James Tomsik

HLTH 1050-002
Gustavo Ibarra
Mushrooms
Have you ever wondered if there was a drug that could cure depression
and help with PTSD at the same time? Have you ever wondered if on top of
all that, there was a drug that could alleviate the symptoms of cancer as well
as create long term personality changes in you? Then look no further!
Mushrooms are the right drug for you! Over the course of this paper I will be
giving an overview of the drug, a description of the benefits, the supposed
downside of it, and many studies conducted further backing what I
mentioned!
Mushrooms are a schedule 1 drug on a federal level. Mushrooms have
a lot of names on the street, these are some of the following nicknames:
Caps, Magic Mushrooms, Shrooms, and Booms. Mushrooms give a person a
hallucinogenic trip that is caused by the chemical in the drug. The chemical
is known as psilocybin. Mushrooms grow in all parts of the world and dont
taste very good. They are grown in Central and South America. For
thousands of years, native tribes in these parts used these for rituals. They
can be brewed into tea or eaten straight up.

When mushrooms are ingested, it can take anywhere from 30 minutes

to an hour for them to kick in. When the hallucinogenic trip begins, a wide
variety of things occur in the body. A lot starts to change when the drug
kicks in. Lights can change shade, sounds may be different, and colors can
change into different ones. Surfaces may feel start to move and ripple. But
mushrooms can do more than what the effects of it say so. The trip depends
on your mood. If youre having a bad day or just in a bad mindset, the trip
will be bad. Studies have been conducted to show that mushrooms can
cause a long-term personality change.
According to a study done by the John Hopkins research institute,
mushrooms can cause positive changes in individuals. In the study, 51
participants were given mushrooms over the course of a couple of months .
60% of the people who participated in the study reported that they had felt
different. The lasting personality change was found in the openness category
of the big 5 personality traits. In the openness category, there are different
parts that are in it. The different parts in the openness category trait are:
imagination, aesthetics, feelings, abstract ideas and general broadmindedness.
In the study, participants were subjected to two to five eight- hour drug
sessions, with consecutive sessions separated by at least three weeks.

During sessions, the participants were lied down on a couch and put an eye
mask on to block external vision. While this was occurring, they would put
headphones on and listen to music and focus on inner thoughts and
experiences. This study was one of many that furthered the medical use of
mushrooms.
Mushrooms have been shown to cause a lot of hyper activity in the
human brain. Not only do they cause mental changes, but in recent studies
its been shown to physically change the brain as well. Mushrooms have
been shown to combat mental disorders such as anxiety and depression . In
recent studies, researchers found that it can help with PTSD as well. During
an experiment, mice were conditioned to fear certain stimuli that was an
auditory noise and receive a shock along with the sound. The mice were then
given low doses of psilocybin and the ones that were given the doses were
shown to have shed the aversion to the tone, while other mice who hadnt
had the dose took longer. Researchers think that the chemical is binding to
the brain receptors that stimulate growth and healing, acting on the
hippocampus, a small part of the brain that is essential to learning and
forming memories. Mushrooms have been shown to be a wonder drug. Bad
trips can occur but a study was done and evidence was shown that bad trips
can help you out.

In a study conducted by the Journal of Pharmacology and John Hopkins

university, 84% of users who experience a bad trip, say that they benefited
from it. Mushrooms can produce a heavenly like mood. But it has its
moments where it can give you a bad trip. Bad trips are never fun. The
university surveyed around 2,000 people about a bad trip they had faced.
More than 9 out of 10 of the people who surveyed had taken the drug 2 or
more times in their life. A majority of the people who had participated
(around 60%) had said it was among the top ten psychologically difficult
situations in their lives. 11% said it was their most difficult experience they
had ever gone through.
But while the research went on, they found that 34% of the
participants said the bad trip was among the most top 5 spiritually
enlightening experiences of their life and that 31% said it was among the top
5 most spiritually significant. 76% said that the bad trip resulted in an
improved sense of well-being or life satisfaction. 46% said that they would be
willing to experience the bad trip all over again. In another study,
mushrooms have been shown to increase overall hyperactivity in the brain.
These are just many of the stories and studies conducting proving that
mushrooms should be in the research spotlight more often than others. In a
study done by Kings College in London, the chemical in mushrooms have
been shown to link parts of the brain that normally wouldnt be linked

together. Scientists have known for a long time that the drug binds to the
serotonin receptors in the brain, but they arent exactly clear on how the
drug makes the whole brain communicate differently.
After conducting an fMRI, the scientists concluded that the brain gives
of a synesthesia like effect in the brain. Synesthesia occurs when one
stimulus gets paired to another in the brain and things start get confusing.
You can see a color and feel it as well. You can taste purple and other things.
What they gathered from this could help them in future studies. They are
looking for a drug that can help treat depression. In the past, they have
found that using mushrooms one time can make a person feel generally
happier.
Mushrooms come from the earth and are grown in almost natural
environments. Because of this, they cause food poisoning. When the food
poisoning occurs, various things happen the body. The following are effects
of the food poisoning: nausea, muscle weakness, gas, stomach aches, body
aches, and other physical changes. These happen almost immediately and
last the whole trip. Mental changes occur as well. Mainly your perceptions
and thinking.
To conclude, mushrooms are a wonder drug. Theres a very large
stigma over the drug because when it is mentioned, the official use of it is
disregarded. When people think of mushrooms they think of hippies and

people who give the drug a bad name. But in reality, the drug can do many
things and cure a lot of stuff. The research backing it and studies conducted
show that the drug can do many things. From personality changes to helping
with depression and anxiety, mushrooms are a natural miracle substance in
this world.

Works Cited

Dolan, Eric W. "Study: 'Bad Trips' from Magic Mushrooms Often Result in an
Improved Sense of Personal Well-being." PsyPost. N.p., 30 Aug. 2016. Web.
27 Nov. 2016.
"Drug Information - Magic Mushrooms." Narconon International. N.p., n.d.
Web. 27 Nov. 2016.
Ghose, Tia. "Magic Mushrooms Create a Hyperconnected Brain." Magic
Mushrooms Create a Hyperconnected Brain. N.p., 29 Oct. 2014. Web. 27 Nov.
2016.
Johnson, Matthew W. "Single Dose of Hallucinogen May Create Lasting
Personality Change - 09/29/2011." Johns Hopkins Medicine, Based in
Baltimore, Maryland. N.p., 29 Sept. 2011. Web. 27 Nov. 2016.
Kase, Aaron. "Study: Psilocybin Mushrooms Stimulate Growth Of New Brain
Cells - Reset.me." Reset.me. N.p., 28 May 2015. Web. 27 Nov. 2016.
"Mushrooms - Partnership for Drug-Free Kids." Partnership for Drug-Free Kids.
N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2016.