Who doesn’t love a good mushroom scramble, particularly when it might have benefits beyond mere nutrition? A recent study on the effects of psilocybin — the active ingredient of some hallucinogenic mushrooms — on brain activity adds context for its promise as a therapy for depression, PTSD, addiction and other psychological conditions. By temporarily desynchronizing the default mode network , the brain’s “executive suite” responsible for adhering to habits, psilocybin scrambles the brain and in the process catalyzes a sort of biological “factory reset.” SN’s Laura Sanders brings the straight story.

👮🏻‍♂️ But is it legal?

The clinical potential of psilocybin centers on several small but solid studies that combine therapy with doses of the drug. Unlike traditional SSRIs that require daily dosages to keep symptoms at bay, two doses of psilocybin with therapy has shown the potential to keep depression symptoms away for a month, and in one study, cancer patients had less anxiety and depression for years after a single dose. The problem: it’s illegal under U.S. federal law — classified as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act, which prohibits its use, sale and possession.