Hallucinogenic mushrooms have been used in medicine for some time, in the treatment of depression and anxiety. They are not yet available in the form of certified treatments but are increasingly used, especially in the United States, and are the subject of new scientific studies. Psilocybin, the active substance in them, shows promising effects, but taking mushrooms is not without risk. Even supervised, it can cause “bad trips”, difficult experiences of hallucinations. This is the subject of a scientific study conducted by the John Hopkins Institute in the United States and published in Psychopharmacology.
The researchers asked 1993 users to complete three questionnaires on hallucinogenic effects, mystical experiences, and altered states of consciousness during their worst episode of psilocybin use. The participants also had to enter the dose taken, the environment in which the consumption took place, the duration, as well as the adverse effects encountered. Two-thirds of them ranked the experience among the ten most difficult experiences of their life, with 11% rating it as the worst ever. One in ten users said they put themselves or someone else at risk, and 2.6% acted aggressively or violently. Five participants even attempted suicide during this experience.
Contrary effects according to the participants
Negative effects, therefore, even dangerous, but the opposite sensations have also been reported. Six people got rid of their thoughts of suicide, and a third of the participants ranked the moment as one of the five most meaningful or spiritually strong experiences of their lives. Half of the experiences judged positively are also considered one of the most valuable in the lives of consumers. “In view of the negative and positive effects reported, the results confirm the importance of better identifying and taking into account the risks associated with psilocybin,” explains Professor Roland Griffiths, the study’s lead author.
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