The psychedelic ingredient found in magic mushrooms alters the emotional response to music, with implications for its potential therapeutic application.
A team of Danish researchers found that taking controlled amounts of the psychedelic drug psilocybin leads to a heightened emotional response to music. 20 participants listened to a short programme of classical music, both before and after having either taken psilocybin or a control drug used to treat high blood pressure. When asked to rate how the music evoked emotions including wonder, nostalgia and peacefulness, participants reported a 60% higher emotional response after taking psilocybin.
There is evidence that psilocybin has been used by humans for thousands of years, including for medical and religious purposes. However, it wasn’t until the 1960s that scientific research began to be conducted to understand the drug’s potential therapeutic value. While there is research into the use of various psychedelics to treat mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, psilocybin is considered most suitable for clinical development. This is due to the shorter trip time making it easier to schedule trials, with the psychedelic effects on average lasting for 2-6 hours.
The discovered effect of psilocybin on an emotional response to music suggests that music should be considered in further trials and treatment. There is potential for the results of therapy to be optimised through individualising the music a patient listens to while taking psilocybin and receiving psychological support.
The team plan to next use MRI scans to study the influence of psilocybin and music on the brain. This will further understand the drug’s potential use in treating certain conditions.
