In recent years, we have seen evidence for highly promising effects of psychedelic therapy. Everything from depression, anxiety and PTSD to addiction problems and chronic pain seems to be radically improved after just a few treatments.

And, as a pleasant side effect, many report a sense of deeper meaning in life. What's not to like?

But critics are skeptical and talk about a psychedelic hype. The research is weak and often driven by activists, they claim, and the empirical evidence is insufficient. Serious side effects and drawbacks are downplayed.

Is psychedelic therapy just a passing fad, the latest in a long line of miracle cures that promise more than they can deliver? Or are we facing a paradigm shift in the treatment of mental disorders?

In the panel:

Joanna Moncrieff is a british psychatrist. She is leading voice in the Critical Psychiatry Network and the author of several books. Moncrieff is an active public commentator in the United Kingdom, with articles published in outlets such as The Guardian and The Spectator.

Nikolaj Frobenius is a novelist, essayist and screenwriter. He has undergone psychedelic therapy himself and has explored the subject of psychedelics in several books and articles.

Stian Stangeland Maroni is a specialist in neuropsychology, head of the Neuropsychological Laboratory at Stavanger University Hospital, a researcher on ketamine treatment for depression, and currently undertaking further training in psychedelic psychotherapy.

Moderator: Silje Trym Mathiassen, director of the Church of Norway’s Dialogue Center in Stavanger and a Ph.D. scholar of ayahuasca ritual practice and spiritual experiences.