Prudhomme1

Madison Prudhomme

Professor Ibarra

HLTH 1050

10 April 2017

Magic Mushrooms

Magic mushrooms are one of the most common psychedelic drugs available.

Some common names for magic mushrooms include shrooms, purple passion,

boomers, liberty caps and little smoke. The psychedelic compound in the mushroom

which causes changes in mood and perception, commonly known as tripping, is

known as psilocybin. Only mushrooms which contain Psilocybin will cause the

psychedelic effects. Psilocybin shrooms are a type of fungus found in some parts of

tropical South America, Europe, Northern United States and Mexico. Over 200 species

of Psilocybin mushrooms are currently known to be growing naturally throughout the

world. These types of mushrooms are often found growing in pastures and meadows.

They have long, skinny stems and the top is known as the liberty cap. Psilocybin

produces effects similar to those of LSD.

Shrooms are a type of Hallucinogenic drug. Hallucinogens are a group of

different types of drugs that cause images, feelings and senses that seem real to the

user, however they are not. They alter your perception, along with your feelings and

thoughts. Hallucinations can be caused from some different types of natural plants and

mushrooms, along with some synthetic made drugs as well. When using shrooms,

hallucinations can begin about 30 minutes after they are ingested. They can last for as

long as 5-12 hours depending on the amount that is taken.

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Magic mushrooms are non-addictive and can be ingested by simply chewing

them up and swallowing them like food, packing them in your lip, or you can even brew

the mushroom into a tea and it works the same. They can be eaten fresh picked, but the

most common way is to ingest them after they are dried. They can also be brewed into

a beer or wine. Since the taste of the Psilocybin mushroom is not very appealing, most

choose to chew them up with a food of their choice such as candy or peanut butter. The

effects from the shrooms will start to be felt in as soon as 20-90 minutes and last for

many hours depending on how much is taken. The typical amount of shrooms taken is

3.5 grams, which is 1/8th of an ounce. There is however no overdose risk and many

professionals believe them to be the safest psychoactive compounds out there.

Experiences with hallucinogenic drugs such as shrooms can differ with every

use. The short term effects of magic mushrooms include feelings of relaxation, time

distortion, paranoia, nausea, feeling blissful, hallucinations and spiritual experiences.

Users have also reported seeing very vibrant colors and feeling inner warmth. Some

long term effects after taking shrooms include, flashbacks (pleasant or unpleasant),

panic attacks, lack of motivation, bad memory, delusions, depression and psychosis.

However a lot of people report that after using psychedelic drugs, they have a more

positive and creative outlook on life. While magic mushrooms have no addictive

properties, they can become habit forming.

There have been studies conducted to figure out if there are any health benefits

of shrooms. In a study conducted by Johns Hopkins researchers, they safely induced

some volunteers and found that the shrooms can offer Long-lasting psychological

growth and helped people find peace in their lives without the negative effects.
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(TIME 2011). One person who was in the study said that he felt that he could live better

now with less judgement towards others and himself. Other studies have been

conducted to show that safe doses of Psilocybin can help people with PTSD,

depression and ease anxiety in cancer patients.

Roland Griffiths, a professor of behavioral biology at Hopkins conducted a study

involving 18 healthy adults, with an average age of 46 years old. Nearly all were college

graduates and all of them were interested in gaining spiritual experience. The

participants were given a dose of Psilocybin in a controlled environment. The

experiment was a success. Fourteen months after participating in the study, 94% of

those who received the drug said the experiment was one of the top five most

meaningful experiences of their lives; 39% said it was the single most meaningful

experience. (TIME 2011). Other than the participants, their family and friends also

reported to have seen a change in them. They claimed that they seemed calmer,

happier and more kind. (TIME 2011). The experiments were conducted in a medical

center just in case they ever needed medical attention, but it was never needed. In the

experiment, half the users started on a low dose of mushrooms and half on a high dose

and then they all gradually moved either to a lower or higher dosage depending on what

they started with. The participants that started on a low dose claimed that their

experiences got better and better as they gradually took more. The people starting with

a higher dose were more likely to have fear and anxiety, but it of course didnt last long

and usually turned into a sort of euphoria. Researchers like Griffiths are trying to

introduce more studies using psychedelics into the future, building more on what they
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have already learned through past experiments. They believe that they can be helpful,

especially to people with PTSD, depression and cancer.

After ingesting shrooms, scientists have found that the brain displays a similar

pattern of activity during dreams as it does during a mind-expanding drug trip. (Daily

News 2014). There was a study published in the journal, Human Brain Mapping, where

researchers examined the effects that Psilocybin has on the brain, using scans of

volunteers brains after they had been injected with the drug found in shrooms. They

discovered that when on psilocybin, the part of the brain linked to emotional thinking

became more pronounced, with several other parts of the brain including the

hippocampus and the anterior cingulate cortex acting at the exact same time. This is

similar to what happens in the brain while someone is dreaming (Daily News 2014).

Many people who have taken shrooms have expressed that it is like you are in a dream-

like state, so these findings are certainly no surprise to hear.

