'Magic Mushrooms' Get FDA Green-Light to Treat Depression Backed by <br />billionaire Peter Thiel, Psilocybin, aka "magic mushrooms," is a <br />psychedelic drug that has gained traction in <br />recent years as a possible treatment for depression. George Goldsmith, <br />co-founder Compass, via 'Daily Mail' Except for a brief time in the early 1960s, psilocybin has been illegal in the U.S. and is considered "fringe" by much of the mental health community. It's thought to work differently from antidepressants Standard antidepressants help prevent <br />overly negative emotions by regulating <br />the brain chemical serotonin. But the drugs reportedly <br />can leave patients feeling numbed. Psilocybin, on the other hand, seems to make the amygdala more responsive to emotions, while allowing patients to better process what they're feeling. This, in addition to psilocybin's reported "reset" of neural circuits — that create a negative feedback loop — seems to provide relief from depressive symptoms. George Goldsmith, <br />co-founder Compass, via 'Daily Mail'
