Before hallucinogenic drugs became popular with the counter culture in the 1960s and subsequently delegitimized, they were at the forefront of brain science. They were used to further understanding of the nature of consciousness and as potential treatments for conditions such as alcohol dependence. In recent years, there has been a resurgence of clinical trials exploring the promise of psilocybin, the active ingredient in "magic" mushrooms, in treating a range of ailments including depression, cluster headaches and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
Sacred Fungal Remedy
For many centuries, the "divine mushroom" has been used among the native peoples of Mesoamerica for religious communion, divination and healing. Shamans would ingest the sacred fungi for the extrasensory perceptual effects they provided to better assess problems faced by their society. The use of hallucinogens in psychiatry was very popular during the late 1950s and 60s in determining how thought, emotion and behaviour are grounded in biology, though only a fraction was accounted for by psilocybin. Moderate doses are deemed safe and sufficient to induce severe distortion of perception and synesthesias, whereby sounds may be perceived as images and colours as tastes. Exaggerated emotional states can result in profound euphoria or sometimes paranoia - symptoms usually beginning 20 to 30 minutes after ingestion and lasting up to 8 hours.
The chemical structure of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which regulates our mood and happiness, is nearly identical to that of the mushroom compound psilocin. The molecule essentially mimics serotonin to bind to various serotonin receptors in the brain. It has been long thought that a deficiency in serotonin plays a role in depression and anxiety disorders, and new research by prominent UK professor David Nutt asserts that psilocybin actually shuts down the overactive anterior cingulate cortex associated with depression with sustained effects that can last years. The drug has not been observed to be addictive or physically toxic in animal studies or human populations. Antidepressants are the most commonly prescribed class of drugs in the United States but with often uncertain benefits and abundant side effects, many are seeking alternative medicines. Psilocybin is seen as a natural but under-researched option.
Effects on OCD, Depression, Cancer, Cluster Headaches
One of its most remarkable successes has come in the treatment of OCD, a chronic and debilitating condition effecting 2 to 3% worldwide and the fourth most common diagnosis among psychiatric clinic outpatients. Multiple doses lowered symptoms in test patients well after the drug had left the system and in one famous case study a 34-year-old man quickly developed a tolerance to hallucinogenic effects during four years of daily use with OCD symptoms taking two years to fully return. It is estimated that 80% of sufferers of the intense pain of cluster headaches have found near-complete relief and improved life quality with mushrooms, far better than with any other remedy. Clinical research has found psilocybin to help cancer patients regain a sense of existential meaning and help the terminally ill accept death.
Scientists stress the importance of patient mindset and physical setting as key factors in this therapy and to "trust, let go, be open." It will never be promoted as a daily medicine and it remains politically controversial but with further studies, including HPLC training, psilocybin may one day enjoy wider support in the medical community.
Visit Academy of Applied Pharmaceutical Sciences (AAPS) Inc. for more information about pursuing a food safety certificate.
Patrick Quinn is a Copywriter at Higher Education Marketing, a leading web marketing firm specializing in Google Analytics, Education Lead Generation, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media Marketing, and Pay Per Click Marketing, among other web marketing services and tools.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=M._Patrick_Quinn
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7536585
Sacred Fungal Remedy
For many centuries, the "divine mushroom" has been used among the native peoples of Mesoamerica for religious communion, divination and healing. Shamans would ingest the sacred fungi for the extrasensory perceptual effects they provided to better assess problems faced by their society. The use of hallucinogens in psychiatry was very popular during the late 1950s and 60s in determining how thought, emotion and behaviour are grounded in biology, though only a fraction was accounted for by psilocybin. Moderate doses are deemed safe and sufficient to induce severe distortion of perception and synesthesias, whereby sounds may be perceived as images and colours as tastes. Exaggerated emotional states can result in profound euphoria or sometimes paranoia - symptoms usually beginning 20 to 30 minutes after ingestion and lasting up to 8 hours.
The chemical structure of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which regulates our mood and happiness, is nearly identical to that of the mushroom compound psilocin. The molecule essentially mimics serotonin to bind to various serotonin receptors in the brain. It has been long thought that a deficiency in serotonin plays a role in depression and anxiety disorders, and new research by prominent UK professor David Nutt asserts that psilocybin actually shuts down the overactive anterior cingulate cortex associated with depression with sustained effects that can last years. The drug has not been observed to be addictive or physically toxic in animal studies or human populations. Antidepressants are the most commonly prescribed class of drugs in the United States but with often uncertain benefits and abundant side effects, many are seeking alternative medicines. Psilocybin is seen as a natural but under-researched option.
Effects on OCD, Depression, Cancer, Cluster Headaches
One of its most remarkable successes has come in the treatment of OCD, a chronic and debilitating condition effecting 2 to 3% worldwide and the fourth most common diagnosis among psychiatric clinic outpatients. Multiple doses lowered symptoms in test patients well after the drug had left the system and in one famous case study a 34-year-old man quickly developed a tolerance to hallucinogenic effects during four years of daily use with OCD symptoms taking two years to fully return. It is estimated that 80% of sufferers of the intense pain of cluster headaches have found near-complete relief and improved life quality with mushrooms, far better than with any other remedy. Clinical research has found psilocybin to help cancer patients regain a sense of existential meaning and help the terminally ill accept death.
Scientists stress the importance of patient mindset and physical setting as key factors in this therapy and to "trust, let go, be open." It will never be promoted as a daily medicine and it remains politically controversial but with further studies, including HPLC training, psilocybin may one day enjoy wider support in the medical community.
Visit Academy of Applied Pharmaceutical Sciences (AAPS) Inc. for more information about pursuing a food safety certificate.
Patrick Quinn is a Copywriter at Higher Education Marketing, a leading web marketing firm specializing in Google Analytics, Education Lead Generation, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media Marketing, and Pay Per Click Marketing, among other web marketing services and tools.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=M._Patrick_Quinn
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7536585
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