hallucinogenic mushrooms psilocybin mushrooms on a stock pan

Psilocybin mushrooms - hallucinogenic mushrooms? Hallucinogenic mushrooms? Magic mushrooms?

Hallucinogenic mushrooms or psilocybin mushrooms that grow in many parts of the world, including Poland - contain psilocybin. The mushrooms are viewed ambiguously. Some people consider them a highly dangerous drug that leads to the development of mental disorders and addiction. Others believe that psilocybin is a harmless recreational substance - and an effective drug at that. A growing number of studies indicate that it may have applications in psychiatry. What positive effects can the use of psilocybin mushrooms bring, and how much truth is there in popular beliefs about them?

PSILOCYBIN MUSHROOM MYCELIUM


Effects of psilocybin mushrooms on neurogenesis and neuroplasticity

The brain uses specific connections between nerve cells, or so-called neural pathways, in its daily activities. They connect individual areas in the brain so they can communicate easily.
New pathways are created when we learn a new thing or during significant events. The brain's ability to create them is called neuroplasticity. 

Until recently, it was thought that the mature adult brain no longer creates new neurons or connections between them, which is thought to be related to the organ's inability to regenerate. 

However, studies using MRI imaging have shown that the brain under the influence of psilocybin not only uses already existing pathways, but creates new ones. These connections are temporary and mostly disappear when the effects of the hallucinogenic mushrooms pass, but they form connections between areas of the brain that don't communicate with each other on a daily basis. This produces sensations such as synesthesia (a combination of senses that allows one to taste colors or see sounds, for example) or expanded consciousness. 

A study conducted at the University of South Florida on rats showed that psilocybin increased neuroplasticity, making it easier for the animals to learn and overcome fear. 

All this has made hallucinogenic mushrooms the focus of scientists and psychiatrists, who see them as a means to help treat brain tissue damage and neurodegenerative diseases and mental disorders.

Psilocybin mushrooms improve creativity

Although how psilocybin can stimulate creativity has not been the subject of much research, many people such as artists and musicians use hallucinogenic mushrooms as a means of expanding consciousness and facilitating the "opening of the mind" to new possibilities and ideas.

Studies on this topic were performed in the 1960s and in 2018, among others; their results indicate that people who were given psilocybin mushrooms performed better in situations that required solving different types of problems. The researchers observed that they made better use of their knowledge, showed more flexibility and found more possible ways to act.

READ ABOUT MICRODOSING

Psylocybin may help treat anxiety

A study conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that hallucinogenic mushrooms combined with psychotherapy resulted in a marked reduction in anxiety levels in patients, including those suffering from cancer or other chronic illnesses. 
After six months of therapy, as many as 80% of them had their anxiety symptoms quieted. After another six months, 83% of the patients said their quality of life had improved significantly, and nearly two-thirds considered hallucinogenic mushroom therapy to be one of the most important experiences in their lives.

Similar studies have been few to date, but they offer hope for effective treatment for patients struggling with severe anxiety.

"Magic mushrooms" an opportunity in addiction treatment

An oft-repeated myth about hallucinogenic mushrooms, spread especially by proponents of their outlawing, is their alleged addictive potential. 
However, numerous studies conducted since the 1950s have shown that psilocybin is not addictive. In addition, they have shown that psilocybin mushrooms can help combat the habits that are an essential part of any addiction thanks to their beneficial effects on the formation of behavioral patterns.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University explain that behind addictions is an entrenched pattern of behavior and narrowed perceptions, causing the patient to see no possibility of changing patterns of functioning. Psilocybin mushrooms help broaden the picture of reality seen by the person under their influence and help them see other solutions to the problems they are trying to cope with through harmful habits. This, improved neuroplasticity of the brain and negligible toxicity make hallucinogenic mushrooms an effective support for psychotherapy for addiction to nicotine or alcohol or (as indicated by a 2018 study in Alabama) cocaine.

Hallucinogenic mushrooms in the treatment of mental disorders

The benefits of psilocybin mushrooms are increasingly being discussed in terms of their potential use in the treatment of mental disorders. This is especially true for depression, but also for PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Studies conducted at the University of Arizona, among others, have shown that psilocybin binds to serotonin receptors in the brain, regulating their function and bringing relief to patients struggling with the need to repeat certain behaviors that occurs in OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder). 

Post-traumatic stress disorder

Stimulating neurogenesis, in turn, may be helpful in treating PTSD. To date, the only studies related to this disorder have been conducted on animals, but their results tentatively support this thesis. 

The first stage of this study was to induce a pain response in mice using electrical impulses, combined with a sound signal. This caused the mice to show signs of pain after a certain period of time whenever they heard that sound. 

In the next stage, they were given hallucinogenic mushrooms; after some time, the mice's symptoms of perceived pain diminished. This was due to the formation of new cells and nerve connections and the regeneration of damaged cells in the hippocampus - the part of the brain responsible for long-term memory.

Psilocybin mushrooms an alternative to SSRIs?

Studies conducted on volunteers also indicate that in the future psilocybin mushrooms could become an alternative to the antidepressants currently in use. Their big advantage is their negligible toxicity, and thus the lack of side effects faced by users of serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), among others. 

