Let’s talk psilocybin! Psilocybe cubensis is one of the most sought-after and well-known psychedelics in the world. But what is psilocybin exactly? In this article we’ll take a closer look at psilocybin and everything you need to know about this magical psychedelic ingredient.
What is psilocybin?
Psilocybin is the main psychoactive ingredient found in magic mushrooms, also known as shrooms, psychedelic mushrooms, psychotropic mushrooms, or hallucinogenic mushrooms. Psilocybin is referred to as a ‘classic psychedelic’ as it can induce changes in mood, thought and perception by mimicking neurotransmitters in your brain. It is a naturally occurring psychoactive and hallucinogenic compound, which, when taken, is converted in the body to psilocin.
While many people (specifically those outside of the psychedelic community) believe that there is only one ‘type’ of magic mushroom, there are in fact over 180 species of magic mushrooms that contain the chemicals psilocybin or psilocin.
Mushrooms containing Psilocybe cubensis are typically small and usually brown or tan in colour. In the wild, people often mistake mushrooms containing psilocybin for any number of other poisonous mushrooms. It is therefore important to be well informed regarding the appearance and characteristics of non-poisonous psilocybin mushrooms.
How does psilocybin work?
After your gut ingests and absorbs psilocybin, your body converts it to psilocin. Psilocin is essentially the chemical with the psychoactive properties.
When you take magic mushrooms, these compounds (psilocybin and psilocin) bind with the serotonin receptors in your brain to produce a range of consciousness-altering effects, ultimately inducing a psychedelic experience, also known as a trip or a psychedelic journey.
The effects of psilocybin
Besides being one of the most well-known psychedelics world-wide, there is far more to this remarkable and magical psychoactive ingredient. Psilocybe cubensis has the ability to increase neuro connectivity by stimulating receptors in the brain. According to research, this increased neuro connectivity within the brain may be the key to healing trauma from both psychological and physical events. In addition, neuroscience, along with various scientific studies, have revealed that psilocybin interacts with serotonin receptors in the brain, most often in the prefrontal cortex (this part of the brain affects mood, cognition, and perception), to produce a range of consciousness-altering effects. Serotonin is the hormone responsible for regulating your mood, happiness, and anxiety, to mention just a few. Low levels of serotonin are often associated with heightened levels of depression, stress, and anxiety. By increasing your serotonin levels you will thus enhance your mood, feel happier and reduce your anxiety.
Psilocybin does not always cause active visual or auditory hallucinations, instead, it distorts how some people that use the drug perceive objects and people already in their environment. Psilocybin can however cause various visual effects, such as the shifting of shapes and colours, the formation of rainbows and halos around objects, as well as the hallucination of geometric or fractal-like patterns. Objects may morph, become distorted, or even seem as if they are alive. In some cases you may also experience some closed-eye visuals.
People who consume Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms, either on an occasional or regular basis, often describe experiencing a heightened emotional state and an increased sense of introspection. Others experience a sense of time distortion and synesthesia. Synesthesia is a phenomenon that involves the blending of one’s senses, for example, tasting colours.
From a mental perspective, it may feel like you’ve ‘left’ or dissociated from your current reality and escaped to a whole new world entirely as time and space become distorted. Sometimes it may feel like they don’t exist at all. Many individuals report experiencing profound feelings of inner-peace, self-discovery, contentment, self-love, euphoria, an increased openness to thoughts and emotions, as well as a greater connection to themselves, others, and the world around them. Countless individuals describe their psychedelic experience as a mystical or spiritual journey. In fact, in a study conducted by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 61% of the participants said that their psilocybin experience was “the single most spiritually significant experience of their lives,” while 83% rated it in their top five.
Several studies have also shown that after taking psilocybin, there is a sharp increase in communication between areas of the brain that normally don’t communicate/talk to each other. This can partly explain the revelations, effects and insights people experience. In addition, research also shows that there is a quieting of deeply entrenched thought patterns that contribute to addictions, anxiety and depression when taking psilocybin.
It is important to note that the quantity/dosage of psilocybin, type of magic mushroom, past psychedelic experiences, mental state, and personality traits of the individual, and expectations of how the experience will take shape can all impact the effects of psilocybin.
