Psilocybin Essays

  • Psilocybin and Body Changes

    1772 Words  | 4 Pages

    Psilocybin and Body Changes Physiological (Whole Body) Changes Psilocybin, the active psychotomimetic, hallucinogenic chemical found in the psilocybe genus of mushrooms, is absorbed through the mouth and stomach and is a monoamine-related substance (Levitt 1975, Grilly, 1998). This means that psilocybin's biochemical effects are mediated by changes in the activity of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine in the central nervous system (made up of the brain and the spinal cord) primarily

  • Psilocybin Research Paper

    810 Words  | 2 Pages

    Psilocybin, C12H17N2O4P, is a psychedelic compound. It is classified as an alkaloid that is soluble in water, methanol, and and aqueous ethanol, but insoluble in organic solvents like chloroform and petroleum ether. Aqueous solutions of psilocybin when exposed to light will significantly decrease in stability and rapidly oxidize. This property is an important consideration in using the solution as an analytical standard.1 It also has high melting point, about 20–228 °C (428–442 °F) and a molar mass

  • Chemistry of Psilocybin and Synaptic Transmitters Involved

    1779 Words  | 4 Pages

    Chemistry of Psilocybin and Synaptic Transmitters Involved Psilocybin is a type of hallucinogenic mushroom that is ingested by eating the raw fungi. The mushroom can also be made into a tea and drunk. In some of the later studies done on psilocybin, the drug was synthetically produced and then either inhaled or injected by an IV. The drug enters the blood stream and can cross the blood brain barrier because of it relative metabolic similarity to serotonin (Fuller 1985). This means that

  • Psilocybin and its Many Uses

    1026 Words  | 3 Pages

    have a unique chemical inside of them. Psilocybin or its chemical name Dihydrogen Phospate is a naturally occuring compound with strong Psychoactive properties. Psilocybin Mushrooms or more commonly referred to as "Shrooms, Magic Mushrooms etc" have been used by many different cultures in varies ways. The early Mesoamericans used them for communion in religious and healing ceremonies. During the era of The Hippie Movement people experimented with Psilocybin for recreation and experience vivid "trips"

  • Medical Use of Psilocybin

    1089 Words  | 3 Pages

    discovered the use of psilocybin mushroom in spiritual ceremonies by Indian tribes. Upon experiencing the spiritual and hallucinatory effects of the mushroom, Wasson returned to the area accompanied by an experienced mycologist, Roger Heim, who managed to cultivate the mushroom once in France and send samples of it to the scientist who had discovered lysergic acid, Albert Hoffman. From the mushrooms, Hoffman successfully isolated two compounds which he further named psilocybin and psilocin. Analogs

  • Part of the Neuron Affected, Inhibitory or Excitatory Potential Changes and Ion Channels Affected by Psilocybin

    1636 Words  | 4 Pages

    Changes and Ion Channels Affected by Psilocybin Psilocybin belongs to the classification of drugs called hallucinogens. Hallucinogens typically act by stimulating serotonin receptors at different times or for longer durations than serotonin itself would (Kalat 2004). When psilocybin enters the brain, the enzyme alkaline breaks down one of its phosphate groups through hydrolysis. It then becomes psilocin, an even stronger hallucinogen (Psilocybin 2003). It is particularly potent due to

  • Timothy Leary

    1255 Words  | 3 Pages

    Timothy Francis Leary (October 22, 1920 – May 31, 1996) was an American writer, psychologist, futurist, and advocate of psychedelic drug research and use, and one of the first people whose remains have been sent into space. An icon of 1960s counterculture, Leary is most famous as a proponent of the therapeutic and spiritual benefits of LSD. He coined and popularized the catch phrase "Turn on, tune in, drop out." Contents [hide] 1 Biography 1.1 Early life 1.2 Psychedelic experiments and experiences

  • The Snow Leopard

    784 Words  | 2 Pages

    true experience of the One.1 This passage comes from The Snow Leopard, by Peter Matthiessen. In this passage Matthiessen describes what he has learned from the experiences he had with hallucinogenic drugs, such as ayahuasca, LSD, mescaline, and psilocybin. He is concerned mostly with the spiritual nature of such drugs, and reveals that while drugs are always harmful, they can provide a starting point for spiritual growth. Hallucinogens clear 'old mists';(47); they let you perceive yourself without

  • Psychedelic Drugs Essay

    2614 Words  | 6 Pages

    compared to other options. The results of the medical trials that have been performed show success rates that are astronomically higher than the current treatment options. Even with incredibly painful conditions like cluster headaches, LSD and psilocybin are the only drugs that have been proven to not only halt a cluster headache attack, but that can also put the patient in a state of remission for future attacks. The rescheduling or decriminalization of these drugs for medical uses opens up the

  • Hallucinogens

    1484 Words  | 3 Pages

    the brain though. Some hallucinogens occur naturally in trees, vines, seeds, fungi and leaves. Others are made in laboratories by mixing different chemical substances. LSD or acid is one of the most common, well-known hallucinogens. Psilocin or Psilocybin mushrooms, Mescaline or Peyote, MDMA, Bufotenine, Morning Glory seeds, Jimson weed, PCP and DMT are less common psychedelics with effects similar to LSD. PCP and Ketamine are drugs with hallucinogenic properties. Some drugs, such as cannabis, can

