The Magic of the Magic Mushroom
A very interesting publication in the Journal of Psychophramacology shows that consumption of the magic mushroom (Psilocybe Cubensis) – a delicacy in many places across the globe – cause personality changes. Discussing about the results of the research study, Prof Griffiths stated, “The remarkable piece is that psilocybin can facilitate experiences that change how people perceive themselves and their environment. That’s unprecedented.”
What Are The Effects On The Personality Post Consumption Of Magic Mushroom?
The scientists who published the paper in the Journal of Psychopharmacology are from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. In their paper they pointed that no everyone would have these personality changes; only those who experienced mystic experiences after eating the mushroom (under the influence of psilocybin) were likely to have personality changes.
The personality changes include becoming more curious, more focused, more artistic and becoming more open about their feelings. Long-lasting effects were seen on only one trait of personality, i.e. openness. The researchers looked for effects on the other four traits of personality – extroversion, conscientiousness, neuroticism and agreeableness – but found none.
The immediate effects one would feel after consuming this magic mushroom are perception distortion, spiritual experiences, altered sense of time and place, altered thinking process.
What Is Psilocybin?
Psilocybin is a known psychedelic drug. In other words, this is a drug that has the capacity to alter the perception and cognitive reflexes of a person. The feeling of the affected person can be compared to that of LSD and mescaline.
This drug – psilocybin – can be found in over 200 types of mushrooms, mostly from the genus Psilocybe. The most common known and used mushroom in this genus are P. cyanescens, P. semilanceata, P.cubenis.
The magic mushrooms are normally eaten but there are instances where people have smoked them, or taken them as tea.
The Power Of Magic Mushroom Was Well Known In Ancient Times
Mayan archives have mention about this magic mushroom, where it is said that this mushroom was used in religious rituals and ceremonies. The Aztecs have left indications on various murals found in Southeast Algeria that point at the use of this mushroom as well. They used to call the magic mushroom, “teonanacati” in Nahati (Aztec language), which means “God’s flesh”.