Magic Mushrooms – The original compound has a name and is called psilocybin. However, the synthetic version tested on people is called Comp360
Some mushrooms are known to possess some hallucinogenic compounds and are called magic mushrooms. In a trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine, a synthetic version of one such compound obtained from a magic mushroom has been seen to improve symptoms of severe depression for up to 12 weeks. The original compound has a name and is called psilocybin. However, the synthetic version tested on people is called Comp360.
This compound has been reportedly used as a recreational drug and is known to invoke feelings such as euphoria and might cause sensory distortion that comes naturally to other hallucinogenic compounds such as LSD. For past some time, the fungal compound has become a subject matter for medical scholars who are trying to use it for medicinal purposes. As per some reports, a landmark study conducted at Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research showed some positive effects of the drug in 2006. In October 2020, Oregon became the first state to make psilocybin legal. The compound is however known to cause hallucinations and panic after it is ingested. The latest trial shows that the compound has been shown to improve symptoms of depression but the immediate effects of the drug can seem a little frightening.
All about the study
Psilocybin is being studied by scholars for its use in treatment-resistant depression. In the study or trial, Single-Dose Psilocybin for a Treatment-Resistant Episode of Major Depression, 1 mg, 10 mg and 25 mg of the compound was tested on nearly 233 subjects taken from different countries in Europe and North America. Most of the subjects taken were suffering from Major Depression and were aged around 40. The results showed that after taking 25 mg of psilocybin along with psychotherapy, one in three couldn’t be recognized as depressed at the end of three weeks and one in five saw considerable improvement at the end of 12 weeks. As per experts, the treatment though promising can produce negative effects at the beginning. Sometimes difficult memories can come up or a person can experience sudden panic. Some subjects in the study reported experiencing nausea, extreme tiredness and headaches. A few also reported suicidal thoughts. However, some experts said that these were random events and it had nothing to do with the compound.
A Waking Dream
As per the study author, the drug has a direct action plan on brain, putting it in a more flexible state where it can become more open to therapy and its positive effects. Some subjects who consumed the drug had a psychedelic ‘trip’ for some hours and that felt like a waking dream. The compound is known to release a train of neurotransmitters in the brain. As per reports, even the MRI scans of such individuals show chaotic brain activity after the consumption of the compound. Reportedly, it looks like many parts of the brain suddenly communicating with each other. As per some experts, more studies to be done in the direction, of the drug being established as ‘safe’, then it could be a potential alternative to old resistant treatments for depression.
Magic Mushrooms and Psilocybin
As per reports, magic mushrooms have long, slender stems that might come with white or grey tops and dark gills on the inner side. Reportedly, 180 species of mushrooms might contain psilocybin. The compound when ingested activates the serotonin receptors and regulates that part of th brain that affects mood, cognition and perception. It necessarily doesn’t cause any visual or auditory hallucinations but it might change the way we perceive things or people. In cases of overdose, it has reportedly caused psychosis and initiated panic attacks.
