Emma Wilson
Magic mushrooms, or mushrooms containing the psychedelic compound psilocybin, have been found to cause lasting personality changes in individuals. A single high dose of psilocybin is enough to bring about a measurable personality change lasting at least a year in nearly 60% of participants in a study. The changes observed include increased openness, extroversion, conscientiousness, and insightfulness, and decreased neuroticism. These changes are thought to be caused by the mystical experiences that psilocybin often induces, marked by a sense of profound connectedness, joy, reverence, and peace. While the effects of psilocybin on personality are well-documented, it is important to note that magic mushrooms affect everyone differently and may cause negative side effects such as nausea and panic attacks.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Personality changes | Increased openness, extraversion, conscientiousness, insightfulness, and creativity |
| Decreased neuroticism | |
| Longevity of changes | Lasting change observed for at least 12 months |
| Types of mushrooms | Psilocybe cubensis, Psilocybe semilanceata, Psilocybe cyanescens, Psilocybe hispanica |
| Types of experiences | Mystical, spiritual, blissful, unity, insightful |
| Effects | Nausea, panic attacks, altered sense of time, perceptual distortions, thinking processes |
| Brain function changes | Reduced negative mood, increased positive mood, reduced amygdala response to negative stimuli |
| Number of participants in studies | 12, 51 |
| Drug administration | Oral, 10mg and 25mg one week apart, 25mg/70kg |
| Study design | Controlled, open-label, within-subjects, pilot |
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What You'll Learn
Psilocybin causes mystical experiences
Psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, has been shown to induce mystical-type experiences in users. These experiences are profound and often characterised by a sense of unity and sacredness, sometimes interpreted as an encounter with God or Ultimate Reality. Such experiences have been described by mystics and religious figures throughout history, and psilocybin mushrooms have been used for thousands of years in religious ceremonies and rituals.
In recent times, researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have conducted studies that support the idea that psilocybin can induce mystical experiences and subsequently lead to lasting personality changes. In one study, 51 individuals underwent two to five eight-hour psilocybin sessions, with a three-week interval between each session. During these sessions, participants lay down on a couch, wore an eye mask, and listened to music while concentrating on an inner experience. Thirty of these volunteers were deemed to have had a mystical experience, according to the researchers' criteria.
The mystical experience induced by psilocybin has been described as having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance. Volunteers in studies have reported that the experience was among the most personally meaningful and spiritually significant experiences of their lives, leading to positive changes in attitudes, mood, altruism, behaviour, and life satisfaction. These experiences have been shown to be similar to spontaneously occurring mystical experiences.
The effects of psilocybin on personality traits are also notable. Studies have found that psilocybin administration leads to numerical increases in openness and extroversion, while neuroticism decreases. These changes in personality traits are consistent with previous effects of psilocybin and other psychedelic drugs. The increase in conscientiousness was found to be the strongest effect of psilocybin on Big-Five personality traits.
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Changes in personality traits
Psilocybin, the active ingredient in "magic mushrooms", has been found to bring about changes in personality traits. A study conducted by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, found that individuals who ingested psilocybin exhibited increased openness about their feelings and the way they perceived things. The study involved 51 individuals who underwent two to five eight-hour psilocybin sessions, with a three-week interval between each session.
The results revealed that psilocybin led to an increase in the personality trait of openness, which includes traits related to imagination, aesthetics, feelings, abstract ideas, and broad-mindedness. This finding is particularly notable because degrees of openness are generally considered to remain constant throughout an individual's lifetime. The increase in openness was also larger in magnitude than changes typically observed in healthy adults over decades of life experiences.
In addition to the increase in openness, psilocybin has also been found to lead to decreases in neuroticism and increases in extraversion and conscientiousness. These changes were predicted by the degree of insightfulness experienced during the psilocybin session. The researchers also noted that the changes in neuroticism and conscientiousness were consistent with what has been observed in patients responding to antidepressant treatment.
It is important to note that the effects of psilocybin on personality traits may be influenced by the nature of the acute experience. Individuals who reported having a "mystical experience" while under the influence of psilocybin were more likely to exhibit changes in their personality traits. These mystical experiences were marked by a sense of profound connectedness, along with feelings of joy, reverence, and peace.
While the findings suggest that psilocybin can lead to lasting changes in personality traits, it is important to approach these substances with caution. Psilocybin is a psychedelic drug that can cause altered perceptions and cognition, and it may not be suitable for everyone. Additionally, the long-term effects of psilocybin on personality traits are still being studied, and more research is needed to fully understand the potential risks and benefits of using psilocybin for therapeutic purposes.
