Hippie drug boosts sexual pleasure months after use

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A British study found that taking psychedelic mushrooms, LSD, or other psychoactive compounds can improve sexual enjoyment, feelings of sexual arousal, and attraction to a partner for up to six months after a psychedelic experience.

Study author Tommaso Barba, who published the study in the journal Scientific Reports, said: “On the surface, this type of research may seem ‘quirky,’ but psychological aspects of sexual function—including How we view our bodies, our physicality, our attraction to partners, and our ability to form intimate connections with people—all are important to the mental health of sexually active adults.”

Researchers at the Center for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London asked 261 participants to fill out a questionnaire before having a psychedelic experience, as well as four weeks and six months after the experience.

Two categories of volunteers took part in the study – those taking psychedelic drugs for recreational or health reasons, and those taking part in a small clinical trial evaluating psilocybin, the compound found in psychedelic mushrooms, as a treatment for depression. who.

Participants who took psychedelics for pleasure had “significant” improvements in their perception of sex as a spiritual or sacred experience, satisfaction with their own appearance, and experiences of joy and pleasure with their partner.

Meanwhile, nearly half of the participants who took psilocybin reported improvements in sexual arousal, interest, and satisfaction.

On the other hand, people who take the antidepressant escitalopram (brand name Lexapro) experience decreased sexual function.

“We believe this is the first scientific study to explore the effects of psychedelics on sexual function,” Barba said. “Our findings demonstrate the potential impact of conditions that negatively impact sexual health, including clinical depression and anxiety disorders.

“This is especially important given that sexual dysfunction often caused by antidepressant medications often leads people to stop taking these medications and subsequently relapse,” Barba noted.

Barba’s team observed that neither dual study found significant changes in participants’ perceptions of the importance of sex after a psychedelic experience.

However, limitations of the study include that the data were based on survey answers and that the participants were mostly white, well-educated, heterosexual.

According to 2022 polls, about 28% of Americans have tried at least one of seven psychedelic drugs at some point in their lives, including LSD, psilocybin, ketamine, and ecstasy.

Colorado and Oregon have decriminalized psychedelic mushrooms, but Massachusetts voters on Tuesday rejected a ballot initiative that would have legalized five mind-altering drugs, including psilocybin, for those 21 and older. For adults above for therapeutic use.

The ballot question failed 57% to 43%, with 96% of precincts reporting.