2026-05-08 13:02:40
Taking magic mushrooms just once may be enough to physically alter the brain for weeks, scientists have revealed.
Researchers say a single high-dose “trip” using psilocybin – the psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms – boosted emotional awareness, increased brain activity and left volunteers feeling happier and more optimistic long after the experience ended.
The study, carried out by experts at Imperial College London and the University of California, involved 28 healthy adults who had never previously taken psilocybin.
Participants were given a strong 25mg dose and monitored before, during and after the experience.
Scientists found that electrical activity in the brain surged within minutes, while participants also reported a heightened sense of emotional connectedness.
Many described the psychedelic session as the strangest experience of their lives.
But the effects did not stop once the hallucinations wore off.
Researchers discovered the volunteers continued to show elevated brain activity and stronger emotional awareness for weeks afterwards. Even a month later, scans suggested nerve pathways in the brain still contained more water than usual – a sign they were more active and flexible.
Experts say this could indicate an “anti-ageing” effect in the brain.
Participants also reported feeling better able to cope with problems and more hopeful about the future following the experience.
Dr Taylor Lyons, from Imperial College London, said: “Psilocybin gives people an ability to revise entrenched patterns of thought.
“The fact that these changes track with insight and improved well-being is especially exciting.”
The findings add to growing scientific interest in psychedelics as potential treatments for mental health conditions including depression, anxiety and PTSD.
Psilocybin has increasingly been studied in controlled medical settings, with researchers exploring whether it can help “reset” harmful thought patterns linked to poor mental health.
Despite this, magic mushrooms remain Class A drugs in the UK alongside cocaine and heroin because they are considered to carry a high risk of harm and little accepted medicinal benefit.
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