How Magic Mushrooms Heal Depression: A Look at Psilocybin Depression Treatment
Depression is one of the most prevalent mental health challenges faced worldwide. Unfortunately, it remains heavily stigmatized in many societies, leading to a lack of understanding, awareness, and appropriate care. Approximately 280 million people live with depression, affecting individuals of all ages, from children as young as 3 to adults 65 years and older. Those with the highest rate of major depressive disorder are from ages 18-29. Despite these statistics and widespread impact, depression is not talked about enough, and many people remain untreated or are left with limited support. The factors contributing to depression—such as culture, race, economic circumstances, societal stigma, and access to healthcare—vary widely, yet the need for effective and holistic healing is crucial.
In this blog, we will explore how Magic Mushrooms, viewed through the lens of sacred shamanic medicine, can aid in healing depression by connecting individuals back home to themselves. Through this exploration, we’ll consider both their spiritual significance and the growing body of scientific research supporting their use in mental health treatment.
The Scientific Definition of Depression
Depression is a complex mental health disorder characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a lack of interest or pleasure in activities. Scientifically, it is associated with imbalances in neurotransmitters—chemicals in the brain that regulate mood, such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. These imbalances can affect the brain’s communication pathways, leading to changes in areas responsible for mood regulation, such as the hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex. Depression can result in structural changes in the brain, including reduced hippocampal volume, which may impair memory and cognitive function. Integrating insights from behavioral sciences can enhance our understanding of the mechanisms through which depression affects the brain and behavior.
How Depression Impacts the Body, Mind, and Spirit
When left untreated, depression can manifest in a myriad of physical symptoms, including sleep disorders like insomnia, anxiety, weakened immune function, chronic pain, and more. Depression can also lead to elevated blood pressure, which requires careful monitoring and management. This disorder also affects the brain’s stress response system, leading to increased production of cortisol, the stress hormone, which can further exacerbate symptoms and create a cycle of ongoing mental and physical distress. It is a dis-ease that affects a person on every level—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
The increasing rates of depression and the persistent lack of comprehensive treatment highlight a profound disconnect in modern society, one that has largely lost touch with ancient, holistic healing practices that come from Pachamama herself.
The Shamanic Perspective of Depression
From a shamanic perspective, depression is often viewed as a form of 'soul loss,' which can be considered a state of profound disconnection from the soul caused by traumatic experiences that disrupt our harmony with the spirit. This can result from various societal pressures and personal traumas, such as abuse, bullying, violence, or life struggles. In shamanic traditions, this dis-ease reflects a deeper spiritual ailment that requires more than just surface-level treatment.
So, how can we begin to heal from depression? In contemporary Western medicine, the primary approach has been the use of medications like SSRIs or conventional therapy. While these methods can provide temporary relief, they often do not address the root cause of the dis-ease.
Here, natural and plant medicines, particularly Magic Mushrooms, offer a beautiful and powerful solution that guides us back to the ancient ways of healing that honor the root cause of many of our dis-eases.
The History of Magic Mushrooms, Maria Sabina, and Their Healing Potential
Magic Mushrooms are a sacred medicine from various shamanic traditions. One that personally resonates with me is from my hermanas y hermanos from Mexico, specifically the Mazatec Indigenous people. The Mazatec tradition has a rich history of using sacred plant medicines for their healing and spiritual practices and carries the legacy of the infamous curandera (healer) Maria Sabina. Maria became internationally renowned for her knowledge and use of the sacred Mushrooms, also known as “Niños Santos” (sacred children), back in 1955 when she encountered R. Gordon Wasson. Wasson participated in her ceremony and later published an article on his experience, which led to a global awareness of the spiritual and healing potential of Psilocybin Mushrooms. Recent psilocybin research has provided scientific backing for the therapeutic benefits of these mushrooms in treating depression. I highly recommend reading Maria’s story and honoring her legacy.
The Mazatec Tradition’s Use of Mushrooms
Mushrooms have been used for centuries to heal a wide range of dis-eases. In the Mazatec tradition, the Niños Santos are used in veladas—nighttime ceremonies that involve chanting, prayer, and the ingestion of the mushrooms to connect with the divine, seek guidance, and heal both physical and spiritual ailments. Very similar to traditional Ayahuasca ceremonies from Cocamilla or Shipibo-Conibo traditions.
