Psychedelic compounds in 'magic mushrooms' can permanently alter personality

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Scientists at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) in Baltimore, Md., have taken a keen interest in "magic mushrooms," a type of mushroom that contains a hallucinogenic compound known as psilocybin. For the second time this year, they have published a study on the effects of consuming psilocybin, this time explaining how even a single dose can permanently alter one's personality for the better, they claim.

The same team that discovered the ability of magic mushrooms to provide lasting, positive mental health benefits without causing negative side effects has once again confirmed the incredible power of psilocybin to alter the way a person thinks -- but this time, the personality of the individual underwent noticeable changes.

Published in the journal Psychopharmacology, the new study found that when normal, healthy volunteers were given doses of psilocybin, roughly 60 percent of them developed a new type of "openness" to their personalities that was not there prior, and that lasted indefinitely. And in some cases, even a single dose of the compound was enough to do the trick.

"Now this finding is really quite fascinating," said one of the study authors Dr. Roland Griffiths, a professor in the department of psychiatry and neuroscience at JHU, concerning the discovery. "And that is because personality is considered a stable characteristic of the psychology of people. It's been thought to be relatively immutable, and stable across the lifespan."

The double-blind, placebo-controlled study also found that the only area of personality affected by the substance was openness -- neuroticism, extroversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness, for instance, all appeared unchanged in the presence of psilocybin, which means that the compound's effects are practically all positive.

The team stressed that further research is needed on psilocybin, and recommends that people not experiment with the mushroom on their own in the meantime. They also cautioned that psilocybin can be dangerous, especially in people with underlying mental conditions. Even in a carefully controlled setting, about one-third of the participants in the study experienced high levels of anxiety after taking the drug. But through the help of the study “guides” and the calming atmosphere of the controlled trial, everyone overcame the anxiety and not a single participant reported lasting ill effects from the experience.





 
Sources:
http://yourlife.usatoday.com/health...

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/10/03/drug-in-magic-mushrooms-linked-to-long-lasting-personality-change-for-the-better/

http://www.naturalnews.com/033824_magic_mushrooms_personality.html#ixzz1aSD9SqmQ