What We Know About The Healing Powers Of Doing Mushrooms
How Exactly Do Mushrooms Work?
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Mushrooms contain things called psychedelic tryptamines – namely psilocin and psilocybin. These have hallucinogenic properties, which is why people often see and hear things that aren’t there when they do mushrooms. When you’re on mushrooms, music can sound more beautiful, sights can be more stunning, food can be more delicious…and everything can feel, well, magical. But, the effects of mushrooms go deeper than that.
Psilocin and psilocybin have similar structures to the neurotransmitter serotonin and even interact with the same brain receptors as serotonin. That’s important to understand because serotonin, like psilocin and psilocybin, is involved in your imagination, your mood, your perception of reality and your ability to learn things.
When you do mushrooms, the psychedelic tryptamines in them affect something in your brain called your Default Mode Network (DMN). Think of it like a highway in your brain, that lets information pass between different parts of your brain. Experts say that your DMN is heavily involved in your sense of self – in your idea of your own identity. On shrooms, your DMN shuts down forcing different areas of your brain to communicate in new ways and even altering your sense of self. That’s why they can be so powerful.
