Magic Shroom Study Room

Table of Contents

• Optimization Insight: Pluses and Minuses

• Shroom Boom: The Positives are Notable

• Shroom Gloom: The Mechanics of Belief

• The Research Rabbit Hole

  • Counterpoints

• LSD: Switzerland, Russia, Langley, and Harvard

• Shroom Doom: My Macrodosed Years

For those who are new here, I publish research on optimization methods, supplements, and strategies each week. I am not a medical professional or an expert, rather I am a passionate consumer. Optimizer is designed to help lay people like you and me decode the medical journals, marketing speak, and influencer messaging.

Optimization Insight: Pluses and Minuses

Can plant medicine cure all ills? And if so, is it worth the baggage?

Psychoactive substances weave their magic by tinkering with the nervous system, shifting everything from our perceptions and emotions to how we think and experience reality itself. They can dial down the noise of the mind or crank up its volume; they can broaden our mental horizons or narrow them; fundamentally reshaping our interaction with the world through our senses, memories, and the fresh data life throws at us.

Take your pick from the psychoactive smorgasbord – the buzz of caffeine, the otherworldly visions induced by LSD, or the calming embrace of barbiturates – these compounds wield the power to profoundly alter our inner landscape.

It's so transformative, in fact, that some scholars muse the very roots of religion and spirituality might be entangled with their use. Diving into the brain science of it all, especially with something like LSD, is a trip in itself. Born from the Ergot fungus's molecular guts, LSD flips the switch on specific dopamine and serotonin receptors. We're still mapping out its cerebral journey, but it's clear it lights up a constellation of brain areas, not least those that govern our visual experiences – hence the stereotypical psychedelic visuals. This theme of mind expansion through serotonin receptors' engagement is a shared thread among many psychedelics, each tweaking the brain's wiring in its unique way.

I have no personal issue with scientists employing these relatively new substances to better humanity, I do hold an issue with enthusiasts who have used plant medicines to leave one cult behind for another.

Of all of the research that I prepared for this, a cautious anecdote in one story stood out above the rest. Published in February 2023, the Associated Press’ Michael Casey visited a town in Hillsdale, Utah. Once known for a polygamous sect of Mormonism, the town is now there to serve a new type of faith — the faith of psychedelics.

The AP story reflects broader themes of people turning to alternative spiritual and therapeutic practices when they believe that traditional religion fails them, and the challenges and controversies surrounding the legality and safety of such practices. Despite the legal risks and potential dangers of unregulated ceremonies, participants report significant benefits, including improved mental health and a deeper sense of “spiritual connection.” The article also touched on the complex legal landscape in the U.S., where ayahuasca’s use in a religious context has been protected by court decisions, despite the active ingredient DMT remaining illegal under federal law.

Shroom Boom: The Positives are Notable

Psychedelics have potential therapeutic benefits, sure, but publicly-available research is needed to fully understand the full implication of participating in this treatment.