Anybody who has heard about, read about, or taken magic mushrooms knows that they have a profound effect on the taker. From hallucinations to ego death to incredible revelations, people specifically seek out the almighty shroom spirit as a catalyst for change in how they feel, think, and perceive. But the average Joe – and even the casual mushroom user – don’t usually know the science behind shrooms and why they do the things they do. So to help enlighten you about this much-talked-about drug, here is everything you need to know about what psilocybin does to your brain.
We all know that magic mushrooms are illegal and that you’ll be in trouble if you’re found with them in your possession by anyone in law enforcement. What is less clear is where we stand with mushroom spores.
- What are they?
- Are they legal to have?
- Why would you want them?
We might have some of the answers you’ve been looking for…
What is Psilocybin?
Psilocybin is the psychoactive compound in what is colloquially called shrooms, magic mushrooms, or psilocybin mushrooms, of which there are more than 180 known species. When you ingest magic mushrooms that are grown from psilocybin mushroom spores containing psilocybin, it’s converted in the liver into the psychoactive form psilocin. Once in your body, psilocin gets to work making all sorts of changes happen in your brain, which are responsible for the experiential effects of shrooms that people report and seek. What follows is an explanation of how.
Serotonin: It Feels Good, Man
One of the first effects most people will notice of psilocybin mushrooms is one that also tends to come with other psychoactive drugs like marijuana and LSD: an uplifted mood. This is because of psilocybin’s effect on the 5-HT2A receptor, one of the cell types in the brain that receive serotonin, a hormone that stabilizes our mood and makes us happy. In fact, many treatments for depression specifically target these receptors as a way to increase the amount of available serotonin in the patient’s system. Psychedelic mushrooms from magic mushroom spores may be able to work in a similar fashion to relieve depression.
“Yes, psilocybin mushroom spores are legal in the United States except for California, Georgia, and Idaho.“
Most studies conducted have been in terms of surveys or animal research. The surveys have explored the effects of psychedelics on human beings that have tried it on their own. The results of the surveys showed affirmative results. Many participants showed decreased levels of anxiety and depression. A study conducted on animals showed that psilocybin mushroom spores reduced fear and anxiety in the animals. Even so, there is a need to try such research on humans through placebo trials. Scientifically conducting the tests will prove the drug’s efficacy. It will help us understand which doses are accurate and which ones are fatal.
The Claustrum: Ego Death
One of the regions of the brain that psilocybin impacts is the claustrum, which is a thin, bilateral structure connecting the cortical and subcortical regions of the brain. While this is a lesser-studied part of the brain, it is thought to be responsible for things like attention, switching tasks, consciousness, and coordinating different parts of the brain to work together.
A recent 2020 study showed that the claustrum contains a large number of receptors targeted by psilocybin, and when people use psilocybin, it reduces neural activity in the claustrum by 15 to 30 percent. This ground-breaking research poses a potential physical reason for some of the subjective experiences of tripping on magic mushroom spores such as a reduced sense of self or ego and emotional or mystical experiences.
Breaking Down Old Connections and Creating New Ones
Interestingly, one of the most profound effects of magic mushrooms comes from psilocybin’s effect on the brains functioning as a whole rather than one particular region of it. Research shows that psilocybin can prompt the brain to create new links across regions that were once disconnected. This can potentially explain why people under the influence of magic mushrooms might experience synesthesia, or the cross-sensing ability that allows you to see sounds or hear colors, as well as all sorts of other experiences that read as mystical.
This switch-up in the brain’s organizational patterns may also give another reason why psilocybin has proven to be such a powerful anti-depressant. See, when it’s working normally, the brain has a specific way for its different regions to function together. When the brain is stuck in its consistent (even rigid) thought patterns, it can lead to anxiety, depression, and other mental illness. Psilocybin’s ability to disintegrate these networks and create new types of connections helps people to break out of established, potentially unhealthy thought patterns – a type of brain “reset.”
