Magic Mushroom Rewire Your Brain–For The Better
Psychedelic mushrooms got their bad rap during the war on drugs, but before Nixon’s time, they were used as medicine, and a means to connect with the divine. Unsurprisingly, as people are turning away from mass-produced, addictive pharmaceutical drugs, they have embarked on a journey to find a more natural alternative. With more research being done on how this naturally growing fungus can benefit the brain, people are jumping on the chance to battle different ailments through psychedelic treatment. What they have found so far could be life-changing for people suffering from depression, anxiety, and PTSD.
What Makes a Mushroom Magic?
There are millions, yes millions, of different types of mushrooms in the world, many being edible, medicinal, and some psychedelic. Psychedelic mushrooms create sensations of euphoria and altered perception with the help of a special ingredient, psilocybin, which turns into the active psilocin in the body. This creates what feels like a huge serotonin boost, changing how the central nervous system works. This family of funky fungi works similarly to other psychedelics by activating the 5-HT2A receptor, which is also known more simply as the serotonin receptor, which does more than produce feelings of joy. This receptor has many pathways, specifically in the prefrontal cortex, which is essential for learning, cognitive function, and behaviour.
That Funky Feeling
So, you’ve drank a steaming hot cup of mushroom tea or just downed some slightly gross dried mushroom caps; what now? Once you nibble on these mind-altering little fungi, there’s no going back, and the trip can last anywhere from 3-6 hours. Everyone is affected differently depending on the dose, where you are, and who you’re with. If you’ve taken enough, after around 30 minutes, the hallucinogenic properties start kicking in, and perceptions get wild. Colours, sounds, and objects become distorted, and some people hear sounds or see music. On a good trip, your body feels light, and it can feel like you’re having a magical experience communing with higher spiritual powers.
Rewiring the Brain
If you’re stuck in a rut and need to find a way out of old habits, then rewiring the brain may not be as complicated as you think. Suppose you’re just suffering from the cognitive decay of set routines. In that case, things like taking new routes to work, staying active, and daily meditation could rewire the brain enough to pull you from your rut, but for people suffering from PTSD, depression or chronic pain, this might not be enough. When you take the same route to work every day, it can start to feel like you’re on auto-pilot, not even remembering how you got to your final destination. Finding new roads to get there or shaking up your routine will leave you more present and create new connections for overall brain health. On the other hand, if your car keeps breaking down and you don’t have a way to get across the city anyways, psychedelics act like a mechanic. Now that you’re back on the road and your car starts every time, you can begin your adventure and reach where you need to be.
How Does It Work?
Psilocybin, the hallucinogenic ingredient in magic mushrooms, has been used medicinally throughout human history, but they’re just finally figuring out why that is. New studies show that one big trip rewires the brain by building new connections in the brain. Neurons are responsible for sharing information through different parts of the brain and nervous system using chemical signals and electrical impulses. Psilocybin works by altering the spines on the finger-like dendrites that branch out from the neuron cell (picture a snowflake with a couple of longer tails). The active ingredient in magic mushrooms increases the size of these essential spines by around 10%, making it easier to strengthen and build new connections. Studies show that new connections form within a day after ingesting magic mushrooms, lasting for months or even years. These new connections are essential to rewiring the brain, known as neuroplasticity, which allows the brain to learn and adapt.
Can I Skip the Trip and Microdose?
Microdosing has become a more mainstream way to keep the creative juices flowing by taking a small number of mushrooms multiple days a week. By keeping the dose tiny, you can harness many of the benefits without feeling the stronger effects of the hallucinogenic mushroom. Many of the most creative minds of our time swear by psychedelics as a way to open their minds and boost creativity, especially in the competitive tech field. While I am a massive advocate of this daily practice and firmly believe it is beneficial for mental and physical health, you won’t see the same results as taking one large dose. In order for the brain to rewire, it needs a big kickstart.
