Psilocybin Mushrooms Talmage Morris What are they Mushrooms
Psilocybin Mushrooms Talmage Morris
What are they? Mushrooms that contain the psychedelic drug psilocybin Psilocybin is found in about 40 species of the Psilocybe family of mushrooms Psilocybe cubensis is the most common on the black market
Where are they? Psilocybin is present in varying concentrations in over 200 species worldwide Mexico (53), US and Canada (22), Europe (16), Asia(15), Africa (4), Australia (19)
How do they work? Once ingested, the brain turns psilocybin into psilocin. Psilocin mimics the effects of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain
Brain activity Brain imaging shows decreased blood flow to the medial prefrontal cortex and the posterior cingulate cortex These areas in the brain have connections with most other areas in the brain “These hubs constrain our experience of the world and keep it orderly… We now know that deactivating these regions leads to a state in which the world is experienced as strange. ”(David Nutt)
Immediate effects The effects of psilocybin are usually felt 30 -90 minutes after ingestion Dreamlike euphoria, constant epiphany, visual and audible hallucinations
Adverse side effects Nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting You are more likely to experience what is known as a ‘bad trip’ with a higher dose
Long term effects Due to restricting drug laws these mushrooms have not been studied extensively. Some users have been known to experience HPPD (Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder) or “flashbacks” Schedule I under the Federal governments Scheduling System
Addiction? So far, psilocybin has not been found to cause a serious problem with addiction The body builds up a tolerance if taken frequently, this makes psilocybin hard to abuse.
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