Researchers Say a Microdose of Magic Mushrooms Could Stimulate Cognitive Skills
According to a first-of-its-kind study conducted by researchers from Leiden University in the Netherlands, consuming a microdose of magic mushrooms (also known as psilocybin or truffles) has the ability to improve cognitive function.
The study, recently published in Psychopharmacology, gave 36 participants a one-off dose of 0.37 grams (0.01 ounces) of dried truffles and asked them to solve three puzzles, according to IFLScience.com. The researchers observed that the participants appeared to not only complete the puzzles with ease, but also created solutions “that were notably more original and flexible than what they came up with before they microdosed.”
“Our results suggest that consuming a microdose of truffles allowed participants to create more out-of-the-box alternative solutions for a problem, thus providing preliminary support for the assumption that microdosing improves divergent thinking,” lead author Luisa Prochazkova of Leiden University explained in a statement.
Due to the small scale of this study, additional research will need to be conducted, however scientific research into the pros and cons of psychedelics to treat any number of ailments, including depression, only appear to be increasing in number.
