'Magic' mushrooms have several health benefits, can help overcome drug addiction

MUSOKE BASHIR in Busia tells SILAS NYAMWEYA the magic that lies in farming medicinal crop:

Who is Musoke Bashir?

I am a naturopath and a farmer.

What motivated you to start growing mushrooms?

I started growing this type of special mushroom five years ago after reading about the benefits of magic mushrooms in dealing with anxiety, alcoholism, depression, and even PTSD.

Musoke Bashir's imushrooms

What value do the mushrooms really have?

Some people forage them for the pleasurable effects of euphoria that result from consumption. Others, on the other hand, use the fungus to gain spiritual insights and new knowledge.

Surprisingly, anecdotal accounts of the health benefits of eating magic mushrooms are now being supported and expanded by new scientific research.

• Increase of "openness" and other beneficial shifts in personality.

Humans are born with open hearts and a desire to connect, learn, and grow as sentient beings. Experiences that cause us pain close us down over the course of our lives. For obvious reasons, when our hearts are broken, we may be less open to future romantic encounters. People who have a string of negative events associated with various aspects of their lives may become closed off to future experiences.

• Cessation of smoking, alcohol, drugs, and other addictions.

Psychedelics can help if you are stuck in unhealthy patterns in your life. Magic mushrooms have been shown to assist in the treatment of addiction to habit-forming drugs such as cocaine and nicotine.

Amanda Feilding of The Beckley Foundation launched a pilot study with Johns Hopkins University in 2008 to investigate psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for nicotine addiction.

The ongoing research is strengthening the case for psilocybin as a breakthrough treatment for substance abuse disorders, thanks to continued support from the Heffter Research Institute.

• Reduce depression.

The active ingredient in psychoactive mushrooms, psilocybin, has served as the spiritual and cultural foundation for many great civilisations.

Teonanacatl, which translates as "divine mushroom," was used by the Aztecs, and modern neuroscience has revealed how psilocybin interacts with serotonin receptors in the brain to produce a variety of consciousness-altering effects.

New research shows how effective magic mushrooms can be in the treatment of depression. In some cases, one dose may be sufficient to permanently alleviate the symptoms.

• Dissolve your ego and boost your creativity.

Psychedelics in general, and psilocybin in particular, can induce states in which our conscious experience of the world is liberated from its association with our particular ego, which may be revealed to be an illusory construct.

According to a 2017 study, temporary ego loss may be beneficial in the right context. These expansive, sometimes life-altering experiences help us feel deeply connected and alive. They also increase creativity.

What maintenance procedures are required at such a mushroom farm?

Not much, just making sure they get enough air and sunlight. Mostly morning and evening sunlights; the challenge comes during the rainy season when the sun is low.

What is required to succeed in such a venture?

Well, passion, concentration, and observation. Most crops are harvested as autumn transitions to winter.

Reading more books to gain a better understanding of the significance, value, science, and benefits of magic mushrooms.

Climate change has had a dramatic impact on the fruiting season; every year, the start and end of the season is determined by the weather, and we can see that it was largely consistent until the late 1970s.

However, the first fruiting date is now much earlier in the year than it was previously.

What advice would you give someone interested in growing magic mushrooms?

Well love, the desire to learn, to help those struggling with different issues such as addictions. The soils and phytonutrients in them, climate.

How much do you make in a month? I cannot disclose that for now but it depends with the number of clients, which keeps on fluctuating.

Your parting shot?

I am available to guide those with addiction issues, depression and PTSD. Let food be your medicine.