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Published online 3 July 2008 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2008.934
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Benefits of 'magic mushroom' therapy long lasting
Patients given psilocybin report continued well-being a year later.
The benefits for people who have had positive or even mystical experiences induced by the psychedelic drug psilocybin — the psychoactive ingredient in ‘magic mushrooms’ — linger for as much as a year, according to the latest follow-up study of such patients.
The study offers more support to those who argue that, when used responsibly, some drugs more commonly taken for leisure can safely be used to relieve the stress associated with severe chronic diseases such as cancer.
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Finally we're getting somewhere, hopefully soon the stigma of evil drugs will be washed away from psychedelics and stay with methamphetamine, cocaine, and opioids. I just wish Dr. Hoffman could of lived to see the conclusion of his great life's work
The article claims that "Previous studies have shown a similar effect, most famously the Good Friday Experiment of 1963 in which theology students were given psilocybin in a church. However, this experiment was not peer-reviewed, and many studies completed in the 1960s were often inadequately followed up." Dr. Walter Pahnke wrote a Harvard Ph.D. dissertation in 1963 in which the results of his 1962 Good Friday experiment were reported. In addition, he wrote four book chapters and co-authored three peer-reviewed articles (with William Richards,Ph.D., who worked as the "guide" on Dr. Griffiths' study)in which the Good Friday results were reported. All of these papers included results of a six-month follow-up. I conducted a 25 year+ follow-up to the Good Friday experiment which was cited as an external link on the Nature web page but wasn't mentioned in the article, which implied that no long-term follow-up was conducted to Pahnke's Good Friday experiment. The references to the chapters by Pahnke and the peer-reviewed articles by Pahnke and Richards are listed at the end of my follow-up study, which is posted at: http://www.maps.org/books/pahnke/index.html Pahnke's Harvard dissertation on the Good Friday experiment is also posted there. Based on the results of Dr. Griffiths' 14-month follow-up, and my 25+ year follow-up, it's clear that psychedelic mystical experiences can have beneficial effects, which can in many cases last a lifetime. As Dr. Edwards notes, psychedelics can also produce "self-destructive and suicidal thoughts," a claim that Dr. Griffiths and I agree with. Though there are "other ways to help people," each of these "other ways" have their unique sets of risks and benefits. The risk/benefit ratio of psychedelics administered within a research context fully justifies further research. Rick Doblin, Ph.D. MAPS President (www.maps.org)
I have been doing magic mushrooms (shrooms) since the late 70s. I am 58 and have never been more healthy both mentally and physically. Shrooms totally ROCK. JT www.FireMe.To/udi
The mushrooms in the picture at the top of this article are NOT psilocybin This is what "magic" mushrooms look like: http://www.water-bongs-glass-pipes.com/ImgGalery/Dictionary/Freshly-Picked-Shrooms.jpg
Why not do away with the evil stigma of ALL drugs? While we're at it, we can scrap this whole war on drugs endeavor too. Are negative experiences while under the influence of psilocybin just as enduring as the beneficial ones? Regardless, I imagine the incidence of "self-destructive and suicidal thoughts" would be mitigated if treatment were administered in a controlled environment by experienced professionals.
@ Worm Slayer - There are many different species of psychotropic mushrooms. There isn't enough information from the photo to definitively identify the mushrooms as psychotropic or not.
why cant people find cure for diseases like psoriasis instead of wasting research grants that encourage dope-heads.
why cant people find cure for diseases like psoriasis instead of wasting research grants that encourage dope-heads.
I think its great some people are unbiased to old stigmas and seriously investigating the therapeutic potential of these "recreational" drugs. Either there is a safe, reproducible benefit or there isn't. Why the fear of checking? Running cognitive and IQ testing before and periodically after administrating the psilocybin would be interesting.
Similar experiences of the spiritual kind mentioned in the article,like unity of existence and relativity of ordinary level consciousness,can be better had through spiritual practices like internalised breathwork or similar breathcontrol techniques adapted or adopted from ancient indian techniques like Sidha Yoga or Raja Yoga : having these experiences precipitated through medicine may have deleterious effects on the nervous system over a period of time. But mentally sick people may benefit from such drugs: for others it is better to go through proper techniques under guidance and derive spiritual benefits and unique experiences in course of time rather than being suddenly provided under medication. SURESHKUMAR,SCIENTIST,NIIST,TRIVANDRUM