Magic mushrooms have been a part of human culture since the very beginning. Art dating back to 5,000 B.C. and ranging across multiple continents, shows how different cultures across the world, honored the mystical healing powers of the magic mushroom. Used by indigenous shamans during ancient rituals and ceremonies, the transformational properties of these mushrooms allowed them to transcend space and time, accessing universal knowledge and understanding from a higher perspective. The Aztecs of Mexico even referred to the mushroom as teonanácatl, or “God’s flesh”, in homage to its sacred power.

As part of Earth’s Living Library, the plant kingdom holds keys that can be used to balance, heal and bring the body into a higher state of consciousness. Barbara Marciniak, author of Earth, Pleiadian Keys to the Living Library, says that we should open our minds to the idea that Earth grows things that allow us to understand her in greater detail. She says, “There are plants that, when ingested, connect you to other forms of self and other forms of consciousness.” Magic mushrooms are one of these plants. Once ingested, they alter your consciousness, allowing you to access further understanding of the universe, the planet and yourself. 

While our ancient ancestors may have fully understood mushrooms’ magic on a metaphysical level as well as the symbiotic relationship they have with us and the evolutionary possibilities they can provide, modern day science is just beginning to discover their incredible potential as a powerful healing tool for depression, PTSD and anxiety. In fact, research shows that psilocybin, the active component in psychoactive mushrooms, stimulates receptors in the brain to increase neuro connectivity, synchronizing areas of the brain that would not normally be connected. It is thought that this may hold the key to healing both physical and psychological trauma.

Below I explore some of psilocybin mushrooms’ coolest capabilities; including their powerful potential for healing, ability to increase openness and creativity and how they can take your sex life to a whole new level.

An Effective Treatment for Anxiety, Depression and PTSD

A 2013 study by the University of South Florida, found that psilocybin is able to stimulate neurogenesis, which is the growth and repair of brain cells in the hippocampus; the brain region associated with emotion and memory. They also noted that mice who were given a low to moderate dose of psilocybin were able to eliminate fear conditioning much quicker than other mice, which shows that psilocybin may be highly effective in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety.

Another study in 2017, found that psilocybin may reset the activity of key brain circuits known to play a role in depression. It was even found to boost emotional responsiveness in the brain, suggesting it could alleviate depression without the emotional numbing effect caused by traditional, pharmaceutical antidepressants.

Increases Openness

While brain activity generally returns to normal after psilocybin wears off, researchers are finding that some effects can last longer. Onestudy, published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, found significant increases in openness following a moderate to high-dose psilocybin session. Opennessis said to include traits related to imagination, aesthetics, feelings, abstract ideas and general broad-mindedness. Remarkably enough, not only did participants in the study increase their openness, but in nearly 60% of the participants, “it remained significantly higher than baseline more than one year after the session.”This was surprising to researchers, as personality usually doesn’t change much after the age of 30, especially to this extent. If anything, openness tends to decrease as people get older.

Benefits of Micro-Dosing

One of the best ways to receive the medicinal benefits of psilocybin is by micro-dosing, which means taking an extra small dose or a tenth of what would produce a hallucinogenic experience. By taking a micro-dose, you are able to bypass the psychedelic effects, yet still increase neuro activity and receive psilocybin’s healing benefits. Micro-dosing with mushrooms can even spark a person's creativity, according to a 2018 study published in the journal Psychopharmacology. Participants who ate tiny doses contrived more ideas on how to solve a task and "were more fluent, flexible and original in the possibilities they came up with.”

In fact, many health enthusiasts have incorporated micro-dosing of psilocybin into their daily or weekly routines and report higher levels of creativity as well as increased energy and focus, improved mood, improved relational skills, heightened spiritual awareness and enhancement of their senses.

Sex

Because magic mushrooms can enhance your sense of touch and amplify the intensity of which you experience things, sex like everything else can be experienced with a greater sense of pleasure and intimacy. Neuroscientist, Dr Michele Ross, PhD says this means an orgasm can feel better than ever before and even a hug can feel orgasmic. She also says that psilocybin can open you up with your partner and help to create meaningful bonding, as well as help you to get in touch with your own feelings and communicate better.

Safety

Psilocybin is largely considered to be one of the safest psychoactive substances you can take. According to the 2017 Global Drug Survey, it’s considered the safest of all recreational drugs on the market, including alcohol. Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman, chair of the psychiatry department at Columbia University, says that “you can’t overdose and you can’t get addicted”. In fact, no deaths or serious damage have ever been linked to psilocybin mushrooms. The only cases of serious damage have occurred from mixing psilocybin mushrooms with other substances or from taking poisonous mushrooms and thinking they were psilocybin mushrooms.

Recently, the largest controlled study of psilocybin to date, was conducted by Kings College London in the UK. The study concluded that psilocybin is safe for human consumption, with researchers noting that it was well tolerated, caused no serious adverse effects and no withdrawal symptoms.

Not only are studies finding psilocybin to be safe, but a 2016 double-blind study found that participants experienced positive changes in their attitudes about life, self, mood, relationships, and spirituality. In fact, over 80 percent of the participants reported that their well-being improved and remained that way six months later. Even over a year later, participants expressed that it was one of the most meaningful experiences of their lives and that they continued to see benefits from it.

The FDA has also recently designated psilocybin as a breakthrough therapy for depression, which could fast track it to becoming a licensed treatment. In fact, magic mushrooms could replace traditional anti-depressants within the next five years.

By: @eatyourbeautyblog and @jenacovello

***THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR REGULATED BY THE FDA.  WE ARE NOT DOCTORS, THEREFORE ALWAYS CONSULT WITH YOUR DOCTOR FIRST