Magic Mushrooms Treat Depression?

Could one sweet trip cure depression? Some researchers think it might. In fact, researchers think that psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms or shrooms) might be the answer to helping people overcome drug addiction or adjust to a cancer health diagnosis.

Researchers are hopeful about psilocybin’s potential because in a recent study, 60% of the participants reported having a “full mystical experience.” The 36 participants were healthy, well-educated volunteers who had spiritual lives. Upon checking back in with the volunteers 14 months later, the participants said the experience was “the most, or one of the five most, personally meaningful and spiritually significant of their lives.”

The findings have researchers excited because it’s so rare for a one-time treatment to have such a high success rate. However, they emphasize that more research is needed. The researchers also acknowledged that magic mushrooms must be administered in controlled settings so as to minimize the risk of anxious responses (also known as a bad trip).   

This isn't exactly the first time we've heard of researchers using psychidelic drugs to treat depression. Do you think the cure for depression can be found in these drugs?  [The Washington Post]