‘Magic Mushroom’ Alters Personality Long-term

[Celebration]

Researchers are studying the effects of hallucinogen psilocybin, the active ingredient found in “magic mushrooms” in people. They have observed that a single dose of the drug resulted in a positive personality change in nearly 60 percent of patients 51 participants. These changes were observed in some cases to be measurably and permanently increase “openness” personality traits.

The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine professor and study leader, Roland R. Griffiths, defined these personality changes to be increase “openness,” which includes traits related to imagination, aesthetics, feelings, abstract ideas and general broad-mindedness. Personality alterations were measured on a widely used and scientifically validated personality inventory. The participants who received the “magic mushroom” derivative were observed to have larger changes typically than healthy adults over decades of life experiences.

The results are interesting because usually adults over the age of 30 years old do not undergo personality changes. Personality is considered a stable characteristic of the psychology of people, relatively immutable and stable. But in this case, some adults did experience personality changes, suggesting that psilocybin changes one or more domains of personality.

It is important to mention that the study was conducted under controlled environments. Some study participants reported strong fear or anxiety during their daylong psilocybin sessions. In a less-supervised setting, these fears and anxiety responses could lead to harmful behavior. Thus mimicking this study in a private setting could be dangerous.


Read more: http://www.thestatecolumn.com/health/magic-mushroom-alters-personality-long-term/#ixzz1ZZTPI5x8

[provis99]

1. "positive" traits are nothing but a matter of opinion.

Is passivity a positive or negative trait? Depends who you ask. What about aggression, negative or positive? It's a matter of opinion.

[YellowCosmicSun]

2. sounds like someone needs a little magic...

[elocs]

3. Sorry, but any OP that sheds mind altering drugs in a negative light does not play well at DU.

I have firsthand experience of how use of magic mushrooms led to the psychotic breakdown of a 17 year old girl, but that would be dismissed here at DU as being anecdotal.

However, if use of a mind altering drug led to a positive outcome it would be hailed as marvelous even if it too is anecdotal.

Hypocrisy is a human trait an not exclusive to political leanings.

[Celebration]

4. things to consider

1. This was a study with fifty people in it, not a single anecdote.

2. Even this news article warns several times that anyone taking something like this needs to be with a medical professional to help guide them through it.

3. I too, know people that were permanently damaged by mind alerting drugs. They can unmask schizophrenia. Heck, even pot can unmask schizophrenia. It is a good reason for these drugs to be regulated, but available, and not to minors! Street drugs are the MOST dangerous.......... there is really no telling what is in them. Ingredients could be controlled if the drugs were legal.

[elocs]

5. Even those who advocate for legalization of pot say it should not be used by young people

whose brains are still developing. This is true of all the street mind altering drugs when who knows what is really in them as you said.

I still stand by what I said that DU does not like to hear anything negative about mind altering drugs.

[K8-EEE]

6. My autistic teenager has really benefitted from medical marijuana

To control her extreme anxiety and self-injurious behavior and yes -- I got her a medical MJ card! Her schoolmates are dealing with horrible side effects from years of prescription drugs that are now turning on them, and she is healthy & blossoming.

I will definitely keep an open mind toward this drug, but waiting for more studies.

[Celebration]

7. interesting!

So glad she is doing well.

[DocMac]

8. I agree...and the remarks below have not been there.