Magic mushrooms stimulate parts of the “primitive brain” linked
to emotion and memory, according to a
scientific study published on Thursday in the neuroscience
journal Human Brain Mapping.
Researchers injected volunteers with psilocybin, the psychedlic
chemical found in magic mushrooms, and observed brain activity with
imaging hardware. They discovered that brain activity on psilocybin
closely resembles patterns of activity observed when subjects are
dreaming.
“Learning about the mechanisms that underlie what happens under
the influence of psychedelic drugs can also help to understand
their possible uses,” says Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris, a researcher
from Imperial College London. “We are currently studying the effect
of LSD on creative thinking and we will also be looking at the
possibility that psilocybin may help alleviate symptoms of
depression by allowing patients to change their rigidly pessimistic
patterns of thinking.”
Last month, Reason TV released a video profiling the
Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), a
research group focused on developing psychedelics into legal
prescription drugs. Watch the video below. The original write-up is
beneath.
Published on Jun 4, 2014
“The rave movement is sort of an antidote to the fact that for
many people, the religious rituals that they have just don’t work,
and so we’ve had to create our own,” said Rick Doblin, the founder
of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies
(MAPS).During the 1960s and 1970s, a number of therapists conducted
experiments using psychedelic drugs. The research was promising,
but widespread recreational use of psychedelics among young people
ultimately led to the prohibition of psychedelic drugs. As a
result, research on the potential therapeutic benefits of
psychedelics decreased siginificantly.In 1985, despite its widespread reputation as an effective
therapeutic tool, the DEA classified MDMA (ecstasy) as a Schedule I
drug. The following year, Rick Doblin founded the Multidisciplinary
Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) with the goal of
developing psychedelics into legal prescription drugs. Today, MDMA
is in Phase 2 FDA trials for use as a therapeutic aid for people
suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.MAPS researchers are also finding that psilocybin, the active
ingredient in magic mushrooms, can be an effective therapeutic tool
for helping addicts and people suffering from terminal diseases.
Reason TV talked to Doblin and other psychedelic researchers at the
2013 Psychedelic Science Conference in Oaklland, California, to
learn more.Approximately 6:30 minutes.
Produced by Paul Feine and Alex Manning.
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