How does psilocybin affect us?
There are many resources available about psilocybin and how it feels to “trip” on psychedelics. No matter what you read, remember: everybody’s experience with psychedelics is different. While everyone will have their own journey with psilocybin, there are several common themes that are often repeated.
Psilocybin opens new neural pathways and perception.
Our brains are made up of millions of connections and pathways, many of them used every day. With psilocybin, our brains become much more open. Psilocybin and psychedelics open up new pathways and connections of thinking that can lead to new and unconventional associations, to create what scientists call “global connectivity.”
The image below comes from a 2014 research publication from Imperial College London, using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to evaluate the brain’s functional network. The image captures the increased activity and neural connections under the effects of psilocybin.
From the published manuscript Homological scaffolds of brain functional networks, “psilocybin disrupts the normal organization of the brain with the emergence of strong, topologically long-range functional connections that are not present in a normal state.”
You may have heard about the Default Mode Network. Research has shown that psilocybin causes significant changes in connectivity within the DMN and also across other parts of the brain. You can find that paper in the support materials below.
SACHI’S TAKE
What does increased neuroplasticity mean for us? From our experience, we have felt changes in the way we think and view the world. It feels very much like a “waking up” event, that opens the mind to things around us. Sometimes that means we look at an old problem differently, or we consider things that had never dawned on us before. We have also experienced changes in overall mood and state of mind. Instead of a single dramatic idea, psychedelics have helped us reframe our way of viewing the world in general.
Most importantly: these realizations can come during the actual “trip” session, or a few weeks after a psychedelic experience. These new ideas may pop up immediately, or they may grow organically through follow-on conversations and integration work like the type offered through psychedelic assisted therapy.
“Often under psychedelics, people gather great insights into themselves and these can lead to profound positive changes in behavior and an increased sense of well-being after just a single exposure.”
Dr. David Nutt, Imperial College London
During the experience, awareness and perception shift in dramatic ways.
There are often profound alterations to perception: visual, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Some people describe dream-like visions and seeing ethereal worlds, places, and locations. Synesthesia, the merging and blending of different senses, can also occur, resulting in a new appreciation of music, nature, etc. There are some common reported feelings under the effects of psychedelics:
- Universal love
- Gratitude
- Deep, intense feelings of warmth and community
- Connectedness with greater humanity
Many reports talk about a shift to a more “diffuse” perception of the world, with the participants observing their environment in a different way. For some, the experience is so profound that they experience a sense of “losing themselves,” becoming whole and connected with the greater universe. From this mindset, the individual sees the world from a totally different viewpoint.
SACHI’S TAKE ON PERCEPTION SHIFTS AND LOSING YOURSELF
The best way we can explain the feeling of “diffuse perception”: Imagine walking through a forest with a flashlight—this is normal brain function. Then, imagine shutting off the flashlight and instead, turning on a lantern that glows in a softer, more general light pattern—this is the feeling during the psychedelic experience.
“Losing yourself” might sound scary, but from our experience, it is very liberating. It usually feels like a short period of uncertainty and self-doubt, where you must “let go” in order to feel the full effects of the psychedelic. Once achieved, you can commonly feel “removed” from your limited view of the world, suddenly feeling connected with a greater part of the world and those around you.
Sensory crossover is common—the environment can seem to move and change with music, or sometimes nature and objects can have a natural vibration between them. Sometimes, we experience deep and introspective thoughts for the entire experience, or other times, we may feel quiet and at peace (similar to a deep meditative state).
Psychedelic effects last longer than the actual “trip.”
Many studies have shown the long-lasting duration of effects, sometimes for weeks or months after an administered dose of psychedelics. Modern clinical studies have shown that a single psychedelic dose can decrease long-term reliance on medications like SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) or benzodiazepines like Xanax®, Valium®, etc.
This period of expanded learning and thinking has been called the “critical window”, and a team of researchers from Johns Hopkins found that window to last for 2-4 weeks (note this research was done in animal models). This is an exciting area of research for psychedelics: their ability to provide relief and change for long-standing issues like depression, PTSD, addiction, anxiety, etc.
SACHI’S TAKE
Psychedelic effects can last for a while! Yes, the actual “trip” is an intense experience, but for days, weeks, and even months after a session, you can perceive and think of things differently. The long-lasting effects are not obvious, and your day-to-day life can feel totally normal. However, with the help of reflective practices like integrative therapy, journaling, meditation, many people can achieve profound changes in mindset and emotions.
Are there concerns about safety? What about addiction?
Compared with the range of drugs and substances that can affect the mind, psilocybin is considered very safe. One of the most compelling studies on addiction and potential for harm came in the 2010 Lancet publication from the group at Imperial College London. Compared to a wide range of legal and illegal drugs, psilocybin ranked the lowest in terms of potential harm.
