Do shrooms make you smarter?

Researchers Juan Sanchez-Ramos and Briony Catlow at the University of South Florida have just started an exciting new study to see if psilocybin (the active component in magic mushrooms) can help promote the birth and development of new brain cells (neurogenesis) in the hippocampus, which is associated with learning and memory.

The study is based on the findings of several researchers who have shown that hippocampal-mediated learning and memory is related to the generation of new neurons in the adult brain.

The proposition that psilocybin impacts cognition, and stimulates hippocampal neurogenesis, is based on the evidence that psilocybin mimics the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is involved in the regulation of neurogenesis in the hippocampus. We're looking forward to hearing about the results from this fascinating study.

You can read more about this and other studies with psychedelic substances on www.maps.org.

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Comments

Don Jia - 2008-06-25 12:37:57

+15

The good news here is that fundamental research into our favorite fungi can still expect to be funded, even in this day and age. This study would seem to affirm Terrence McKenna’s “stoned ape” theory, that those early humans who ate psilocybin mushrooms thereby gained a cognitive, and in the long run evolutionary, advantage over those who didn’t. McKenna attributes the development of man’s “higher,” e.g. symbolic, mental and creative, capacities to the inclusion of psychoactive plants in early homo sapiens’ diet. I always recommend ‘shrooms to people with an interest in linguistics, literature and philosophy, for their capacity to make tangible and concrete what is ordinarily abstract.

Now the bad news: this is all the more reason for the powers that be to ban the darn things. Let’s face it, intelligence – which isn’t the same as specialism - is not an asset in modern society, let alone a quality deemed desirable for many people to have. The powers that be – both of the state of the transglobal corporation – are presently waging an all out war against citizens’/consumers’ capacities to think for themselves. Make no mistake, my friends, their agenda is nothing less than the transformation of humanity at large into a throng of mindless automatons who can be reprogrammed and reconditioned as power sees fit. There are good reasons why nicotine, caffeine and alcohol are rarely even considered drugs in our present society. It is because these substances effect a diminishing of consciousness, and are little more than legal crank, the REAL opium of herd culture.

Bob - 2008-10-16 02:36:04

Spot on Don Jia

f.c.nicodemus - 2008-10-28 06:34:13

as a young adult I agree almost 100%, right on and stay heady

Umbra Deus - 2009-07-19 12:13:15

I eagerly await the results of this study.

DKB - 2009-07-26 01:49:28

-2

Man we were gonna post those results but we were so basted. We were tripping so much balls that when we went to print off our study all that I could do was melt my face into the keyboard.

BARROSKI - 2009-08-19 13:45:27

At about the age of 17 me and a group of friends noticed while tripping that one of the group who had a lifelong small stutter/stammer when he spoke was cured whilst under the influence.30 years later it has still not returned.Prohibition of drugs is a tragic abuse of human rights based on ignorance and exploitation.Another gift of nature ignored.

D - 2011-12-31 00:29:02

I'm an anthropology major at the University of South Florida. How in the world do I sign up for this study?

messy - 2012-03-30 09:37:20

?????? this is amazing study wonder if people would agree

Chodevans - 2012-04-08 14:36:32

The research on the affects of shrooms (LSD) on the human brain are already underway. I myself a 20 year old male adult believe that the affects of shrooms, carefully supervised, and monitored, could enhance and promote complete brain function, making every pataint prescribed a safe leagal daily dossage cabable of experiencing an increase in memory, outlook on life, happiness, self motivation, over all increased brain function and cell growth! Tho my theory is backed by no research or statistics, I find my experimenting in breaking down the mushroom and putting it in a time released capsole, taken as a small daily dossage, not actuely allowing me to hillucinate, but to actuelly allowing me to think more sharply, think quicker, every bit of information stored in my brain is now on demand! There needs to be a breakthrough in this research soon! As far as leagle rights, I think people trying to ban mushrooms are scared of what they might actuely be cabable of! What do have to loose anyways, the way our worlds going, anything to help make us smarter or even make our brains more capable of handling today's modern world would be a huge bennaffit to today's society! I plan to start my part of researching, and hope to be on the band wagon when this shit hits shelves in pharmacies. If you or somebody you know,would like to know more, or if you may contain any information of recent research undergoing the affects of shrooms( LSD) on the human brain please email me chodevans@yahoo.com

everythingsimpyis - 2012-05-17 06:28:13

I believe this and had actually suspected it before reading this article.. The last shroom trip I had was so introspective..Every time I have tripped out while playing guitar, I have progressed literally overnight. Not sure if it is just that when tripping out you feel so in tune with everything.

everythingsimplyis - 2012-05-17 06:33:51

Maybe it is not that you become smarter.. but that you can realize and actualize unused potential.. Shrooms put you in a nature, where you don't want to hurt, where you can do no harm.. This is just my experience.. but when used correctly.. You experience yourself and the world around you in a very different way for a short time.. Living just seems important for the sake of living.. Material things become less important. Peace and love to everyone out there.