Psilocybin causes all of your senses to be heightened, creating a sensory

overload of patterns and saturated colors. The chemical compound works by binding

the same receptors in the brain as the neurotransmitter serotonin. Some of the most

prominent effects occur in the prefrontal cortex which acts on the cognition, mood and

perception. Using a high amount of Psilocybin can actually alter your brain function and

cause neurological changes that can last up to a year. These changes resulted in a

personality that was more open to the creative arts and became happier, even 14

months after receiving the psilocybin. (IFL Science 2016). So this means that the use of

shrooms can actually help a person become more creative and lead to a more positive

mood if they have a good experience while on their shroom trip.

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Psilocybin mushrooms have been used for centuries in spiritual and religious

ceremonies throughout the world. Fungi have grown on the Earth for about 400 million

years and the use of certain mushrooms for a spiritual experience date back as far as

9,000 years ago. The hallucinogenic, mind-altering drug has been used since ancient

times to create an experience like none other, much like the ones that have described in

many religious books. In ancient times, natives had no idea that certain plants could

have an affect on mood and senses, so they believed that these mushrooms were

magic and could be used to strengthen their spiritual being even more and bring them

closer to their version of God. Some even believed that these mind-altering substances

were gifts from the Gods. The hallucinogenic funguses and plants can be used to send

people on a type of spiritual quest. They are even used for things like prayer or

meditation to help the users get rid of all distractions and focus on their mind and within.

Some believe that the drug can bring them closer to their religion and help to purify,

heal or cleanse them. This isnt the same for all religions however. While many

religions still believe in the use of natural drugs to drive their spirituality, some religions

ban the use of drugs all together and believe that it will bring them further from God.

Mushrooms specifically have been used since ancient times in religious ceremonies in

parts of Algeria, central and South America and were also used by the Aztecs. The

mushrooms were a large part of their religious practice and the aboriginal groups even

built mushroom temples and carved mushroom statues as a gift for the gods.

Although magic mushrooms arent considered very dangerous, there are some

precautions that you should consider when/before ingesting them. For starters, you

have to be careful that you are not ingesting poisonous mushrooms. This is why you
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should not go and try to pick your own psilocybin mushrooms unless you know exactly

what to look for. You also have to be cautious of magic mushrooms that have gone bad

(moldy, black, dark brown). They may make you become very ill. Users should also take

into account that you may have a bad trip on shrooms, which can turn into a nightmare.

Users should start with a smaller dose their first time to prevent losing touch of all reality

and going into their own form of hell. When taking shrooms it is important to be around

people that you are very comfortable with so that if anything goes wrong, they can help

guide you out of your bad trip. It is also important to be in a setting (especially your first

time) that is calm and not overwhelming because this can lead to a bad trip and just a

bad experience overall. Many users prefer to take shrooms while in nature, such as the

mountains on a hike or a camping trip.

An estimated 32 million people in the U.S have admitted that they tried LSD or

Shrooms at least once in their life. In a 2010 National Drug and Health survey over

57,000 Americans 12 and older were questioned on their use of shrooms. The highest

rate of psychedelic use in the survey was among ages 30-34 years old, with more users

being men than women. This really surprised me because, I thought that younger

people were more into psychedelics. Turns out, the most use occurs a little later in

America. They found that older adults were more likely to use LSD, while shrooms were

more popular in the young crowd. In the 50s and 60s, there were many experiments

done with psychedelic drugs such as Shrooms, however after many were damaged

due to bad trips, they were made illegal. Many people however had very great, spiritual

experiences and continued to use magic mushrooms.

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Shrooms and/or Psilocybin are listed as a schedule one drug worldwide.

Schedule one drugs are listed as drugs that have no medicinal uses and that can be

abused. Many people feel that Shrooms do not belong in this schedule, but they have

been schedule one since they were made illegal. They are illegal in most countries but,

some countries actually have some regulation or prohibition on shrooms. Psilocybin

mushrooms are legal however in Brazil, British Virgin Islands, and the Netherlands (as

truffles). In some places such as Mexico, they are legal for the native culture.

As you can see, the reality-altering magic mushroom has been used for an

extremely long time both spiritually and recreationally. Many celebrities have even

admitted to trying psychedelic mushrooms including Susan Sarandon, Frances

McDormand, Tim Ferriss, and more. While it is a schedule one drug, it will still be used

for years to come, even in scientific research.

Works Cited

Drug Abuse(NIDA). 2016. Hallucinogens. ,www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/hallucinogens,

accessed on January 30, 2017.

Rehab Center Rankings. 2016. Drug use in Religious Ceremonies and Religions around the World.

http://www.rehabcenterrankings.com/drug-use-in-religious-ceremonies/, accessed on March 9, 2017.

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TIME Magazine. 2011. Magic Mushrooms can improve Psychological Health Long Term.

http://healthland.time.com/2011/06/16/magic-mushrooms-can-improve-psychological-health-long-term/

accessed on March 10, 2017.

Daily News. 2014. Scientists discover how Magic Mushrooms alter the mind.

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/scientists-discover-magic-mushrooms-work-article-

1.1853696 accessed on March 11, 2017.

IFL Science. 2016. How Magic Mushrooms Change Your Brain. http://www.iflscience.com/brain/magic-

mushroom-chemical-hyper-connects-brain/ accessed March 20, 2017.