GustheFunGuy

Hello all of you, and thanks for all of your wounderfull comments, and support. It seems that GUStheFUNGUY has fallen on some very hard times, and I am reaching out to you, MY COMMUNITY, for help, and love. You see I have been nursing a severly broken leg since 2/3/07, and I am having a very hard time paying my bills, and I have allready lost my house, and am about to lose my car. I cannot go back to work due to my injury, and have had one surgery, and am going to need one more. I have very limited mobility, and severe pain, even now. I do not want to sound like a beggar, or a babie, but I, and my family could really use your help. I am posting this donate button in hopes that maybe someone will help. Every little bit counts, and your blessings will be rewarded. Thank you for all of your kindness, and hopefully this year will be a better one. If you have any questions feel free to leave me a message. Peace, Pot, and MicroDots.Psychedelic mushrooms (shrooms)Psychedelic mushrooms are fungi that have psychedelic properties when ingested and are colloquially referred to as magic mushrooms or just shroomsCategorizationPsychedelic mushrooms can be roughly divided into two groups: the psilocybin/psilocin-containing mushrooms found mainly in the genus Psilocybe (although there are also psilocybin containing species belonging to the genera Conocybe, Copelandia, Gymnopilus, Inocybe and Panaeolus) and the muscimol-containing mushroom Amanita muscaria. Both groups belong to the Agaricaceae family of fungi.Another psychoactive fungus is Claviceps purpurea, commonly known as ergot. It contains alkaloids used as the precursors to LSD. Whereas the psilocybin/psilocin-containing mushrooms and the muscimol-containing mushroom are literally mushrooms (basidiocarps) belonging to the Division Basidiomycota, the ergot fungus belongs to the Division Ascomycota and does not form mushrooms; instead, the psychoactive alkaloids accumulate in a sclerotium.The active principles in the psilocybin mushrooms are the psychoactive tryptamines psilocybin and psilocin, substances similar in chemical structure to serotonin, dimethyltryptamine (DMT), and LSD. Several Psilocybe species also contain the alkaloids baeocystin and norbaeocystin, which are also suspected to be psychoactive. The fly-agaric (Amanita muscaria) contains the active principle muscimol, which is both chemically and symptomatically unrelated to psilocybin and psilocin.HistoryVarious cultures throughout the ages have used psychedelic fungi for shamanistic and other purposes. Mesoamerican mushroom stones of the pre-classic Mayans representing deified mushrooms date back to approximately 500 BC, while rock paintings in the Sahara of mushroom effigies date back to 7000 BC. Some scholars believe that Soma, the drink mentioned in Vedic literature, was derived from psychedelic mushrooms (R. Gordon Wasson suggests that this was amanita muscaria), while Albert Hofmann and Carl Ruck contend that the Eleusinian Mysteries made use of the psychedelic fungus ergot (not strictly a mushroom) in the Kykeon. Amanita muscaria is known to have been used in Siberian shamanism.Psilocybin mushrooms were a revered tradition in native Central American cultures at the time of the European invasion and have been in continuous use up to the present. Named teonanácatl (flesh of the gods) in Nahuatl, they may have been employed for healing, divination and for intercession with spirits. Since the beginning of the Latin American colonial era, their use has been hidden due to persecution by the Christian church, which branded all native religious practices and especially those employing entheogenic sacraments as pagan.That Nordic Vikings may have used fly-agaric to produce their berserker rages was first suggested by the Swedish professor Samual Ödman in 1784. Ödman based his theory on reports about the use of fly-agaric among Siberian shamans. The notion has become widespread since the 19th century, but no contemporary sources mention this use or anything similar in their description of berserkers. Today, it is generally considered an urban legend or at best speculation that cannot be proven.According to the BBC, the first documented use of psychedelic mushrooms was in the Medical and Physical Journal: in 1799, a man who had been picking mushrooms for breakfast in Londons Green Park included them in his harvest, accidentally sending his entire family on a trip. The doctor who treated them later described how the youngest child was attacked with fits of immoderate laughter, nor could the threats of his father or mother refrain him.In 1957, amateur mycologist R. Gordon Wasson published an article for Life magazine describing his