It is interesting to note that several legal substances (alcohol, tobacco) are considered more addictive and harmful, as well as common prescription psychiatric drugs (benzodiazepines like Lorazepam, Clonazepam).
Side effects and potential dangers
Like any mind-altering substance, psychedelics have potential side effects and negative reactions. In one of the major clinical trials from the group at Johns Hopkins, 1 out of 5 recipients of high dose psilocybin experience physical discomfort of some form, and 1 out of 4 experienced anxiety during the dosing session.
Throughout the clinical trials, the most common side effects were: upset stomach; elevated blood pressure; nausea; and headache. Although extremely rare, other potential dangers include: anxiety; mental or emotional destabilization; and temporary paranoia or psychosis.
SACHI’S TAKE
From our experience and research, psilocybin is safe and poses very little danger for addiction. However, psilocybin therapy will not always be a completely fun experience. Most likely, you will feel some negative symptoms, and there are small risks of adverse events like temporary paranoia. These symptoms are almost always temporary and short-lasting.
More likely, you will experience emotional stabilization (a sense of order, relief, and peaceful reflection).
For any experience with psilocybin, we always recommend that you are under the guidance of a qualified and trained professional. Additionally, the entire package is important: proper screening, preparation, mindset, setting, support, and integration after the dosing session.
Learn more about the experience of PAT:
Continue Learning from Sachi
A recent publication (July 2024) from Washington University in St. Louis about interconnectivity and neuroplasticity
May 2024 article about the change in connectivity in the brain that occurs under the effects of psilocybin
July 2023 article discussing Johns Hopkins research about the “critical window” and its duration with different psychedelics
A great online article about the experience of “ego death” with psychedelics
The fantastic research published in Nature in 2022 from the collaboration between Hammersmith, Imperial College London, and UCSF, about the expanded interconnectivity of the brain (please note that this research focused on patients with depression).
Sam Harris’ 
podcast intro about psychedelics
Dr. Andrew Huberman’s podcast episode about psilocybin—very in-depth with a neurobiology focus
A great podcast episode from the Psychopharmacology Institute with two of the leading researchers from Imperial College London. (Note: while the podcast focuses a lot on MDMA, it is very interesting and there are similar chemical pathways between MDMA and psilocybin.)
One of the best consolidated sources of information about psychedelics: PsychedelicU
How does psilocybin affect us?
There are many resources available about psilocybin and how it feels to “trip” on psychedelics. No matter what you read, remember: everybody’s experience with psychedelics is different. While everyone will have their own journey with psilocybin, there are several common themes that are often repeated.
Psilocybin opens new neural pathways and perception.
Our brains are made up of millions of connections and pathways, many of them used every day. With psilocybin, our brains become much more open. Psilocybin and psychedelics open up new pathways and connections of thinking that can lead to new and unconventional associations, to create what scientists call “global connectivity.”
The image below comes from a 2014 research publication from Imperial College London, using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to evaluate the brain’s functional network. The image captures the increased activity and neural connections under the effects of psilocybin.
From the published manuscript Homological scaffolds of brain functional networks, “psilocybin disrupts the normal organization of the brain with the emergence of strong, topologically long-range functional connections that are not present in a normal state.”You may have heard about the Default Mode Network. Research has shown that psilocybin causes significant changes in connectivity within the DMN and also across other parts of the brain. You can find that paper in the support materials below.
SACHI’S TAKE
What does increased neuroplasticity mean for us? From our experience, we have felt changes in the way we think and view the world. It feels very much like a “waking up” event, that opens the mind to things around us. Sometimes that means we look at an old problem differently, or we consider things that had never dawned on us before. We have also experienced changes in overall mood and state of mind. Instead of a single dramatic idea, psychedelics have helped us reframe our way of viewing the world in general.
Most importantly: these realizations can come during the actual “trip” session, or a few weeks after a psychedelic experience. These new ideas may pop up immediately, or they may grow organically through follow-on conversations and integration work like the type offered through psychedelic assisted therapy.
“Often under psychedelics, people gather great insights into themselves and these can lead to profound positive changes in behavior and an increased sense of well-being after just a single exposure.”
Dr. David Nutt, Imperial College London
During the experience, awareness and perception shift in dramatic ways.
There are often profound alterations to perception: visual, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Some people describe dream-like visions and seeing ethereal worlds, places, and locations. Synesthesia, the merging and blending of different senses, can also occur, resulting in a new appreciation of music, nature, etc. There are some common reported feelings under the effects of psychedelics:
- Universal love
- Gratitude
- Deep, intense feelings of warmth and community
- Connectedness with greater humanity
Many reports talk about a shift to a more “diffuse” perception of the world, with the participants observing their environment in a different way. For some, the experience is so profound that they experience a sense of “losing themselves,” becoming whole and connected with the greater universe. From this mindset, the individual sees the world from a totally different viewpoint.
