MAGIC mushrooms could jazz up your sex life, scientists say.
A study found most people who take psychedelic drugs, like LSD “acid” or psilocybin from “shrooms”, feel friskier and happier with their love lives afterwards.
GettyPsychedelic drugs like psilocybin from magic mushrooms could improve sexual satisfaction[/caption]
It means The Beatles were probably legends in the bedroom as well as the recording studio.
Researchers at Imperial College London say they are the first to study how psychedelic drugs affect sex.
This study may seem quirky but sex is important to wellbeing
Tomasso Barba
They quizzed 261 people and found that after a trip they enjoyed bonking more, had a higher sex drive, felt more attracted to their partner and were happier with their own looks.
The boost lasted for up to six months after taking the drugs.
Study author and PhD student at Imperial, Tommaso Barba, said: “We believe this is the first scientific study to explore the effects of psychedelics on sexual functioning.
“The research may seem quirky but the psychological aspects of sex are important to wellbeing.”
He said the drugs may simply make people happier with the sex lives they already had rather than turning them on.
The substances can cause hallucinations, stop your normal trains of thought and let your imagination run riot.
The Beatles were open about their use of LSD and its influence on iconic 1960s albums Revolver and Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Lifting the lid on the band’s sex lives, bassist Paul McCartney told GQ in 2018 that he was never into orgies but had “sexual encounters of the celestial kind”.
Paul, now 81, said John Lennon was the wilder and “more bacchanalian” of the quartet.
Psychedelics may improve mental health, too
The Imperial College study, in the journal Scientific Reports, comes after past research found psilocybin can reduce symptoms of depression.
A second trial found people being treated for depression felt randier if they were given psilocybin than a standard antidepressant.
Mr Barba said: “We are not talking about sexual performance but this does indicate there may be a lasting positive impact on sexual functioning after their psychedelic experience.”
Dr David Erritzoe, clinical director of Imperial College’s Centre for Psychedelic Research, added: “This study shines yet more light on the far-reaching effects of psychedelics.”
PSILOCYBIN MAY BENEFIT MENTAL HEALTH
SCIENTIFIC studies are increasingly finding that the psychedelic drug psilocybin, found in magic mushrooms, can improve mental health problems like depression.
Trials have used it in conjunction with counselling or other therapy sessions and found it helps people to open up and face their demons.
A single 25mg dose of psilocybin was associated with a “rapid and sustained antidepressant effect” when trialled for six weeks in 104 adults with major depressive disorder. (Usona Institute, Wisconsin; Journal of the American Medical Association; 2023)
A single 25mg dose of psilocybin “reduced depression scores significantly” in a three-week trial involving 79 people with treatment-resistant depression. (King’s College London; New England Journal of Medicine; 2022)
Five out of 12 patients given psilocybin entered remission after one week, having suffered from depression for an average 17 years each and not responding to standard medication. All 12 patients reported a “marked improvement”. (Imperial College London; Nature; 2016)