a problem with opiates. It was fascinating, but I unfortunately forgot about it until now. To my delight, this documentary comes along for me to review, and I’m the obvious choice.
From documentarian Jordan Kronick comes Peaking: Psychedelics and the Pursuit of Happiness, a film that delves into the subject of healing the mind through various psychedelic drugs that are illegal in the US, even though research going back decades has shown promising results in treating psychiatric problems and drug addiction, to name just two.
Peaking talks to experts in the field as well as people who have found these treatments not only useful but vital to their recovery.
It’s explained that chronic stress can negatively affect the brain and that psychedelics appear to help reverse some of these effects. This is explored throughout the documentary as we meet several people suffering from various conditions, ranging from severe depression to drug addiction.
A number of psychedelics are used in these treatments, and several are explored here, in some cases showing them being taken by the subjects.
Peaking begins with former professional ice hockey player Daniel Carcillo, who suffered many blows to the head, leading to numerous concussions and a long list of ailments. He changed dramatically, as explained by his wife, becoming a different person whom no one liked anymore.
After joining fellow ice hockey players on a “mushroom journey,” his life changed for the better, much to his family’s amazement. He started posting about his experience, and eventually others would try the treatment, including Stephen Johns, another ice hockey player struggling with similar issues.
We go on to meet a number of people from different professions, often dangerous ones, as they take various types of psychedelics, and we learn their stories and how these treatments have helped them in profound ways.
Kronick explains how these psychedelics are illegal now, even though at one time they were not only legal but were being used to help people as far back as the 1950s. Kronick delves deep into the subject, giving a detailed history of the drugs and how certain ones, like MDMA, were popularized by young people at raves. No documentary about psychedelics would be complete without mentioning Timothy Leary, and we’re treated to plenty of archival material about the man.
It really is incredible that drugs with such a promising history of helping people with serious problems remain illegal in many circumstances. However, as we learn, Oregon has taken steps to allow supervised psilocybin services under state law, despite federal restrictions, which is an encouraging sign.
Kronick has skillfully put together a fascinating documentary about an important subject that most viewers will enjoy. The director is clearly passionate about this subject, and it shows in the care that’s gone into every part of the production. Not to be missed.
Nav’s Score: 10/10
