If you've had cancer, or been diagnosed with cancer, you are eligible to participate. Says the call for volunteers:

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University are seeking volunteers with a current or past diagnosis of cancer who have some anxiety or are feeling down about their cancer to participate in a scientific study of self-exploration and personal meaning brought about by the entheogen psilocybin, a psychoactive substance found in mushrooms used as a sacrament in some cultures, given in a comfortable, supportive setting. Questionnaires and interviews will be used to assess the effects of the substance on consciousness, mood, and behavior.

Volunteers enrolled in the study will receive careful preparation and 2 sessions in which they will receive psilocybin. Structured guidance will be provided during the session and afterwards to facilitate integration of the experiences. The study complies with FDA regulations.

Volunteer must be between the ages of 21 and 70, have no personal history of severe psychiatric illness, or recent history of alcoholism or drug abuse, have someone willing to pick them up and drive them home at the end of the two psilocybin sessions (around 5:00 PM).

I love science.

If you want to find out more about study, or are interested in volunteering, visit the call for volunteers website.

According to Scientific American's article on the study, taking psilocybin may help addicts get over their dependencies:

"It does sound counterintuitive," Griffiths says. But, "six of the 12 AA [Alcoholics Anonymous] steps are related to a higher power and surrendering to it. Many people don't engage fully into the 12-step program because they don't have a connection to a higher power. One can't help but wonder whether an experience like this might be useful."

Griffiths admits a lot more study is needed before alcoholics start dropping tabs, but he's hoping his research will help lift the taboo on what is still an illegal drug.

Source: SciAm, Associated Press

*Of course the other third experienced "significant fear" according to Griffiths, which we can take to mean they thought they were oranges and tried to peel their own skin off.