Lasting Change
As a person’s age goes up, plasticity typically goes down. This especially includes personality traits of openness like imagination, abstract thinking, and general broad-mindedness. This could be why people become more stuck in mundane routines and less accepting of change as they age. Mushrooms are derailing the idea that personality can’t change after 30, and needless to say that a world of people brimming with acceptance and creativity is one I prefer to live in. If your out-of-date uncle had one fantastic trip on mushrooms, I can guarantee there would be fewer heated discussions around the holidays. While some people choose to include psychedelics into their routine, many others find that just once is enough to pull them out of the mental rut they were in and change their thinking way into the future.
Have you gone on a magical mushroom journey that has changed your life or way of thinking? Let us know in the comments!
Assuming you’re referring to the term “waking and baking,” it’s a slang expression for smoking cannabis first thing in the morning. For some people, it’s a way to start their day off with a clear head. Others find that it helps them ease into their day and get things done. I’ve got a simple checklist here to make sure you get the most out of your day. First, make sure you’re using a strain of cannabis that won’t make you too tired or couch-locked. Second, start with a small amount and increase as needed. Lastly, be prepared for your day – have breakfast ready, set out your clothes, etc.
Wake up earlier than usual. This will give you plenty of time to enjoy your weed without feeling rushed.
Edibles: Edibles are an excellent option for those who don’t want to smoke or vape cannabis. You can find edibles in various forms, such as gummies, cookies, and brownies. Just be sure to start with a low dose and wait at least an hour before consuming more, as the effects can take a while to kick in.
Cannabis and food have been linked together for centuries. The first recorded instance of cannabis being used as a food ingredient was in ancient China, where it was used to make tea. Cannabis was also used as a food ingredient in ancient India, where it was used to make a type of curry. More recently, cannabis has been used as an ingredient in various food items such as brownies, cookies, and cakes.
Different strains of cannabis have different effects on food. Some strains make food taste better, while others make it taste worse. The effects of cannabis on food vary depending on the strain, the amount of THC in the strain, and the person’s individual response to THC.
Terpenes are the aromatic compounds found in cannabis that give the plant its distinctive smell. They also play a role in taste perception. When you consume cannabis, the terpenes interact with your taste buds and affect how you perceive the flavour of food.
It’s extremely hard to find any information on the early life of this courageous woman and a lot of what I did find wasn’t consistent. Everyone agrees that Mary was born into a highly religious family in 1922. Although she was born in Minnesota, she grew up in Chicago, where she was known to be rebellious from a very young age. Mary dropped out of school after hitting a nun who tried to cane her and left home to forge her own path as an activist. She found herself in Wisconsin battling for abortion rights and the union rights of miners. Like many young Americans during World War II, she made her way to the hub of civil disobedience, San Fransisco. This is where she met the man she would marry and start a family with, although it didn’t last very long, and they were soon divorced. As a single mother, her job waitressing at IHOP barely covered her bills, so she started selling pot brownies to make ends meet. Sadly, her only daughter died in a car crash in the 1970s, at only 22, which many of her friends think led to Mary’s dedication to charity work.
Mary Rathbun began selling her “magically delicious” brownies all over neighbourhood bulletin boards and quickly became well known throughout the city’s gay Castro District. In the early 80s, she was making up to 600 brownies a day and selling them either from her home, a basket on the streets, or the Big Top pot supermarket. Unfortunately, this widespread popularity attracted the attention of local police, who sent an undercover detective, posing as a customer, to her apartment. This feisty 57-year-old was arrested in her flower-print apron on January 14, 1981, when they confiscated almost 20 pounds of marijuana. The arrest made national headlines, but the judge liked her, and instead of sending this grandmotherly woman to jail, he sentenced her to 500 hours of community service. Most of her volunteer hours were spent on The Shanti Project, a support group for people living with life-threatening illnesses, which became a huge turning point in her life.
