An intriguing dive into the history and future of magic mushrooms. Food and nature writer Bone’s disclaimer saying that it “should not be construed as advocacy for the use of any illegal substance.” However,  she must have had her tongue firmly in her cheek when she said that. She has consumed a considerable number of magic mushrooms, and her book is essentially about their positive attributes and uses. Although public attitudes toward mushrooms and their active chemical ingredient, psilocybin, have recently become more liberal, there still has not been much scientific inquiry, so Bone depends largely on reports from users and her own experiences. She provides advice on how to induce enjoyable trips and avoid bad ones, examining hallucinations, trance states, and ego dissolution. She devotes a section to obtaining mushrooms, either by harvesting them in the wild or cultivating them from spores, which are readily available. There has been some success in treating PTSD and related mental health issues with psilocybin, she notes, but research is still sketchy. Another potentially valuable use of mushrooms she covers is a procedure called microdosing, which involves taking small, calibrated amounts; it does not send users on trips but can be helpful in easing depression, anxiety, and other ills. There are, according to Bone, many other possible therapeutic uses for psilocybin, but she believes that “the magic in magic mushrooms is their potential to put you in tune with your true self.” How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence—Kirkus Review

Psychedelic therapy & Holistic therapy