Denmark study: magic mushrooms work

SDU/JPost/MSN, 2/29/24); Dhr. Seven, Pat Macpherson, Xochitl (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Mushrooms in Dharmic religions?

The active compound in mushrooms with psychedelic properties could serve as a therapeutic tool through microdosing, according to a new study from the University of Southern Denmark.

Psilocybin has long been recognized as a classic psychedelic (entheogenic) substance that produces changes in perception, mood, and cognitive processes.

• Science: What happens to the brain on psychedelics?
• Psyche-delic means "mind-manifesting" (from psyche and -logy, as in psychology, the "study of the soul"), referring to entheogens that bring out the divine (theo) from within

It’s a naturally occurring psychedelic compound produced by more than 200 species of fungi (most of them Psilocybe cubensis from Cuba), collectively called "magic mushrooms."

The Psychedelic Sangha

Interestingly, the substance is itself biologically inactive but is quickly converted by the body to psilocin, which has mind-altering effects similar to those of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), mescaline (peyote cactus), and dimethyltryptamine (DMT).

These mind-blowing effects include visual and mental visions (hallucinations), euphoria, changes in perception, a distorted sense of time, and spiritual or perceived-spiritual experiences.

It can also cause unpleasant reactions, such as nausea (purging) or panic (freaking out).

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In such therapeutic treatment, the patient ingests psilocybin after undergoing therapeutic preparation (mindful of "set and setting") and undergoes a psychedelic experience in a supportive environment with a trained therapist (sitter, minder, guide).

The treatment is performed in a series of therapy sessions.

Foraging and enjoying wild mushrooms? Too dangerous. Don't do it without a human guide and a way to check what the human guide says, like a good book with color photographs. Why? "There are old mushroom pickers, and there are bold mushroom pickers, but there are no old-bold mushroom pickers. What are the signs of a poisonous mushrooms? Mycology is a very broad subject. Get them from the store or buy an inoculated bag to grow them at home.

Experiments are already being conducted with patients at Danish medical centers, including Bispebjerg Hospital and Rigshospitalet.

• Related video: Demand for therapy involving magic mushrooms growing in Canada (cbc.ca) ready to harvest
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• Psychedelic mushrooms have the potential to help Americans overcome numerous ailments: Ashley Troxell (FOX News)
• Illinois lawmakers work to decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms (FOX 32 Chicago)

The importance of 'microdosing'

A little dab'll do ya: a miniscule dose works.

The study has just been published in the prestigious science journal Nature – Molecular Psychiatry under the title:

“Repeated low doses of psilocybin increase resilience to stress, lower compulsive actions, and strengthen cortical connections to the paraventricular thalamic nucleus in rats.”

It was headed by Prof. Mikael Palner and doctoral student Kat Kiilerich from the research unit for clinical physiology and nuclear medicine at the University of Southern Denmark.

Their focus was on repeated low doses of psilocybin that are much lower than the doses typically used in therapeutic settings.

The Silicon Valley likes to push the envelope. 

(This is known as "microdosing," which is a phenomenon popularized by entrepreneurs [who have read Aldous Huxley's Brave New World and are chasing a substance known in the dystopian novel as "soma"] in areas like the Silicon Valley, California).

Microdosing has spread through stories and anecdotes on the Internet as a form of self-medication for various challenges, explained Prof. Palner, a coauthor of the study.

When tested on animals, repeated low doses were tolerated well and did not present signs of reduced pleasure (anhedonia, a symptom of depression when nothing seems fun anymore like it used), anxiety, or altered locomotor activity.

[That means someone is not high yet is benefiting from tiny amounts of the entheogenic substance ingested.]

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Notably, repeated low doses of psilocybin increased the rats’ resilience to stress, and [rats in a cage] displayed fewer compulsive behaviors.

The scientists also noted an increase in the number of connections [neuronal branches] to the thalamus region of the brain, which serves as a kind of filter for our decisions and concerns.

The team suggested that the change in connectivity to the thalamus may contribute to our enhanced resilience to stress factors and could explain why so many people report positive effects on their well-being from small doses of psychedelic mushrooms.

Supernatural: Ancient Teachers (G. Hancock)

Through the new study, the researchers have established a valid method that can be utilized for further research into the effects of repeated low doses of psilocybin.

It paves the way for additional research and potentially entirely new approaches to treating various mental disorders.

The increased anxiety and stress in society currently have placed a strong focus on microdosing, leading to a surge in the trade of mushrooms.

Countries such as the USA, Netherlands, Australia, and Canada have either legalized or are in the process of legalizing psilocybin for therapeutic treatment.

This is according to Prof. Palner, who became interested in researching psychedelic substances and psilocybin when he lived in California's Silicon Valley 11 years ago and witnessed the surge of self-improvement practices that garnered significant media attention and prompted more people to experiment with microdosing.

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