The hallucinogen has long been advocated by some as a treatment for various mental disorders, and this new study provides evidence of how it might work.
In the study, 25 healthy participants were given a moderate dose of psilocybin before having their brains scans (Krähenmann et al., 2014).
Inside the scanner, and with the hallucinogen acting on their brains, participants were shown pictures which are designed to elicit an emotional reaction.
The results of this test were compared with scans taken after a placebo was administered.
The study's lead author, Rainer Krähenmann, said:
The limbic system is vital to how we process emotions as well as memories. The amygdala is part of the limbic system and has also been shown to be vital in how we process emotions."Even a moderate dose of psilocybin weakens the processing of negative stimuli by modifying amygdala activity in the limbic system as well as in other associated brain regions."
In the study, people's amygdalas were markedly less reactive to negative stimuli after they had taken psilocybin, compared with the placebo-control condition.
Not only that, but psilocybin put people in a much better mood.
This backs up recent evidence about the dual effects of the drug in decreasing negative emotions and increasing positive emotions:
That said, the effects of psilocybin on depression have not yet been clinically tested."...support for the notion that psilocybin may have rapid antidepressant characteristics also comes from a recent clinical trial showing that in patients with depression and anxiety, a single dose of psilocybin improved mood and decreased anxiety for several months." (Krähenmann et al., 2014).
Sorry to be critical, but the mushroom in the photo of this article is from the genus Amanita.
Amanitas have no psilocybin at all.
The psychoactive compound of Amanitas is muscimol, which is typically found in the red Amanitas.
The pictured yellow one here typically does not contain Muscimol like the reds although it can partially.
Further, and interestingly enough the yellow one here and like some other yellows while not as hallucinogenic as the reds can have great physical/psychological effects.
From some sources I have read, it is believed that Vikings would if available, take a form of the yellow Amanita which allowed them to go literally "Berserk" in battle; Of which Vikings were known to have a capacity to do.
I have taken small amounts myself of this yellow variety and noted the physical effects on myself and have come to the conclusion that the sources I read about Vikings is highly likely.
However, yellow Amanita can have a negative effect on the liver; And I would not recommend anyone to nonchalantly consume these.
And the white variety of Amanitas are known as the Angel of Death because they are seriously deadly.
Interesting that this picture was associated with the article because aside from misidentifying a psilocybin mushroom in the field from a deadly poisonous one in the field, which is not hard to mistake and at the same time any psilocybin does not come even close to resembling an Amanita; Psilocybin, in addition to the benefits mentioned in the article, has no toxic effect on the physiology at all, liver or otherwise.