Post by Joanna on Dec 12, 2014 18:34:29 GMT -5
Magic Mushrooms
There are roughly 200 species of mushroom that can be classified as “magic” Their common ingredient, psilocybin, induces mind-altering effects by forming new neural pathways in the brain. This can result in euphoria, hallucinations and altered perception of time. It can also induce nausea and panic attacks.
In only three European countries is the possession and cultivation of magic mushrooms fully legal: Bulgaria, Czech Republic and Spain, while other countries have slightly more ambiguous attitudes. In the Netherlands, for instance, magic mushrooms themselves are illegal, but a loophole means that the sale of “Magic Truffles” is still widespread. The are also illegal in the US and Canada.
Magic mushrooms aren’t addictive in any chemical sense of the word (although users can become psychologically dependent). In fact, ongoing studies at Johns Hopkins University seem to suggest that psilocybin, which is the active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms, may be useful in overcoming nicotine addiction. Other studies suggest it can also be used to treat anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder and headaches.
As might be expected, tripping on “shrooms” isn’t a recent phenomenon. For thousands of years they have been widely used in Central America for religious ceremonies. The Aztecs called them teonanacatl (“flesh of the gods).” There is a theory that several Mesolithic rock paintings at Tassili n’Ajjer in Algeria depict the ritual use of mushrooms. Some of these pictures reportedly show mushrooms actually growing from people, so presumably, they were quite popular.
Anthropologist John Rush thinks magic mushrooms gave us Father Christmas. Apparently, Siberian shamans would hand out the hallucinogenic mushroom Amanita muscaria (above) to the region’s tribesmen every December. Often the snow was so heavy they couldn’t use the door, so they would climb down the chimney. Where does that particular type mushroom grow? In coniferous woodland (i.e. pines, firs etc…). It’s red with white spots. Father Christmas wears red and white. The spirit animal of these shamans? Reindeer … it all makes sense now. In keeping with this Christmassy theme, it should also be noted that reindeer are particularly partial to magic mushrooms. Another species known to have experimented is the pygmy goat. In 2010, actress Alexandra Bastedo spoke of how her pet goats ate some hallucinogenic mushrooms growing in their paddock, before proceeding to hallucinate, vomit and grow lethargic. It apparently took them two days to recover.
Another magic mushroom hypothesis, suggested by American philosopher and pyschonaut Terrence McKenna, proposes that mushrooms were crucial in the evolution of humanity. By eating psilocybe cubensis, a species of mushroom often found growing out of cow dung, the homo erectus developed better visual acuity and subsequently became better hunters. There’s also some folklore about it acting as an aphrodisiac and accelerating reproduction. In any case, it’s called the “Stoned ape” theory if you want to know more about it.
One study, again by Johns Hopkins University, looked into the spiritual effects of psilocybin on 36 test subjects. A third said the experience was the most spiritually significant of their lives, while the other two-thirds said it was in their top five most significant. On top of this, 79 percent reported increased well-being in the months following the study.
Magic Mushrooms are Medicinal. According to a study at the University of South Florida, magic mushrooms have also repair brain damage from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), which is caused by extreme trauma. The study confirms previous research by the Imperial College of London that psilocybin, a naturally occurring compound present in “shrooms,” stimulates new brain cell growth and erases frightening memories. Mice conditioned to fear electric shock when hearing a noise associated with the shock “simply lost their fear,” says Juan Sanchez-Ramos, M.D., who co-authored the study. A low dose of psilocybin led people to overcome “fear conditioning” and the freeze response associated with it faster than the group of mice on Ketanserin (a drug that counteracts the receptor that binds psilocybin in the brain) and a control group on saline.
An estimated 5 percent of Americans – more than 13 million people – have PTSD at any given time, according to the PTSD Alliance. The condition more often associated with combat veterans, is twice as likely to develop in women because they tend to experience interpersonal violence (such as domestic violence, rape and abuse) more often than men. PTSD is not just psychological. Common symptoms, such as hyper-vigilance, memory fragmentation, flashbacks, dissociation, nightmares and fight or flight responses to “triggers,” are generally thought to be psychological and therefore treatable by learning to change thought processes. But new research suggests that they may in fact be the result of long term physiological mutations to the brain.
