Psilocybin is a natural psychedelic substance found in many types of mushrooms. People have used it for thousands of years for treatment, religious rituals, and magical practices. Some nationalities, for instance, the Mazatecs, have not departed from this tradition to this day. Since the 1960s, information about psilocybin and magic mushrooms that include it has been distributed throughout the Western world. Soon the overall consumption of this and other psychedelics like LSD and mescaline were restricted by law, which suspended scientific research on hallucinogenic substances. In the past few years, loosening in regulations has allowed people to buy mushrooms online and scientists to begin research on psilocybin for various reasons. It occurs to be a highly versatile combination that can serve as an instrument for investigating the mind and consciousness, and also working as a remedy for different psychological disorders.

How psilocybin works

Psilocybin is an ingredient with very low biological toxicity, but it has powerful psychological effects. Proper dosage is of key priority when the compound is used to decrease the probability of negative responses and maximize the potential advantage.

The advantages of magic mushrooms in pain and depression therapy

Scientists continue to explore the possibilities of psilocybin in the treatment of depressive states and anxiety. Antidepressants that are currently prescribed to patients – usually SSRIs – only relieve manifestations, demand chronic usage, are sufficient only for a particular group of people, and most often have a number of adverse effects.

Psilocybin could be an alternative and more effective depression therapy

A MAPS-supported study led by Francisco Moreno of the University of Arizona called into question the FDA’s first authorization of a preliminary U.S. clinical analysis of psilocybin in 1970. It was dedicated to the therapy of obsessive-compulsive disease (OCD). It turned out that the benefit of psilocybin led to a substantial decrease in OCD signs in patients. Presumably, it was due to the suppression of serotonin receptors, resulting in a reduction in susceptibility to serotonin. Psilocybin has been discovered to eliminate the pain and manifestations of cluster headache, known to be extremely debilitating, extremely painful, and associated with increased suicide rates. Other treatments and blocking cluster headache cycles are not known, but sub-psychedelic amounts of psilocybin (and LSD) are sufficient.

It turned out that psilocybin in mushroom chocolate lowers blood flow in the hypothalamus. It is at this location that blood flow raises during attacks of cluster headache, which partially demonstrates its effectiveness in the therapy. Indeed, further study in this field is advisable.

Mushrooms against addiction

Psilocybin has been experimented in alcohol and tobacco addiction therapy. A preliminary study involving 15 volunteers was recently completed. The use of medium and increased doses of the drug gave interesting primary outcomes, additional research is undoubtedly justified. 12 out of 15 participants in the investigation (80%) abstained from smoking for six months of observation, while modern methods of treating tobacco dependence give significantly less success, not exceeding 35%. This was a little preliminary research to test the feasibility of using psilocybin for tobacco dependence treatment, so it is essential not to draw absolute conclusions about the effectiveness of the substance, but the consequences are definitely inspiring and encourage further testing.