July 2024
In a new study, researchers theorize that the psychoactive properties of psilocybin have had an impact on the evolution of human consciousness. Magic mushrooms may have been instrumental in the development of our cognitive abilities and enhanced creativity and social bonding.
“Through a multidisciplinary approach spanning biology, ethnobotany, and neuroscience, the influence of compounds such as psilocybin and psilocin on consumers is examined, revealing their potential to trigger significant neurological and psychological effects”, write the two Peruvian researchers behind the study, first published in May in the Argentinian journal of botany, Lilloa.
This is significant because, after more than half a century in the scientific icebox, psychedelics now are considered seriously and treated as something different to recreational drugs.
Mainstream science generally acknowledges health benefits of any “alternative” therapeutic approach before other possibilities. In light of this research the promise of psychedelics may extend beyond easing depression and PTSD to presenting a portal toward understanding the true essence of a human being.
Anders Bolling
