Shrooms and Anxiety: How Magic Mushrooms Mend the Mind
I never thought Magic Mushrooms would be a part of my medicine path or a part of my healing journey. I was so closely and deeply connected with Ayahuasca for the first few years of my path and thought she would be the only medicine that called to me.
After some years of assisting in Ayahusaca ceremonies, my path opened up to medicines like Rapéh and Cacao and eventually into the strong and magical embrace of Magic Mushrooms.
Magic Mushrooms called to me what felt like out of the blue, but really, it was through a desire to connect with myself and understand myself through a different lens that wasn't Ayahuasca. During this time, listening to the call, I was experiencing a great deal of anxiety and depression. It felt like my worth and power were slipping through my fingers, and I wanted to understand why. Part of me hoped that Magic Mushrooms would heal or fix this for me. And if you know, you know that no plant or fungi friend can do that for us. Shrooms taught me a lot about suffering - anxiety, depression, rage, etc. and the lessons I learned are ones I hold dear to my heart and now share with you.
Messages I Got About My Anxiety and Depression
Sitting with Magic Mushrooms for the first time was one of my most challenging experiences. It felt very aggressive, strong, and chaotic—nothing like how I’ve experienced Ayahuasca at the time. Magic Mushrooms deeply highlighted where, how, and why my anxiety and depression were present.
This, for me, was the most uncomfortable thing to sit with and learn to hold for myself. It was agitating and felt never-ending - I felt like I was going insane. I was thrown through loop after loop, traveling the cosmos, past, and future with a deep fear attached to me. My anxiety was heightened, and I then came to realize it was years of suppressed emotion finally being felt and released.
Integrating this challenging experience took me months to come to terms with and learn from. I thought I would never try Magic Mushrooms again until I sat in an Ayahuasca ceremony. Ayahuasca threw me into the same experience and had me understand that I had to look at and integrate my Mushroom experience. She had me understand that Mushrooms would be a big part of my path and that I’d eventually have to learn to befriend and partner with. I accepted the challenge because I knew somewhere in all the fear, anxiety, and resistance, there was going to be something beautiful waiting on the other side.
Reconnecting With Mushrooms After a Challenging Time
Months passed, and I felt it was time to reconnect slowly and mindfully through a microdosing protocol. I was terrified, knowing that I would have to learn how to feel deeply and let go. Mushrooms welcomed me with their friendly, sarcastic, yet loving embrace. I worked with Mushrooms for months to learn how to “face my fears with courage and strength.”
They guided me and taught me how to hold and embrace my anxiety and fears by learning what it meant to truly “feel to heal” with sprinkles of laughter and mischief. There were many times that Shrooms laughed at me for taking myself and my healing journey too seriously and I could not help but laugh at myself too. This lesson brought so much healing to my nervous system, mind, and spirit.
My relationship with Mushrooms grew stronger and deeper. I went through a few more initiations until I got permission to guide others on connecting with Mushrooms and integrating their messages and experiences. Over the past few years, I’ve witnessed amazing and powerful shifts happen with others and these magical beings. With mentors and the guidance of this medicine, I learned just how much Mushrooms mend the mind.
Learning About Magic Mushrooms
Magic mushrooms, also known as Psilocybin Mushrooms, are a member of the psychedelic family of medicines, like Ayahuasca. Psilocybin functions within the brain by interacting with serotonin receptors, commonly called the "feel-good" receptors, which are crucial in regulating an individual's mood.
Magic Mushrooms are known to have various healing benefits for those struggling with mental health or substance use disorders. There is also growing evidence that Mushrooms can play a significant role in mending the mind and soothing the nervous system.
So, let’s delve into the transformative potential of Magic Mushrooms, how they can accentuate anxiety before healing, and the importance of approaching this journey with a sense of playfulness to bring healing to anxieties, worries, fears, etc.
The Magic of Mushroom Healing
Psilocybin has been under the research spotlight for its therapeutic powers on mental health. Studies are pointing towards mushrooms rewiring our brains, promoting neuroplasticity, and carving out new paths that could potentially kick anxiety and depression to the curb. The psychedelic journey Mushrooms takes you on is like a deep dive into the recesses of your mind, letting you confront and deal with all those emotions, fears, and traumas we've been shoving aside.