experiences with psilocybin mushrooms while a guest in the rituals of the Mazatec shaman Maria Sabina in a mountain village in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. His account triggered a wave of experimentation with these mushrooms which resulted in their eventual classification in the United States as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act.The introduction of westerners into the previously secret rites was later rued by Maria Sabina, who declared that From the moment the foreigners arrived, the holy children [a Mazatec euphemism for the mushrooms, which are otherwise not named directly] lost their purity. They lost their force, they ruined them. Henceforth they will no longer work. There is no remedy for it.EffectsPsychedelic mushrooms can elicit a wide range of bodily and mental effects includingPhysicalLightheadedness Numbness of the mouth Torpor Chills Increased body temprature Nausea Stomach pain Excessive production of tears/mucus Drowsiness Swollen features Pupil dilation Excessive yawning Increased heartrateSensory Relaxation Sense of heaviness or lightness Closed Eye Visuals Open Eye Visuals Blurred vision Dream like state (Flying) Ability to feel everything at the same time - the clothes on your body, the saliva in your mouth, etc. Auditory effects Distorted sense of time (5 minutes may seem to last 20 etc.) Vapor Trails Apparent curving/morphing of environment Increased visual acuityEmotional Anxiety Euphoria/Hilarity High rage Euphoric states Beatific states (perception of God, the universe, or some higher power) Paranoia and/or anxiety, even panic Sexual arousal Dissolution of the egoIntellectual Looped or confused thinking Introspective thinking Extreme mental lucidity Dissolution of imprinted and conditioned thought patterns Stimulation of verbal faculties (speech, singing) Magical thinkingAs with many psychoactive substances, the effects of any mushrooms consumed are subjective, unpredictable and strongly dependent upon set and setting. Generally speaking, the experience of psilocybin containing mushrooms lasts four to six hours or more, is inwardly oriented and there can be strong visual and auditory components. Visions and revelations may be experienced and the effect can range from exhilarating to terrifying. There can be also a total absence of effects, even when under the influence of large doses.Non-western native practice suggests that the effects are also affected by the users preparation. The Mazatecs purify themselves before a velada (or vision quest), abstaining from meat, eggs, alcohol and sex for four days prior to a velada. The veladas are always done in the dark, in a protected and sealed space which no one may enter or leave until all have regained their composure. Modern psychonauts often speak of packing for the trip, by which is meant a loading of information into the brain prior to departure, for example, by reading a philosophical writing or watching natural history or science documentaries in the days immediately prior to a planned experience. Regular or experienced users find that there are ways of adjusting their environment to enhance their trip.In addition, there have been calls for the medical investigation of psilocybin containing mushrooms in regards to the treatment of chronic cluster headaches following numerous anecdotal reports of benefits.DosageDosage of psychedelic mushrooms depends on the total psilocybin and psilocin content of the mushrooms, which varies significantly between species and can also vary significantly within the same species, but is typically around 0.5-2% of the dried weight of the mushroom. A light dose of P. cubensis is usually cited to be about 1g dried material, corresponding to approximately 10mg of psilocybin/psilocin. A common or average dose is approximately 1-3g, corresponding to 10-30mg psilocybin/psilocin and a heavy dose is about 3-5g dried material or 30-50mg of psilocybin/psilocin. Mushrooms are approximately 90% water and accordingly dosages for fresh mushrooms will be about 10 times higher, i.e. 15-50g fresh material.Legal statusThe fly-agaric is not a controlled substance in most countries. Access to ergot and ergoline alkaloids is usually restricted since these substances are precursors to LSD. In most countries, possession of psilocybin mushrooms is not illegal, as they grow in the wild. In the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, and most other EU countries, fresh mushrooms can be obtained in smart shops which specialise in ethnobotanicals. Dried mushrooms, however, are considered a preparation and thus remain illegal in all countries, even the Netherlands. Nonetheless, there is an active international trade