The psychoactive ingredient found in magic mushrooms – Psilocybin – could represent the next big breakthrough for those suffering from bouts of debilitating daily depression.

Disclosed last Tuesday for all to consume; new research published by The Lancet Psychiatry looked at the medicinal value of the Psilocybin compound for relieving symptoms of depression.

Benefiting approximately 50% of the 12 participants, 5 volunteers noted they were experienced with the psychedelic effects of magic mushrooms, suffered from depression, and hadn’t had any luck with mitigating their symptoms with conventional psychotherapy or Western medicine. For the study, rather than having to choke down the disgusting flavor of a hallucinogenic fungus, patients were instructed to consume a psilocybin capsule. And once they were good and high, the study’s subjects were instructed to relax on a lab bed with low lighting (nope, not a black light) and music (probably not the Grateful Dead or Pink Floyd).

So far so good, sign me up.

With two highly trained psychiatrists on hand in case their research went sideways and subjects freaked, the psychedelic capsules kicked in after roughly 30 to 60 minutes and peaked at the two to three-hour mark, with the trippy research concluding after six hours.

Reporting “no serious or unexpected adverse effects,” the study’s findings concluded the participants acknowledged experiencing the typical side effects of tripping, such as the “transient anxiety” as their trips began. Of the 12 participants, 9 of them showed some disorientation, 4 reported headaches and nausea, and 2 suffered paranoia.

The study’s findings were straightforward and helpful: “This study provides preliminary support for the safety and efficacy of psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression and motivates further trials, with more rigorous designs, to better examine the therapeutic potential of this approach.”

Seven days removed from their hallucinogenic odyssey, all participants reported a significant improvement in their overall depression, with 8 claiming temporary remission. 90 days later, 7 remained optimistic, and 5 showed some degree of relapse.

Pills, Shrinks, or Shrooms?

While encouraging for those who seek help in battling their bouts of daily depression, the researchers conducting this study emphasized one very important fact – this was an incredibly small study. As such, replacing your daily doses of Zoloft and Prozac with some magic mushrooms could be a bit of a stretch, at least for now…