Researchers found a sharp rise in calls to US poison centers about magic mushrooms coincided with their decriminalization in several US cities and states.
Psilocybin, commonly known as magic mushrooms, has shown promise in treating anorexia in early studies, mostly in rats. But more research is needed to test if it’s safe and effective in humans.
Detail from The Book of Kells, folio 291v.
Courtesy of Trinity College Dublin
Psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, is one example of a fungus which can alter the human mind.
In the HBO series ‘The Last of Us,’ the parasitic fungus cordyeps mutates, and jumps from insects to humans and quickly spreads around the world, rendering its victims helpless to control their thoughts and actions.
(HBO)
While ‘The Last of Us’ is a dramatic projection of a deadly fungal outbreak, it is based, if not in reality, in logic. And it’s a reminder that fungal infections are growing more resistant.
Psychedelics are being held up as a potential solution to the growing need for mental health treatment. But, magic mushrooms are not magic bullets.
(AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
Alberta’s new policy on psychedelic-assisted therapy for mental illness may set a precedent that moves Canadians one step closer to accepting psychedelics as medicinal substances.
The evidence is mounting for the effectiveness of psilocybin in treating depression.
Cannabis_Pic/Shutterstock
The TGA is currently evaluating a proposal to legalise MDMA and psilocybin for the treatment of mental illness. But there are a few reasons Australia isn’t quite ready to take this step.
Psychedelics can help reset the brain, shaking it out of old patterns. The current state of uncertainty could have similar impacts - a metaphorical psychedelic dose - for new insights.
Participants in a new research study also reported that microdosing psychedelics made them more confident, motivated and productive.
(Shutterstock)
In a new research study, more than 900 people from around the world explain the challenges and benefits of microdosing LSD and psilocybin-containing mushrooms.
Fresco depicting the healer María Sabina with her mushrooms.
DR
Arnaud Exbalin, Université Paris Nanterre – Université Paris Lumières
Before being qualified as “magic”, certain mushrooms were considered sacred by the ancient peoples of Mexico. We explore their history and relationship to Mesoamerican religion and medicine.
Books such as Ayelet Waldman’s A Really Good Day and Michael Pollan’s How to Change Your Mind have drawn popular attention to the practise of ‘microdosing’ psychedelics.
(Shutterstock)
According to new research, individuals who take small regular doses of psychedelics such as LSD and psilocybin mushrooms score higher on mental health, well-being and creativity.
Scientific pursuits need to be coupled with a humanist tradition — to highlight not just how psychedelics work, but why that matters.
(Shutterstock)
Once associated with mind-control experiments and counter-cultural defiance, psychedelics now show great promise for mental health treatments and may prompt a re-evaluation of the scientific method.
Alexander Weir, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry
The global mushroom industry is worth $35 billion yearly and growing. But mushrooms and other fungi play important ecological roles that scientists are still learning about – and some may be endangered.
Recent studies show psychedelics can have a positive effect on a range of mental health issues.
Shutterstock
A recent Norwegian study on psychedelic drugs and psychological well-being not only highlighted fewer mental health issues among users of these drugs but also underscored the reinvigoration of scientific…
People who use LSD and other psychedelic drugs show fewer mental health problems, according to a large population-based study. Researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology analysed…