Many people use substances that take them to a non-existent reality. An example is the use of hallucinogens mushrooms, which make our body notice things that are not happening, that is, they cause hallucinations.
The active principle of the main hallucinogenic mushrooms, also called magic mushrooms, is the psilocybin. In the body, this compound binds to serotonin receptors, a substance responsible for releasing some hormones and controlling the sleep, temperature, appetite and mood. In addition, it works by regulating some motor and cognitive activities.
A survey published in the magazine Human Brain Mapping, in July 2014, entitled Enhanced repertoire of brain dynamical states during the psychedelic experience showed how psilocybin works in users' bodies. Tagliazucchi and collaborators carried out the study with some volunteers and found that psilocybin acts in parts of the brain related to the dreams, reaffirming the symptom described by many users who claim to have taken psychedelic trips. The researchers also noticed that the part that coordinates the logical reasoning was not acting properly during the action of this substance.
Psilocybin is also related to permanent changes in users' personality. The work of MacLean et al., published in Journal of Psychopharmacology, in 2011, and entitled Mystical experiences occasioned by the hallucinogen psilocybin lead to increases in the personality domain of openness, indicated that people who used this substance became more receptive to new experiences.
According to the work of Maclean and collaborators, it is very difficult for people over the age of 30 to change their personality traits. However, using the hallucinogenic substance present in mushrooms, some of the people tested changed their behavior after living a experience considered mystical For them.
Despite the positive experience described by some users, the drug can cause "bad trips”, an effect not at all pleasant. This effect is responsible for panic attacks, anxiety and fear which, if not handled properly, can have tragic consequences. US authorities even found a man under the influence of mushrooms in a state of panic after tearing out parts of his genitals.
Psilocybin, unlike many substances, is not chemically dependent. What happens is a kind of tolerance to drug effects which ends up causing users to seek more of the substance to obtain the desired effects.
Heads up:Not all mushrooms have psilocybin in their composition. Some are extremely dangerous and can lead to death if ingested. In addition, it is worth noting that the works described here were carried out in accordance with all the rules of security, and the forms of administration were done differently when compared to the use recreational. Therefore, the use of the drug can generate effects different from those presented here.
By Ma. Vanessa dos Santos
