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Medicine Science

Psilocybin Has No Short- Or Long-Term Detrimental Effects In Healthy People (kcl.ac.uk) 141

Posted by BeauHD from the promising-findings dept.
New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London, in partnership with COMPASS Pathways, has established that psilocybin can be safely administered at doses of either 10mg or 25mg to up to six participants simultaneously. King's College London reports: The research, published in The Journal of Psychopharmacology, is an essential first step in demonstrating the safety and feasibility of psilocybin -- a psychedelic drug isolated from the Psilocybe mushroom -- for use within controlled settings alongside talking therapy as a potential treatment for a range of mental health conditions, including treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and PTSD. Current treatment options for these conditions are ineffective or partially effective for many people, resulting in a significant unmet need. Early research has indicated a potential for psilocybin therapy to treat these groups, but no trials have been undertaken at the scale needed for regulatory approval to make the therapy available.

The trial is the first of its kind to thoroughly investigate the simultaneous administration of psilocybin. 89 healthy participants with no recent (within 1 year) use of psilocybin were recruited. 60 individuals were randomly picked to receive either a 10mg or 25mg dose of psilocybin in a controlled environment. In addition, all participants were provided with one-to-one support from trained psychotherapists. The remaining 29 participants acted as the control group and received a placebo, also with psychological support. Participants were closely monitored for six to eight hours following administration of psilocybin and then followed up for 12 weeks. During this time, they were assessed for a number of possible changes, including sustained attention, memory, and planning, as well as their ability to process emotions. Throughout the study, there were no instances of anyone withdrawing from the study due to an adverse event, and no consistent trends to suggest that either of the psilocybin doses had any short- or long-term detrimental effects on participants.
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Psilocybin Has No Short- Or Long-Term Detrimental Effects In Healthy People More

Psilocybin Has No Short- Or Long-Term Detrimental Effects In Healthy People

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  • Given that (Score:5, Insightful)

    by BytePusher ( 209961 ) on Tuesday January 04, 2022 @09:08PM (#62143667) Homepage
    Given that prior studies found mushrooms to be safer than alcohol or weed this seems somewhat obvious

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by XXongo ( 3986865 )

      Given that prior studies found mushrooms to be safer than alcohol or weed this seems somewhat obvious

      Citation needed.

  • Can't have enough crazy with everybody converging on high density population centers.

    • Depends on your perspective I guess... (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Petersko ( 564140 ) on Wednesday January 05, 2022 @12:12AM (#62144051)

      ...but then mushrooms are famous for changing your perspective.

      I have nothing but good things to say about psilocybin. And I've tried all dosages one can reasonably take. If everybody's experiences were like mine, I would strongly suggest the whole world get fucked up on mushrooms immediately.

      Sadly, there's always the one paranoid idiot on the margins...

      • If everybody's experiences were like mine, I would strongly suggest the whole world get fucked up on mushrooms immediately.

        What were your experiences? Real question. (My aunt got on mushrooms, and based on how she ended up I would not recommend them but obviously your mileage varied).

        • Re:Depends on your perspective I guess... (Score:5, Interesting)

          by narcc ( 412956 ) on Wednesday January 05, 2022 @04:23AM (#62144349) Journal

          It's difficult to describe. I'll give it a try. There is a lot to say, and I'm having a difficult time organizing it. I hope this answers your question.

          Mushrooms are almost never fun, but always worthwhile. If you're not distracted by anything, you'll learn a lot about yourself. That isn't always easy. Have a sitter, but being mostly alone will take you further than if you're having fun with a group. If it gets to be too much, find a distraction. Talk to someone, watch Green Acres, or play a Nintendo game until you feel better.

          One of the first things you'll notice is a heightened visual acuity. Everything looks sharper, more detailed, brighter, and more colorful than before. You'll notice details in things that you would have otherwise overlooked. For example, I noticed that one of my houseplants has very tiny ridges on its leaves that I previously thought were smooth. That will make things seem different and weird, but at the same time you'll understand that nothing is out of the ordinary as what you're seeing is exactly how things are supposed to look.

