Brain scans reveal magic mushroom drug enhances mindfulness meditation

Meditation and psychedelic drugs are both being investigated as potential treatments for improving mental health, but what happens when the two are combined? To find out, scientists invited a group of meditators to take psilocybin, the active component of magic mushrooms. Their self-reported experiences – and brain scans – hint that such a combined approach leads to stronger effects.

Mindfulness meditation, a set of techniques designed to increase people’s attentiveness and acceptance of the present moment, is thought to have some beneficial effects on health, including…