SACHIS TAKE ON PERCEPTION SHIFTS AND LOSING YOURSELF
The best way we can explain the feeling of “diffuse perception”: Imagine walking through a forest with a flashlight—this is normal brain function. Then, imagine shutting off the flashlight and instead, turning on a lantern that glows in a softer, more general light pattern—this is the feeling during the psychedelic experience.
“Losing yourself” might sound scary, but from our experience, it is very liberating. It usually feels like a short period of uncertainty and self-doubt, where you must “let go” in order to feel the full effects of the psychedelic. Once achieved, you can commonly feel “removed” from your limited view of the world, suddenly feeling connected with a greater part of the world and those around you.
Sensory crossover is common—the environment can seem to move and change with music, or sometimes nature and objects can have a natural vibration between them. Sometimes, we experience deep and introspective thoughts for the entire experience, or other times, we may feel quiet and at peace (similar to a deep meditative state).
Psychedelic effects last longer than the actual “trip.”
Many studies have shown the long-lasting duration of effects, sometimes for weeks or months after an administered dose of psychedelics. Modern clinical studies have shown that a single psychedelic dose can decrease long-term reliance on medications like SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) or benzodiazepines like Xanax®, Valium®, etc.
This period of expanded learning and thinking has been called the “critical window”, and a team of researchers from Johns Hopkins found that window to last for 2-4 weeks (note this research was done in animal models). This is an exciting area of research for psychedelics: their ability to provide relief and change for long-standing issues like depression, PTSD, addiction, anxiety, etc.
SACHI’S TAKE
Psychedelic effects can last for a while! Yes, the actual “trip” is an intense experience, but for days, weeks, and even months after a session, you can perceive and think of things differently. The long-lasting effects are not obvious, and your day-to-day life can feel totally normal. However, with the help of reflective practices like integrative therapy, journaling, meditation, many people can achieve profound changes in mindset and emotions.
Are there concerns about safety? What about addiction?
Compared with the range of drugs and substances that can affect the mind, psilocybin is considered very safe. One of the most compelling studies on addiction and potential for harm came in the 2010 Lancet publication from the group at Imperial College London. Compared to a wide range of legal and illegal drugs, psilocybin ranked the lowest in terms of potential harm.
It is interesting to note that several legal substances (alcohol, tobacco) are considered more addictive and harmful, as well as common prescription psychiatric drugs (benzodiazepines like Lorazepam, Clonazepam).
Side effects and potential dangers
Like any mind-altering substance, psychedelics have potential side effects and negative reactions. In one of the major clinical trials from the group at Johns Hopkins, 1 out of 5 recipients of high dose psilocybin experience physical discomfort of some form, and 1 out of 4 experienced anxiety during the dosing session.
Throughout the clinical trials, the most common side effects were: upset stomach; elevated blood pressure; nausea; and headache. Although extremely rare, other potential dangers include: anxiety; mental or emotional destabilization; and temporary paranoia or psychosis.
SACHI’S TAKE
From our experience and research, psilocybin is safe and poses very little danger for addiction. However, psilocybin therapy will not always be a completely fun experience. Most likely, you will feel some negative symptoms, and there are small risks of adverse events like temporary paranoia. These symptoms are almost always temporary and short-lasting.
More likely, you will experience emotional stabilization (a sense of order, relief, and peaceful reflection).
For any experience with psilocybin, we always recommend that you are under the guidance of a qualified and trained professional. Additionally, the entire package is important: proper screening, preparation, mindset, setting, support, and integration after the dosing session.
Learn more about the experience of PAT:
Continue Learning from Sachi
A recent publication (July 2024) from Washington University in St. Louis about interconnectivity and neuroplasticity
May 2024 article about the change in connectivity in the brain that occurs under the effects of psilocybin
July 2023 article discussing Johns Hopkins research about the “critical window” and its duration with different psychedelics
A great online article about the experience of “ego death” with psychedelics
The fantastic research published in Nature in 2022 from the collaboration between Hammersmith, Imperial College London, and UCSF, about the expanded interconnectivity of the brain (please note that this research focused on patients with depression).
Sam Harris’ podcast intro about psychedelics
Dr. Andrew Huberman’s podcast episode about psilocybin—very in-depth with a neurobiology focus
A great podcast episode from the Psychopharmacology Institute with two of the leading researchers from Imperial College London. (Note: while the podcast focuses a lot on MDMA, it is very interesting and there are similar chemical pathways between MDMA and psilocybin.)
One of the best consolidated sources of information about psychedelics: PsychedelicU