both in mushrooms and in spores, which can be grown in sterile medium (see Drug policy of the Netherlands).However, in many countries, psilocybin-containing mushrooms are illegal.JapanBefore 2002, psilocybin mushrooms were widely available in Japan, often sold in smart shops similar to those of the United Kingdom. As of June 2002, psilocybin mushrooms have been outlawed.New ZealandIn New Zealand, psilocybin mushrooms are class A drugs, ie they are in the highest class of illicit compounds along with heroin and LSD. They do not have to be prepared in any way for possession to be illegal.Republic of IrelandUntil 31 January, 2006, unprepared psilocybin mushrooms were legal in the Republic of Ireland. On that date they were made illegal by a ministerial order. This decision was partly based on the death of one man who mixed an unknown amount of psychedelic mushrooms with alcohol and fell from a balcony. However, the sale of spores is still legal and grow kits are still available in some shops.United KingdomAs of 18 July 2005, both dried and prepared (e.g. made into a tea) psilocybin mushrooms were made illegal in the United Kingdom. Prior to this date, fresh mushrooms were widely available (even in city centre shops), but Clause 21 of the Drugs Bill 2005 made fresh psychedelic mushrooms, (fungi containing psilocin), a Class A drug. However, mushrooms spores are not illegal due to the fact they do not carry psilocin until they are cultivated. This has lead many to grow their own mushrooms using spore-syringes and mushroom growing kits such as myco-farm. Psychedelic mushrooms are usually sold on the black market dried, but are sometimes incorporated into chocolate or baked into brownies, cakes or muffins.United States of AmericaIn the United States, possession of psilocybin-containing mushrooms is illegal because they contain the Schedule I drugs psilocin and psilocybin. Spores, however, are only explicitly illegal in California, Idaho, and Georgia. This may be because spores do not contain the psychoactive chemicals psilocin or psilocybin. In all states, except possibly New Mexico, growing psilocybin-containing mushrooms from spores is considered manufacture of a controlled substance.In the state of Florida, fresh or unprepared psilocybin mushrooms that grow wild are legal to possess; however, those caught would be hard-pressed not to be hassled by authorities for possession.In New Mexico, growing mushrooms from spores may be legal. On June 15, 2005, the New Mexico appeals court ruled that growing psilocybin mushrooms for personal use is not manufacture of a controlled substance.Drug tradeProductionCultivation of Psilocybe mushrooms (esp. Psilocybe cubensis) is extremely easy, due in part to the legal status of spores and mycelium (varies by country and state). One can purchase kits through the mail or Internet that include everything one needs for personal growing. These grow kits are often used by amateur growers, with varying rates of success and yields; contamination of the supplies is a common problem.Most of the supplies needed for mushroom cultivation (mason jars, potting supplements, rye, brown rice flour) can be easily obtained from stores or the internet. Amateurs who actually take the time to research mushroom cultivation would not need to start off with a grow kit and can easily make their own grow space.TraffickingBecause mushrooms can be grown indoors (namely Psilocybe cubensis and Panaeolus Cyanescens), they are generally grown within the same national borders as they are sold.While mushrooms may be moved by organized crime, more often they are moved by informal affiliations of acquaintances and fellow users, and do not often travel long distances.There have not been any high profile cases of mushroom traffickers being caught or prosecuted. In fact some state courts, such as in New Mexico, have ruled that growing mushrooms does not constitute manufacturing as defined by the drug trade statutes.Mushrooms are generally distributed among acquaintances or by street dealers. They are sold in plastic bags containing either whole dried fungi or crushed/powdered fungi, and are generally sold by weight. The potency of mushrooms can vary greatly depending on the growing conditions, and users run the risk of ingesting a poisonous, mis-identified species, or being cheated by substitutions or cutting of the mushrooms with other, non-psychedelic varieties, or by non-psychedelic varieties laced with other psychedelics, most often LSD.IdentificationCaution: There exist many highly toxic mushrooms which can be easily confused with similar-looking edible species. Do not rely on Wikipedia alone when identifying mushrooms for consumption.Psilocybe GenusMany