Over 60% of volunteers in a rigorous trial funded by the American government said that one magic mushroom session gave them a full mystical experience and several months of happiness. Magic mushrooms are also known as psychedelic mushrooms. The researchers, from John Hopkins University, Baltimore, wanted to find out what the neurological mechanisms and effects of psilocybin were. They were exploring psilocybin as a possible therapeutic compound. Psilocybin is the hallucinogenic agent found in magic mushrooms.

The research was funded by the U.S. National Institute of Drug Abuse and the Council on Spiritual Practices.

I don’t recommend using psychotropic drugs or other pharmaceutical means to achieve altered states of mind because such drugs tend to be uncontrollable. That is, you take the drug and then, if you have a bad “trip”, you must wait for the drug to exit your system before you can expect any relief.

I’ve worked with several people who have had bad LSD trips in which they were traumatized by the experience and needed help to overcome the effects of the trauma. Prominent among those feelings was the awful realization that they could not escape the effects of the drugs until the drug either exited their bodies or the person died – one fellow was sure he was going to die or worse after taking 3 LSD tablets. He was horror stricken at the thought that he’d have to endure unspeakable mind terrors with no end in sight.
I remain unchanged in my opinion – I don’t like psychotropic drugs of any kind. I admit the value of those drugs prescribed to control serious psychological conditions like schizophrenia and other pathologies. But for recreation – I say, “find a way to experience your spirituality that gives you more control of the trip.” Spirituality in the above study was probably nothing more than a “tickling” of the brain structures previously shown to enduce spiritual experiences in brain surgery patients. In those cases, “spiritual” experiences were nothing more than halucinations.

You don’t need “Magic Mushrooms” to have a truly spiritual experience. Self-inquiry along with some tenacity and maybe some professional help can bring about therapeutic results destined to be of value.