At first glance, there doesn’t really appear to be anything magical about magic mushrooms. To the untrained eye, they don’t look any different from the many other types of mushrooms that grow wild all around the world. But just as you should never judge a book by its cover, you also have to look past these mushrooms’ rather mundane appearance for things to get interesting.
Many have written about their experiences using magic mushrooms. “Shrooms,” as they are also known, cause visual hallucinations, euphoria, sensations of time distortion, and other interesting experiences. Although the psychedelic mushroom is usually equated with the counter-cultural revolution of the 1960s – and is illegal in many nations – new research is revealing astonishing medical applications. Shrooms may even be a cure for some illnesses, illnesses that society spends billions on each year to buy pharmaceuticals that do little to relieve sufferer’s symptoms.
Considering the remarkable medical applications that magic mushrooms possess, one has to ask the obvious question: Why are they illegal?
Here are 10 remarkable facts about magic mushrooms to consider:
1) Magic Mushrooms are a Potential Cure for Depression, Anxiety, OCD, and Other Mental Health Issues
Mental health issues are one of the most expensive medical issues that society faces today both in terms of money spent on pharmaceuticals and on lost productivity. And in the United States, suicide from depression and anxiety is also the tenth most common cause of death.
Just by using a moderate to strong dose of magic mushrooms just one single time, those suffering from depression, anxiety, OCD, and other issues are able to get lasting relief. Medical scientists believe that those who suffer from these issues have brains that are overactive in some areas. Magic mushrooms actually calm those regions down, providing lasting relief.
2) Magic Mushrooms Can Help People Quit Alcohol and Tobacco
Magic mushroom use causes people to undergo a brief period of deep introspection. When combined with counseling, magic mushroom use has a very high success rate for quitting alcohol and tobacco. The mushroom experience causes people to really question why they continue to drink or smoke, and then gives them the self-confidence they need to believe they really can live without those substances in their lives.
3) Magic Mushrooms Grow New Brain Cells
Medical scientists used to believe that once we reach adulthood our brains no longer produce new cells – they don’t regenerate. We now know that’s not entirely true – for users of magic mushrooms, that is. Magic mushrooms cause neurogenesis, or the growth of new brain cells. Researchers are now looking into the mushrooms as a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s.
4) Magic Mushrooms are Non-Addictive
There is no such thing as a mushroom craving. The human body simply does not develop a physical addiction for them the same way it does for alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.
5) Magic Mushrooms Cause Permanent Changes in Personality – For the Better
According to psychologists, there are just a few things that can change a person’s behavior in adulthood – magic mushrooms are one of them. According to a 2011 study, magic mushroom users develop a greater sense of “openness,” or the ability to be open to new ideas and experiences.
6) There are Roughly 200 Different Kinds of Magic Mushrooms
Magic mushrooms grow all around the world, and they have a wide variety of appearances. The chemical component that makes them “magic” is called psilocybin.
7) Possession and Cultivation of Magic Mushrooms is Fully Legal in Two European Countries
In the Czech Republic and Spain it is perfectly legal to cultivate and possess shrooms. There is also another European country, the Netherlands, where there is a loophole in the law that allows “Magic Truffles” to be sold legally. These are truffles that contain psilocybin, the same active in ingredient that makes the mushrooms magic.
8) Health Risks
Although magic mushrooms are non-addictive and relatively safe overall, they do still have some health risks including potential nausea and vomiting. Also, if one experiences a “bad trip,” there really is nothing that can be done except to wait it out.
