Emotions and brain function are altered up to one month after a single high dose of psilocybin

This study took a dive into the long-term effects of psilocybin on the human brain and emotional shitstorm in 12 otherwise healthy volunteers. Each participant got a single, mind-bending dose of psilocybin, then they were poked and prodded 1 day before, 1 week after, and a month later.

What did they find? Psilocybin gave the middle finger to negative feelings and dialed down the amygdala’s freak-out response to bad stimuli a week after the trip. But, like a bad hangover, those effects slunk back to baseline after a month. Still, these folks kept riding a high of positive vibes, and their trait anxiety stayed lower even a month out. Plus, their brains lit up with more functional connections from baseline to a week and even a month after dosing.

The gist? Psilocybin seems to crank up emotional and brain plasticity, backing the idea that targeting negative feelings could be the magic ticket with psilocybin. The amygdala, that little bastard responsible for fear and anxiety, took a chill pill under psilocybin, which means less anxiety and fear.

One month post-trip, the uptick in positive vibes and a drop in trait anxiety suggest psilocybin’s got some staying power in mood-boosting. And those increased functional brain connections? They hint at a more chatty and flexible brain, which might be a godsend for various cognitive and emotional hang-ups.

Bottom line, this study throws some weight behind psilocybin’s potential for long-term mood and brain benefits. But don’t get ahead of yourself—more research is crucial to nail down these findings and dig into the hows and whys.

Here’s the kicker: this study was done on a tiny sample of healthy folks. We need to see what psilocybin does in bigger, more diverse groups, including those dealing with mood disorders. And remember, psilocybin isn’t a walk in the park—it can kick up anxiety and panic attacks. Always use it in a safe, controlled setting, preferably with a pro watching your back.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32042038/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7010702/