The rising cases of mental illness worldwide require us to revamp our approach towards health. Self-care encompasses not only our physical health but our mental well-being too.
While there can be plenty of things, we could do to keep our physical health. There is no set formula or practice that would account for excellent mental health. Still, if there are any, they would practically be wellness programs and meditation practices. However, we seem to miss out that nature has blessed us with a few magical ingredients that can help feed our minds and restore mental balance.
Many believe that psilocybin mushrooms, more commonly known as magic mushrooms, are a true nature’s blessing for mental health. What does it have in store for us? Let us find out in this article.
History of use
There are tons of cave paintings depicting magic mushrooms with humans. The historical stories and the illustrations signify that the use of magic mushrooms evolved with humanity. It is believed that shamans used magic mushrooms for healing purposes. Some traditions used them as a means to embark followers on spiritual journeys.
Communities in Northern Algeria called mushroom God’s flesh and used it as a sacred ingredient to channel communication with spiritual realms. Similarly, Mayan and Aztec cultures also relied heavily on magic mushrooms for healing purposes.
What are Magic Mushrooms?
There are more than 200 different species of magic mushrooms. The psychoactive mushrooms have unique compositions which impart various hallucinogenic properties to them.
Though many nations have classified mushrooms as schedule 1 drug, you can still buy shrooms online in many places. Moreover, the growing body of research about its uses is expansive despite the strict regulation. There is no evidence to suggest that mushroom use can lead to dependency. Some studies reveal it has a healing effect on our mental health. Mushroom high usually lasts for a longer duration, bringing a host of benefits to our mental well-being.
Here are a few areas of research that show a positive trend.
1. Mushrooms Can Help Overcome Addiction
Breaking old habits and patterns of substance abuse can be a matter of great distress among users. There is a constant need for finding additives that can support the process. A study conducted at John Hopkins University revealed that psilocybin could help users to abstain from tobacco use. Under the expert, users managed to stay away from smoking even twelve months after completing the therapy. It is believed that psilocybin can also help curb alcoholism. Some researches indicate the relevance and use of psilocybin therapy in managing hard drug abuse.
2. Manage Psychological Issues
Magic mushrooms contain psilocin and psilocybin chemicals that impart hallucinogenic effects. Introducing these compounds to our system can initiate conversations in the various parts of the brain. This communication between the brain centers can add hardwire to a new perspective in an individual. It may also provide a fresh approach to cope with psychological ailments, like depression and anxiety. As a matter of fact, there are professional psilocybin treatments for depression offered by some forward-thinking psychiatrists, who are utilizing this powerful chemical with great success in therapies. These compounds can also influence the dopamine levels in patients to create a sense of relaxing euphoria.
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3. Can Stimulate Brain Cell Growth
Psilocybin can add efficiency to the brain communication network, and enhance overall brain health. A study conducted on mice at the University of South Florida shows that introducing psilocybin to fear-conditioned subjects supported them in overcoming a response to a threat.
A rise in neuron growth and cell regeneration was also observed during the experiment. The possibility of brain rewiring and new brain cell growth can be a miraculous discovery for the mental health industry.
4. Relevance in Managing OCD
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a psychological disorder that may arise due to underlying ailments like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. The present-day therapy treatment to heal OCD relies on helping patients break patterns through resistance practice. However, psilocybin can turn out to be a great addition to the treatment. It can help eliminate the problem by working on its root causes. Brain-rewiring and activation can help connect different parts of the brain to alleviating the symptoms. Some users can also intellectually interact with the self, which can help them loosen up and provide perception to focus on the bigger picture to habituate into new behavior gradually.
5. It can Help Foster Personality Changes
For many years, users testify that magic mushrooms foster openness, an important parameter of personality evaluation. Various studies signify a change in the personality of the subjects after experiencing a mushroom high. Some of the changes could last after a year. After the use, subjects became open to communication and new experiences. In some cases, the effects for more than a year, suggesting that mushrooms can bring a permanent change in the personality.
The Bottom Line
Now that we are learning to unlock the magic mushrooms’ potential, we may soon witness its relevance in the medical world. Magic mushrooms show us the possibility of healing and developing neural structures to heal intense problems like psychological distress and anxiety. With specialized therapy, it could bring an array of positive behavior that would otherwise be time-consuming. Magic mushrooms could bring about a new era of progressive mental health care.
Categories: Interesting Stuff
