Humans have been eating magic mushrooms for thousands of years for their feel-good effects. But how does this completely natural hallucinogen work? What about those little fungi make you see things that aren’t real and feel enlightened or even more spiritual?
In the video below (thanks to the Huffington Post for bringing it to our attention), the folks at ASAP Science explain what’s really going on in your brain when you eat ‘shrooms. They explain that the main psychoactive ingredient is called psilocybin. After you ingest it, psilocybin breaks down into psilocin, which then travels to the brain where it does a few key things, including preventing reuptake of the mood-boosting chemical seratonin and attaching to chemical receptors. These, among other things, amplify stimulation and cause the brain to rearrange itself — ultimately overstimulating it so you start experiencing things that aren’t really there. Hello, hallucinations.
Some people experience the drug‘s inspiring, mind-opening, satisfying effects, while others experience extreme fear and paranoia when they eat ‘shrooms. Check out the video to learn more about what psilocin does to your brain.
