July 11, 2006 — - This may come as no surprise to the flower children of
the 1960s, but in one of the few controlled human studies of a known illegal
hallucinogen, the active ingredient in "sacred mushrooms" created what
researchers are describing as deep mystical experiences that left many of the
study participants with a long lasting sense of well-being.
The controversial study, conducted by Johns Hopkins University of
Medicine, looked at whether a pill containing psilocybin, derived from the
psilocybe mushroom, would induce mystical experiences among 36 healthy adult
study participants. All had religious backgrounds, and all were also given the
active drug ingredient in the attention-deficit disorder drug, Ritalin, at a
separate time as a comparison.
The results were clear: Sixty percent of the psilocybin group elicited
behaviors consistent with a "full mystical experience" as measured by
psychological scales. Two months later, about 79 percent of the group reported
"moderately to greatly increased" well-being or life satisfaction.
I believe there has always been a strong connection between hallucinogens and shamanism. A lot more research on my part is necessary here and I hope others will help me out, but it would be fascinating to know what herbs the ancient celts had access to to stimulate these experiences, if any.
Slán
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