How to consume psilocybin
Psilocybin can be consumed in various ways. Some of the top ways people consume psilocybin include:
• It can be eaten raw or dried.
• People often consume psilocybin as a brewed tea. Drinking magic mushroom tea as opposed to eating dried mushrooms whole, has fast become a go-to method of consumption and comes highly recommended. If you’ve ever eaten psilocybin mushrooms, you know that the taste is not all that pleasant. In fact, for some people, it’s hard to even swallow psilocybin mushrooms because their gag reflex kicks in almost instinctively. For many, psilocybin mushroom tea is far more pleasant to consume compared to chewing dried mushrooms and is also known to be much easier on the stomach.
• Similar to consuming psilocybin as a brewed tea, several people mix/prepare it with food or coat it in chocolate in order to mask its bitter taste.
• Manufacturers and individuals also ground/crush dried mushrooms into a powder and prepare them in capsule form. One of the main benefits of taking psilocybin mushrooms in capsule form is the fact that it gives you the option to microdose.
The hallucinogenic effects of psilocybin typically occur within 20 – 40 minutes of ingestion and can last between 4 and 6 hours depending on the dosage taken. However, in some individuals, the changes in sensory perception and thought patterns can last for several days.
Potency & dosage of psilocybin
The potency of psilocybin depends on a several factors, including:
• The origin
• The species
• Growing conditions
• Harvest period
Whether a person eats the mushrooms fresh or dried
The amount of active ingredients (psilocybin and psilocin) in dried magic mushrooms are approximately 10 times higher than the amount found in their fresh counterparts.
General dosage guidelines for psilocybin mushrooms:
• Microdose | 0.25g or less
• Low dose | 0.25g – 1g
• Moderate dose | 1g -2.5g
• High dose | 2.2g – 5 g
• Heroic dose | 5 g or more
**Warning: Heroic doses are only recommended for experienced psychonauts and magic mushroom users. At these ultra-high doses’ visual alterations and synesthesia start to become more common.
Psilocybin as a treatment for depression
Depression is a global pandemic affecting millions of people worldwide. In fact, depression, along with anxiety, is one of the most commonly diagnosed mental health disorders in the world, and, unfortunately, the global rate of depression only continues to rise. Using psilocybin mushrooms as an alternative means to treat and manage mental health conditions like depression and anxiety has long been a topic of debate and interest, not only in the psychedelic community, but the scientific and medical field too.
This gives rise to the all-important question – Could psilocybin mushrooms be the answer to solving our mental health epidemic?
Despite the negative ‘stigma’ surrounding psilocybin mushrooms and its potential to effectively treat and manage mental health conditions, various research studies suggests that psilocybin is an effective treatment for the management of both depression and anxiety.
Benefits of using psilocybin mushrooms to manage depression as opposed to anti-depressant medication
Effective for Treatment-Resistant Depression
Several scientific and research studies, one of which was led by Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris, have shown that patients who suffer from treatment-resistant depression respond very well to psilocybin mushrooms as an alternative means to manage their depression and/or anxiety. Results of these studies suggest that psilocybin essentially ‘resets’ the brains of these patients. Thereby giving these individuals the temporary ‘kick start’ they need to break out of their depressive state.
Treatment-resistant depression is any form of depression where the associated depressive symptoms aren’t relieved by any tried therapies, including:
• Various medications
• Various talk therapies
• Lifestyle changes
• Alternative therapies
• Longer lasting effects
Apart from antidepressant medication being incredibly costly, and, according to research it is only proven to help a certain percentage of people who take them, according to David Nutt (a neuro-psycho-pharmacologist and professor at Imperial College London), the chronic use of antidepressants is often associated with various side-effects, including the blunting of one’s emotions. Nutt goes on to say, “I like to think of it as a force field. They protect you. They cocoon you from the stresses of life, which are many and repeated, and they allow your brain to heal.”
BUT the effects only last as long as you take your antidepressants.
As soon as you come off of them or stop taking them entirely, there is a high possibility that you will experience severe withdrawal symptoms as a result. According to Nutt, another important factor to consider is that antidepressants (although required in certain cases of severe depression), do not deal with the root cause of your depression and/or anxiety and what the real triggers and underlying issues are, it merely acts as a temporarily solution to a potentially deeply rooted life-long struggle.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the use of psilocybin mushrooms to treat and manage your mental health, anxiety, and depression, appears to offer a vastly different experience and outcome, making it a longer-lasting alternative.
