Psychedelics have an intriguing and magical history throughout time, and psilocybin mushrooms are no exception. Psilocybin has long been a part of indigenous tribes around the world, with much of its use surrounding ceremonial and medicinal use. Historians believe as far back as 7,000 BC, ancient rock carvings in Tassili, Algeria depict masked figures holding mushrooms, and the drawings hint at these figures having a mystical, vivid “trip” out of body experience.
Psilocybin mushrooms are a certain type of mushroom that are made up of specific chemical substances that have psychoactive properties. The components are called “psilocybin” and “psilocin” – the two specific chemical agents that are responsible for the psychoactive and psychedelic effects.
The History of Psilocybin Mushrooms
Psilocybin mushrooms have been used for millennia by various tribes worldwide, but especially in the regions of Central and South America. It’s estimated that as early as 1,000 – 500 BC, indigenous tribes built “mushroom gods” temples in Guatemala and Mexico. There are also other motifs and mushroom stones dated around 200 BC throughout Central America.
In this region, psilocybin mushrooms have often been used to partake in religious and spiritual ceremonies. They were primarily used for healing and divination. When the Spanish came and conquered the Americas, things began to change. These rituals that had been around for ages were suddenly considered barbaric and even satanic. The rituals were considered intolerable for the leaders of the Catholic church – largely because the sacrament in Catholicism happened to be wine.
Because of this, people began to hide their rituals and suddenly, the use of psilocybin mushrooms had become a hidden, underground practice of the culture.
The Early Centuries
Even though the Spanish were against it, psilocybin continued to be used in the early centuries in Central and South America. Researches state that writings and carvings depicted mushrooms were used plenty in religious themes. In the 13th – 15th century, mushrooms were depicted as used by Mixtec gods, where Pilzintecuhtli and seven other gods were holding mushrooms and using them for ritual. And, in the 16th century, the Aztec Xochipilli statue was carved, where the Prince of Flowers had been decorated with six psychedelic plants, including mushrooms.
Psilocybin Mushrooms In The West
At the start of the 20th century, interest in psilocybin mushrooms began to climb once again. This is when the Western culture became more knowledgeable about the sacred mushrooms. In 1914, there was a report in Science magazine noting reports of a botanist who called himself Mr. W., who intentionally took psilocybin mushrooms and wrote about his experience.
Then, in the late 30’s, two ethnobotanists, Schultes and Reko, discovered morning glory seeds and psilocybin mushrooms were still being used by the local ‘doctors’ in Medico. These two men published their findings in the Harvard University Botanical Museum Leaflets.
Gordon Wasson’s Shamanic Ceremony Experience
Wasson wasn’t supposed to publish his findings, as Sabina did not want her work to become mainstream. However, Wasson later decided to publish what he’d found out in the Life Magazine in 1957. This type of media coverage popularized the term “magic mushrooms”, and people became very interested. In fact, many people traveled to shaman Maria Sabina’s village to experience psilocybin themselves, whereas Sabina was not pleased with so many visitors.
When the 1960s rolled around, these mushrooms had become a counterculture symbol. They became widely popular and heavily used in both the United States and the United Kingdom. Psilocybin mushrooms created such a powerful impact on the culture of America that it was eventually used as a symbol of the hippie movement.
Many clinical experiments took place after this by researchers and mental health professionals. In 1960, psilocybin pills began to be distributed by Sandoz Pharmaceutical at 2mg per pill. The psychedelic was looked upon to be a promising treatment aid, in combination with psychotherapy, for those struggling with anxiety, depression, OCD, schizophrenia, and alcoholism. There were also many who used the mushrooms to expand their inner spiritual landscape.
Harvard’s Psilocybin Project
Timothy Leary, Harvard psychology professor, was instrumental in doing research on psilocybin and experimenting with it in the 60’s. He travelled to Mexico to try the mushrooms himself. Then, he began doing studies at the university with the help of Dr. Richard Alpert, better known as spiritual guru Ram Dass.
Two rather instrumental studies at Harvard found that psilocybin could indeed be beneficial for people. One study, the Concord Prison Experiment, was done between 1961 and 1963, where 32 prison participants were given psilocybin-assisted group psychotherapy to see if recidivism rates would decrease.
In another study, they gave mushrooms to divinity graduates to see if they would cause any changes spiritually for them.
Both studies showed positive results. After six months, the prison recidivism rates dropped 40 percent lower than they expected. Of the group, 62 percent of the prisoners stated that the mushroom experience changed their lives for the better. And, just about every divinity student reported that they had a “profound spiritual experience”. Even after a 25 year follow up, those divinity students affirmed that their mushroom experience had made a large, positive impact on their lives.
The Tough Years
Views on psilocybin started to change around 1963, when some faculty at Harvard started to lash out about the experiments. Due to the criticism and the experiments coined irresponsible and potentially hazardous, Leary and Alpert were relieved of their duties. This put a damper on research, and in 1968, the U.S. officially classified psilocybin as a Schedule I drug, making it as illegal as other psychedelics like mescaline and LSD.
The official ban caused a lull in continued research with humans for two decades. Still, interest in psilocybin remained, with the first International Conference on Psychotropic Fungi occurring in 1976. In the late 90’s, eager researchers once again picked up where others left off, once more publishing various benefit to ingesting psilocybin mushrooms.
In 2002, the UK also helped change the scene, allowing the possession and sale of psilocybin mushrooms, as long as there was no preparation of the plant in any way.
Psilocybin Research Today
In 2011, a John Hopkins School of Medicine study reported that around 60 percent of those who tried psilocybin in a controlled study experienced a significant positive change in their lives. Some reported that they after their “mystical trip”, they felt more loving, open, and imaginative. Professor Roland R. Griffiths at John Hopkins continues to research, and is especially interested in seeing if psilocybin can help cancer patients contend better with the anxiety and depression that can come as a result of the diagnosis.
In 2013, research led by Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris and David Nutt at the UK’s Medical Research Council studied how psilocybin affected those struggling with depression. The results were published in 2016 in the Lancet Psychiatry Journal, reporting that all of the 12 participants stated that they felt much less depressed for at least three weeks after the study. Five participants reported continued success for an additional three months.
Wrapping It Up
There’s no doubt that psilocybin mushrooms have had a fascinating history, from the ancient shaman to well-known university-led research teams. Today, there is a resurgence of interest in psilocybin mushrooms, with researchers seeing promising results for potential benefits for the treatment of anxiety, addiction, cluster headaches, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Today, researchers are also using neuroimaging experiments to understand the effects of psilocybin on the brain better. The therapeutic, medicinal, and spiritual potential is there. With non-profits like the Beckley Foundation, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, and the Heffter Research Institute continuing to do research, there is hope that psilocybin will once again be accepted and applauded. As a therapeutic aid, the history and research is certainly there to help those struggling with various life issues and disorders, as well as pave the way for expanded spirituality and consciousness.
SOURCES
Center for Substance Abuse Research. Psilocybin.
Retrieved from http://www.cesar.umd.edu/cesar/drugs/psilocybin.asp
Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies.
Retrieved from http://www.maps.org/news-letters/v09n4/09410con.bk.html
Drug Policy. Psilocybin Mushrooms Fact Sheet.
The Vaults of Erowid. Psilocybin Mushroom Timeline.
Hopkins Medicine. Single Dose of Hallucinogen May Create Lasting Personality Change.
Retrieved from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/single_dose_of_hallucinogen_may_create_lasting_personality_change/
Imperial College of Science, Technology, and Medicine. Magic Mushrooms May ‘Reset’ The Brains Of Depressed Patients.