Forrest Hoggard

Professor Ibarro
Health 1050
3/28/16
Research Paper: Psilocybin Mushrooms.
Psilocybin Mushrooms, the mysterious mushroom that has been around for centuries!
Used in rituals all the way back from 2660 B.C. These mushrooms have many acute affects that
range in good and bad. It is said to be uplifting, euphoric, give someone the giggles, experience
strong sense of awe, spiritually uplifting, slows down perception of time, dilates pupils, allows
retrieval of certain memories, increases heart rate, blood pressure, some it decreases heart rate,
can help depression, can help anxiety, and allows the user to be aware of their emotions.
They have negative effects such as nausea, (especially for those who eat them raw or
dried up), headaches, intense paranoia, anxiety, depression, can exacerbate mental illnesses,
flashbacks, create permanent fear, dizziness, cause fainting in those with low blood pressure, and
increased schizophrenia symptoms for those who have schizophrenia.
It is classified as a schedule 1 drug, which means it is deemed to have no medical purpose
AT ALL. These mushrooms main active chemical is psilocybin itself. This chemical causes
people to hallucinate, and is deemed as dangerous by the DEA.
They werent always illegal though. They became illegal in 1968, after the drug
psilocybin has been deemed as illegal due to the controversy over the mushrooms and LSD. It
was classified as schedule 1, yet does not have nearly as many damaging effects as other
schedule one drugs. For example, Meth, Cocaine, and Heroine. Schedule 1 drugs also claim to
have no medical use, while this is not always true, due to medical marijuana showing to have

many medical benefits, psilocybin mushrooms may have medical benefits as well. It has been
said to stop cluster headaches, something that has little research on any solution to them, it has
showed to help depression and anxiety.
Psilocybin mushrooms have multiple names. Magic Mushrooms, booms, shrooms, and so
forth. It has been used for religious purposes for many years. Users claim spiritual awakenings.
This drug can either cause a good or bad trip. Both having their separate consequences. When
users had a good trip, they would report being opened to new experiences for about seven
months. Those who had bad trips, they would face anxiety and/or depression. This could lead
them to attempt suicide.
The active chemical in these mushrooms interacts with Serotonin. It causes the mind to
lower activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC).
The mPFC is known to be hyperactive during depression. This may be the reason why certain
studies have showed this drug to cure anxiety and depression. The PCC has many arguments of
its function for any cognitive role. The PCC is said to have a role in the self, and ones identity.
With both of these being depressed in activity, the two parts of our brain that keep our world
orderly. With these two being depressed it may be the reason of why users experience the world
in a different light.
Psilocybin mushrooms have been shown to cure people with cluster headaches. Cluster
headaches are headaches that happen at specific times. They vary on time frames and generally
happen three times a day. They are long periods of migraines that happen at specific times. There
are little to no remedies for these, but it is said that psilocybin mushrooms can cure cluster
headaches. It is said that booms reduce blood in the hypothalamus, which is where cluster
headaches are known to be associated with. This could explain why shrooms can cure cluster

headaches. Yet there is little known research proving this to be completely true, but people with
cluster headaches have said this has helped cure their periodic cluster headaches.
The acute effects of magic mushrooms are, but not limited to, intense emotions,
hallucinations, more sensitive, nausea, upset stomach, higher blood pressure, higher heart rate,
impaired motor vehicle skills, confusion, paranoia, distorted reality, and dialated eyes. Long term
effects can be, but not limited to, flashbacks, prolonged depression, psychosis, a spiritual
awakening, open to try new things, and a more open mind.
The form of use for this substance is ingestion. In other words, eating it. It can be turned
to a tea, which is said to prevent some of the side effects from psilocybin mushrooms. There are
no concrete studies to show this but it is said that ingested in a tea form will make the user face
the affect a lot sooner than if eaten just the mushroom alone. Other users have said to turn it into
chocolate and ingest it that way. Psilocybin mushrooms have many forms of being ingested.
Whether it be added to a pizza, or some other food. It is put with other food to avoid the awful
taste of them, as well as the side effects by users.
Psychedelic mushrooms can be soaked in lemon or lime juice in order to break down the
psilocybin and turn it into psilocin. (The chemical that interacts with the Serotonin in the brain
for the drugs effects). This process is done when you ingest the mushrooms but citrus can help
speed the process due to it making the chemical easier to ingest.
Psychedelic mushrooms can be found growing in the wild. Usually along the gulf of
Mexico or in the following states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, or Mississippi.
They are easier to find in high humidity. They typically grow further south. They grow best in
cow dung due to the processing of the four stomachs in a cow.

The history of psychedelic mushrooms is incredible. They have been around for a long
time. It has been said to be seen all the way 2660 B.C. They are the possible explanation for
things like Santa Clause and his Sled of presents. Shamons long time ago would bring shrooms
to tribesmen during December. They would go through the chimneys of the tribesmens homes
due to the snow blocking the door. They typically wore red and would ride reindeer when
traveling. This has been said to explain how Santa came into existence.
Shrooms have also a history of being legal in the U.S. They became illegal after the
counter culture that appeared in the 1960s, where magic mushrooms were relevant in use during
these times. They were popular along with LSD. These two substances were said to be abused,
and looked down on by society. It was a huge part in the hippy culture, and it was considered
rebellious.
Psilocybin mushrooms are recommended to be taken in small doses for a first time tripper
due to it being a first time. It is said that 1.5 grams to 2.25 grams should be taken for a first dose,
but some users report that a first time should consist of 3.5 grams of psilocybin mushrooms in
order to feel the complete effect. Yet Mushrooms effect each user differently due to the bodys
chemistry is different from user to user.
Booms are looked at as a drug by a huge part of society, but it has been shown that the
dangers of this drug is a lot lower than others among it. It has not been reported being addictive.
They do not cause one to physically be addicted, but can have a tolerance build up to them. They
are not like the supposed schedule one drug that they are deemed as. Schedule one drugs are put
at the top of the list for most dangerous drugs. Yet Cocaine is a schedule two drug, but is highly
addictive. A lot more addictive than psilocybin mushrooms, and a lot more harmful. Yet
mushrooms are set at schedule one.

Psilocybin mushrooms are an odd drug. They have an affect unlike any other drug since
they are hallucinogens. They have been used for centuries, and have a long history of being used
for spiritual awakenings. Many users that use shrooms will be open to the future ahead of them
to new experiences. There is no specific reason for this, but it varies from user to user. They have
been known to cause long term paranoia, and delusional behavior in some. They have been
dangerous to some due to unknown mental illnesses that they have. This can cause someones
mental illness to act up more than usual. Schizophrenia is something that is vulnerable to these
attacks.
With the possibility of mental health being affected, besides from that, booms arent very
harmful compared to other drugs. They can cause anxiety and depression, but under the right
conditions, they can be a very opening experience. Psychedelics still need to have research done,
but with the little research done on magic mushrooms, there are some possible medical benefits
that should be looked into. It is difficult to do said research though with it being a schedule one
drug. In order for more to be done, there needs to be a use acknowledged by the government and
further investigation. Will that ever happen? Im not sure, but with the black market open, I dont
see why this drug should be deemed as wrong. In the right conditions, I dont see an issue on
why it could be a problem to try it out.

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