Today, we’re going to be talking about mushrooms and no we’re not talking about the ones you can buy from your local supermarket such as Tesco’s. We’re talking about ✨magic mushrooms ✨and specifically why and how it’s changed people’s lives for the better.
So what exactly are magic mushrooms?
Shrooms are mushrooms that contain a compound called psilocybin. When ingested, psilocybin interacts with serotonin, the body’s ‘feel good’ hormone in the brain, altering the state of perception, thoughts and emotion. This my friends, is what we call a psychedelic experience or journey and is one of the main reasons people take them.
If you’ve never tried them before, you might be wondering what it feels like. According to TalkToFrank - a platform that has everything you need to know about drugs and their effects, this is what it feels like (although this will vary from person to person).
How you might feel:
“The strength of magic mushrooms varies depending on their freshness, the season and where they grow.
For most people, the world appears distorted when they take mushrooms. Colours, sounds, objects and even time can all seem very different.
Some people get mild hallucinations, which are also called ‘visuals’.
Taking mushrooms can make you feel:
- very giggly
- euphoric
- in awe of the people and things around you
- energised
- excited
It can also make you feel:
- paranoid
- anxious
- panicked
- overwhelmed
- nauseous"
Source: TalkToFrank
What are the benefits of psychedelic mushrooms?
One of the most intriguing benefits of shrooms is their potential to alleviate mental health issues. Research has shown that controlled, guided sessions with psilocybin can lead to profound experiences that significantly reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“These drugs can increase neuronal outgrowth, they can increase this branching of neurons, as well as the synapses. That’s called neuroplasticity” - Mycologist Paul Statmets.
In depressed people this gives them the opportunity to hinder the continual self critical thoughts that occur and potentially grow new branches of neurons. They can then lay down more positive pathways through practising something as simple as gratitude. This can be life changing for some, with many individuals reporting positive changes in their mood and outlook after such experiences.
Psilocybin also appears to promote increased connectivity between different regions of the brain, leading to heightened creativity as well as enhancing learning and memory. This has the potential to enhance problem solving skills and boost overall cognitive flexibility.
It’s important to note that the use of psychedelic mushrooms should always be approached with caution as they, after all, have unpredictable effects! Nevertheless, the growing body of research suggests that these shrooms, mushies, magic mushrooms - whatever you’d like to call them, hold significant promise in reshaping our understanding of mental health treatment and cognitive enhancement.
August 31, 2023
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Vanessa Stidever
