The Magic of Mushrooms

Fourteen months after study participants were given psilocybin – the active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms – as part of a controlled experiment, 64% say that the hallucinogenic experience has increased their sense of well-being, Johns Hopkins University researchers reported July 1 in the Journal of Psychopharmacology. "I feel more centered in who I am and what I'm doing," study participant Dede Osborn told the Associated Press. "I don't seem to have those self-doubts like I used to have. I feel much more grounded [and feel that] we are all connected."

Amen to that.

For the groundbreaking experiment, JHU researchers selected 36 adults who were "hallucinogen-naive," but who reported having "regular participation in religious/spiritual activities." The participants were given 30 milligrams of psilocybin, then encouraged to close their eyes and "direct their attention inward." At their first follow-up, two months after the monitored trip, 79% of the participants reported "moderately or greatly increased well-being or life satisfaction," JHU reported in 2006. "A majority said their mood, attitudes and behaviors had changed for the better" – assessments that were confirmed through structured interviews with the participants' family and friends.

Now, 14 months later, two-thirds of participants still regard the experience as life-changing; 58% report that the experience is among the five most personally meaningful or spiritually meaningful experiences in their lives. "This is a truly remarkable finding," said JHU's lead researcher, Roland Griffiths. "Rarely in psychological research do we see such persistently positive reports from a single event in the laboratory. This gives credence to the claims that the mystical-type experiences some people have during hallucinogen sessions may help patients suffering from cancer-related anxiety or depression and may serve as a potential treatment for drug dependence. ... We're eager to move ahead with that research."

Monday, July 7, 5:59pm

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