Magic mushrooms and meditation can alleviate depression
Magic mushrooms contain psilocybin, which can trigger feelings of bliss and unity
Keystone
Researchers in Zurich have shown that, in the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders, meditation can enhance the positive long-term effects of a single dose of psilocybin, which is found in certain mushrooms.
It has long been known that hallucinogens such as LSD or psilocybin, the active ingredient in “magic mushrooms”, alter the perception of those who take them.
“The boundaries between the self and the world begin to dissolve and feelings of bliss and unity are triggered,” researchers at the University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich wrote in a statementExternal link on Thursday.
“Such experiences of self-transcendence and reduced self-focus are similar to those brought about by mindfulness meditation. They can reduce stress, prompt feelings of enduring happiness and increase empathy and altruism.”
The scientists have now for the first time examined the potential synergistic effects of combining mindfulness meditation and psilocybin.
They recruited 40 meditation experts who were taking part in a five-day mindfulness retreat. In the double-blind study, the participants were administered either a single dose of psilocybin or a placebo on the fourth day of the group retreat.
The researchers was able to show that mindfulness meditation increased the positive effects of psilocybin, while counteracting possible dysphoric responses to the psychedelic experience.
New therapeutic avenues
“Psilocybin markedly increased the incidence and intensity of self-transcendence virtually without inducing any anxiety compared to participants who received the placebo,” says first author Lukasz Smigielski, who conducted the study directed by Franz Vollenweider.
At the four-month follow-up, the meditation experts who had been given psilocybin demonstrated more beneficial changes in psychosocial functioning, better self-acceptance and more empathy than the placebo control group.
“Our findings shed light on the interplay between pharmacological and extra-pharmacological factors in psychedelic states of mind,” says Vollenweider.
“They indicate that mindfulness training enhances the positive effects of a single dose of psilocybin and can increase empathy and permanently reduce ego-centricity. This opens up new therapeutic avenues, for example for the treatment of depression, which is often accompanied by increased self-focus and social deficits.”
Popular Stories
More
Swiss Abroad
How centuries of Swiss emigrants left their mark on the US
Bodycams: essential for good law enforcement, or a privacy risk?
Did you ever come across bodycams in your place of residence and if so, how do you think the use of bodycams alter the relationship between the public and (transport) police?
This content was published on
Swiss wheelchair racer Catherine Debrunner won the 5,000 metres to bring home Switzerland’s first gold medal at the Paralympics in Paris.
This content was published on
Emotions help individuals adjust to the environment and react to stress and strain, but are also needed for cognitive processes, physiological reactions and social behavior. They are linked to the part of the brain known as the limbic system, especially the amygdala. These almond-shaped sections of the brain are involved in memory and decision-making, but…
This content was published on
Basel scientists have published a study showing links between LSD and negative emotions, results which could be used to treat depression and anxiety.
This content was published on
Research into the effects of psychedelics, used in the past in psychiatry, has been restricted in recent decades because of the negative connotations of drugs, but the scientists said more studies into their clinical potential were now justified. The researchers said recent brain imaging studies show that psychedelics such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), ketamine…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.