Psychedelia & Mushrooms

Explore Psychedelia & Mushrooms

WHAT ARE PSYCHEDELIA AND MUSHROOMS?

Magic mushrooms are a wild or cultivated mushroom that contains psilocybin, a naturally- occurring psychoactive and hallucinogenic compound. They are one of the most common psychoactive substances on earth.

Although their use was traditionally used for spiritual growth and connection to the spirit world, psychedelic research has gone through a renaissance in the past few years, with studies showing the potential for therapeutic application. Today, magic mushrooms are still used for personal discovery, but are also being used to treat a variety of medical conditions including anxiety, depression, addiction and PTSD.

Magic mushrooms contain two psychoactive alkaloids - psilocybin and psilocin which interact with serotonin receptors in the brain. This interaction results in changes to the way we perceive sensory information - sound, vision and touch. The psychedelic effects tend to appear around 20 minutes after ingestion and can last up to 6 hours and physical effects including nausea, vomiting, euphoria, muscle weakness or relaxation, drowsiness, and lack of coordination may occur.

As with many psychedelic substances, the effects of psychedelic mushrooms are subjective and can vary considerably among individual users. The first 3–4 hours after ingestion are typically referred to as the 'peak'—in which the user experiences more vivid visuals and distortions in reality. The effects can seem to last much longer to the user because of psilocybin's ability to alter time perception.

Sensory effects include visual and auditory hallucinations followed by emotional changes and altered perception of time and space. These shifts in perception visually include enhancement and contrasting of colors, strange light phenomena (such as auras or "halos" around light sources), increased visual acuity, surfaces that seem to ripple, shimmer, or breathe; complex open and closed eye visuals objects that warp, morph, or change solid colours; a sense of melting into the environment, and trails behind moving objects. Sounds may also seem to have increased clarity—music, for example, can take on a profound sense of cadence and depth. Some users experience synesthesia, wherein they perceive, for example, a visualization of color upon hearing a particular sound.

As with other psychedelics such as LSD, the experience, or 'trip', is strongly dependent upon set and setting. Hilarity, depression, lack of concentration, and muscular relaxation (including dilated pupils) are all normal effects, sometimes in the same trip. A negative environment could contribute to a bad trip, whereas a comfortable and familiar environment would set the stage for a pleasant experience. Psychedelics make experiences more intense, so if a person enters a trip in an anxious state of mind, they will likely experience heightened anxiety on their trip. Many users find it preferable to ingest the mushrooms with friends or people who are familiar with 'tripping'.

A study at Johns Hopkins University found that a dose of 20 to 30 mg psilocybin per 70 kg brough on mystical-type experiences with lasting positive changes to traits including altruism, gratitude, forgiveness and feeling close to others when combined with meditation and an extensive spiritual practice support programme.

WHERE DO PSYCHEDELIA AND MUSHROOMS COME FROM?

There are close to 400 different species of magic mushrooms which can be found on every continent except Antarctica. They’ve been used as a tool for spiritual growth and self-discovery for thousands of years by various cultures around the world. The use of magic mushrooms throughout the ages is well documented by stone-age mushroom rock art found in Africa and Europe, as well as pre-Columbian sculptures seen in North, South and Central America.

Although certain cultures have known to use the hallucinogenic properties of magic mushrooms for centuries, psilocybin was first isolated in 1958 by Dr. Albert Hofmann, who also discovered lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD).

In 2018, researchers from John Hopkins University recommended reclassification of the drug from Schedule I to Schedule IV in order to allow for medical use. Studies suggest that psilocybin can be used to treat cancer-related psychiatric distress, depression, anxiety, nicotine addiction, and substance use disorders.

In 2019, Denver became the first city to decriminalize mushrooms. Oakland became the second city less than a month later. As opposed to being legal, this means that the city is not permitted to spend resources to impose criminal penalties on people in possession of the drug. Startups like MindMed and Field Trip are centered around the medicinal use of magic mushrooms for treating psychiatric disorders and it is expected that additional States will ease regulation as well.

HOW TO USE PSYCHEDELIA AND MUSHROOMS

There are many different ways to use magic mushrooms. The most common method is to simply eat the dried mushrooms directly, but you can also make mushroom tea, make them into mushroom chocolates, or diffuse them into honey.

Dosage of mushrooms containing psilocybin depends on the psilocybin and psilocin content of the mushroom which can vary between and within the same species. A typical low dose of the common species Psilocybe cubensis is about 1.0 to 2.5 g, while about 2.5 to 5.0g dried mushroom material is considered a strong dose. Above 5 g is considered a heavy dose with 5.0 grams of dried mushroom often referred to as a "heroic dose".

WHY USE PSYCHEDELIA AND MUSHROOMS?

Many believe that naturally occurring drugs like magic mushrooms, weed, and mescaline are sacred herbs that enable people to attain superior spiritual states. Others take magic mushrooms to experience a sense of euphoria, connection, and a distorted sense of time.

Magic mushrooms however offer much more than a psychedelic afternoon. They offer legitimate health benefits — backed up through large-scale clinical trials research. Research that began in the 1960s started showing improvements in psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia, depression, addiction, and existential anxiety. Today, research on magic mushrooms and other psychedelics is at its prime with dozens of studies published on the therapeutic applications every year.

Benefits of magic mushrooms that have been confirmed through medical research include:

Alleviation or prevention of cluster headaches & migraines
Reduced cravings & addiction to drugs, alcohol, & cigarettes
Creative thought & focus
Alleviated existential dread & anxiety
Improved symptoms of PTSD, generalized anxiety, & social anxiety disorders
Improved chronic depression & other mood disorders
Alleviated symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

The final benefit from taking Magic Mushrooms is spiritual growth. This path is for those seeking any type of spiritual enhancement, including those on the path of a traditional religion, those seeking to improve a mindfulness practice, or anyone who seeks to better understand their connection to the greater world.

Outside of these benefits, there are significant anecdotal reports that the use of magic mushrooms leads to an overall sense of well-being for extended periods of time, a sense of connectedness to the universe and reduced ego and game-playing within day-to-day relationships.