The use of mushrooms by man for practical, culinary or recreational purposes is said to date back to at least Paleolithic times, with perhaps the best-known variety in recent times being Amanita muscaria or Fly Agaric. Nibbling on one side of this fungus made Alice grow in size and the other made her shrink, leading to some rather bizarre adventures and inspiring one of my favorite songs – White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane. The favored psychoactive mushrooms of the drop-out 1960s, though, were members of the Psilocybe genus. Researchers now believe that they have found the optimum dose of the pure chemical found in those so-called magic mushrooms, a level which offers maximum therapeutic value with little risk of having a bad trip.
Psilocybin is produced by over 200 species of fungi and its hallucinogenic, often spiritual, influence has long been well known. It’s said to lead to a feeling of oneness with nature and the universe, of a great inner peace and calm. But, as if proof of the old adage, too much of this good thing can also result in powerful negative episodes marked by fear and anxiety, and has led to strict regulation or outright prohibition in many countries throughout the world.
The latest Psilocybin study at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine set out to discover the “sweet spot” dose of pure chemical Psilocybin that would offer users all the positive benefits while minimizing the negative effects. Researchers screened volunteers between the ages of 29 and 62, ensuring that they were of sound mind and body (as the saying goes), and chose 18 to undergo five sessions lasting eight hours each and timed a month apart. At four of these, the volunteers would receive varying doses of the chemical and a placebo (no drug) at the remaining session.
Lie back and look inward
In common with other studies at Hopkins, volunteers in this one were settled into a comfy couch in an aesthetically-pleasing, living-room-like environment during each session and were accompanied by trained monitors. The subjects were encouraged to lie back and relax, with mood-complementing classical and world music being played through headphones. Neither the volunteers or the monitors knew beforehand how much Psilocybin they were to receive at each session but subjects were given preparatory guidance and coaching.
The Latest on: Psilocybin
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The Latest on: Psilocybin
- Kinston police arrest Greenville man at checkpoint with mushrooms, weed & a gunon May 1, 2024 at 5:42 am
K INSTON, N.C. (WITN) - The Kinston Police Department says a checkpoint led to the arrest of a Greenville man, who was caught with psilocybin mushrooms, marijuana, and a gun. Kinston police say ...
- Do dying people have a ‘right to try’ magic mushrooms? 9th Circuit weighs caseon May 1, 2024 at 3:00 am
In a case that could shape the future of psychedelic medicine, a palliative care physician is challenging a DEA decision that bars him from prescribing psilocybin to late-stage cancer patients.
- Timeline of Oregon’s legal psilocybin programon April 30, 2024 at 11:35 am
Oregon’s legal psilocybin program has been nearly a decade in the making. Here’s a timeline of events. Sheri and Tom Eckert formed the Oregon Psilocybin Society with the goal of putting legal ...
- Applications now open for fund to increase access to Oregon’s legal psilocybin programon April 30, 2024 at 11:24 am
Before Oregon even launched its legal psilocybin program last year, one of the main questions inside the industry was: How will people who might benefit from but can’t afford the experience access ...
- Therapists Warn That Taking Magic Mushrooms for Treatment Can Lead to Unwanted Romantic Feelingson April 30, 2024 at 7:52 am
Therapists suggest in a new study that there are some intense drawbacks, on their sides and for patients, of psychedelic therapy.
- Experts Discuss Botanical Psilocybin's Effect On Neurogenesis And More At Benzinga Cannabis Conferenceon April 29, 2024 at 1:42 pm
Kicking off the discussion on natural plant medicine, Elizabeth Cawley focused on botanical psilocybin, talked about the important difference between natural and synthetic products. She said that ...
- Bloom Health Club: Are psilocybin mushrooms the key to mental health?on April 29, 2024 at 10:58 am
On this episode of Bloom Health Club, we welcome Dr. Lida Fatemi, a dedicated physician and author of the groundbreaking book, “Conscious Physician Method: Conscious Life Practices & Psilocybin.” Join ...
- Exposing Colorado’s psychedelic conflicts of intereston April 29, 2024 at 4:00 am
As Colorado develops its regulatory framework for the psychedelics industry, we now see that it is being undermined by many of the same competing interests that have taken hold of ...
- Ketamine bros are giving psychedelics a bad rap. That's a problem for those who need them.on April 24, 2024 at 3:07 am
I accompanied her as she took a dose of psilocybin, a psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms. Over the next five hours, she went on a profound journey, one that allowed her to accept the fact ...
- Success of psilocybin for depression linked to relationship with therapiston April 23, 2024 at 10:34 am
New research suggests much of the credit for the success of psilocybin for treating depression lies in the relationship between the patient and his or her therapist.
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