These magical mushrooms are not just a remedy; they are sacred medicine with a beautiful and powerful spirit that can facilitate a deep connection with oneself and the Earth. These fungi help us dive into the root causes of our suffering, offering a path toward healing that aligns body, mind, and spirit.
My Personal Experience with Depression
I believe we all experience depression to an extent, and we all deserve to honor this by tending to our depression with love, ease, and care. Personally, I have experienced depressive episodes since my early childhood days. I've also experienced longer periods of depression that felt like a dark night of the soul that led me to Mama Ayahuasca. I've experienced depression even after sitting with Mama numerous times, and even more so after my father's passing a few years ago.
I think that depression is a common state of being that is part of the human experience, and it has many different types of levels. Not one level of depression is greater than the other, and no matter how you or others might be experiencing depression, it is worthy of being felt and acknowledged. Whether you are suffering from seasonal, mild, or chronic, we cannot deny the difficulties, pain, and suffering that it can cause us. We are all worthy of receiving care and healing.
How Psilocybin Mushrooms Helped Heal My Depression
Before Ayahuasca, I didn’t have healthy ways of coping with my depression. I drank a lot, disassociated, partied, and ran away from what I was feeling. After Ayahuasca, I learned the importance of sitting with my sadness, anger, and grief that led me to depressive episodes. With Mama, I shed a lot of tears and started learning how to work with my depression rather than against it. She also guided me to sit with Mushrooms and gave me time to learn from them.
In moments of integration or pausing in my work with Ayahuasca, I could feel los Niños Santos pulling me in to work with them. I had a feeling Magic Mushrooms would help heal my anxiety and depression. Psilocybin assisted therapy, which combines psilocybin treatment with supportive psychotherapy, has shown promising results in alleviating depressive symptoms. I listened and maybe jumped a little too quickly into a ceremonial dose. It was one of the hardest psychedelic journeys I have ever been on, and you can read more about it in my blog*, “Shrooms and Anxiety: How Magic Mushrooms Mend the Mind.*” After this experience, I realized I needed to slowly build a relationship with them through microdosing before diving deeper into ceremonial doses again. It was quite humbling, and now, I look back at it and can’t help but laugh about it.
Embracing The Darkness to Heal
I expected the happy-go-lucky and silly vibes that many of my loved ones experienced with this medicine, but for me, it was always the opposite. I would find myself in the depths of darkness, crying all the time and feeling the intensity of my emotions even on a microdose! Magic Mushrooms have shown promise in treating various mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety. I always say this, but working with Mushrooms has always been a more challenging medicine for me, and I understand why Aya had me learn from them. Mushrooms can feel heavy, dark, and somewhat aggressive in their teachings, but when you learn to surrender to their nature and way of being, you begin to expand your capacity to hold yourself and your depression a lot more deeply and with a whole lot of love.
At first, I had difficulty experiencing their darkness, but I remembered my teachings with Aya - the importance of feeling it to heal it. For years dealing with depression, I took my time with microdosing as a time to finally feel it all bit by bit. Then, I built my trust and courage to lean in more deeply with a ceremonial dose again, which propelled me forward in my healing journey more than I could ever imagine.
