{"id":94797,"date":"2023-03-13T12:24:41","date_gmt":"2023-03-13T16:24:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=94797"},"modified":"2026-04-28T14:54:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T18:54:11","slug":"magic-mushrooms-for-depression","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/magic-mushrooms-for-depression\/","title":{"rendered":"Magic Mushrooms for Depression: Benefits &amp; Risks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Did you know you can take magic mushrooms for depression? What are the benefits of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-are-psychedelic-drugs\/\">using psychedelics<\/a> for treating mental illness? Are there risks?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For years, people have been using psychedelics to treat mental illnesses such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/low-mood-and-anxiety\/\">depression and anxiety<\/a>. If you think this treatment might be right for you or a loved one, check out Merlin Sheldrake&#8217;s book <em>Entangled Life<\/em>, which provides important information about using magic mushrooms for depression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Below we&#8217;ll look at the benefits of psychedelic treatment for mental illness as well as the risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-benefits-of-psilocybin-for-mental-illness\">The Benefits of <strong>Psilocybin<\/strong> for Mental Illness<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Sheldrake, there\u2019s strong evidence that <strong>psilocybin mushrooms\u2014also known as magic mushrooms\u2014can effectively treat mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. <\/strong>These mushrooms naturally contain psilocybin, a psychedelic compound. Human use of psilocybin isn\u2019t new: Many indigenous cultures have used it (and continue to use it) for spiritual traditions and medicine. However, the scientific study of magic mushrooms for depression and anxiety is relatively new\u2014most studies have been conducted in only the past several decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: Some scientists argue that <a href=\"https:\/\/akjournals.com\/view\/journals\/2054\/4\/1\/article-p4.xml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">research on psychedelics such as psilocybin is often exclusionary<\/a>. They say that scientists who study psilocybin and other psychedelics often fail to credit indigenous people for their knowledge of and experience with psychedelics. They also critique how this research is run, arguing that white people are overrepresented among the participants enlisted to benefit from psychedelics. They propose making this field more inclusive by involving indigenous communities in designing and implementing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/psychedelic-research\/\">research on psychedelics<\/a>. This argument adds a new dimension to Sheldrake\u2019s claim that we should invest more in researching fungi: We should also invest more in making that research more inclusive.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many recent scientific studies reveal that psilocybin offers both short-term and long-term benefits for patients suffering from mental illnesses such as depression:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Short-term benefits:<\/strong> While they\u2019re under the influence of psilocybin, patients report experiencing feelings of bliss, amazement, and connection to the universe. (Shortform note: A recent study suggests that psilocybin might also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41398-021-01335-5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">boost your creativity<\/a> while you\u2019re under its influence.)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Long-term benefits:<\/strong> Patients also report having an improved outlook on life and fewer symptoms associated with depression and other mental illnesses.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>How does psilocybin cause these positive effects? Research shows that this compound reduces activity in people\u2019s default mode network (DMN), a part of the brain associated with self-awareness and self-related thoughts. When psilocybin suppresses activity in the DMN, other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-are-the-regions-of-the-brain\/\">areas of the brain<\/a> begin connecting. This changes your thinking in two main ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/your-ego\/\">Your ego<\/a> fades. <\/strong>You think less about yourself (such as your identity and limits), and you instead think about the world around you and how interconnected it is. (Shortform note: One study reveals that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC7167214\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">this effect only happens if you take a medium to high dose of psilocybin<\/a>; by contrast, low doses lead you to think about yourself <em>more<\/em>.)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>You \u201coffroad\u201d beyond your well-worn thinking pathways.<\/strong> For instance, if you\u2019re typically pessimistic, you may find yourself having more optimistic thoughts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: Sheldrake describes in depth how psilocybin suppresses activity in the DMN, but he doesn\u2019t explore in depth the role psilocybin plays in the next step\u2014the formation of new connections in your brain. A recent study involving mice found that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/health-shots\/2022\/12\/27\/1145306096\/psychedelic-drugs-psychiatric-disorders-brain-research\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">psilocybin changed the mice\u2019s <em>dendrites<\/em><\/a>\u2014the part of a neuron that connects it to other cells. Specifically, psilocybin increased the number of spines extending from the dendrites, making it more likely they\u2019ll form new and more connections with other neurons. This research suggests that psilocybin can contribute to <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/science\/what-is-neuroplasticity-and-how-does-it-work\/\">neuroplasticity<\/a><\/em>: a rewiring of the brain. This may explain, for example, how psilocybin can cause long-term changes, such as making you more optimistic.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Popularity and Risks of Psilocybin<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In recent years, <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/article\/psychedelics-miracle-cure-or-unacceptable-risk-shortform-explainers-shortform\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">there\u2019s been a rise<\/a> in the number of cities, states, and countries legalizing or decriminalizing the use of psilocybin, making it easier for people with mental illnesses to access these long-term benefits. For example, Colorado <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/data-graphics\/magic-mushrooms-psilocybin-map-colorado-us-states-rcna55980\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">legalized recreational psilocybin use in late 2022<\/a>. Other places have legalized psilocybin for medical uses only. For instance, in early 2023, Australia <a href=\"https:\/\/www.voanews.com\/a\/australia-to-legalize-mdma-and-magic-mushrooms-for-medical-use-\/6946230.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">made it legal for psychiatrists to prescribe psilocybin<\/a> for patients with depression and PTSD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While psilocybin is gaining popularity as a treatment, it\u2019s not without its risks. Sheldrake extols the benefits of this substance but doesn\u2019t explore in depth what these risks are. According to experts and psilocybin users, <a href=\"https:\/\/tripsitter.com\/magic-mushrooms\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">you can experience the following temporary states and side effects while high on psilocybin<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Having a \u201cbad trip,\u201d<\/strong> which can make you feel anxious and paranoid. Overdosing can increase your chances of having a bad trip.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Discomfort,<\/strong> such as headaches, nausea, and stomach pain<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Changes in your body,<\/strong> such as dilated pupils, increased heart rate, and weakness<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Fortunately, these risks are unlikely to cause fatalities: As of 2020, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC7034876\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">there were no reported deaths from psilocybin use<\/a>. However, experts and users still advise proceeding with caution and doing ample research before using psilocybin, <a href=\"https:\/\/tripsitter.com\/magic-mushrooms\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">especially if you have a pre-existing condition<\/a> such as a seizure disorder or a heart condition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Did you know you can take magic mushrooms for depression? What are the benefits of using psychedelics for treating mental illness? Are there risks? For years, people have been using psychedelics to treat mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. If you think this treatment might be right for you or a loved one, check out Merlin Sheldrake&#8217;s book Entangled Life, which provides important information about using magic mushrooms for depression. Below we&#8217;ll look at the benefits of psychedelic treatment for mental illness as well as the risks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":76176,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,160],"tags":[928],"class_list":["post-94797","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-psychology","category-science","tag-entangled-life","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Magic Mushrooms for Depression: Benefits &amp; Risks - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Psychedelics can offer more than just a high. Using magic mushrooms for depression has been shown to help. 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