It is fast acting
In a study conducted by David Nutt, the study showed that psilocybin is both safe and fast acting, and may, if administered carefully, provide immense value and benefit for various patients and individuals suffering from mental health conditions such as depression. In one study conducted on the potential benefits of magic mushrooms, all the participant/individuals suffering from depression showed improvements after just one week.
The potentially fast-acting nature of psilocybin mushrooms in the management of depression is particularly appealing since certain antidepressant medication and/or therapy can often take several weeks before individuals feel any benefits. This is however highly dependent on the type of antidepressant medication, the dosage and how regularly it is taken, or how often therapy treatment is received. The longer period of time associated with antidepressant medication to produce and manifest its beneficial effects can be problematic in certain instances, especially if the individual is experiencing severe symptoms of depression. It is also in stark contrast to psilocybin that acts quickly.
It is INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT that if you, your friends, family or any one of your loved ones ever experience the inclination or urge to engage in self-harming behaviour or suicidal thoughts, to call for immediate treatment, help and assistance.
Management of Cancer-related symptoms & depression
In an effort to further investigate and highlight the various potentially life-altering benefits and medicinal value of psilocybin mushrooms, researchers at New York University and John Hopkins recently conducted one of the largest set of trials for studying the therapeutic effects of psilocybin mushrooms on cancer patients. To the shock and astonishment of many, approximately 80% of the cancer patients who underwent the trail showed major reductions in psychological stress, nervousness, anxiety, and depression for up to seven months or longer after only one psilocybin mushroom experience. In addition to the remarkable results and healing benefits, no other significant side effects have been documented.
Enhanced emotional connection
Various studies and researchers state that the use of psilocybin mushrooms help individuals suffering from depression to reconnect and become in-tune with their emotions. This is in stark contrast to the effects of antidepressants, which essentially aims to relieve and manage depression by dulling your emotions. Several individuals who use antidepressants say that they help to reduce low mood, however, in the process, they blunt or dull down your positive mood and emotions as well. In the end, this can leave an individual suffering from depression feeling flat or completely numb to the world and everything that is going on around them.
Psilocybin mushrooms differ in the fact that they offer individuals several benefits, one of which is increasing their emotional processing and emotional experience as a whole. After a recently conducted psilocybin experiment, several individuals reported that they were more willing and open to accept emotions. They felt that previous treatments, such as using chronic antidepressant medication, encouraged them to ‘reinforce emotional avoidance and disconnection’ – essentially cutting them off from the world, as well as their friends, family and loved ones.
Limited side-effects
Another benefit of using Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms to manage your mental health and depression is that the nature of psilocybin’s effects and its short-term use results in far fewer side-effects compared to that of antidepressant medication. Psilocybin mushrooms therefore lack the side effects often associated with various antidepressant medications, which generally include:
• Increased appetite and weight gain
• Dry mouth
• Blurred vision
• Insomnia
• Fatigue and drowsiness
• Dizziness
• Diarrhoea or constipation
• Loss of sexual desire or other sexual problems (erectile dysfunction, decreased orgasm, etc.)
• Indigestion and stomach aches
Psilocybin kills ego
People within the psychedelic community who use psilocybin mushrooms regularly refer to ‘losing’ their ego during their trip. This particular experience has been termed ego-dissolution or ego-death. But, the question is, how does this relate to the management of depression and other mental health disorders? According to research, when you experience a diminished/loss of ego, your feelings of anxiety and fear often disappear alongside it. Ego-death or ego-dissolution is thus regarded as the reason why, after using psychedelics, many people report feeling far more connected with friends, strangers, and the universe as a whole.
While sceptics are quick to dismiss these reports as banal, woo-woo psychedelic hype, recent brain scans revealed a remarkable explanation for how psilocybin affects the ego. During a research study, researchers from the Imperial College London administered psilocybin to a group of volunteers. They then scanned their brains to see how their brain activity changed after the psilocybin was administered. The scans were astonishing and revealed that the ego-death/ego-dissolution associated with psilocybin was indeed verifiable – our DMN (default mode network) takes a break when we ingest psilocybin. Your default mode network (DMN) is a term coined by Neuroscientists that is used to refer to the areas of our brain associated with our sense of self, our memories, and our “inner voice”. Essentially, this network of brain activity defines us and makes us who we are.