In the South Florida University study, the mice treated with low doses of psilocybin grew healthy new brain cells and their overactive medial prefrontal cortex regions (common in PTSD sufferers) were restored to normal functionality.
Additional independent studies have shown that the hippocampus part of the brain is damaged by extreme stress and this is specific to PTSD and not associated with anxiety or panic disorders.
Dr. Sanchez acknowledged there was no way of knowing whether the mice in the experiment experienced altered states of consciousness or hallucinations – commonly experienced with magic mushrooms, but he believed the doses were too low to cause psychoactive effects.
Decriminalization of psilocybin could help millions. Previous studies have shown that low doses of psilocybin produce no consciousness state altering effects. Administered in the correct amount, psilocybin could therefore be assumed to safely treat PTSD with minimal risk of adverse side effects. Magic mushrooms could help millions recover from the debilitating cycles of fight and flight and other conditioned biological responses caused by extreme trauma, if only they weren’t listed as a dangerous Schedule 1 drug without medical benefit.
Meanwhile, doctors are authorized to dispense powerful, side-effect laden pharmaceutical drugs to military vets and others suffering from the symptoms of PTSD without any evidence these treatments actually work, according to a major review by the committee of the Institute of Medicine on the topic. The situation is so bad that many American veterans suffering from depression, over-providing of prescription drugs and other psychological conditions, commit suicide. Safe, natural alternatives to pharmaceuticals such as homeopathic and herbal remedies have been found to alleviate symptoms. Meditation has also been shown to reduce high activity levels in the amygdala (the brain’s emotional center) experienced in PTSD sufferers as anxiety, stress and phobias.
Sources: Tom Mulvihill, The Telegraph, December 12, 2014, and Thought Pursuits, December 2013.
There are roughly 200 species of mushroom that can be classified as “magic” Their common ingredient, psilocybin, induces mind-altering effects by forming new neural pathways in the brain. This can result in euphoria, hallucinations and altered perception of time. It can also induce nausea and panic attacks.
In only three European countries is the possession and cultivation of magic mushrooms fully legal: Bulgaria, Czech Republic and Spain, while other countries have slightly more ambiguous attitudes. In the Netherlands, for instance, magic mushrooms themselves are illegal, but a loophole means that the sale of “Magic Truffles” is still widespread. The are also illegal in the US and Canada.
Magic mushrooms aren’t addictive in any chemical sense of the word (although users can become psychologically dependent). In fact, ongoing studies at Johns Hopkins University seem to suggest that psilocybin, which is the active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms, may be useful in overcoming nicotine addiction. Other studies suggest it can also be used to treat anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder and headaches.
As might be expected, tripping on “shrooms” isn’t a recent phenomenon. For thousands of years they have been widely used in Central America for religious ceremonies. The Aztecs called them teonanacatl (“flesh of the gods).” There is a theory that several Mesolithic rock paintings at Tassili n’Ajjer in Algeria depict the ritual use of mushrooms. Some of these pictures reportedly show mushrooms actually growing from people, so presumably, they were quite popular.
Anthropologist John Rush thinks magic mushrooms gave us Father Christmas. Apparently, Siberian shamans would hand out the hallucinogenic mushroom Amanita muscaria (above) to the region’s tribesmen every December. Often the snow was so heavy they couldn’t use the door, so they would climb down the chimney. Where does that particular type mushroom grow? In coniferous woodland (i.e. pines, firs etc…). It’s red with white spots. Father Christmas wears red and white. The spirit animal of these shamans? Reindeer … it all makes sense now. In keeping with this Christmassy theme, it should also be noted that reindeer are particularly partial to magic mushrooms. Another species known to have experimented is the pygmy goat. In 2010, actress Alexandra Bastedo spoke of how her pet goats ate some hallucinogenic mushrooms growing in their paddock, before proceeding to hallucinate, vomit and grow lethargic. It apparently took them two days to recover.