Psilocybe mushrooms are often called little brown mushroom or LBM, and are difficult for the inexperienced to distinguish from other LBMs.The most common way to identify a Psilocybe var. mushroom is from the blue bruising color of injured tissue (usually from the whitish stem) when exposed to air. Psilocybe mushrooms are one of very few varieties of mushrooms that bruise blue when the stem is cut or split open. The bluing reaction, while not fully understood, appears to correspond to the psilocin in the mushroom degrading.Psilocybe cubensis is a commonly and frequently cultivated Psilocybe mushroom.Spores - Dark purple (the best indicator in the field after bruising) Stem- White to golden in hue, widely ranging in size and density Cap- Brown in early stages often turning golden with maturity. With maturity caps are often flat and occasionally convexed Veil- Thin, white, formed under the cap, often hangs onto the mid-upper stem when cap convexes Gills- Adnate (horizontally attached to the stem) Habitat/Substrate- Cow/horse dung or manure, grains (straw, rye, rice, birdseed/millet) Climate- 72-86°F (22-30°C), high humidityAmanita muscariaAmanita muscaria can be easily confused by the layperson with amanita pantherina as well other toxic amanitas. Amanitas are the cause for 95% of fatal mushrooms poisonings. For this reason, caution should be used when attempting to identify an amanita muscaria for ingestion.NomenclatureThe most common colloquial terms for psychedelic mushrooms are magic mushrooms, magical mushrooms, shrooms, caps, silly guys, fun guys, and cubies.Magic mushrooms are naturally occurring, non-poisonous fungi which contain varying amounts of the conscious-altering substances psilocybin and psilocin.When eaten or drunk in a tea, they combine readily and hungrily with the brain to evoke a powerful psychedelic trip experience, shorter-lived but similar in tone and effect to LSD.There are over 90 species of magic mushrooms world-wide. Common varieties include UK and Northern Europe's 'Liberty Caps' (Psilocybe semilanceata) and North America's Psilocybe cubensis.The world's most famous magic mushroom is the European Fly Agaric (amanita muscaria), the red-and-white spotted toadstool which often pops up in children's literature. However, it contains ibotenic acid and muscimol not psilocybin and has very different effects.topappearance Mushrooms are light to dark brown in colour and come in fresh, dried or powdered forms. All of them taste disgusting.They smell distinctively 'mushroomy' and are impossible to confuse with any other powdered drug.They usually sell for around £5 per gram.toplegality In the UK, mushrooms and psilocybin are class A drugs, alongside LSD, cocaine and heroin. In the US they are in schedule 1.Four levels or intensity of effect have been observed in my psychedelic experience. My strongest factor in determining level is dosage but relaxation, experience and environment also play a part.Some experienced people report a "rabbit hole effect," the ability to traverse to different levels irrelevant of dosage.baseline how you feel before taking a drugoff baseline Very mild effect. Relaxation. Giggling. Like being stoned but with enhanced visual perception: colours may seem brighter, patterns on the surface of things more eye-grabbing.Also: a feeling of lightness and euphoria, and a slight tingling in the body. Music sounds better.topplus one (+1) Stronger visual hallucinations. Bright colours stand out, objects appear to ripple or breathe. Coloured patterns behind the eyes are vivid, more active. Moments of reflection and distractive thought patterns. Thoughts and thinking become enhanced. Creative urges. Euphoria. Connection with others, empathy. Sense of time distorted or lost.plus two (+2) Very obvious visual effects. Curved or warped patterns. Familiar objects appear strange as surface details distract the eye. Imagination and 'mind's eye' images vivid, three dimensional. Some confusions of the senses.Some awareness of background mental processes: such as balance systems or auditory visual perception. Deep store memory becomes accessible. Images or experiences may rise to the fore. Music is powerful and can affect mood. Sense of time lost.plus three (+3) Very strong hallucinations such as objects morphing into other objects. Intense depersonalisation - the barriers between you and the universe begin to break down. You feel you have connection with everything around you. You can experience contradictory feelings simultaneously. Some loss of reality. Time meaningless. Senses blend into one. Feeling of being born. Multiple splitting of the ego. Powerful awareness of your own mental processes and senses. Highly symbolic