From the rock art found in the Sahara Desert to the mushroom stone statues of Mesoamerican civilizations, artefacts throughout human history suggest that psychoactive mushrooms were used in religious and spiritual ceremonies across different cultures. The earliest proven use of these mushrooms can be traced back to prehistoric times, with evidence found in several archaeological and anthropological contexts. Rock paintings in the Sahara Desert, dating back to around 7000-5000 BCE, depict people with mushrooms sprouting from their bodies, potentially symbolising their ceremonial or ritualistic use. Stone carvings depicting mushrooms discovered in various locations in Central America and Mexico suggest that Mesoamerican civilizations, especially the Maya, used these mushrooms in similar contexts approximately 6000 years later.
Spanish chronicles from the 16th century describe "teonanácatl", Aztec for "god's flesh," widely believed to be mushrooms used for healing and spiritualism. In ancient China, the "Divine Farmer's Classic of Materia Medica", an ancient text on agriculture and medicinal plants, references the use of fungi with possible psychoactive properties for similar benefits. Additionally, Indian sacred texts dating back to 1500 BCE describe a sacred religious drink, Soma, which is believed to contain extracts from psychedelic mushrooms. Ironically, despite this long history, research into their therapeutic value is still in its early stages even thousands of years later. These "magic mushrooms" contain a molecule, psilocybin, responsible for the spiritual journey that connects the human to "divine" realms.
"Psilocybin "desynchronises" brain activity, drastically altering the interaction between different brain regions"
Chemically named 4-phosphoryloxy-N, N-dimethyltryptamine, psilocybin is metabolised in the body to its active component, psilocin which interacts with the serotonin 2A receptors (5-HT2AR) in the brain. Serotonin is an essential neurotransmitter responsible for various activities such as mood regulation, sleep, appetite, social behaviours (sex and aggression), memory, and learning. Psilocin mimics serotonin’s function in the brain and behaves as a partial agonist at serotonin receptors, hence contributing to a psychedelic experience. Due to these effects of psilocybin on mood regulation, research is being conducted on its potential to treat mood disorders.
Several psychological disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder, death/disease-related anxiety, depression, treatment-resistant depression, major depressive disorder, smoking, and alcohol and tobacco addiction, are observed to involve dysfunctional connectivity in the default mode network (DMN). The DMN is a network of brain regions active when the brain is at rest or engaged in unfocused tasks such as daydreaming and mind-wandering.
Studies conducted to understand the overall effects of psilocybin on the brain show that it "desynchronizes" brain activity, drastically altering the interaction between different brain regions. Psilocybin significantly impacts the DMN and the anterior hippocampus, which alters one’s sense of time, space, and self. Other significantly impacted areas include regions in the cerebral cortex, thalamus, basal ganglia, and cerebellum, connected to the DMN. This reduced functional connectivity between these regions can persist for weeks and is thought to correlate with increased neuroplasticity, thus contributing to the therapeutic effects of psychedelics.
"Randomised controlled trials on patients with anxiety and related disorders demonstrated that psilocybin improved well-being, life satisfaction, and mood immediately and up to six months post-treatment."
Although clinical trials assessing the efficiency of psilocybin-assisted therapy are limited, a small study among patients with addiction showed promising results. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, participants who took psilocybin had a significantly lower percentage of heavy-drinking days over 32 weeks compared to those who took a placebo. Additionally, the prevalence of smoking abstinence was 80% at 26 weeks and 67% at 52 weeks for those who received psilocybin. Another study on patients with major depressive disorder found that psilocybin-assisted therapy led to significant and sustained positive effects with minimal adverse events. Moreover, randomised controlled trials on patients with anxiety and related disorders demonstrated that psilocybin improved well-being, life satisfaction, and mood immediately after administration and up to six months post-treatment.
Overall, though psilocybin has been consumed throughout history for its psychedelic effects, current research suggests that it is especially effective in a psychotherapeutic setting, where patients can alleviate symptoms of anxiety, depression and addiction due to actual changes in brain connectivity. While these findings are promising, there remains a need for more extensive research to fully understand and harness the potential of psilocybin-assisted therapy.
This article was written by Shriya Singh and edited by Julia Dabrowska, with graphics produced by Lilly Green. If you enjoyed this article, be the first to be notified about new posts by signing up to become a WiNUK member (top right of this page)! Interested in writing for WiNUK yourself? Contact us through the blog page and the editors will be in touch.
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