Lately, I've been exploring concepts like consciousness. My boyfriend, Sam, and I have listened to tons of podcasts on the topic, and we recently watched "How to Change Your Mind" on Netflix.
To be honest, I am not a podcast girl, and I half-snoozed through the ones we listened to in the car, but I was wide awake throughout "How to Change Your Mind," and I thought it was very good.
The concept that stuck with me most throughout the docuseries was the idea that you could go to the doctor for a mental health treatment and have the experience be just like going to the doctor for a broken leg. That's right, go once (or a few times) and you're 'cured.'
I'm not one to believe in miracles or quick fixes when it comes to mental health, but if the possibility of this even exists, I do not understand why we're not exploring it.
"How to Change Your Mind," goes on to explain how the so-called War on Drugs put a quick stop to psychedelic exploration -- and detail the many obstacles to psychedelic therapy today.
Research has picked back up but seems inconclusive, and outside of places like Oregon, it doesn't seem like we will see magic mushrooms legalized and used in therapy anytime soon.
After my own experience, I believe this is a mistake.
I'm a writer, but I'm half tempted to go back to school and put on a lab coat to explore the healing potential of these strange and wonderful fungi.
My Experience with Magic Mushrooms
Magic mushrooms are scary as hell, and I don't think I actually liked doing them.
Nevertheless, I really like having done them, and I do think everyone should try them once.
For me, the most therapeutic part of the experience was getting an opportunity to re-parent myself. During the trip, I returned to a very childlike state of mind. I felt small and playful and terrified of everything. It was easy to get overwhelmed, even by simple tasks, but I was also able to talk myself through the entire trip -- even the scariest parts.
Additionally, I was in a safe place surrounded by healthy people who had my best interests at heart, which is something I didn't particularly have growing up.
Overall, I felt supported, protected, and deeply loved the entire time we were 'tripping,' and even afterwards.
Although it was very scary to lose my sense of self, it was extremely peaceful to return to myself, and I still feel stronger and more relaxed a week later.
For what it's worth, I also think it's very difficult to get wound up about small, everyday things when you experience reality as you know it falling apart.
The only way to get through a trip without panicking and being totally miserable is to practice radical acceptance, and I think that might be the best way to get through life, too.
Are Magic Mushrooms Medicine?
From where I'm standing, magic mushrooms are a drug. I took them recreationally, and I had a helluva hangover the next day.
However, many drugs can be used as medicine, and I don't think magic mushrooms are any exception.
Even with one personal experience and some information from a Netflix docuseries, I can see the immense therapeutic potential of magic mushrooms and psilocybin.
If I could have the experience of re-parenting myself in four hours on a Saturday afternoon, I don't see why therapists and psychologists couldn't use magic mushrooms to reach and heal parts of the brain that are otherwise hidden.
So, Do Magic Mushrooms Change Your Mind?
No. In my opinion, magic mushrooms do not change your mind. Rather, they open your mind and show you a new way of looking at the world, at yourself, and at some of your problems.
For example, as the mushrooms were wearing off for me, I had the profound thought that my entire life has been a quest for the kind of safety and stability I didn't have growing up.
Now that I do have both safety and stability, I have a really hard time accepting and settling into it. While this experience didn't 'fix' that problem, it definitely gave me a hard push in the right direction.
I am a firm believer that each of us has the answers we need within ourselves. I also believe it takes a lifetime to uncover those answers for ourselves.
Like every other experience, doing magic mushrooms is just one more tool to get us closer to those answers.
Maybe with the right tools and some expert help, we could all get in better touch with ourselves and treat one another better.
I feel quite bold writing this, so please let me know what you think by sending me a message on my home page or at loganrosereadsandwrites at gmail dot com.
You can also get in touch via Instagram (@logancrose).
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