Mushrooms are popularly known as edible and nutritious fungi in many cultures, while others know them for their poisonous nature. But here, we will be discussing another kind of mushroom that contains psilocybin and psilocin compounds, which grow by themselves and intrigues scientists with their effects on the human brain. These mushrooms are popular as magic mushrooms or psilocybin mushrooms.

History proves that the use of magic mushrooms dates back to 9000BC by many tribes. Wonder what makes psilocybin mushrooms important to date?

Benefits Of Psilocybin Mushrooms

● Can Stop Smoking Addiction

Addictions in various forms are common in every society. Unfortunately, habits are not just hard to get rid of, but they also eventually lead the suffering person to unhealthy death. But many psilocybin-assisted therapies now have been found to help people with the addition of nicotine or cocaine.

Not just smoking, but psilocybin is also used to treat alcohol addiction. The treatment primarily focuses on cutting down the cravings that drive a person to keep smoking or drinking.

● Help you Increase Creativity

Creativity and imagination are linked together, and with expanding so much of human consciousness, researchers highly believe that psilocybin enhances imagination, and so does creativity. Some historians even believe that art, culture, and religious establishments are intensely driven by human consciousness, enhanced through psilocybin.

● Helps you get Rid of Egos

Psilocybin mushroom contains potent compounds that can change the way people think or restructure how people think. Along with inducing layered states of consciousness, it is also known to dissolve the ego center in humans by affecting the parts of the brain responsible for personality, decision-making, managing social behavior, etc.

This might be highly important considering how man’s ego has been some of the driving factors that lead to significant world problems.

● Can Re-instill Openness

A usual kid is open to new experiences and full of tenderness, not to mention eager to learn new things and connect with everyone around them. Many would agree that childhood was the best time, and they would like to go back to the times when everything was simple. Even then, there were bad and good things happening in the world as it happens now. The only difference is how we used to view the world versus how we see it now.

Over the years, a person closes their minds to potential negative events, but in doing so, we have lost the ways to experience good memories properly. But with the help of psychedelics, re-instilling the same child-like openness can be possible.

Psilocybin In Mental Health Treatment

Depression and Anxiety

Psilocybin has been in research where its effects on the treatment of depression and anxiety are actively studied. But it is found to be more effective when used with therapies for the treatment. While traditionally, psilocybin was a solution against fear or nervousness, today, it is being used to treat anxiety and depression, which can be associated with a person’s lifelong trauma.

Along with depression and anxiety, psychedelics are also being tested to treat the distress of front-line workers due to burnout in stressful situations like a pandemic. Other psychedelics also treat PTSD in soldiers who survived war or survivors of physical or mental abuse in childhood.

Cancer or other Terminal Illness-Related Stress

Many studies in 2016 have proved that psilocybin can be quick to get rid of feelings of hopelessness, anxiousness, or depression in people who are going through treatment for terminal illness.

There have been satisfactory results where depression and anxiety are associated with diseases like advanced staged cancer.

Are Magic Mushrooms Legal in Canada?

Psilocybin mushrooms in Canada are not legal as it contains psilocybin compounds, which is an illegal substance. But recently, these restrictions are getting eased down a little for exceptional cases. Some licensed institutions or trained professionals have the license to cultivate, extract, synthesize and offer psilocybin drug candidates to patients in controlled environments for conducting studies or research to further the effectiveness of psilocybin in helping mental health issues.

Biotechnology companies like Bright Minds Biosciences have the license to research psilocybin and cultivate their own mushrooms for the purpose of medicine and drug development. Bright Minds Biosciences aims to treat epilepsy, pain indications, and anxiety. with expert neuroscientists and drug developers in the company

The company has a unique drug pipeline of 5-HT2C agonists, which are going through various clinical stages and testing to treat epilepsy. These testing is going in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health.

Bright Minds also have drugs to treat chronic pain, which are awaiting approval. This is help patients treat their pain without side effects as opposed to the unapproved ones they use earlier for controlling pain.

Conclusion

Psilocybin is an extremely powerful compound found in magic mushrooms, and even a single exposure to it can offer a lingering anti-depressant. At least 8 people in 10 have shared their experience about exposure to be one of the most strong and meaningful experiences in their life, if not the most.