Psychedelic mushrooms change the personality

Study: Magic Mushrooms change the personality for years

10/11/2011

US researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland have studied the effect of psychedelic mushrooms and found that the intoxicating effect of the so-called magic mushrooms affects the personality significantly longer than previously thought. In addition, the US psychologists have in terms of personality traits „openness“ proven positive effects of the mushroom trip.

The hallucinogenic effects of the Magic Mushrooms lasts only a few hours, but just one year after the mushroom trip, the researchers led by Roland Griffiths of the Johns Hopkins University found a personality-altering effect of the fungi. The personality is going through the magic mushrooms especially in the field, „which is called openness“ permanently changed, report Roland Griffiths and colleagues in the current issue of the journal „Journal of Psychopharmacology“. This is particularly surprising, since the openness usually decreases with increasing age, explained the study director.

More open personality through magic mushrooms
Immediately after consuming the Magic Mushrooms, according to the researchers, a hallucinogenic effect with effects such as increased visual acuity and extreme sensitivity to light sets in. The hallucinogenic effect, however, the US psychologists hold it - despite the risks of a so-called horror trip - for little cause for concern, but they also quite positive effects. According to Roland Griffiths and colleagues, 60 percent of the study participants were much more open-minded one year after eating mushrooms.

As part of their investigation, the US scientists put 51 mentally healthy volunteer study participants several times in a mushroom rush. According to the researchers, the psilocin contained in the magic mushrooms caused similar levels of intoxication as the drug LSD. Due to this mind-altering effect, the magic mushrooms fall under the law of narcotics in most countries, as well as in Germany, and both the sale and the possession are prohibited. Regardless of the current legal situation, the US researchers have investigated the personality-changing effects of the magic mushrooms in more detail in order to identify potential risks and medical applications. In the laboratory, the study participants were repeatedly sent to a mushroom trip of eight hours each and the procedure repeated after at least three weeks, explained the US psychologists their approach. In all tests, a control group received mushrooms with no hallucinogenic effect, with participants and physicians not knowing which subjects actually received psychedelic mushrooms.

Personality tests make changes measurable
To assess the effects of the mushroom trip on the personality, the scientists performed a personality test with the subjects prior to the first session and after completion of the experiments. In this test, they were also called „Big Five“ designated areas of the character measured: extraversion, conscientiousness, neuroticism (tendency to neurosis), openness and tolerability. One year after the last mushroom trip, the personality tests showed a clear positive effect, especially with regard to the openness of the test persons, the researchers write „Journal of Psychopharmacology“. The US psychologists come to the conclusion that the „mystical experiences“ have measurably changed the openness of study participants. Under „openness“ according to the experts, properties such as imagination, generosity and the sense of aesthetics are to be understood. These long-term effects of the magic mushrooms could also have a therapeutic benefit according to the US scientists. For example, Roland Griffiths hovers a use of psilocin for the treatment of cancer patients suffering from anxiety or depression.

Serious side effects of Magic Mushrooms
However, before any medical treatment can be considered, US psychologists believe that the side effects of consuming the magic mushrooms may be related. The subjects had partly reported significant anxiety during the mushroom noise, which when taking the „Hallucinogens in a less well-supervised environment lead to dangerous behavior“ could, Roland Griffiths and colleagues report. In addition to the states of anxiety that were recorded in the personality test under the point neuroticism, so-called horror trips are to be feared, especially in mentally unstable people with a depressive mood. Here, too, the effect can go far beyond the actual state of intoxication, so that years after the mushroom trip personality disorders occur or those affected suffer from recurrent negative flashbacks, the US researchers said. There is a danger that these people on the mushroom trip downright „get stuck“. In addition, according to the US researchers also harmless side effects such as palpitations, circulatory problems, nausea and vomiting may occur when eating magic mushrooms. Therefore, the US psychologists did not want to make a final judgment and Griffiths stressed that it is not yet clear whether the results are transferable to the total population. In addition, the current study provides only evidence of therapeutic benefits of magic mushrooms, but was not representative with its 51 participants, said the US researchers. In Germany, the possession and trading of mushrooms containing psilocybin is prohibited regardless of the purpose of the property. (Fp)

Image: Patrick Ullrich