          Don't take that to mean it's like looking through a microscope. At the same time, you're taking in more at once, as though your attention is focused on everything without overwhelming you. (I have some anecdotes about improved task performance here.) It can be fun to watch the bugs in your yard go about their day, as it's so easy to keep tabs on them.

          It's like you've "turned the volume up" on all of your senses. You're also very "present" -- completely in the moment, every moment. (That makes things like petting a cat incredible, but it also makes things like eating and sex super weird. Writing and typing can be difficult as you're so aware of what your muscles are doing and what it feels like.)

          Hallucinations are pretty common, but they are nothing like what you see on T.V. If you've ever seen psychedelic art, all of it misses the mark, but in some of it you can see what the artists was trying to capture. You'll want to capture some part of that experience to share as well, but it's very elusive.

          A lot of them are very simple, from changes in color and contrast to movements in patterns and textures. Some times, it's like parts of textures separate and move around like the whole thing was painted on separate transparent sheets that can slide against one another. A bit like a the shapes you imagine in the pattern get 'locked' like when you look at a Magic Eye picture. Sometimes you introduce feathery textures like you might see on a mushroom cap. The "eyeballs" and "rainbows" thing can happen as well.

          The melting thing is real, but, again, nothing like you see on T.V.

          Even more difficult to describe is what happens internally. It can be intensely personal and it's never the same. Often, it can be like years of therapy in an afternoon. You'll realizing things about yourself, often things you knew but didn't want to accept, and you'll come to terms with them. Not always, of course, but it's not unusual.

          I don't what happened to your aunt, but I honestly don't know how mushrooms would have done anything but help. Of course, I can only speak from my own experience.

          You'll hear people talk about having a 'bad trip', but I'm not sure I've had much else! (With a few exceptions. One notable moment of impossible happiness petting my dog in the sun, watching some moss and a few wild flowers growing under my porch.) Good or bad, it does boost your mood for at least a few days.

          I've heard that some people can't stand to be alone or can't stand silence. I image they're the same kinds of people that break down in a few hours in solitary confinement. I've also heard that there are people who aren't comfortable being alone with their own thoughts. They'll probably have a bad time, but my intuition is that they'd benefit the most from the experience.

          Depression, anxiety, and stress can make us angry and less empathetic. I know that happens to me. Mushrooms are a direct counter to that. The world will surely be a better place once they're off the naughty list.

          • Re:Depends on your perspective I guess... (Score:4, Interesting)

            by satanicat ( 239025 ) on Wednesday January 05, 2022 @07:56AM (#62144585)

            A few interesting things in there to me, especially that about sensory.

            I suffer from PTSD, and one of the easiest ways I've found to explain what it is I go through is "sensory overload", definitely not a scientific term. But you know how when you're driving, there is only so much you need to safely pay attention to? For example, in an intersection you're probably mostly concerned with vehicles that would cross your path, and pedestrians on the sidewalk that might cross etc? (rather than appreciating the new paint job on a house near the intersection) Well when I have an episode, it's like every single thing, every leaf blowing in a tree becomes something I can't help but focus on all at once. It's very disorientating and introduces panic.

            I think for most, some of what you describe would find fascinating, but for me, I'm probably of that small group of crazy that should steer clear. =)

            Anyway, I really enjoyed reading the perspective.

            • A few interesting things in there to me, especially that about sensory.

              I suffer from PTSD, and one of the easiest ways I've found to explain what it is I go through is "sensory overload", definitely not a scientific term. But you know how when you're driving, there is only so much you need to safely pay attention to? For example, in an intersection you're probably mostly concerned with vehicles that would cross your path, and pedestrians on the sidewalk that might cross etc? (rather than appreciating the new paint job on a house near the intersection) Well when I have an episode, it's like every single thing, every leaf blowing in a tree becomes something I can't help but focus on all at once. It's very disorientating and introduces panic.

              I think for most, some of what you describe would find fascinating, but for me, I'm probably of that small group of crazy that should steer clear. =)

              Anyway, I really enjoyed reading the perspective.