visions when eyes are closed.plus four (+4) A very rare experience. Total loss of visual connection with reality. The senses cease to function in the normal way. Total loss of self. Merging with space, other objects, or the universe. The loss of reality becomes so severe that it defies explanation. Pure white light. Difficult to put into words.The mushroom effect is described as a 'trip' because it is a long (4-6 hours) and powerful experience which takes you beyond normal perception and then back again.At low doses, mushrooms induce a tingling body feeling and sense of euphoria and lightness. You may feel happy and giggly. Colours seem more vibrant, music sounds richer.Simply put, it alters and expands consciousness by loosening or - at higher doses- completely erasing the normal filters and screens between your conscious mind and the outside world.With these filters down, more information rushes in and you became aware of things normally filtered out out by your mind. You sense more, think more, feel more. Visual, auditory, sensory, emotional. The intricate details on surfaces, the richness of sound, the brightness of colours, and the complexity of your own mental processes.come up The effects begin to be felt between 20 minutes to an hour after ingestion. The first signs are a sense of euphoria and expectation, along with a tingling body feeling.Once started, the effects usually take between 30-45 minutes to 'come up' and reach their peak.It is common to feel some nausea during this stage. It can be reduced by having an empty stomach.peak The peak effect lasts for for one to two hours. A clear symptom is rich visual hallucinations. Colours seem more vibrant. Surfaces may ripple and shimmer. You may notice tiny details on objects. Music sounds richer and louder.At the same time, you may feel blissful, have flashes of insight into yourself or the world, experience severe time-distortion, or feel yourself dissolving or see objects merging into one another.comedown The trip wears off gradually after 4 to 6 hours, although you may continue to feel tender and altered until you get a full night's sleep.after effectsPsychologically, any insights or feelings you have had whilst bemushroomed will stay with you. A positive experience can give you a glow lasting hours, days or even weeks afterwards.At the same time, bad trips, like any traumatic experience, are likely to stay with you for a while afterwards. Fear and anxiety for a few days is not uncommon but these will fade.dosagePsilocybin content varies widely from species to species and from mushroom to mushroom. As a rough guide, however, a reasonable dose is equivalent to two grams dried or 20 grams fresh.First time, aim low. You can always increase the amount another time, but you can't undo a far-too-large dose. Be wary of over-confidence. Each psychedelic trip is different and each level of the experience has its own intensity and pitfalls. Even if you know the lay of the land, tread carefully.Mushrooms have no known adverse side-effects, other than leaving you feeling fatigued and probably surrounded by a load of mad paintings and some half-eaten chocolate bars.However, Magic Mushrooms and other psychedelics are powerful mental amplifiers. If you are feeling depressed, anxious, sick at the world, at the quality of modern television, at rampant consumerism, at life in general, do not take psychedelics.Mushroom effects and your reaction to them are strongly determined by set and setting. Set is your mindset when taking the drug; setting is where you are.The magic mushroom effect makes you enormously sensitive to your environment so you should always be in a safe, comfortable environment, preferably with a friend you trust.DON"T DO IT ALONE!!!Tripping alone for the first time is not recommended. An experienced and trusted friend should either join you, or should abstain and act as a sober sitter or guide to just be around and to help you if you start suffering a bad trip.flashbacksFlashbacks days or even months afterwards are often cited as a common side-effect of hallucinogenic drugs. There's little evidence that these are a given. Anecdotal studies have shown that only about 15% of users report any phenomenon close to a 'flashback'.Mushrooms are not physically addictive, nor would you want to take them on a regular basis. As with any mind-altering substance, though, their psychological effects can be compelling and therefore hard to resist.As with any drug beware of doing too much, too frequently and letting it define you. Be careful.toleranceTolerance builds up rapidly with mushrooms. For 24 hours after a trip you have to take twice as much to repeat the same effect. Tolerance lasts about three