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Treading a perilous line between science and shamanism


Treading a perilous line between science and shamanism

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One of the interviewees we meet early in Edge of Life declares himself allergic to "woo-woo". If you share that allergy, it's probably best to stay clear of this locally made documentary, which promotes the medical use of psychedelics in a largely uncritical way - not just as a treatment for conditions such as anxiety and depression, but as a tool for spiritual transformation and for overcoming the fear of death.

It's too bad director Lynette Wallworth doesn't keep a little more distance because the subject-matter is fascinating. We start out in Melbourne's St Vincent's Hospital, where two doctors, Justin Dwyer and Marg Ross - respectively a psychiatrist and a clinical psychologist - are studying the use of psilocybin in palliative care.

Most of this takes place offscreen: Wallworth had permission to film only a couple of the 35 patients involved in the study, all of whom were faced with the stark question of how to carry on living in the certain knowledge death isn't far off.

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