When connecting to sacred medicine like Magic Mushrooms, we learn about the beauty around and within us. Through my own personal experience, client experiences, and research, Mushrooms have the power to create powerful shifts.
Here are some examples of Shroom benefits:
Increased acceptance and processing of emotions
Connections to others
Forgiveness
Self-compassion
Insights into one’s self
Mystical experiences like connecting with God
Positive changes in the way they see the world
Increased motivation
Commitment to change
Being able to have empathy for others
Greater desire to be social
However, like any other sacred medicine, it is not always sunshine and rainbows. Part of our healing journey is learning to embrace the darkness and the darkness around us that can sometimes feel like a “bad trip.”
Whether that is our traumas, shadows, the heaviness in our world, or uncomfortable truths - Mushrooms will take us there.
Why Anxiety May Get Worse Before the Healing
Working with Magic Mushrooms can crank up anxiety levels initially. The psychedelic ride with Mushrooms can bring all anxiety-driven thoughts and emotions to the surface, making it impossible to sweep them under the rug. It’s uncomfortable, but this amplification of anxiety is often a necessary step in the healing journey. Facing those emotions head-on gives you an understanding of what's causing your anxiety and sets you on the path to acceptance and resolution.
By no means does this mean you have to work through the challenges on your own, and it's essential to know that it's crucial to integrate and learn how to navigate “bad trips” and look at them as part of the healing journey. If you are in need of some tips on navigating these types of trips, check out our blog, “Tips on Navigating a ‘Bad Trip on Plant Medicines and Psychedelics.”
Mushrooms are like little teachers dropping wisdom bombs about yourself and the nature of anxiety, stress, fear, etc. The altered state of consciousness lets you see your thoughts and behaviors from a whole new angle, bringing profound insights that lead to self-compassion and acceptance. Instead of pushing away the discomfort or emotional and mental distress, Mushrooms encourage you to embrace it, turning fear into a golden opportunity for growth and healing.
Laughter as Medicine
Magic Mushrooms embody mischief, challenging norms, and nudging you towards self-discovery. They want you to approach the healing journey with a sprinkle of playfulness and a carefree spirit. In the midst of the psychedelic rollercoaster, finding moments of laughter is therapeutic. It releases those feel-good endorphins, releases stress, and reminds you that even in the darkest moments of anxiety or depression - joy and humor can be your sidekicks.
When you're knee-deep in the spiritual realms, those moments of laughter become like healing potions. They work wonders. It is also a reminder not to take ourselves so seriously and to take a moment to laugh at ourselves in the messiness of our healing. Embracing the playful side of Magic Mushrooms can turn your healing journey into something enjoyable and less intimidating.
Facing Your Anxiety and Fears with Courage
Although Magic Mushrooms can be fun and playful, they're also great at showing us serious tools for healing anxiety, depression, and so much more. The journey might crank up the anxiety initially, but the lessons learned, and the insights gained are like keys to unlocking profound healing. As mentioned in my story above, a key lesson I took from working with these magical beings is facing my fears (anxiety) with courage and strength. Practicing this lesson during my integration period helped expand my capacity to hold myself more and strengthen my nervous system.
Working with Magic Mushrooms has been a journey full of challenges, but with deep gratitude and love for their medicine and teachings. If it weren’t for them, my understanding of my nervous system and my needs would be nonexistent. My capacity to hold deeper emotions, I give thanks to both Ayahuasca and Mushrooms, but really if it weren’t for their guidance to incorporate play, I'm not so sure I would be where I am today.
Integrating Shrooms
Just as with any medicine, integrating Psilocybin Mushrooms can be challenging, especially if we are unfamiliar with how to welcome play and laughter in our healing journeys. For those curious about connecting with these sacred beings or seeking to understand their Mushroom experiences, please seek safe and supportive guides and experiences.
If you are searching for guidance on embracing anxiety and fears to help mend your mind or to learn to laugh in the process, please feel free reach out to me.
I would be honored to guide and support you through the integration of Magic Mushroom experiences and guide you to embrace your anxiety with love, laughter, and compassion.
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 teachings. 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.