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Psilocybin-facilitated therapy
In terms of its effects on personality, psilocybin has been found to induce lasting changes. Research suggests that psilocybin increases insightfulness, which is strongly linked to subsequent changes in personality. Specifically, psilocybin has been associated with decreases in neuroticism and increases in extraversion, conscientiousness, and openness. These changes in personality traits can be understood through the five-factor model of personality, with openness being one of the five main traits that span all cultures.
The increases in extraversion and conscientiousness observed in psilocybin-facilitated therapy are consistent with the effects of antidepressant treatments. However, the more pronounced increases in extraversion and openness may be unique to psilocybin therapy compared to other interventions. Individuals who have undergone psilocybin therapy report being more open about their feelings, more focused on creativity and curiosity, and more appreciative of artistic endeavours.
The Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research is at the forefront of exploring the therapeutic potential of psilocybin. Their research has found that psilocybin, when used in a controlled and monitored setting, can help treat substance use disorders, facilitate smoking cessation, and provide relief from anxiety and depression, particularly in patients with cancer.
While psilocybin has shown efficacy in treating various mental health disorders and facilitating personality changes, it is important to note that it can also cause adverse effects, including nausea and panic attacks. Therefore, it should be administered in a regulated space facilitated by a medical team to ensure the safety of those undergoing psilocybin-facilitated therapy.
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Short-term intervention with long-lasting personality changes
Psilocybin, the compound in "magic mushrooms" that causes hallucinations and feelings of transcendence, has been found to alter personality traits. While previous studies have noted trait absorption to be a predictor of response to psychedelic drugs, psilocybin administration may lead to a shift in absorption.
A study conducted by Roland Griffiths involving 51 individuals who underwent two to five eight-hour psilocybin sessions, with a three-week interval between each session, found that psilocybin may facilitate experiences that change how people perceive themselves and their environment. The study is the first of its kind to find a short-term intervention with long-lasting personality changes.
During the sessions, participants lay down on a couch, wore an eye mask, and listened to music through headphones while concentrating on an inner experience. Their personalities were screened at the beginning of the studies and then during a two-month and 12-month follow-up. Thirty of the volunteers had a mystical experience, according to the researchers' criteria gathered from a set of psychological scales.
The study found that psilocybin led to numerical increases in openness and extroversion and numerical decreases in neuroticism. These changes were consistent with previous effects of psilocybin on Big-Five personality traits, but the strongest effect of psilocybin on Big-Five traits was an increase in conscientiousness.
The researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA, wrote in the Journal of Psychopharmacology that those who had mystical experiences while on psilocybin were more likely to exhibit certain personality changes, making them more forthcoming about their feelings, becoming more focused on being creative, curious, and appreciative of artistic things.
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Psilocybin's effect on brain function
Psilocybin, the psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms, has been shown to have a range of effects on brain function. One of the most notable effects is the desynchronization of the brain, particularly in the default mode network (DMN). The DMN is associated with internal thoughts and a person's sense of time, space, and self. Psilocybin reduces functional connectivity (FC) in the DMN, which may reflect lasting changes in hippocampus circuits involved with the perception of self. This could help the brain adapt and become more flexible, potentially reorganizing into a healthier state.
Psilocybin also increases glutamate signalling and glucose metabolism, broadly decreases the power of electrophysiological signals, reduces hemodynamic fluctuations, and decreases segregation between functional networks. These changes can lead to altered perceptions of time, space, and self, as well as changes in mood and sensory experiences.
In terms of specific brain regions, psilocybin has been shown to affect the cerebral cortex, thalamus, hippocampus, and cerebellum. The greatest changes in FC were observed in the hippocampus and DMN. These changes may be related to the therapeutic effects of psilocybin, which has been shown to have potential in the treatment of mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Research has also found that psilocybin can lead to changes in personality traits. Increases in extraversion, openness, and conscientiousness, as well as decreases in neuroticism, have been observed after psilocybin administration. These changes may be related to the insightfulness experienced during the psychedelic experience. However, it is important to note that the effects of psilocybin on brain function are still not fully understood, and more research is needed to determine the potential therapeutic benefits and risks associated with its use.
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Frequently asked questions
Magic mushrooms are mushrooms that contain psilocybin, a psychedelic compound that causes hallucinations and feelings of transcendence.
Magic mushrooms have been found to increase a person's openness, which includes traits related to imagination, aesthetics, feelings, abstract ideas, and broad-mindedness. They may also increase extraversion and conscientiousness while decreasing neuroticism.
Yes, the personality changes appear to be long-lasting, with some studies finding that changes persisted for at least a year after a single dose of psilocybin.
Magic mushrooms should be avoided by people with a personal or family history of psychotic disorders, as they can increase the risk of developing psychosis in those individuals. They may also not be suitable for people with certain types of heart disease or liver problems.