              Honest and sincere question: do you think that being overwhelmed by this extra/hyper sensorial state could be the result of the trauma or events experienced that lead to PTSD?

              PS. Sorry you had to deal with PTSD.

            • I think I have PTSD also (though not formally diagnosed), and while it sometimes manifests that way, for me it more frequently does the very opposite . . . every sense, every though, every perception is dulled, to the point where extreme effort is necessary in order to respond properly to external stimuli. When it's really bad, I can't drive safely, although it rarely gets that bad except when it's being re-triggered, and I can often predict when that will happen although I can't control it.

              It feels as if

          • ... never fun!? That's the oddest appraisal of shrooms I've ever heard. In my more formative years we'd eat a good mittful before going to the clubs and bars on a Saturday night or before going shopping for clothes, always a grand time laughing like hyenas at the absurd things we were doing or saying.

            • Re: (Score:2)

              by narcc ( 412956 )

              I hint at that. Your experience when you're distracted or with a lot of people is going to be very different than when you're more alone or unoccupied. I even recommend watching T.V. or playing a game if things get to be too much.

                What you describe would surely be fun, but you'll miss out on a lot.

        • My experiences were emotive, revelatory, peaceful. Uniformly positive. But after reading the lengthy and very well described response described by narcc, I wish to retract my blanket statement.

          I have to look at it in the context of my own experiences. For two years back in the turn of the century I was a heavy user of all sorts of drugs (except NO opiates).
          LSD, mushrooms, MDMA/MDA, hash, pot, mescaline (only twice), ketamine... I think we clocked in at 14 different substances before we lowered the c

      • Off with you to Banton Pleasure Prison where you'll get your Euphoria. You see, the people who think they're winning because the prohibition is ending don't understand that it's not an admission that drugs are good. Prohibition just isn't the right way of handling the users. So don't get cocky. You may be able to impress other addicts with your "experiences", even make a quick buck by pulling more people down into using. But the "paranoid idiots on the margins" see you for the severely damaged goods you rea

  • Free drugs for all! I'm on drugs right now. Go do some drugs. Salvation is just one hit away!

    • The comment seems sarcastic - but everyone knows that our entire bodies are under a constant tide of chemical influence from nearly everything we ingest. Taking the liberty to manipulate these bodies, from probiotics to sports cream/rub to scented candles, is universal - both across the globe and throughout history. There isn't an activity that doesn't manipulate our brain chemistry. I make no recommendations but taking your guidance from Nixon might be a mistake
  • Why the fuck are we just figuring this out? This has been helpful since the dawn of time. Fucking retards.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by schwit1 ( 797399 )

      Big pharma owns the political class. The last thing they want is low cost, natural competitors.

      Why do you think the Sackler family [npr.org] is not in jail? They own the government.

      • It's so far beyond that.

        Control the available spiritual experiences, and you control the religion. Control the religion, and you control the people.

        It's a big reason cannabis never got much uptake in Europe, despite being available via Arab trade routes. It challenged the ability of the church to shape and be the exclusive provider of religious experience.

        The panic over psychedelics in the 1960s was pretty much based on the fear that people would have experiences that directly challenged the fundamental u

  • If it's safe for up to six simultaneous participants, what happens when 7, 8, 9 or more take it? Mass hysteria? Group orgies? Inquiring minds want to know!

    Or maybe this is tacit acknowledgement that shrooms enable telepathy, and more than six would be the beginnings of a hive mind...

    • Re:Six people at once? (Score:4, Informative)

      by cusco ( 717999 ) <brian.bixby@gmai l . c om> on Wednesday January 05, 2022 @12:01AM (#62144023)

      You're thinking of ayahuasca, where multiple people have the same hallucination simultaneously. I've done 'shrooms, acid, and mescaline, almost always alone or with only one or two others. Ayahuasca is meant to be done in larger groups under the direction of a shaman, I don't think that would work for me. I would be very uncomfortable even if I knew everyone involved, and that's the way to ensure a bad trip.