The Thalamus: Things Are Getting Trippy
Yet another part of the brain that is affected by psilocybin is the thalamus, which filters information from the outside world and helps you to make sense of it. When under the influence of psilocybin, the thalamus starts to function a little differently. Essentially, it ramps up its communication with the sensory regions of the brain devoted to processing sights, tastes, smells, and so on. This can be a possible reason for hallucinations, as the thalamus takes in much more sensory information than usual, not filtering it as it might regularly do. As a result, your brain can’t figure out where to put its attention, leading to the perceptual distortions that are so characteristic of a magic mushroom trip.
Long-Term Effects of Psilocybin
One of the most interesting parts of psilocybin’s positive effect on the brain is that it seems to persist even after the subjective “tripping” experience is over. According to a 2020 study, the reduction in negative mood and depression, increase in a positive mood, and reduced brain activity in the amygdala in response to negative stimuli continued well after the initial ingestion of psilocybin, as long as at least one week and even one month. Another study done in 2016 showed that between 60 and 80 percent of participants had reduced anxiety and depression even over half a year after their initial trip.
The implications of this research are great, suggesting that psilocybin may be an effective treatment for a number of mental illnesses, as well as the emotional and existential dread that is experienced by people with fatal illnesses. In fact, this research and more research like it is currently being used to justify the therapeutic use of and eventual decriminalization of psilocybin, a substance with the potential to vastly improve lives that has unfortunately earned an erroneous reputation not fitting to its actual effects. The hope is that as people – including both policymakers and the general public – become more educated about the material reality of how psilocybin can genuinely, significantly help people, it will become more available, less stigmatized, and take its rightful role as a respected gift from the Earth.
Check out our list of available Psilocybin Mushroom Spores if you would like to purchase Magic Mushroom Spores.
Quitting Other Habits
Micro-dosing psilocybin mushrooms is equally beneficial as it helps people quit habits that are harmful to their health. Some of these habits include drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes. The psilocybin mushrooms can also relieve people of their need for simple stimulants like coffee.
Mushroom spores and Magic mushroom spores have been proven to help smokers drop the habit. The ingredient in mushrooms is psilocybin. It can be an effective tool to treat addictions for smokers and alcoholics. The component gives people hallucinogenic visions.
When a person takes the psilocybin mushroom spores or the pill, one experiences a euphoric feeling. As a result, the brain experiences peace and some unity. Addicts rarely have a settled mind because they are thinking about their next drug dose.
Psilocybin mushroom therapy is still in its early stages of trial, but it has shown significant results. The results surpass the normal treatment for smoking addiction, such as nicotine patches. Psilocybin rewires the brain temporarily, and all parts of the brain can function in harmony as opposed to the usual chaos that an addict experiences.
It has Medicinal Benefits
Psychedelic substances such as magic mushrooms have medicinal value to patients with various illnesses. For example, cancer patients deal with many other health issues that accompany cancer. They are often in distress because they have so little time to live or the chemotherapy is becoming unbearable.
Cancer treatments are overwhelming, and often they come with a myriad of side effects that the patient has to endure. In most cases, cancer patients suffer from anxiety disorders because they are afraid they may die in their sleep or even die a slow and painful death. This is especially common in patients that got their diagnosis when cancer had already advanced.
John Hopkins conducted a double-blind trial in 2016 on which established that a single dose of psilocybin was effective for cancer patients. It significantly improved the quality of life and reduced depression and anxiety in the patients. It also worked on patients with other chronic illnesses such as coronary heart disease and hypertension in cases where the patients suffered from depression and anxiety.
It’s Time to Have Randomized Placebo-controlled Trials
Most of the tests conducted and the outcomes recorded were sourced from surveys of people who had tried the drug independently. This is not enough as the tests need to have a scientific basis. The surveys have shown that magic mushrooms and psychedelic mushroom spores have various benefits to the human body.
There are many promising outcomes; but, it is not known when the FDA will approve psilocybin. They are right to hold off on approval because psilocybin has damaging effects on the cardiovascular system. It can also result in permanent psychological problems for the individuals.
Nonetheless, the benefits are many. They are worth putting the time and effort into randomized placebo-controlled trials. Scientists can come up with quick solutions to control the side effects while the individual is on psychedelic drugs.
To get started on your own microscopy or mushroom spore taxonomy adventure, check out the different varieties of mushroom spores for sale here at Shaman Mushroom Spores.
