Researchers at the University of Baltimore have tested a new drug treatment for patients with addictions and terminal illnesses. It involved prescribing psilocybin, better known as the hallucinogenic ingredient in "magic mushrooms" (a.k.a. 'shrooms'). While Aztecs and other Mesoamerican cultures are believed to have used these fungi for divinatory purposes, modern medicine is now looking into its long-term effects on the mind.
Volunteers in 2006 who were given the drug over a 24-hour period experienced "spiritual" and "mystical" experiences, having a profound effect on their mood... for over a year after ingestion.Over half of the test subjects reported that taking the drug resulted in "one of the most meaningful experiences of their lives," according to researchers.
The mushrooms which carry the psychoactive drug are, of course, illegal in the United States as well as several other countries.Who thought the day would come when your doctor would tell you, "Get stoned, have a shamanic awakening, and call me in the morning."
