Hey friend,

Remember those D.A.R.E. and Above the Influence commercials?

One that stands out is the girl who just smoked some ganja, sitting on the couch, completely flat like a pancake—unresponsive and totally zonked.

It was so over-the-top, it ended up being more funny than cautionary…

Honestly, it probably made people more curious about trying it than deterred them!

While I support raising awareness about hard drugs like meth, cocaine, heroin, and opioids, their messaging around psychedelics and cannabis felt like pure propaganda.

But times have changed.

Research into the therapeutic potential of psychedelics is booming, and we’ve only scratched the surface.

While misinformation still lingers, the days of believing psychedelics cause brain damage or psychosis are long gone.

Now, we’re uncovering their profound impact on the brain, especially with psilocybin mushrooms!!!

So without further ado…

This is your brain on magic mushrooms

5-HT2A Agonism

When magic mushrooms are consumed, psilocybin is broken down in the stomach and metabolized in the liver into psilocin—the active compound responsible for the psychedelic effects.

Psilocin enters the bloodstream and is transported to the brain.

Once in the brain, psilocin mimics serotonin due to its similar chemical structure.

By binding to serotonin receptors—specifically 5-HT2A—it disrupts serotonin’s normal function (serotonin regulates mood, cognition, and perception), triggering profound shifts in consciousness. [1]

Psilocin's strong affinity for the 5-HT2A receptor is thought to produce magic mushrooms' hallucinogenic effects—like visual distortions, synesthesia (blending senses: seeing sounds, hearing colors), mystical experiences, euphoria, etc.

From here, this is when things start to get really trippy…

Entropic Brain Theory

In our daily sober state, we function in secondary consciousness.

This is a low-entropy state (orderly and cohesive) where sensory inputs are organized to form a structured reality, enabling us to navigate and operate effectively in the world.

Under the influence of psilocybin, this state dissolves, giving way to primary consciousness—a high-entropy state (disordered and chaotic) characterized by dream-like thinking, creativity, and imagination, unbound by logic or rationality. [2]

Default Mode Network (DMN)

Psilocin also affects the Default Mode Network (DMN), the brain network linked to the ego, which is active during introspection, self-reflection, and daydreaming. [3]

By disrupting the DMN, psilocin is believed to cause ego dissolution (aka 'ego death')—a temporary loss of the “self,” leading to a profound sense of interconnectedness with everything.

I know the ego death experience all too well from my first trip with LSD!

As a young, naïve psychonaut, I underestimated its potency—and got far more than I bargained for.

But the benefits of quieting the Default Mode Network (DMN) extend far beyond the psychedelic ego death experience.

An overactive DMN is thought to contribute to conditions like depression [4], anxiety [5], and PTSD [6] by trapping the brain in rigid, negative thought loops.

Psilocin disrupts this cycle, promoting cognitive flexibility and helping you break free from self-imposed mental traps and get out of your own way.

Brain Interconnectivity

Due to the primary consciousness-inducing state during a psilocybin experience, the brain’s distinct networks communicate more freely, even with regions that don’t usually interact.

This unlocks brain pathways and connections that may have never communicated before, tapping into the brain’s full potential! [7]

I could go on about the other aspects and benefits of magic mushrooms and psychedelics, like:

• Boosting neuroplasticity to create new brain cells and connections. [8]
• Reducing brain inflammation with their neural anti-inflammatory effects. [9]
• Potentially treating conditions like Alzheimer’s [10], addiction [11], OCD [12], eating disorders [13], chronic pain [14], autoimmunity [15], and more!

But I'll save that for another day.

For now, I’d love to hear about your experiences with psilocybin mushrooms.

Have you tried magic mushrooms? What was it like, and how did they help you?

Hit reply and let me know.

See you next Saturday,

Onjae

P.S. Unlock the therapeutic potential of psilocybin mushrooms with my Psychedelic Sourcing Bundle, featuring my top trusted and personally vetted online vendors!

References:

[1] Madsen, Martin K et al. “Correction: Psychedelic effects of psilocybin correlate with serotonin 2A receptor occupancy and plasma psilocin levels.” Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology vol. 44,7 (2019): 1336-1337. doi:10.1038/s41386-019-0360-5

[2] Carhart-Harris, Robin L., et al. "The Entropic Brain: A Theory of Conscious States Informed by Neuroimaging Research with Psychedelic Drugs." Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, vol. 8, 2014, p. 20, https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00020. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

[3] Gattuso, James J et al. “Default Mode Network Modulation by Psychedelics: A Systematic Review.” The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology vol. 26,3 (2023): 155-188. doi:10.1093/ijnp/pyac074

[4] Thomas, Paul J et al. “Default Mode Network Hypoalignment of Function to Structure Correlates With Depression and Rumination.” Biological psychiatry. Cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging vol. 9,1 (2024): 101-111. doi:10.1016/j.bpsc.2023.06.008

[5] Yuan, Minlan et al. “Dysfunction of default mode network characterizes generalized anxiety disorder relative to social anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.” Journal of affective disorders vol. 334 (2023): 35-42. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2023.04.099

[6] Averill, Christopher L et al. “Findings of PTSD-specific deficits in default mode network strength following a mild experimental stressor.” NPP - digital psychiatry and neuroscience vol. 2,1 (2024): 9. doi:10.1038/s44277-024-00011-y

[7] Petri, G et al. “Homological scaffolds of brain functional networks.” Journal of the Royal Society, Interface vol. 11,101 (2014): 20140873. doi:10.1098/rsif.2014.0873

[8] Zhao, Xiangting et al. “Psilocybin promotes neuroplasticity and induces rapid and sustained antidepressant-like effects in mice.” Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) vol. 38,5 (2024): 489-499. doi:10.1177/02698811241249436

[9] Flanagan, Thomas W, and Charles D Nichols. “Psychedelics as anti-inflammatory agents.” International review of psychiatry (Abingdon, England) vol. 30,4 (2018): 363-375. doi:10.1080/09540261.2018.1481827

[10] Zheng, Siyi et al. “Psilocybin for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.” Frontiers in neuroscience vol. 18 1420601. 10 Jul. 2024, doi:10.3389/fnins.2024.1420601

[11] van der Meer, Pim B et al. “Therapeutic effect of psilocybin in addiction: A systematic review.” Frontiers in psychiatry vol. 14 1134454. 9 Feb. 2023, doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1134454

[12] Owe-Larsson, Maja et al. “Psilocybin in pharmacotherapy of obsessive-compulsive disorder.” Pharmacological reports : PR vol. 76,5 (2024): 911-925. doi:10.1007/s43440-024-00633-1

[13] Peck, Stephanie Knatz et al. “Psilocybin therapy for females with anorexia nervosa: a phase 1, open-label feasibility study.” Nature medicine vol. 29,8 (2023): 1947-1953. doi:10.1038/s41591-023-02455-9

[14] Goel, Akash et al. “Use of Psychedelics for Pain: A Scoping Review.” Anesthesiology vol. 139,4 (2023): 523-536. doi:10.1097/ALN.0000000000004673

[15] Thompson, Caitlin, and Attila Szabo. “Psychedelics as a novel approach to treating autoimmune conditions.” Immunology letters vol. 228 (2020): 45-54. doi:10.1016/j.imlet.2020.10.001