Świat Karpia - źródło informacji i rozrywki dla karpiarzy

Psilocybin is a natural psychedelic substance found in many types of mushrooms. People have used it for thousands of years for healing, religious ceremonies and magical practices. Some peoples, for example, the Mazatecs, have not departed from this tradition to this day. Since the 1960s, information about psilocybin and the mushrooms that contain it has spread throughout the Western world. Soon the widespread use of this and other psychedelics like LSD and mescaline was restricted by law, which suspended scientific research on hallucinogenic substances. In the past few years, loosening in regulations has allowed scientists to begin research on psilocybin for a number of reasons. It appears to be a highly versatile compound that can serve as a tool for studying the brain and consciousness, as well as acting as a remedy for various psychological disorders.

 

Psilocybin is a compound with very low physical toxicity, but it has powerful psychological effects. Proper dosage is of key importance when the drug is used in order to reduce the chance of adverse reactions and maximize the potential benefit.

 

Upon ingestion, psilocybin is dephosphorylated into the pharmacologically active molecule psilocin, which resembles the structure of the key neurotransmitter serotonin, and therefore has a high affinity for and mimics the action of the serotonin 5-HT2A and 5-HT1 serotonin receptors. The psychedelic effects of psilocybin may be prevented by ketanserin. It acts as a 5-HT2A receptor antagonist, thus blocking the access of psilocybin to the receptors and preventing the manifestation of the effect (Vollenweider et al. 1999). These receptors are located at different densities in many parts of the brain and play an important role in regulating mood and motivation, among other things. Moderate doses of psilocybin have been found to increase cerebral glucose metabolism, especially in the fronto-medial and fronto-lateral areas (24.3%), anterior cingulate (24.9%), and temporal (25.3%) areas of the brain (Vollenweider et al. al. 1997).