To further back this up, subsequent research showed that in patients and individuals suffering from depression, psilocybin mushrooms shut down their DMN, acting as a ‘reset’ mechanism for the brain’s overworked self-critical systems. The results of this study revealed that the resetting of the default mode network (DMN) correlates and is directly linked to the improvements in depression scores of individuals and patients suffering from depression. This further contributes to the existing evidence that the DMN of an individual has a direct involvement and influence on depression, and, more importantly, that psilocybin mushrooms can successfully address it.
Psilocybin & Therapy
According to research studies, psilocybin mushrooms are known to break down walls both in a literal and metaphorical way. It breaks down our everyday, default brain network which confines our thoughts, and, as a result, brain activity rushes to new areas. At an experiential level, these brain changes manifest in remarkable ways. From new and unexpected insights and changed perspectives to feelings of profound purpose and engagement that may have been dormant for a long time.
For this reason, several people have successfully used psilocybin mushrooms for personal growth and self-development. These individuals report experiencing a significant shift in their entire outlook on life, all while retaining a sense of clarity and certainty. They no longer feel steeped in self-doubt and trapped in a network of self-limiting beliefs, and are able to confront and address past traumas, anxieties, and fears.
If psilocybin mushrooms are properly used, it could significantly improve the effectiveness of psychotherapy in many ways. The truth is, there has long been a stigma surrounding mental health and depression. As a result, many individuals, whether they suffer from depression or not, find it incredibly difficult to talk about their mental state or mental health to friends, family and even professionals. This can make it extremely difficult for therapists to communicate with individuals who are unable to open up because of their fear, pain, and insecurities. If psilocybin mushrooms can be combined with therapy, a ground-breaking new treatment for depression could emerge – Enter Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy!
Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
How exactly does a psychedelic-assisted therapy session work? Under the guided supervision of an experienced professional an individual will take a low dose of psilocybin while in a comforting and safe environment. The therapist will then work with the individual to help them integrate their psychedelic session. The main goal of the psychedelic-assisted therapy session is to help the individual process, reflect and find meaning in what they have just experienced.
It is important to recognize that psychotherapy is an integral and critical component of this process. By working with a therapist, the individual is able to process and make sense of their psychedelic experience in a way they otherwise wouldn’t have, resulting in profound and lasting mental health benefits.
Psychedelic-assisted therapy has also been linked to a number of other benefits, such as increased optimism and a better quality of life.
Benefits of psilocybin mushrooms
Besides psilocybin mushroom’s ability to aid in the potential treatment and management of various mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression, these magical mushrooms offer a number of significant physical and mental health benefits. Some of these benefits include:
• Assists in the management of addiction & addictive behaviours
• Potential improvements in brain functioning
• Alleviates symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Enhances creativity & creative thinking
• Enhanced “openness” and other beneficial shifts in personality
• Significant spiritual benefits; heighten spiritual awareness and enhanced senses
• Enhanced personal growth
• Aids in the management of Cancer-related symptoms
• Improved focus, concentration, and mindfulness
• Improved energy, wakefulness, and stimulation
• Cognitive benefits, such as enhanced problem solving
• Social benefits
• Reduced symptoms, such as stress
• Improved relational skills
• Improved mood, optimism, and life appreciation
• Improved body functioning
• Self-efficacy, including improved ambition, productivity, and motivation
FAQs
- What is psilocybin?Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in certain species of mushrooms. It is known for its hallucinogenic effects and is often used in spiritual and therapeutic settings.
- How does psilocybin affect the brain?Psilocybin interacts with serotonin receptors in the brain, leading to altered perception, mood changes, and a heightened sense of awareness. It can promote introspection and emotional breakthroughs.
- Is psilocybin safe to use?When used responsibly and in controlled environments, psilocybin is generally considered safe. However, it's important to follow safety guidelines, such as proper dosing and having a supportive setting, to minimize the risk of a negative experience.
