What is the purpose of a truffle ceremony?
Let's start by saying that the purpose for which someone uses psychedelics plays a major role in the effect of the trip. For example, you can use a low dose of mushrooms or magic truffles as a party drug. The same also applies to LSD, MDMA and a number of other synthetic variants. For most people, the combination of psychedelics and a party setting will not be seen as anything therapeutic, although it can have a positive effect on the mindset for some people.
If psychedelics are used as a means during a therapeutic setting, the so-called truffle ceremony or truffle therapy, the health benefits are often greater than during a party setting. The purpose of intake therefore plays a role in the outcome.
Changes play a key role
Besides the physical positive effects of psychedelics, which we explain further below, it is actually healthy changes that play an important role. Psychedelics such as psilocybin enable us to make new (brain) connections and this is often linked to gaining new insights. These new connections can cause us to think differently and teach ourselves new patterns. If the new patterns are healthier patterns, we benefit from better physical and mental health. So always try to investigate which healthy changes can help you further.
More BDNF from psychedelics
Because psychedelics such as psilocin (from truffles) stimulate the 5-HT2a receptor, BDNF is released. When the body releases more BDNF, it flips the switch on a series of genes that grow brand new brain cells, nerve cells, and connections. Even slightly higher BDNF ensures that you learn faster, remember better, age more slowly and your brain quickly rearranges the connections with the different parts of the brain and body.
BDNF also increases the plasticity of your brain. When your brain cells become damaged or encounter a stressful situation, BDNF protects them and helps them come back stronger. The neural pathways become more flexible rather than broken down, which could explain why higher levels of BDNF are associated with warding off depression.
Lower activity of the DMN
The Default Mode Network (DMN) includes brain areas in the cortex that are normally active during rest and is involved in remembering events, social and emotional judgment, and planning for the future. Reducing the activity of the DMN ensures that the sense of time disappears and people live more in the here and now. This means that worries and fears about the future disappear.
Lower activity of the DMN therefore results in a lower stress level and therefore lower cortisol. Low cortisol ensures that the body can use its self-healing ability to fight diseases and inflammation. Thanks to the reduced inflammation levels, more serotonin is released, which in turn releases more BDNF, while also lowering anxiety and depression.
Read more about being in the now
Less ego
Psychedelics in higher doses ensure that the ego is put on the back burner. The ego usually wants to be fed with more and more and often unhealthy things. The ego makes us restless and anxious as self-preservation is the ego's greatest goal. Without an ego we will not survive, but an overactive ego causes separation, loneliness and addictions.
Less ego means more connectedness, less depression, more serotonin, more BDNF, more healthy choices, less stress and less DMN activity.
Pent-up emotions
It happens regularly that during a psilocybin session, emotions arise that have been blocked for a long time. It is precisely the release of this “old pain” that releases emotional blockages and sometimes also psychosomatic complaints. It can sometimes feel liberating to feel everything that needs to be felt without inhibition.
Exposure therapy
In a number of cases, for example PTSD, exposure therapy can be combined with a lower dose of psychedelics. Psychedelics biochemically provide a state of contentment, less sadness and less anxiety. This state of mind in combination with telling and reliving the trauma ensures that the emotional link with the trauma can change to something that arouses less fear.
Even better results
With trip therapy we look beyond just what psychedelics can do for health. Using the insights for healthy changes offers a long-term solution. Good preparation with a focus on health and healthy changes ensures a better result. Already improved health also ensures a better psychedelic session and that is why it is useful to balance the neurotransmitters in the brain in advance. The intake for trip therapy includes a questionnaire so that we can advise you and get the most out of the session.