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Are mushrooms the key to life on other planets?

Future Space Travel Might Require Mushrooms

If you’re looking for an out-of-this-world experience, try tripping in space.

Mycology expert Paul Stamets believes that psilocybin mushrooms can help astronauts work through the depression, loneliness, and PTSD that comes from being isolated in space. “Under carefully controlled conditions, our astronauts [being] able to take psilocybin in space and look at the universe and not feel distant and alone but feel like they’re part of this giant consciousness will give them a better frame of mind—psychologically, emotionally—to work with other astronauts and stay on mission.”

Stamets is working with NASA to explore the emerging field of astromycology –  the study of fungal biology throughout the universe. In a recent interview, he said that mushrooms can produce biodiverse environments with rich soil that may help astronauts grow food on other planets. Blocks made from reishi mushrooms even have potential to create extraterrestrial shelters because they’re great at retaining heat and are insanely strong (a hydraulic stainless steel press broke when trying to crush a reishi block). Plus, they are rich in carbon fibers, so they could possibly become solar powered batteries!

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Analysis Suggests No Link Between Psychedelics and the Onset of Mental Health Conditions

Good news – there’s no correlation between psychedelics and the onset of mental health issues.

An analysis conducted through a Norwegian university revealed that psychedelic drug use does not increase the risk of developing mental health disorders. In fact, psilocybin users showed lower rates of serious psychological distress, panic attacks, and psychotic symptoms than non-users. The researchers analyzed survey data from 130,000 participants (22,000 of which had used psychedelics) who were screened for various psychiatric disorders and psychosis.

** Professionals still advise those with a family history of schizophrenia or psychosis to avoid psychedelics.

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Need help getting through a bad trip?

Fireside Project for Psychedelic Peer Support: An Update

There’s an app for that!

The Fireside Project created the first psychedelics peer support line to provide free emotional support to people during or after their intense trips. The San Francisco-based non-profit just launched an app that makes it even easier to contact the line. The line is expanding to operate seven days a week from 3pm to 3am, and the co-founder hopes to offer services in multiple languages in every country and in every country in the world.

You can call or text the line at 62- FIRESIDE (623-473-7433) or through the app. Happy tripping! 🙂

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Growing support psilocybin therapy

New poll finds majority of Canadians support legal access to psilocybin therapy

Most Canadians now support psilocybin-assisted therapy.

A recent poll found that 54% of Canadians were in favour of making psilocybin medically available, increasing to 66% after being informed of the current research on psilocybin. All provinces, demographics and political groupings showed majority levels of support.

New poll finds majority of Canadians support legal access to psilocybin therapy _ The Growthop

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Save your relationship with a trippy vacay

MycoMeditations’ Psilocybin-Assisted Wellness Retreat Expands to Serve the Exclusive Dynamic of Family and Friends

It’s time to book a flight to Jamaica.

MycoMeditations launched a new psilocybin retreat called the Companion Retreat for guests to bond with their partner, friend, sibling, or parent on a new level. During the week-long retreat, guests participate in 3 magic mushroom trips at a beachfront villa in Jamaica, where shrooms have never been illegal. The experience includes preparation and integration sessions to get the most out of each trip, as well as support from staff members as needed.

 

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Curing ‘suicide headaches’ with 3 doses of shrooms

Psychedelics Could Be a Medical Game-Changer—So I Tried Them for My Debilitating Headaches

Inspired by recent research on psychedelics, a journalist resorted to shrooms to ease her debilitating cluster headaches (which are often called “suicide headaches” because they’re supposedly more painful than childbirth, gunshot wounds, and kidney stones). She finally found relief that common migraine medications couldn’t provide her after taking 3 small doses of magic mushroom tea, 5 days apart. “Two months have now passed without my having a single headache.” A Yale neurologist explains that the chemical structure of psilocybin is similar to melatonin and triptans, which are often used to treat headaches, but the effect is longer-lasting.

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How Daniel Carcillo changed his life with psilocybin

Wesana Health Announces Definitive Agreement to Acquire PsyTech Inc.

Former Chicago Blackhawks player Daniel Carcillo was battling a severe case of traumatic brain injury (TBI) after enduring hundreds of fights throughout his NHL career. He suffered from several related side effects such as slurred speech, headaches, memory issues, insomnia, impulsive behaviour, sensitivity to light, and depression. Carcillo admits that he spent three weeks creating a plan to take his own life before magic mushrooms turned his life around. After taking a single 4g dose of shrooms, he said “I am cured, for sure, of TBI and any related symptoms. 100%.”

The experience led Carcillo to found Wesana Health (WESA), an organization focused on psychedelic treatments for traumatic brain injury and mental health disorders. This week, Wesana Health acquired PsyTech Inc., a psychedelic therapy firm in Toronto, to help accelerate the company’s growth. The deal provides Wesana with a clinical software-as-a-service platform that integrates wearable biometric technologies and will increase the number of clinics from 2 to 12 within the next year.

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Atai gains celebrity support

Liam Payne becomes the latest star to invest in a depression treatment made from psychedelic drugs

Since debuting on the NASDAQ last month, Atai Life Sciences (ATAI) has gained support from some celebrity investors. Steve Bartlett, the youngest venture capitalist on Dragon’s Den, became Atai’s creative director, claiming that it is the most important company he has ever invested in. Bartlett believes that “if any company is to effectively tackle the global mental health crisis, it is $Atai.” He recently convinced One Director star Liam Payne to invest in the company, joining the American DJ Diplo.

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Avoid daily antidepressants with a monthly trip

Single Dose of Psychedelic Compound Psilocybin Can Remodel Connections in the Brain

It’s clear that psychedelics are helpful in treating depression, but have you ever wondered why they work so well?

When someone suffers from depression or chronic stress, they typically have a reduction in neural connections, but psychedelics might be able to reverse this. A study at Yale just revealed that one dose of psilocybin can increase these neuronal connections by 10%. The dose also increased the density of dendritic spines (those little spikey things on nerve cells), making the connections stronger. About a third of the new connections remained intact after 34 days.

PDF of article

PDF of study

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Psilocybin relieves veteran from a decade of trauma

Opinion: I was traumatized by my time in Afghanistan and Iraq. Psychedelic therapy changed my life.

Juliana Mercer, a former U.S. Marine felt like she was “drowning in suppressed grief” after witnessing tragedies in Iraq and Afghanistan and losing fellow veterans to suicide. She says that a single session of psilocybin allowed her to release all the accumulated grief overnight. “I accidentally found relief and a glimpse of my authentic joyful self through the recreational use of psychedelics.” Now she urges California legislators to vote yes on the SB 519 bill that would decriminalize psychedelics.

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