THE INFLUENCE OF MAGIC MUSHROOMS ON MENTAL FLEXIBILITY

Rigid and inflexible thought patterns can limit your freedom of being and even contribute to the development of mental symptoms, but magic mushrooms can have a positive impact on mental flexibility. Psilocybin can help loosen these thought patterns. In this blog, we discuss the results of a groundbreaking study on this.

The power of magic mushrooms for greater mental flexibility

In previous years, many people used magic mushrooms recreationally, that is, to experience the magical trip that magic mushrooms can cause. But more and more is also becoming known about the healing power of psilocybin, which can help with various mental disorders, such as depression, addiction, chronic pain and eating disorders. Mushrooms are now even being used in therapeutic settings.

As a result, many people now view magic mushrooms and other mind-altering substances differently. Whereas before they were seen as dangerous and as simple means of tripping, now they can be used as treatment and as a tool on your path to self-development. Mushrooms can therefore contribute to our well-being. They affect our way of thinking, our thought patterns and outlook on life. Now some researchers have delved into this facet of magic mushrooms. To what extent can magic mushrooms support mental flexibility?

Research on magic mushrooms and their influence on thinking patterns

This pilot study was published last April in the Journal of Psychedelic Studies. For this study, participants were given psilocybin in the setting of a group retreat. It looked at the influence of magic mushrooms on mental flexibility. But what exactly is that? Psychological flexibility represents your ability to stay in the now, to be able to react to events in such a way that you can stick to your own values and norms. You can accept difficult situations, stay in the here-and-now and also deal with the thoughts and feelings that will arise. So these are skills that can really benefit you in life.

The study was conducted by Brian Pilecki, Jason Luoma, and Kati M. Lear. What stands out about this study, compared to other studies on psychedelics, is that it looked at the effects of psilocybin in a group of people rather than individuals. The study took place at a retreat and involved 9 participants (3 men and 6 women). So it was a small-scale study. Their ages ranged from 41 to 68. Five did not practice meditation, while four indicated that they did so regularly. All nine had jobs, of which four worked full-time and five part-time.

The researchers collected data from the participants three times, one week before the retreat, and then 2 weeks and 6 months after the retreat. This consisted of administering standard questionnaires to measure psychological flexibility. Cognitive functioning, value-driven behaviour, emotional expression skills, self-compassion and overall well-being were also examined.

Travelling with magic mushrooms

Of course, how much magic mushrooms the participants consumed also mattered. The higher the dose, the more intense the trip. This was also asked in the study. On average, participants took between 5 and 12 grams of dried magic mushrooms. From 5 grams of magic mushrooms onwards, it is referred to as a heroic dose. This term was coined by Terence McKenna, a famous advocate for the wise use of psychedelics.

In this study, each participant had taken a heroic dose of magic mushrooms at some point, a dose so high that you get a very intense trip, experiencing mythical and spiritual revelations. The researchers wanted to measure the changes in psychological flexibility caused by the magic mushrooms. They did this by using questionnaires.

Psilocybin breaks rigid thought patterns

So what does the data collected show? Shrooms can cause a significant decrease in cognitive fusion (a term that stands for being stuck in one's own thoughts and being inside one's head). This decrease was strongly seen in the first two weeks after the retreat and also remained visible in the evaluation that took place six months later.

This shows that after the retreat where participants had used psilocybin, they were better able to detach themselves from their thoughts. They were better able to stay in the now. You probably recognise it, that when you think negatively, you get stuck in negative thoughts that keep going in circles. If you can detach yourself from such thought patterns, you are better able to stay with yourself and your own values. So this is what the 9 participants managed to do now.

They indicated that it was now much easier to live according to their own values. This was reflected in a decrease in "values obstruction" both two weeks and six months after the retreat. This means that a person is better able to act in a way that fits their personal values. The researchers further also saw an increase in compassion for oneself and improvements in emotional expressiveness.

Improving mental flexibility with magic mushrooms

It does appear that there is a link between psilocybin and your ability to connect with your real self, living according to your own values and standards. It is important for people to be able to be authentic. It is almost a prerequisite for living happily and contentedly. This research was only on a small scale and more research is obviously needed. Fortunately, many scientists are curious about the potential of magic mushrooms and those studies will come soon.

Do you want to start using magic mushrooms for your mental flexibility? Then do be careful when experimenting with this yourself. Above all, don't just take a heroic dose if you have no experience with magic mushrooms. This can produce very intense trips that can be overwhelming. Start with a low dose and a mushroom with mild effects. Give yourself time to get used to the effects of magic mushrooms. Slowly build up to higher doses.

Don't see yourself tripping with magic mushrooms? You too can work with the power of magic mushrooms, but by microdosing. You take a very low dose, so you won't hallucinate, but you can still benefit from the effects of magic mushrooms. Check out our shop for our range of microdose truffles.