According to research conducted at the University of California, psilocybin stimulates long-term neurotransmitter activity. This, in turn, leads to the formation and strengthening of neuronal networks in the prefrontal cortex, which is crucial in regulating emotional reactions, mood and anxiety, as well as the hippocampus - those centers whose shrinkage is observed in patients with depression.

Psilocybin mushrooms - popular myths

Psilocybin mushrooms cause hallucinations

Contrary to the commonly functioning name, hallucinogenic mushrooms do not cause hallucinations (hallucinations), that is, they do not cause one to see objects that are not present in reality. 
Psylocybin causes a sensation of enlargement and transformation of reality - one can have the feeling that other people or objects have strange shapes or are changing into something else, for example.
This is due to the already described communication of parts of the brain that are not normally connected. However, the term "hallucinogenic mushrooms" has become entrenched in the vernacular.

Hallucinogenic mushrooms are strongly and quickly addictive

This is a very common myth. Yes, tolerance to mushrooms increases over time. However, scientific studies indicate that psilocybin, however, belongs to substances with negligible (one can assume zero) addictive potential. It is significantly less than, for example, caffeine.
In addition, it does not cause a withdrawal syndrome or the desire to turn to other stimulants. On the contrary, as mentioned earlier, it can support the treatment of other addictions.

Hallucinogenic mushrooms cause schizophrenia

The belief that taking psychedelics can cause schizophrenia dates back to the 1960s. However, modern psychiatry indicates that various types of psychotic states and hallucinations affect about 2% of the population, so that a coincidental correlation can be mistaken for a cause-and-effect relationship.

Hallucinogenic mushrooms have been known to mankind for millennia. In the 20th century, many not necessarily true beliefs have grown up around their use, making it much more difficult to conduct scientific research into the effects of the substances they contain on the human body. However, those that have taken place indicate that psilocybin-containing mushrooms may be among the safest stimulants with clear medicinal potential. However, when deciding to consume them, caution should be exercised. This is especially true for those at risk of developing schizophrenia; it's also a good idea to consult a doctor, especially when trying to self-medicate for addiction or mental disorders.

An example of psilocybin fungus is the following Lanceolate baldcypress and Golden Teacher - commonly referred to as hallucinogens.

Hallucinogens? Magic mushrooms? Mushrooms?


Hallucinations is a colloquial, diminutive name for psilocybin mushrooms - a cute name - too infantile for some and formed from a bad word... because hallucinations are not after hallucinogens. There are many types of mushrooms that are considered hallucinogenic. In Poland, one of the most popular is the lanceolate coot. Such magic mushrooms counterintuitively, they differ significantly in the content of active substances, and in fact not all of them cause the same perception disorder.

CONTENTS:

Hallucinogenic mushrooms 

Lancelets are the most popular in Poland hallucinations. The main psychoactive ingredient in this variety is psilocybin. Such mushrooms are consumed fresh, but they can also be made into decoctions or dried. But contrary to appearances, they are not only used for intoxication, by the way, such use is illegal, as they can also be used for research purposes. Lanceolate baldcypress is one of those species hallucinate, which is found almost all over the world. The cultivation itself under controlled conditions is also not problematic. 

The name "hallucinogenic mushrooms" is wrong? 

Most commonly, psilocybin mushrooms are said to be hallucinogenic. But using the word hallucinogenic or hallucinogens is not entirely valid. This is due to the fact that the consumption of this type of psychoactive mushrooms does not cause hallucinations. / but raises the mood and improves the mood. It can also affect sensory perception. Of course, the effect is individual and often unpredictable. However, interestingly, the active substance psilocybin is also used in medicine, for example, in the treatment of depression or PTSD. It is for this reason that they cannot be considered strictly hallucinogenic. /

Psilocybin mushrooms - where did the name come from?  

Hallucinogenic mushrooms are often called hallucinations, magic mushrooms. This is a species of psilocybin mushrooms, the consumption of which has a real effect on mood, orientation, or variation of thoughts. The term psilocybin mushrooms refers to the fact that all these species have the chemical compound psilocybin. Importantly, this is a group of fungi that is not a taxon, so they are not related, and this is true both in the phylogenetic kinship system and in folk taxonomies. All mushrooms hallucinogens can induce an experience of the so-called psychedelic experience. It is worth knowing that not only the compound psilocybin is responsible for the psychoactive effect, but also psilocin, the content of which in mushrooms is lower. In some mushrooms there is also baeocystin, or norbaeocystin. Such mushrooms are found in the wild and are usually small, brown or brownish yellow, with very easy confusion with inedible or poisonous species. A characteristic feature is the blue or green coloration of the flesh when sliced. 

Other names?  

The name is also used for the psilocybin group of mushrooms hallucinations, Halos or magic mushrooms. Magic mushrooms, shrooms are the names of these mushrooms used in English. Among the most popular species are cubensis. In German, the mushrooms are referred to as Halluzin-Pilze or Halluzinationen. In French, on the other hand, the name champignons psychodéliques or champignons magiques is used. 

A movie about psychedelics on Netflix : HERE

Main paragraphs