      • I participated in an ayahuasca ceremony one time. We didn't "share our trip", in fact there was no interaction allowed between the participants so everyone could have their experience with no interference. If you needed assistance (like go to the bathroom) you'd ask the shaman. There was a bit of ritual and guidance in the beginning and end but mostly it consisted of meditating in silence in a dark room - distractions are likely to just snap you out of it.

  • Not so (Score:5, Interesting)

    by rsilvergun ( 571051 ) on Tuesday January 04, 2022 @10:18PM (#62143797)
    It has significant short and long-term consequences for right-wing politicians who want to win elections by criminalizing drugs often taken by young people of the opposite political persuasion. It also has negative impacts on the employment opportunities and profits of private prisons and law enforcement.

    • I sure don't see anything "conservative" about throwing nonviolent drug users in prison, and effectively barring them from gainful employment for life.

      It doesn't promote the sanctity of life, liberty, justice, rule of law, free enterprise, equal protection under the law, or peace, but rather the opposite.

      I would repeal all "laws" purporting to tell people what they may or may not consume, although I would keep, and vigorously enforce, things like labeling laws, so people could not knowingly and legally sell

      • I'm a left wing conservative. That means I support left wing goals but want to achieve them in a conservative manner.

        "Conservative" != right wing. Right and Left are _goals_. Conservative and Radical (technically "liberal" but here in the US that word's a mess) are ways to _achieve_ those goals. You can be a left wing conservative, a right wing radical, a right wing conservative or a left wing radical.

        Radicals on the right wing cooped the word "Conservative" because, well, their ideas aren't all tha

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by dfghjk ( 711126 )

          This would be much more interesting if there were definitions for "left wing" and "right wing". Now, you did say that "Right and Left are _goals_" but this makes no sense. A right goal or a left goal? Give examples of such goals.

          Then you say "Conservative and Radical" as though those are the two options. The choice of Radical is clearly inflammatory, but regardless, it isn't a binary, nor is anyone one or the other on EVERY issue.

          Also, conservatism is not a means of accomplishing goals, it is am inclinati

  • Meh (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    Sounds like they did mushrooms on the safest, cleanest environment possible. Even with counselors standing by if something goes wrong.

    I’m sure if you were to take those same participants and try this study in the real world, a few of them would have a bad trip.

    Environment and self confidence is everything for a good trip.

    (By no means am I arguing against the health related findings, just the “no one had a bad trip” bit)

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by narcc ( 412956 )

      A 'bad trip' can be a lot more valuable than a good one.

    • It sounds like you actually enjoy clean and sterile environments - lots of people would freak out whilst taking psychedelics in this setting! Besides, 25mg might be a therapeutic dose and unlikely to be what true space cadets consume

  • Most people taking mushrooms aren't healthy, careful, or monitored...

    This kind of research is interesting in the abstract, but utterly useless in a real sense.

    • This kind of research is interesting in the abstract, but utterly useless in a real sense.

      Not really, there is lot's of research being done on psilocybin helping with depression and PTSD. Considering that at the moment this component is treated as one of the most dangerous chemicals - it is required to get permission for every research case - this study might really be helpful.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by splutty ( 43475 )

        Unfortunately I'm well aware of this :( But the "War on some Drugs" is unlikely to allow for this kind of thing.

        I am however glad that research *is* being done, since I'm one of those people that could really be helped by it.

        Or maybe I'm just cynical and should eat more mushrooms.

        • Re: (Score:3)

          by MrKaos ( 858439 )

          Unfortunately I'm well aware of this :( But the "War on some Drugs" is unlikely to allow for this kind of thing.

          It's more like a war on mental health. The amount of people in jail for weed is ridiculous and seems more like an excuse to build a captive labour force. How much longer can these Scheduling restrictions stand when more people are waking up to realize the benefits of some of these naturally occurring plants and fungi?

          since I'm one of those people that could really be helped by it.

          I'd include myself in that observation and probably add a significant portion of the rest of the population.

          Or maybe I'm just cynical and should eat more mushrooms.

