An article published online this week in the Journal of Psychopharmacology links psilocybin, the active ingredient in the so-called “magic” mushrooms to feelings of well-being and life satisfaction even more than a year after being administered.

More exactly, Johns Hopkins researchers conducted by Dr. Roland F. Griffiths, a professor of behavioral biology and neurology at the institute, reported in 2006 their experiment on 36 volunteers involving psilocybin.

The compound is thought to affect perception and cognition by acting on the same receptors in the brain that respond to serotonin, a chemical neurotransmitter linked to mood. The substance is illegal, but it has been used in religious ceremonies for centuries.

Two months after being given psilocybin, the majority of volunteers said it caused them a profound mystical experience. The results of the experiment made headlines back in 2006.

The same participants were interviewed 14 months after they were given the “magic potion,” and more than 64 percent reported a significant increase in life satisfaction and positive behavior. They were feeling more creative, self-confident, flexible, and optimistic.
 
Also, 67 percent rated the experiment as one of the five most spiritually significant experience of their lives.

“This is truly remarkable finding. Rarely in psychological research do we see such persistently positive reports from a single event in the laboratory,” Prof. Griffiths said, as quoted by AFP.

The results of this study suggest that hallucinogenic compounds long considered taboo after widespread abuse in the late 1960s, could represent a new way of helping people cope with trauma. These compounds could also be used as a possible treatment for drug dependence and alcohol abuse, the professor said.

He added that a new study is underway and it will examine the effect of psilocybin on people with cancer, saying that the chemical might help these people cope with the anxiety and depression that come with facing death. The study is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as part of their psychiatric counseling. “These drugs are now available for scientific study. There’s a lot to do, and that’s exciting,” Prof. Griffiths said.

However, he warned people not to use such drugs without medical supervision. “These compounds may provide something positive but they’re not something that can be toyed with. They can lead readily to fearful responses that lead to panic. People can end up doing harm to themselves, including suicidal behavior,” Prof. Griffiths said.

Some people involved in the experiment reported unpleasant experiences such as feelings of terror, sadness and paranoia immediately after being given psilocybin. However, none reported any lingering harmful effects. Therefore, Prof. Griffiths said it was important that it be administered under controlled conditions.

The same idea was sustained by David Shurtleff, director of basic neuroscience and behavior research at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which partly funded the experiment in order to better understand the psilocybin’s neurological effects.

“The study points to how serious these adverse effects can be with the hallucinogens. This was done in a highly controlled environment, and there were still adverse effects,” Shurtleff said.