All About Magic Mushrooms
This article is part of our Spring 2022 print issue. See the full, digital version of the issue here.
Whether you have first-hand experience or not, you probably know what magic mushrooms are and what they do. But what makes these mushrooms so magical?
Mushrooms are known for their naturally-occurring hallucinogenic powers, which stem from the chemical compound known as psilocybin. But what a lot of people don’t know is that these magic mushrooms have a long, complicated history.
Before Western civilizations first gained contact with these mushrooms in the 1950s, indigenous tribes all over the world had been using these special mushrooms within their sacred practices. These mushrooms were used frequently in indigenous cultures of South America, particularly in religious ceremonies for healing and divination purposes. Throughout the 1950s, there was a lot of experimentation with magic mushrooms in Western civilization. Key figures during this time, such as Gordon Wasson and Alan Ginsberg, began discovering the powers of magic mushrooms. They quickly spread information regarding these mushrooms and helped them gain popularity.
Magic mushrooms were officially made illegal in the U.S. in 1970. With the growing popularity, the government felt threatened by the drug. Magic mushrooms became classified as a Schedule 1 drug, the same category as both heroin and methamphetamine. The federal government views all psychedelic drugs as dangerous and harmful, including magic mushrooms, despite research on the mental and medical benefits of these drugs.
These special mushrooms allow users to expand their mindset through transformative thinking, allowing them to realize that everything they thought was right could actually be wrong. Psilocybin forces users to consider life’s bigger picture, which can lead to a lot of intense emotional development. When experimenting with magic mushrooms, it’s important to remember that while some may have feelings of euphoria and amplified happiness, others might experience paranoia and confusion.
In recent years, there has been extensive research on the benefits of magic mushrooms, and the list just keeps getting longer. Magic mushrooms have been proven to aid symptoms of anxiety and depression, help combat addiction and improve physical health. A study conducted by Johns Hopkins University in November 2020 administered treatment using two psilocybin doses given by two clinical monitors who provided both guidance and reassurance to the patients. The study found that giving two doses of psilocybin two weeks apart (dose 1: 20 mg/70 kg, dose 2: 30 mg/70 kg) to a group of adults with major depression produced rapid reductions in their depressive symptoms. Half of the participants even achieved remission from depression after the four-week follow-up. This study led to the discovery that psilocybin treatment can significantly decrease levels of anxiety and depression in people with a life-threatening diagnosis, as well as people fighting anxiety and depression on a day-to-day basis.
An additional study done by Johns Hopkins University found that psilocybin therapy significantly improved subjects’ abstinence from smoking nicotine throughout a 12-month trial, and it is believed that shrooms could additionally treat other substance abuse disorders. The head of this study, Matthew Johnson, believes the nature of these disorders stems from narrowed mental and behavioral habits. In properly orchestrated sessions, psilocybin can essentially force someone out of their routine by providing a glimpse of a larger picture, allowing people to step outside of their own problems. Psilocybin ultimately forces the brain to function with less resistance and more open-mindedness, which curbs their overall desire for these substances.
These mushrooms have many benefits outside of their hallucinogenic powers, including skincare and gut health. Dr. Jeannette Graf, a board-certified dermatologist and assistant professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, has conducted studies regarding the benefits of topically applied mushrooms. One type of mushroom, known as Reishi, is commonly known as the “mushroom of immortality” and is known for its anti-inflammatory, anti-redness, antioxidant and anti-wrinkle benefits. Reishi has a property called beta-glucans, which attracts water from the environment to your skin, resulting in a healthy and hydrated complexion. This type of mushroom also supports immune system functionality, due to its adaptogenic, healing properties.
If magic mushrooms can help so many people and have so many benefits, why does the federal government want to keep them illegal? The Drug Enforcement Administration claims that all Schedule 1 drugs, including magic mushrooms, have a “higher potential for abuse and the potential to form severe dependence,” despite the National Center for Biotechnology Information deeming these mushrooms as “physiologically safe and not known to cause any dependence or addiction.”
So, are there downsides to these magic mushrooms? Something to be mindful of before exploring them is the possibility of having a “bad trip.” What exactly does that mean? Psychedelics affect everyone differently. It's impossible to predict how a hallucinogen will affect you personally, and trip symptoms can vary a lot. They can be mild or intense and range from overwhelming thoughts to frightening hallucinations and delusions. It’s important to be aware of this possibility and to make cautious and responsible decisions when it comes to obtaining and ingesting psilocybin. Although a “bad trip” is something none of us want to experience, it doesn’t need to destroy our perception or discredit the many benefits of shrooms as a whole.
There are many different theories surrounding the illegality of magic mushrooms, and a lot of them stem from the stigma surrounding psychedelics overall. It is incredibly possible that psychedelics are still illegal in the U.S. because our government fears higher thinking and the natural questioning people have while under these influences. Psilocybin allows people to expand their views on life and experience transformative thinking, which may threaten our government. By keeping magic mushrooms illegal, the U.S. government is keeping their citizens from reaping the many mental and medical benefits, as well as preventing them from discovering a higher level of thinking and understanding. What do you think?