to four days.There is also some cross-tolerance with other psychedelic drugs of the tryptamine family (such LSD and DMT) but not E or Ketamine.Mushrooms are powerful psychedelics and should not, as a rule, be mixed with other mind-altering drugs, especially not by the inexperienced or the far from home.Please note: there have been very few scientific studies into the effects of combining psychoactive drugs. The information presented here is anecdotal. It is based on the subjective reports of experienced users. Different people will respond differently to different drugs and drug combination. Know your body.alcohol takes the edge off the effect and can help you to relax; drunkenness disappears during the trip; large amounts increase the nausea; do not drink on the comedown (alcohol is a depressant)amphetamines increased weirdness; energising; paranoia usually increased; comedown can be rockycannabis dulls the experience in the come-up; heightens the peak; brings back the effect during comedownecstasy (MDMA) known as 'candy-flipping'; the E good feeling can reduce chance of a bad trip but pay attention to E's safety requirementsheroin no information availableLSD cross tolerance usually present; not much point in taking other psychedelics at the same timetobacco up to you, no dangers, but you may be more aware of the damage it's doing to your lungsvalium the police are fond of administering this sedative to bad trippers.Psilocybin is not usually tested for in standard or advanced drug tests.65% of psilocybin is excreted in the urine within eight hours of ingestion. 15-20% stays detectable in the body for several weeks.As of April 2005, magic mushrooms in all forms - fresh, dried, processed, naturally growing - are illegal and class A under UK law.In the US, mushrooms and psilocybin are categorised under schedule 1 along with LSD, cannabis, and heroin.a bad trip occurs when the lovely, nice, glowy effects of a drug turn into nasty, paranoid, and horrible scarinessbad trips happen for a reason, usually one of the following:adverse environment influences noise, strangers etc preying on the vulnerable, tripping mind attempt to mentally resist the effect of the drug because you are scared or you can't relax the surfacing of difficult and uncomfortable unconscious material or memories the amplification of issues or problems between tripping people a larger dose than you have experienced before Even experienced users can have bad-trips, although experience makes you less vulnerable.Clearly the best way to avoid a bad trip is not to take a drug at all.signs of a bad tripThey start small and can snowball into anxiety, fear, paranoia, and paralysis. People experiencing a bad trip may appear withdrawn and silent or , visibly upset, scared or wild. They may curl up into foetal position.You may feel like you are going insane, or losing control or dying. You may get caught in circular thoughts, like a hall of mirrors. The anxiety may trigger breathlessness or even a full-blown panic attack.any drugAny drug can bring on a bad trip - even E, even alcohol (never got home, drunk, and cried?).The more powerful psychedelic drugs (LSD, magic mushrooms, ketamine) are most likely to cause a bad trip, but 'lesser' mind drugs such as amphetamines, cannabis, and cocaine can all induce paranoia and weirdness.preparationYou can reduce the chance of a bad trip by ensuring you are in a safe comfortable environment with someone you trust. Read up on the drug you are taking.Be informed and be careful. Measure the dosage accurately and when trying a new drug or a new supply always start low to guage its strength.bad trips: what to doThe most important thing to remember in the midst of a bad trip is not to panic. Bad trips can be diverted, lessened, and stopped by certain careful techniques.if you are having a bad tripchange the music to something light and familiar change the location go outside, into another room, or find a quiet, non-threatening environment talk to a friend someone you are close to who you can trust concentrate on your breathing a bad trip can be worsened if you try to resist it. Instead divert your mind by counting your breaths in and out. the drug will not harm you repeat to yourself the phrase 'I am immortal'. Your anxiety is purely an effect of the drug and will pass. You will be okay. and if someone else is having a bad tripchange something - the location, music, lighting. do not force anyone to move if they do not want to. Gently coax, invite or encourage instead reassure them they have taken a drug, the trip will end, and they will be okay tell them the time with their sense of time distorted, bad trippers often feel caught in eternity. Give them a