In the early ‘90s, Mary came into her own as a political activist and contributed to Proposition P passing in 1991. This bill allowed physicians to prescribe medical marijuana to suffering patients without worrying that there would be legal consequences. Mary was no longer viewed as a rule breaker but as an aids activist who brought about change and well-being for people who received terrible diagnoses.
On April 10, 1999, Mary Jane Rathbun died of a heart attack. She was 77 and had lived a beautiful life dedicated to helping those in need. On April 17th, a crowd of around 300 people attended a candlelight vigil in her honour. The district attorney that had dropped the charges against her, Terrence Hallinan, made a moving speech about how Mary was a hero and would one day be remembered as the Florence Nightingale of the medical marijuana movement. And so she is fondly remembered today for all the good she did for marginalized communities. Unfortunately, her brownie recipe is gone, as she never shared it with anyone. Although she always joked that she would sell it to Betty Crocker one day, she never made it that far. RIP, Brownie Mary. We love you.
CBD oil is proven effective at fighting pain, and some studies show that it can reduce pain 30% more than traditional prescription medications or medical marijuana treatment of THC alone. As if that wasn’t enough of a reason to incorporate CBD, it also has fewer side effects and won’t lead to addiction. With 75% of seniors coping with chronic pain, arthritis and other inflammatory and pain-related illnesses, this could be a game-changer. This miracle drug works by reducing inflammation which is responsible for most pain. If you are suffering from joint pain, arthritis, or Multiple Sclerosis, then CBD could drastically improve your quality of life.
After 35, osteoporosis starts to kick in, and once strong, bones begin to lose minerals, making them more fragile. Falls happen, but with weakened bones, instead of leaving you with a bruise, it could leave you with fractured bones. According to studies, falls are the number one cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries to the elderly. The weakening of bones is a natural part of aging. Still, CBD can help by reducing inflammation, encouraging cell repair, strengthening bones, and helping to heal faster when a fracture happens.
Everyone wants to stay looking young for as long as possible, and CBD is here to do the job. It combats the adverse effects of free radicals on the skin, feeds your skin the antioxidants and moisture it craves, and can improve elasticity. All these things together make it one of the most effective skincare products to leave your skin as healthy and youthful as possible. Best Ways to incorporate it into your daily routine
If, like me, you get creative with your recipes and toss everything that’s calling to you in the cupboard or fridge. then these ingredients could have you back on your feet faster. These ingredients are not only full of essential nutrients but healing terpenes. If you don’t believe me just look at traditional medicine over the centuries. 
I won’t keep listing off all of the reasons why cannabis soup is the perfect thing for when you’re sick; let’s get to the recipes you’ve all been waiting for!
Is there anything more classic than a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup?
This might sound strange but this soup is ridiculously easy to make and utilizes not only cannabis-infused oils but nutritious leaves as well. This leafy, green powerhouse will leave you feeling relaxed and nourished.
It may seem like you breeze through the summer without even one hint of a sneeze, and then the second the cold starts to set in so does the endless stream of sicknesses and cases of flu, and you wouldn’t be wrong. There are a few factors that are responsible for this, and part of it may be the fact that you want to hide from the chilly weather with a cup of hot tea and a movie. Being indoors raises infection rates and is the number one reason why different illnesses and viral infections are given free rein to thrive and spread. If you decide to risk leaving the house to battle the cold, you may not be much better off. With temperatures dropping, so do the humidity levels in the air, which can lead to cracked tissue in the respiratory tract and mucus membranes. This makes you much more susceptible to different bacteria and viruses trying to invade your body and take away your health. As if all of this wasn’t enough, you’re probably not drinking as much water as in the hot summer months. Be honest… are you maybe a little bit dehydrated? This negatively impacts your already overworked immune system and can give those pesky viruses an extra seat on your hibernation couch.
There are so many ways to add this secret little ingredient, and deciding what kind of effects you would like to see is the first step. Since you’re on the couch or in bed taking a sick day anyways, then maybe getting that buzzy high from THC is what you need, but if you’re not a fan of the feeling, then CBD or raw leaves can do the job as well. There are benefits to each method, so keep reading to see what will work best for you.
