The Magic Mushroom Mind Shift
Fairlady|December 2019
Could magic mushrooms be a long-term solution to crippling addictions and mood disorders like depression and PTSD? Clinical trials abroad have been showing that a few psychedelic trips may be able to ‘reboot’ the brain, changing set patterns of thinking. Science writer Leonie Joubert tells us why SouthAfrica needs to make a mind shift about psychedelic assisted therapy.
Maya Morgan-Skillen
The Magic Mushroom Mind Shift

As Janeen Delaney looked at the capsule in her hand, she thought, ‘Boy, there’s so much promise. I am so ready for this.’ She was about to take a dose of psilocybin, the hallucinogenic compound found in magic mushrooms, as part of a 2008 study at Johns Hopkins University. Researchers were investigating whether a mystical experience brought on by the psychedelic would have a therapeutic effect on people with end-of-life anxiety. Janeen had been diagnosed with leukaemia three years previously.

‘I was living in fear,’ she says placidly, in a video interview. ‘My greatest fear was that I wouldn’t find that fullness, that place of contentment in my life before the process of dying.’ Janeen took the capsule, lay down and waited for the ‘magic’ to happen. ‘It was so overwhelmingly beautiful that tears were falling down my face.’ Samuel Barber’s ‘Adagio for Strings’ was playing through her headphones. ‘My breath was following this note up, and when the note stopped, I held my breath. I thought, “Ha, it’s okay not to breathe. How could it be that simple? Dear God, it is that simple! Remember that when you get [to the end of life]: it’s okay not to breathe anymore.”’

Janeen emerged from the session feeling totally reassured. ‘I just knew everything was going to be okay,’ she says. ‘This study changed everything: I’m more patient, I take time to be present, I smile and say thank you – because I get to breathe another day. So I have a few years chopped off my life but look at the quality that I’m able to experience now. If I got this for a week it would have been worth it – that I’ve had it for a year is astounding.’ Janeen died in 2015. In the end, she had it for seven years.

‘PSYCHOACTIVISM’

Bu hikaye Fairlady dergisinin December 2019 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye Fairlady dergisinin December 2019 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

FAIRLADY DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
'DESIRE IS NOT WHAT MATTERS'
Fairlady

'DESIRE IS NOT WHAT MATTERS'

Emily Nagoski wrote the book on women and desire - literally. And then her own sex life dried up. Here's what a prolonged sex drought (and a load of research) taught her about maintaining intimacy in a long-term relationship.

time-read
9 dak  |
July/August 2024
'We have to tell HARD STORIES'
Fairlady

'We have to tell HARD STORIES'

Theatre director and playwright Yaël Farber is spending time in South Africa after her critically acclaimed run of King Lear at the Almeida Theatre in London. We chatted to her about the importance of the pursuit of truth.

time-read
6 dak  |
July/August 2024
THE WHY, THE WHICH & the wardrobe
Fairlady

THE WHY, THE WHICH & the wardrobe

We really got into it this month! Read on for more on the allure of a loosey-goosey jumpsuit, vintage-hunting and jingle-jangling jewellery, the best places to find quality African design and short-girl styling tips.

time-read
10+ dak  |
July/August 2024
LIFT your GAME
Fairlady

LIFT your GAME

Thought weightlifting was just for bodybuilders and powerlifters? Not so. In fact, 'lifting heavy shit' may be the secret to longevity, hormone regulation and mood for women through perimenopause and beyond.

time-read
8 dak  |
July/August 2024
TREATMENT PLAN ON YOUR MARKS
Fairlady

TREATMENT PLAN ON YOUR MARKS

Armed with a six-month programme from Dr Nerina Wilkinson + Associates, Jennifer Morin set about tackling her sun damage and melasma.

time-read
8 dak  |
July/August 2024
PLAYING YOUR CARDS RIGHT
Fairlady

PLAYING YOUR CARDS RIGHT

Here's how to get the most out of loyalty cards.

time-read
5 dak  |
July/August 2024
BIG SKY Country
Fairlady

BIG SKY Country

Namibia. Twelve friends, five vehicles, 4000 km, thirteen days. Eight punctures, one angle grinder. One martial eagle, one full moon, one ghost town. Plenty of top-quality braais, maybe not quite enough oysters... and the best time ever.

time-read
9 dak  |
July/August 2024
IS YOUR HOME MAKING YOU SICK?
Fairlady

IS YOUR HOME MAKING YOU SICK?

Leaks, damp and poor ventilation in old or poorly built new homes are being fingered for a growing health concern: mould.

time-read
7 dak  |
July/August 2024
HOW TO REALLY GET TO KNOW SOMEONE
Fairlady

HOW TO REALLY GET TO KNOW SOMEONE

The Korean word 'nunchi' describes 'the ability to be sensitive to other people's moods and thoughts'. It's an underrated skill that we seem to have lost.

time-read
9 dak  |
July/August 2024
How to write a memoir
Fairlady

How to write a memoir

Whether you want to share your experiences and insights with the world, leave a legacy or track pivotal experiences for yourself, writing your memoir can be a grand and worthwhile adventure. Here's some advice on how and where to begin.

time-read
7 dak  |
July/August 2024