schedule for when they will feel better relaxing and breathing the fear is often heightened by the tensing and trying to resist. Letting go will make them feel better. Breathing will relax them and give them something to focus on don't leave them alone but don't crowd them either.People who took an illegal drug made from mushrooms reported profound mystical experiences that led to behaviour changes lasting for weeks — all part of an experiment that recalls the psychedelic '60s.Many of the 36 volunteers rated their reaction to a single dose of the drug, called psilocybin, as one of the most meaningful or spiritually significant experiences of their lives. Some compared it to the birth of a child or the death of a parent.Such comments "just seemed unbelievable," said Roland Griffiths of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, the study's lead author.But don't try this at home, he warned. "Absolutely don't."Almost a third of the research participants found the drug experience frightening even in the very controlled setting. That suggests people experimenting with the illicit drug on their own could be harmed, Griffiths said.Viewed by some as a landmark, the study is one of the few rigorous looks in the past 40 years at a hallucinogen's effects. The researchers suggest the drug someday may help drug addicts kick their habit or aid terminally ill patients struggling with anxiety and depression.Beneficial behaviour changesIt may also provide a way to study what happens in the brain during intense spiritual experiences, the scientists said.Funded in part by the U.S. government, the research was published online Tuesday by the journal Psychopharmacology.Psilocybin has been used for centuries in religious practices and its ability to produce a mystical experience is no surprise. But the new work demonstrates it more clearly than before, Griffiths said.Even two months after taking the drug, pronounced SILL-oh-SY-bin, most volunteers said the experience had changed them in beneficial ways, such as making them more compassionate, loving, optimistic and patient. Family members and friends said they noticed a difference, too.Charles Schuster, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience at Wayne State University and a former director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, called the work a landmark.
"I believe this is one of the most rigorously well-controlled studies ever done" to evaluate psilocybin or similar substances for their potential to increase self-awareness and a sense of spirituality, he said. He did not participate in the research.Psilocybin, like LSD or mescaline, is one of a class of drugs called hallucinogens or psychedelics. While they have been studied by scientists in the past, research was largely shut down after widespread recreational abuse of the drugs during the 1960s, Griffiths said. Some work resumed in the 1990s."We've lost 40 years of (potential) research experience with this whole class of compounds," he said. Now, with modern-day scientific methods, "I think it's time to pick up this research field."Inward focusThe study volunteers had an average age of 46, had never used hallucinogens and participated to some degree in religious or spiritual activities like prayer, meditation, discussion groups or religious services.Each tried psilocybin during one visit to the lab and the stimulant methylphenidate (better known as Ritalin) on one or two other visits. Only six of the volunteers knew when they were getting psilocybin.Each visit lasted eight hours. The volunteers lay on a couch in a living-room-like setting, wearing an eye mask and listening to classical music. They were encouraged to focus their attention inward.Psilocybin's effects lasted for up to six hours, Griffiths said. Twenty-two of the 36 volunteers reported having a "complete" mystical experience, compared to four of those getting methylphenidate.That experience included such things as a sense of pure awareness and a merging with ultimate reality, a transcendence of time and space, a feeling of sacredness or awe, and deeply felt positive mood like joy, peace and love. People say "they can't possibly put it into words," Griffiths said.Two months later, 24 of the participants filled out a questionnaire. Two-thirds called their reaction to psilocybin one of the five top most meaningful experiences of their lives. On another measure, one-third called it the most spiritually significant experience of their lives, with another 40 per cent ranking it in the top five.About 80 per cent said that because of the psilocybin experience, they still had a sense of well-being or life satisfaction that was raised either "moderately" or "very much."