Psychologists claim that consuming psilocybin mushrooms, commonly known as "shrooms", may have contributed to a color-blind individual's enhanced color perception.
In a groundbreaking case study, researchers from the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio and the University of Alabama, Birmingham, have reported that psilocybin, the primary active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms, may potentially alleviate color blindness. The study, published in the journal Drug Science, Policy and Law, details the experience of a 35-year-old man with mild deuteranomalia, a type of red-green blindness.
Before the mushroom test, the man's self-reported score on the Ishihara test, a common measure of red-green blindness, was 14. Eight days after the mushroom test, he reached his peak score of 19. By the time the doctors tested him over a year later, he still scored a 16 on the Ishihara test.
However, it is crucial to highlight that this is a single case study, and there is currently no direct experimental research explicitly investigating psilocybin's potential to alleviate color blindness. The available studies focus primarily on psilocybin's effects on brain networks, perception modulation, aging processes, and psychedelic experience, rather than directly addressing color vision deficiencies.
The man in the report had periodically taken a variety of psychedelics over the years, including psilocybin, LSD, and DMT. The authors of the report note that psychedelic users regularly report vivid alterations in color perception. However, it's impossible to determine whether the initial psilocybin dosage was responsible for ongoing improvements due to the man's subsequent use of other psychedelics.
Brian Barnett, the lead author of the report, does not plan to follow up on the study, as it is not his main field of study. He hopes that other neurologists or ophthalmologists will conduct more extensive research on the topic. Barnett still keeps in touch with the man from the report and has provided updated comments for this article.
The improvement in the man's color vision may not necessarily repair the genetic defect causing his color blindness. Psilocybin is hypothesized to improve the processing of limited visual sensory input in the brain. A study using objective measures and multiple subjects with varying levels of color blindness could provide a better understanding of the generalizability of the findings.
It is essential to note that some psychedelics, including psilocybin, can cause persistent perceptual changes such as intensified colors or visual distortions in some cases (hallucinogen persisting perception disorder). This condition is pathological, not a therapeutic improvement in normal color vision.
In summary, while psilocybin influences visual perception and brain function in various ways, no experimental evidence currently supports its use or effect on alleviating color blindness. Research on this specific application appears lacking or nonexistent at present. Barnett encourages further investigation into the potential benefits of psilocybin for individuals with color vision deficiencies.
- The future of health-and-wellness may include unconventional therapies and treatments, as seen in a potential application of psilocybin, the active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms, to alleviate color blindness.
- Though there is currently no direct experimental research explicitly investigating psilocybin's effects on color blindness, the improvement in one man's color vision after taking psilocybin is intriguing and warrants further investigation in the field of science and technology.
- In the realm of mental health, more research is needed to understand the long-term impact of psychedelics like psilocybin on color perception and its potential benefits for individuals with color vision deficiencies.
- In the space of space-and-astronomy, this novel research on psilocybin signifies the continued exploration of the unknown and the potential for science to uncover new possibilities, including the potential treatment of color blindness.
- As gizmodo reports, while psilocybin’s impact on color blindness remains unproven, its influence on visual perception and brain function holds promise for the development of innovative health interventions in the future.