Another magic mushroom hypothesis, suggested by American philosopher and pyschonaut Terrence McKenna, proposes that mushrooms were crucial in the evolution of humanity. By eating psilocybe cubensis, a species of mushroom often found growing out of cow dung, the homo erectus developed better visual acuity and subsequently became better hunters. There’s also some folklore about it acting as an aphrodisiac and accelerating reproduction. In any case, it’s called the “Stoned ape” theory if you want to know more about it.
One study, again by Johns Hopkins University, looked into the spiritual effects of psilocybin on 36 test subjects. A third said the experience was the most spiritually significant of their lives, while the other two-thirds said it was in their top five most significant. On top of this, 79 percent reported increased well-being in the months following the study.
Magic Mushrooms are Medicinal. According to a study at the University of South Florida, magic mushrooms have also repair brain damage from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), which is caused by extreme trauma. The study confirms previous research by the Imperial College of London that psilocybin, a naturally occurring compound present in “shrooms,” stimulates new brain cell growth and erases frightening memories. Mice conditioned to fear electric shock when hearing a noise associated with the shock “simply lost their fear,” says Juan Sanchez-Ramos, M.D., who co-authored the study. A low dose of psilocybin led people to overcome “fear conditioning” and the freeze response associated with it faster than the group of mice on Ketanserin (a drug that counteracts the receptor that binds psilocybin in the brain) and a control group on saline.
An estimated 5 percent of Americans – more than 13 million people – have PTSD at any given time, according to the PTSD Alliance. The condition more often associated with combat veterans, is twice as likely to develop in women because they tend to experience interpersonal violence (such as domestic violence, rape and abuse) more often than men. PTSD is not just psychological. Common symptoms, such as hyper-vigilance, memory fragmentation, flashbacks, dissociation, nightmares and fight or flight responses to “triggers,” are generally thought to be psychological and therefore treatable by learning to change thought processes. But new research suggests that they may in fact be the result of long term physiological mutations to the brain.
In the South Florida University study, the mice treated with low doses of psilocybin grew healthy new brain cells and their overactive medial prefrontal cortex regions (common in PTSD sufferers) were restored to normal functionality.
Additional independent studies have shown that the hippocampus part of the brain is damaged by extreme stress and this is specific to PTSD and not associated with anxiety or panic disorders.
Dr. Sanchez acknowledged there was no way of knowing whether the mice in the experiment experienced altered states of consciousness or hallucinations – commonly experienced with magic mushrooms, but he believed the doses were too low to cause psychoactive effects.
Decriminalization of psilocybin could help millions. Previous studies have shown that low doses of psilocybin produce no consciousness state altering effects. Administered in the correct amount, psilocybin could therefore be assumed to safely treat PTSD with minimal risk of adverse side effects. Magic mushrooms could help millions recover from the debilitating cycles of fight and flight and other conditioned biological responses caused by extreme trauma, if only they weren’t listed as a dangerous Schedule 1 drug without medical benefit.
Meanwhile, doctors are authorized to dispense powerful, side-effect laden pharmaceutical drugs to military vets and others suffering from the symptoms of PTSD without any evidence these treatments actually work, according to a major review by the committee of the Institute of Medicine on the topic. The situation is so bad that many American veterans suffering from depression, over-providing of prescription drugs and other psychological conditions, commit suicide. Safe, natural alternatives to pharmaceuticals such as homeopathic and herbal remedies have been found to alleviate symptoms. Meditation has also been shown to reduce high activity levels in the amygdala (the brain’s emotional center) experienced in PTSD sufferers as anxiety, stress and phobias.
Sources: Tom Mulvihill, The Telegraph, December 12, 2014, and Thought Pursuits, December 2013.