The Medicine of Magic Mushrooms
This was the magic with Mushrooms. Trusting in their spirit, guidance, and love to guide me to sit with my emotions and cry them out. Psychedelic treatment with psilocybin has been shown to provide significant relief from depressive symptoms. Accepting and embracing this work with them, allowed me to surrender to the process and truly learn to be with my feelings. As much as I wanted to skip to the good parts, I knew they were guiding me to heal my pain first, pain that was all rooted in my childhood trauma. I had to sit in my sadness that I never allowed myself to feel or process. They tested my patience and would often be silly and mischievous in their ways - reminding me not to take my healing process so seriously. A lot of their medicine can lead us to cry, but they also guide us to laugh and smile during our healing journey. For me, laughing at myself was the medicine I needed after so many years of feeling deep sadness in and out of my life. Here are a few other ways mushrooms helped me heal my depression:
Alleviation of Depressive Symptoms and Anxiety
Change of Perspective
Improved Emotional Resilience
Facilitation of Personal Growth
Mindfulness and Presence
Learning the Art of Forgiveness and Letting Go
Mood Regulation
Deep Emotional Release
Spiritual Connection and Insight
Research on Psilocybin Assisted Therapy and Depression
In recent years, scientific research has started to catch up with what indigenous healers have known for centuries: Magic Mushrooms have profound healing properties. Numerous studies have shown that psilocybin is highly effective in treating depression, even in cases where conventional treatments have failed**. Here are a few ways mushrooms have helped people heal their depression based on research:**
Increased brain connectivity
Enhanced Neuroplasticity
Disruption of overactive brain networks
Enhanced cognitive flexibility
Improved emotional processing
Lasting brain changes
These studies offer a bridge between ancient wisdom and modern science, affirming that the sacred relationship between humans and plant medicine is as vital today as it has always been. Human hallucinogen research emphasizes the importance of adhering to safety guidelines when conducting studies on psychedelics.
Bridging the Brain and the Spirit
Mushrooms work on a neurological level by enhancing neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections. This process is crucial for healing from depression, as it allows the brain to break free from old patterns of thought and behavior. Psilocybin also increases serotonin levels, a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in mood regulation. The science is clear: psilocybin can help rewire the brain, providing relief from the grip of depression. Psychedelic research has made significant advancements in understanding how substances like psilocybin can rewire neural connections for lasting positive effects.
But the healing power of Mushrooms extends beyond the neurological. In the shamanic tradition, the brain’s newfound plasticity is mirrored in the soul’s capacity for transformation. As Mushrooms open up neural pathways, they simultaneously open pathways to spiritual insights and deep emotional healing. This medicine guides us to not only heal our minds but also to reconnect with our spiritual essence. They remind us that true healing is multidimensional, touching every aspect of our being.
Embracing the Journey of Healing Depression
In our journey through depression, we are often led to paths that challenge us to look deeper within ourselves, to confront the shadows that we’ve kept hidden, and to reconnect with our spiritual essence. Magic Mushrooms, with their sacred wisdom and profound healing properties, have the potential to guide us through this process in ways that honor both ancient healing practices and modern science. They remind us that true healing is not just about alleviating symptoms but about transforming our entire being—mind, body, and spirit. The growing public interest in mushrooms for depression highlights their potential as a promising intervention for mental health conditions.
Depression is a complex and deeply personal experience. While conventional treatments may offer some relief, they often fall short of addressing the root causes of our suffering. When we integrate the wisdom of Magic Mushrooms into our healing journey, we can connect back to ancient wisdom and healing - where I believe our true power resides.
Working with Mushrooms
While working with Mushrooms, I learned a lot about patience, surrender, and the importance of finding a balance between the light and the dark. I found trust in the medicine of the Earth, in the wisdom of our ancestors, and in our own power and ability to heal. Whether we are navigating the depths of depression or simply seeking a greater connection with ourselves, Magic Mushrooms offers a path toward wholeness. Psychedelic drugs like psilocybin have shown potential in alleviating mood disorders and other psychiatric conditions. I thank them daily for the healing they have supported me and so many of my loved ones and clients.
If you’re feeling called to explore the healing potential of Magic Mushrooms and wish to learn more about how they can support your journey, I’d be honored to connect with you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me :)
About the Author
Natalhie Ruiz is an integration coach and plant medicine guide born in Denver, Colorado, and of Peruvian indigenous descent. Her ancestry carries a lineage of curanderas from the Wari/Quechua people of the Peruvian Andes. Her work for us at the Plant Medicine People is managing all marketing and content creation. She has a strong background and personal experience with sacred plant medicines. Her knowledge and expertise in plant medicine have grown over the last 5 years, and she has had the privilege to have studied under the Cocamilla lineage. She has a deep relationship with Grandmother Ayahuasca, Rapéh/Mapacho, and Psilocybin. She has sat in isolated and dieta sauves with Cacao, Bobinsana, Ajo Sacha, and Damiana and has experience with other Medicines like San Pedro and Kambo. She is looking forward to continuing her journey of learning and communing with other master plants. She is a dedicated advocate of plant medicine and protecting indigenous culture and traditions.
