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Last week, the pilot on leave of Alaska Alaska Joseph David Emerson was accused of trying to cut the engines in the middle of the flight . Emerson, who pleaded not guilty to a certain number of criminal charges, would have told the police that he had taken psychedelic fungi 48 hours before the flight, was in a mental health crisis, dehydrated and was awake for 40 hours . What exactly are psychedelic fungi and how could they take it to their reported rupture? Here is what you need to know about psilocybin.

According to Alcohol and drug foundation , Psilocybin, also known as magic mushrooms, occurs naturally and is consumed for its hallucinogenic properties. These psychedelic drugs can have an impact on all senses, modifying the cognition of an individual, the perception of time and emotions. They can induce hallucinations, which makes people perceive who are not real or distorted. Psilocybin is a controlled substance and, despite its recreational use, has drawn attention in recent years to its potential under treatment conditions Like depression, alcohol consumption disorder, dependence on smoking, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anorexia, post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety.

While federal regulators have issued by the advice project For the drug to be used in research environments, it has not been approved for treatment. Currently, Oregon is the only state that has approved psilocybine therapy programs, Colorado should offer similar programs in 2025.

Similar to other drugs, the larger the dose, the more changed the degree of consciousness. However, with wild mushrooms, the amount of psilocybin can be unpredictable. "Even two of the same type of mushrooms cultivated one next to each other can have forest quantities of psilocybin," said Fred Barrett , Director of the Center for Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Conciiousness Research. "No one should look for mushrooms to treat themselves."

Mushrooms work quickly if they are ingested early, the effects culminated about 60 to 90 minutes after taking it and lasted from four to eight hours, according to experts. The medication completely left your body after 24 hours. "We had no evidence of anyone who has an extended reaction to psilocybin," said Barrett. Emerson claims that he took mushrooms about two days before the flight.

Psilocybin binds to specific serotonin receptors. Neuroimaging shows until someone has taken psilocybin, "brain regions that generally do not communicate with each other start to communicate new ways," said Barrett. Researchers argue that these types of changes could help treat people with psychiatric problems or mental health problems.

"Patients with psychiatric disorders, usually their brain is stuck in a circuit from which they cannot go out, and psychedelics break this cycle," said Charles Nemeroff , the co -director of the Center for Psychedelic Research & Therapy at the Dell Medical School of the University of Texas in Austin said The Washington Post .

According to research, psilocybin reduces activity in an area of the brain involved in the generation of a feeling of self, which can ensure that some people feel more connected to the people and the world around them, said Barrett. AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

How could that help mental health problems? According to research, people with anxiety or depression have a hyperactive or subactive default fashion network, generating a negative feedback loop where someone cannot stop worrying or get out of unhealthy thoughts .

Psilocybin can trigger psychotic episodes in some people, explains Nemeroff. There is an increased risk in people who have family history of conditions associated with psychosis such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, those who have a history of drug addiction, mentally unstable people and anyone with suicidal thoughts, Declared Nemeroff. These types of episodes can last far beyond when the drug is really in the body. "When a psychotic episode is triggered, it is not at all the effects of the drug," he said. "He takes his own life."

Because the pilot took mushrooms 48 hours before the plane incident, "he probably did not have psilocybin or other ingredients active in his body at the time ... but that does not mean that His experience was not linked to his use of mushrooms, "said Josh Woolley , associate professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of California in San Francisco.

Psilocybin has stimulating properties, according to Woolley, which means that the blood pressure and the heart rate of an individual can increase, which could affect sleep. "People feel energized," he said. "This can cause insomnia, difficulty sleeping, especially at night after using it."

There is no evidence or research showing that psilocybin causes dehydration. However, sometimes people become so caught in a psychedelic experience that they forget to drink, according to Nemeroff. "This is why we administer psychedelics in a controlled framework, so that we can make sure that people remain hydrated and that we can monitor their heart rate," he said.