SYNOPSIS

The doorway to death is the last great frontier in a human life. We know intellectually our time will end, and yet, in the Western world at least we often act as if death is a mirage, disappearing the closer we move towards it.

Two doctors in Melbourne have engaged psilocybin to help ease the anguish of patients at end of life, and the results they have seen are remarkable. But this visioning tool, like other plant medicines, is not new, it comes from ancient traditions that are now being funnelled into Western medicine.

It is possible the world’s oldest cultures have something important to teach us, not just about traditional medicines but about one of the most essential aspects of human life, its end. If we are humble, and they are willing, we have much to learn.

Illustration: Sergio Petch Chez | Photo: Bentley Dean