  • Psychedelic Drugs and Their Influence on Creativity and Spirituality

    2719 Words  | 6 Pages

    revelations is not new, and has actually been going on for hundreds of years. The Native American Church has been known to traditionally use psychedelic drugs for spiritual experiences (Moro et al. 190). Some Mexican tribes are also known to ingest psilocybin mushrooms in order to induce religious awakenings (Moro et al. 190). To further prove his argument, Levente Moro conducted an online survey amongst 667 random people. His results suggested that people still take psychedelic drugs in order to have

  • Mind Over Matter: Psychedelic Drugs

    1178 Words  | 3 Pages

    Psychedelics have always been a controversial subject in the world of drugs because they have the ability to alter one’s perception of reality. L.S.D, MDMA, and psilocybin are three of the main types of psychedelics on the drug market, all three of which are listed as schedule 1 by the DEA. A schedule 1 drug is considered to have a high addiction risk, has no medical value whatsoever, and is illegal to have in your possession. A schedule 2 drug is considered to have the potential for both medical

  • Argumentative Essay On Psilocybin

    1388 Words  | 3 Pages

    Today people are using psilocybin as form of treatment because it is free, natural, safe, and effective in it’s application to battle and cure many serious illnesses and psychological disorders. In 1958 Albert Hoffman, the famous scientist to first isolate lysergic acid diethylamide or LSD, took on the feat of isolating psilocybin, a compound found in mushrooms ingested in spiritual rituals in Oaxaca, Mexico. There are over 200 mushrooms with the compound called psilocybin, 4-phosphoryloxy- N,N –dimethyltryptamine

  • Psilocybin And The Magic Mushroom

    620 Words  | 2 Pages

    plants. These plants are known to host a potent hallucinogen, by the name of psilocybin. It is believed that these “magic mushrooms” have been around longer than modern humans and have been used by many ancient civilizations. Statues depicting religious use of Psilocybe plants have been found as far back as 1,000 B.C. (Tomov 917). After a publication in Life magazine in 1957, detailing the findings of a plant named the “Psilocybin Mushroom”, it became a major drug craze in the US and England. It was widely

  • The Narcotic Effects of Morning Glory

    838 Words  | 2 Pages

    The flowering plant, Convolvulaceae, or more commonly know as, Morning Glory has always been known as somewhat of a nuisance in the eyes of many people. From the death of beloved family pets, to kids tripping on its seeds, the plant itself often remains a mystery of what it actually is. It's flowers can range from a pearly white color, or even “heavenly blue”, and people often grow these plants for merely ornamental purposes. However, there are others out their whom believe that the psychotropic

  • Magic Mushrooms Informative Speech

    866 Words  | 2 Pages

    Psilocybin mushrooms, more commonly known as “shrooms” or “magic mushrooms”, are a psychoactive drug that contains psychedelic compounds psilocybin and psilocin, which inhibit brain activity and ultimately create a euphoric experience for users. It is commonly noted that individuals who take this drug will experience hallucinations that vary in intensity, and visual effects that essentially dissolve boundaries between objects. Extensive research has been done by scientists and psychiatrists in

  • Let's Discuss Sweden's Psychedelic Culture

    1514 Words  | 4 Pages

    Whenever Sweden is discussed in books, the media or in conversation, very rarely is anything said of its psychedelic culture. Yet if one takes a deeper look one will actually find a mycelium of scientists, artists, writers, hippies and freethinkers who were at some point shaped by psychedelics. It is presumable that most people outside of Sweden only think of successful exports such as IKEA, ABBA and Ingmar Bergman when the country is mentioned. However, there is more to Sweden than mass-produced

  • Psychedelic Drugs

    1370 Words  | 3 Pages

    Psilocybin is a natural “serotonergic agonist and hallucinogen” used for hundreds of years for inducing “spiritual experiences in religious and medical rituals.” (Kometer 2015) Researchers interested in this unique drug yearned to more thoroughly understand the effects of Psilocybin on the neuronal basis of consciousness. To better understand the effects, they arranged 50 healthy volunteers, some of which received psilocybin or and the rest a placebo. In order

  • Essay On Hallucinogenic Drugs

    2484 Words  | 5 Pages

    It is said that everybody has their own type of medicine that works for them, however on certain occasions not all of these medicines are prescribed and many strongly oppose for this type of medicine to be used. John Lennon was one of the many who used un-prescribed medicine. Lennon and many others agree that the use of hallucinogenic drugs peacefully cleared their mind and made them understand what they meant to the world and connected them to everything around them in a deeper level. Which lead

  • Hallucinogen Impact On Art Essay

    576 Words  | 2 Pages

    Fig 3. “Psilocybin Mushrooms” (Saunders) Artist Bryan Lewis Saunders took ninety-one drugs and created corresponding self-portraits out of curiosity to experiment how drugs could change his perception of reality. CNN, an American news channel, claims “[t]he idea came to him in August 2001 when he swallowed a Valium, then Butalbital, a barbiturate, the following day. Over one period Saunders took 18 drugs in 11 days” (Page). In Fig. 2, Lewis had taken LSD, and in Fig. 3, he had taken Psilocybin