No one wants to be sick, but it’s an inevitable part of life, so the best we can ask for is to make the time when you aren’t feeling your best as short and painless as possible. While there is no cure for the common cold, there are ways to make the time a little bit less terrible.
Make herbal aftershave: Daily run-ins with a razor can leave skin irritated, red, and tight. If this sounds familiar try applying cannabis-infused honey to the affected areas. Wait a few minutes and rinse off with cool water. This will leave your face feeling refreshed, and moisturized.
Use canna-honey as a topical antibiotic: Simply put the infused honey directly onto the affected area so it can absorb the cad and reap the antibiotic benefits of the honey.
Keep gingivitis at bay: Dab cannabis honey to your gum line daily to help promote mouth health. The honey kills bacteria and the cannabis helps it absorb into the bloodstream.
Raw honey is a miracle cure-all and can seemingly be used to treat just about everything. Although all honey is good honey the jar off the shelf of your local market may not be as pure and effective at treating different ailments the same way one from your local farm or beekeeper. Following I’m going to list some of the most sought benefits of this golden, sweet syrup.
Helps promote longer, and deeper sleep: Cannabis will not only help you fall asleep but also helps normalize breathing patterns which can prevent interruptions to your sleep cycle. Wake up feeling more rested than you have since you were forced into adulthood and all the stress that comes along with it.
Microdosing is when you take a very small dose of any psychedelic drug so that you can harness the benefits without going on a “trip”. This small dose will only be 1-10% of what you would normally take and will not cause hallucinations. There are multiple benefits, including uplifted mood, clarity, and relaxation while offering very little to no side effects. This could be an opportunity to take a step back from addictive modern pharmaceuticals and walk down a more natural path toward healing. It should be noted that you should only take a dose every 3-4 days so as not to build a tolerance to it.
Enhances Creativity: Micro-dosing psilocybin can bring a whole new perspective into your life. Magic mushrooms affect the brain’s frontal cortex, which is responsible for abstract thinking, thought analysis, and plays an important role in mood and perception. This can give you that extra push to think outside of the box and leads to innovation.
These hard-working, innovative techies aren’t using magic mushrooms recreationally but rather as tools to harness creativity and solve some of their more complex problems. More than 60% of tech workers share that they feel burnt out at work and is one of the biggest reasons they turn to less mainstream psychedelic avenues such as so micro-doing shrooms. This is a completely new way to look at drugs: less of a way to let off steam and more of a way to improve the mind.
If you’ve been in a rut and you’ve been looking for the key to unlocking a new way of thinking then micro-dosing magic mushrooms may be right for you. Ensuring that you’re in the right headspace is much more important if you plan on taking larger doses of this psychedelic fungus but in tiny doses, it creates space from negative thought patterns and can enhance a positive mood. Psychedelics let the brain lower its defenses which can lead people to experience past trauma if it hasn’t been properly worked through. In general, most people dealing with high-stress environments report being much happier, more creative, and less stressed after micro-dosing. 
Helps heal fractures and promotes bone health
When you break a bone, collagen is built up over the fracture to create a bridge and eventually becomes hardened into new bone. This is where CBD comes in handy with its powerful collagen-producing power. Studies have shown that this is not only effective at speeding up the healing process but also strengthens bones so that they’re less likely to break again in the future. This isn’t a small find for people with weakening bones as researchers say the intervention of cannabis makes bones 35-50% stronger. This is due to the fact that CBD makes collagen tissue stronger with more tightly cross-linked molecules.
If like most people you have experienced a fracture the one thing you may remember is the pain. Many people are given prescription pain medications to handle the waves of discomfort but there are always concerns of addiction and overdose. CBD comes in handy here as it has almost no side effects and is a non-addictive, natural pain suppressant. Taking CBD orally or using some form of pain relief topical spray can help with recovery and reduce pain and stiffness caused by injury.