          I don't think so. I'm comfortable enjoying weed however I'm not sure I'm ready fo

          • Re:"Healthy People" (Score:5, Insightful)

            by narcc ( 412956 ) on Wednesday January 05, 2022 @06:02AM (#62144485) Journal

            I'm not sure I'm ready for shrooms without sane, mentally healthy people arround me to re-assure me and ensure I come back to sanity.

            The biggest problem is 60+ years of misinformation. The pop culture version is as divorced from reality as Reefer Madness, it's just that there are fewer people who can dispel the myths.

            You don't 'lose your mind' or anything like that. Like pot, you're very much aware that you're on drugs. You're not super suggestible or unaware of your surroundings or anything like that at all. Visual and auditory hallucinations aren't anything like what you see in movies, and you will never mistake those for reality. You might even be a bit disappointed, depending on your expectations.

            If you're with a group of people, or doing something like playing a game or watching a movie, you'll probably wonder what all the fuss was about. If pressed, I'd probably say they're less harmful than pot, which is saying something.

            There's a pretty big range of experience as well. You need to eat a lot of mushrooms before you really take off and they taste terrible. Odds are good you'll take too little your first time, not too much.

            • Re: (Score:2)

              by MrKaos ( 858439 )

              I'm not sure I'm ready for shrooms without sane, mentally healthy people arround me to re-assure me and ensure I come back to sanity.

              The biggest problem is 60+ years of misinformation. There's a pretty big range of experience as well. You need to eat a lot of mushrooms before you really take off and they taste terrible. Odds are good you'll take too little your first time, not too much.

              Thanks for the information. I've wanted to try to get the benefits of them so perhaps next time a friend offers me some shrooms, I'll try enough to get used to the effect.

            • Re: (Score:2)

              by dfghjk ( 711126 )

              " Visual and auditory hallucinations aren't anything like what you see in movies, and you will never mistake those for reality."

              Having read you posts carefully, it seems clear you do not actually realize this. You describe observing things at a resolution physically impossible and stating this as fact rather than hallucination. You clearly mistake this for reality, or you are too lazy to describe these things accurately. Either way, your posts need to be discounted for this reason.

              • Re: (Score:2)

                by narcc ( 412956 )

                You describe observing things at a resolution physically impossible and stating this as fact rather than hallucination. You clearly mistake this for reality, or you are too lazy to describe these things accurately.

                What on earth are you talking about? You're going to need to be specific here. What did I claim I saw "at a resolution physically impossible"?

                Having read you posts carefully,

                I'm going to say that you probably haven't.

    • They just aren't dangerous at all. Maybe if someone has a serious mental health condition already they could have a problem, maybe. Mushrooms don't cause you to lose touch with reality. It's more like your mind feels like everything is connected to everything all at once. It can be overwhelming, but you never forget you're on drugs.

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by znrt ( 2424692 )

      Most people taking mushrooms aren't healthy, careful, or monitored...

      This kind of research is interesting in the abstract, but utterly useless in a real sense.

      depression. it is a huge and pressing health problem in our time and age that heavily burdens economies, current treatment is usually expensive drugs that don't really work that well and have nasty and disabling secondary effects. if you can substitute that toxic crap with a whole new paradigm that enables people to confront and address the root causes, not just the symptoms, that is dirty cheap and in a single session can produce long lasting effects (as in months or years) or even be life changing ... it

    • Most people taking mushrooms aren't healthy, careful, or monitored...

      This kind of research is interesting in the abstract, but utterly useless in a real sense.

      Dude, the entire research is geared towards developing more effective and safer treatments for PTSD and depression. You make it sound like these scientists are just baking special brownies for some random dudes squatting on an abandoned house.

      C'mon, do better.

      Even if this were to lead to the commercialization of 'shrooms, that will be a lot safer than alcohol and smoking. And in an ugly world where suffering people go for dangerous illegal drugs (and Hep and HIV are still risks), I rather see them doing

      • being safer than alcohol and smoking is a pretty low bar, perhaps we can set our sights a little higher. Out of curiosity, how uniform is the dosage in a few grams of mushroom ? I think many people are calibrated as to what to expect from one drink, and have an expectation that it will be roughly repeatable

    • This kind of research is interesting in the abstract, but utterly useless in a real sense.

