Psilocybin and its mental health benefits.
For many years we have looked at magic mushrooms with a stigma. For the most part, those who have participated or experimented with psychedelic mushrooms have been deemed drug addicts. Not much research had been done to see how beneficial these fungi could be.
In the sixties, the peace and love culture was frowned upon because of their liberal ways of indulging with psychedelics, and the war on drugs did nothing but stigmatize the use of this type of plant medicine. Considered a scheduled I drug by the DEA in the states, it has become clear that the use of magic mushrooms will be completely beneficial for patients with different types of mental illness, ranging from depression to anxiety, to panic disorders and even other drug addictions.
Mushrooms like psilocybin are botanically classified as a hallucinogenic substance which are obtained from certain types of mushrooms that are indegenus to the tropical and subtropical regions of South America, Mexico and the US.
The use of this medicine is becoming more mainstream as scientists and therapists alike are now utilizing it to help their patients and research the medicinal properties they hold. New studies are being done to treat autism spectrum disorders and many other types of mental health issues.
Paul Staments is a mycologist, author, and teacher who has dedicated his life’s work to discovering the wonders of mushrooms. When he was younger he had a really bad stuttering problem, it made him socially awkward and he didn’t feel confident enough to be around people, he spent a lot of his time alone and looking down at the ground- there he noticed a whole world thriving under his feet and it sparked an interest in what would become his entire career and life’s work. He said one night he decided to eat a bunch of mushrooms and took in more than the recommended dosage. In the middle of the forest there was a huge storm approaching and he took refuge on a tree. That day he cured his stuttering problem and never had to worry about it again.
Types of Magic Mushrooms
Magic mushrooms have many different types of benefits ranging from the psychological to spiritual aspects. I believe mushrooms are a great tool to utilize if you’d like to connect on a spiritual level. It helps us to remove the barriers that we create around our spirit with our everyday lives. They can help release years of trauma and traumatic experiences that only leads us to use other types of stimulants which essentially, end up harming us instead of helping us.
Psilocybin, when used correctly and intentionally, can help us in the transmutation of old pain, resentment, anger and sadness. It can be a sacred journey that can help awaken our consciousness, it can lead us back to ourselves and free us from the shackles that certain emotions and feelings create when we attach ourselves to the past. Understanding the sacredness behind this medicine is key- it should be administered under the supervision of a guide who has the ability to walk you through the ebb and flows that can come from getting in tune with the medicine. It is here to help you, it doesn’t judge you, it simply allows you to see and feel. To let go of repressed feelings that no longer serve you and it can help you attain a new level of connection with all that surrounds you.
As more research is being done, it is important to take into account the experiences others have encountered with them, be mindful that everyone’s experience is different and it doesn’t necessarily mean that your experience will be remotely close to that of others. It is a journey that will show you exactly what you need and will change your level of perception in ways that you would’ve never imagined.
Many are now resorting to micro-dosing, the benefits found in taking smaller doses of magic mushrooms have been linked to changes in mood, more focus, and decreases in different levels of anxiety. Psychedelics are known to primarily affect serotonin- It is a chemical messenger that helps nerve cells communicate with other cells in the body. Serotonin is popularly known as being responsible for happiness, but the reality is its functionality is much more complex and widespread. In fact, serotonin is associated with not just mood, but also with cognition, sleep, eating, memory and certain psychological processes.
Many states are now in the process of decriminalizing the use of magic mushrooms and that is a huge step in helping so many who are battling with different types of mental health ailments, it is of extreme importance to continue to research the many benefits these magic little teachers can bring us and how they can positively affect us rather than harm us.
