hallucinogens news stories on Newser

Magic Mushrooms Ease Cancer Anxiety

Mary Papenfuss — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 06:25:00 CDT

Psilocybin, the key ingredient in the favorite hallucinogenic "magic mushrooms" of trippy space cadets everywhere, is proving to be a mood elevator for those suffering from cancer. Late-stage cancer patients given a moderate single dose of psilocybin were less anxious, and significantly less depressed six months later compared with patients...

Botticelli's Mars Is on Acid

John Johnson — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 14:23:47 CDT

There's a reason Mars looks so out of it in Botticelli's classic painting Venus and Mars . A sharp-eyed art historian tells NPR that he's on what's known as "poor man's acid." Check out the sartyr in the bottom right (the one who's sort of sticking his tongue out at you)....

Docs Look Again to Turning On for Cures

Mary Papenfuss — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 03:38:00 CDT

Scientists and physicians are looking again at various hallucinogens for aiding people suffering from mental illness and other problems. After a '60s backlash against the drugs, researchers are delving into their possible benefits. One retired clinical psychologist attributes his 6-hour trip on psilocybin in a Johns Hopkins lab to curing...

Swiss Shrink Revives LSD Research

Rob Quinn — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 07:17:40 CDT

A Swiss psychiatrist has revived research into the use of LSD to treat emotional disorders after decades of neglect, Der Spiegel reports (unable to resist the headline "Tune In, Turn On, Cheer Up"). Albert Gasser, the first person to study the psychiatric use of the hallucinogen in 35 years, has...

Twitter: LSD for Our Time

Will McCahill — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:37:03 CDT

The parallels between Twitter and LSD are just too trippy for blogger Phil Baumann to ignore. “What was once a side project, a sort of laboratory experiment,” he writes, “has now seeped into the public domain and everyday more and more people are tripping tweeting.” Highlights from his top 25...

Hallucinogenic Plant's High May Knock Medical Use Down

Rob Quinn — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 07:47:29 CDT

A hallucinogenic herb pharmacologists believe holds great promise for pain relief and mental health treatment is facing tough restrictions thanks to thrill-seekers, the New York Times reports. Users of the highly potent psychedelic Salvia divinorum—dubbed "Magic Mint" by users—have been posting videos of their trips on YouTube, which...

Groovy, Man: Study Finds Benefit in Magic 'Shrooms

Rob Quinn — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:49:04 CDT

Volunteers who took hallucinogenic psilocybin mushrooms in a study say they have gained long-term benefits from the drug, reports the AP. Subjects of the study, one of very few involving hallucinogenic drugs since the '60s, say they still feel positive effects from their psychedelic experience years later. Many say it...

Final Trip for LSD Creator

Peter Fearon — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:40:17 CDT

The Swiss scientist who formulated LSD and unwittingly helped lay the foundation of '60s drug culture has died of a heart attack at the age of 102. Albert Hofmann, who called LSD his "problem child," discovered its hallucinatory properties while working on heart stimulants, reports the Washington Post . He believed...