      It is a result with practical implications. What it demonstrates is that mushrooms need not have harmful effects, if taken under controlled conditions. Presumably, that should be established for any drug that is being considered as a medicine. I was given a powerful intravenous opiate to relieve pain after surgery, but only for a short time, and supervised by doctors and nurses. No harm done. I did not turn into a drug-crazed loon.

    • Which really should *enhance* the safety image of psilocybin, not detract from it.

      There are a lot of mushrooms consumed in the US, but very little public hysteria about problems associated with them, especially in comparison to fentanyl, meth, or even alcohol.

      If random college kids can take mushrooms without a big social impact, how dangerous can they really be? Nobody I knew in college who took mushrooms had a problem, but I specifically remember a few people winding up in the hospital with acute alcohol

  • Long term effects? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Roger W Moore ( 538166 ) on Tuesday January 04, 2022 @11:08PM (#62143925) Journal
    Interesting and perhaps even promising. However, I'm not sure how you can conclude that there are no long-term effects from taking it if you only give one dose and only follow people for 12 weeks after it.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Obviously I didn't read the article, but there are absolutely long-term effects from overusing using serotonergic hallucinogens and one of them is call HPPD or hallucinatory perception persistence disorder.
  • I have no objection to the drug (seems reasonable choice for treating these symptoms to me), but I have to say that the headline says "no long term effects," while the text says "Participants were ... followed up for 12 weeks."

    12 weeks is not "long term".

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by narcc ( 412956 )

      That depends a great deal on what the authors were concerned about, doesn't it? We'd need to see the study before we can say anything about their use of "long term", assuming that the study says anything about it at all.

      Knowing how bad as science reporting is, it makes just as much sense to condemn a study based on popular reporting as it does to accept it as unassailable truth.

  • "89 healthy participants with no recent (within 1 year) use of psilocybin were recruited.

    I guess I'll just have to wait 'til they start up a "Veterans Only" study.

  • The study had 89 participants, only 60 of which actually received the drug. They were tracked for just 12 weeks, so I don't see how you can draw much of a conclusion about the impact of something that would involve huge samples, such as legalization and years of use. There are indeed adverse effects [wikipedia.org]

    IANAPharmaceutical researcher, but this just seems like a study that could be used to green-light further studies with more participants, a more realistic range of subjects, and longer tracking times. The Cov

  • Christians are afraid mushrooms will turn people away from God, which is a good thing IMO
    • ...without the church acting as intermediary.

      • Or afraid people will see god for themselves... without the church acting as intermediary.

        I don't think so. Christian churches tell you to talk to god on your own (their intermediation relates to the interpretation of the texts, to the access to the access to God). A search on internet about Christianity and drugs provides bible extracts says getting drunk is bad because it leads to debauchery.

    • Christians are afraid mushrooms will turn people away from God...

      People might turn away from churches. We really can't have that sort of thing, now can we? The whole fabric of society would disintegrate, if we had drugged up loons prophesying all over the place, without a proper church organisation to manage that sort of thing.

      Please give generously. Jesus loves you, and so does my stockbroker.

  • With no positive or negative long term emotional process or cognitive effects, but with quite a few not-too-serious bad trips.

  • Psychedelics are non-addictive (Score:4, Insightful)

    by mveloso ( 325617 ) on Wednesday January 05, 2022 @10:25AM (#62144973)

    The great thing about psychedelics are they aren't addictive. In fact, users tend to stay away from them for a while once you take one, because they're tiring.

    That said, they're great fun and recommended to everyone except the weak-minded. Unfortunately, it's unclear how to tell if you're in the latter group until it's too late.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by dfghjk ( 711126 )

      "That said, they're great fun and recommended to everyone except the weak-minded."

      Douchebag alert. If you don't agree with me, it's because you aren't as good as me.

  • And therefore, if it has a bad effect, that just means you weren't "healthy" to begin with.

  • So, mushrooms have no detrimental effects in healthy people, but healthy people would not be going to the doctor in order to get a prescription?

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