Magic Nanaimo

02/26/2026

We always prefer whole mushrooms to synthetic formulas.

People have said for years that whole shrooms feel distinct from synthetic psilocybin.

Scientists shrugged it off, but a new study in Scientific Reports just mapped out the mechanics, and the case for a mushroom "entourage effect" is now seriously compelling.

Murray's team screened 15 compounds found in Psilocybe mushrooms and found eight that survive digestion and cross the blood-brain barrier.

Eight brain-active molecules in a single bite.

They hit 44 protein targets across serotonin, dopamine, and neuroplasticity pathways as a coherent network.

it seems mushrooms may run the same trick as ayahuasca. Three β-carbolines in the mushroom bind to MAO-A, the enzyme that breaks down serotonin and psilocin.

So the mushroom delivers the psychedelic and the thing that slows its breakdown, all in one organism.

A built-in potentiation system, evolved over millions of years.

This isn't just theory.

Mouse studies already showed crude mushroom extract outperformed pure psilocybin for anxiety. Whole extracts alter synaptic proteins differently than synthetic psilocybin. And patients consistently report preferring mushroom-derived experiences.

The computational model now gives us a mechanistic why behind all of that.

Maybe in our rush to isolate the "active ingredient," we've been ignoring the system it evolved within.

The magic in the mushroom is not just psilocybin. Its the conversation between compounds.

And that conversation, this research suggests, may be where the deeper therapeutic potential resides.

02/26/2026

East Forest has spent 16 years composing music specifically for psychedelic experiences. It started in NYC apartments in 2008 wit just him playing live while friends lay on the floor taking mushrooms.

Word of mouth grew it into a touring show and a documentary now free on YouTube called Music For Mushrooms.

The film is surprisingly patient. Long stretches of just watching people listen. Some are on psilocybin, some aren't. The film doesn't flag which. It trusts you to notice what's happening on their faces yourself. No narrator and no thesis. It lands harder for it.

Here's the neuroscience: psilocybin quiets the default mode network (your brain's self-referential loop) producing feelings of ego dissolution and connection. But the DMN always comes back online. The walls rebuild.

East Forest is basically asking: can music be a repeatable, low-dose way to keep touching that state?

The most striking scene is when young men from violent backgrounds are shown sitting in a circle. They aren't on mushrooms. Just listening to the music. One gang member, shot nine times, broke down sobbing.

The response was stronger than what East Forest typically sees from wellness crowds. Music alone did that.

If you're tired of psychedelic content that's either breathless evangelism or sterile clinical framing, this lives in the middle.

East Forest asks for two uninterrupted hours and put the film out free. In an attention economy, that combination feels like medicine itself.

02/18/2026

I wanted you to know that we are doing beautiful and important work with L*D microdosing.

We are helping countless people to stop drinking alcohol. Two people have stopped consuming crack. A he**in addict, a gentle soul, comes in everyday now to get 20 micrograms and he says it is making a difference in his urges. People are getting off their antidepressants and sleeping better. People are feeling better about life and about themselves.

02/10/2026

02/10/2026

For the past month, I've been running a personal experiment by microdosing psilocybin with creatine and cordyceps.

The goal was to boost physical performance by attacking cellular energy from three angles.

The results have been impressive - better cardio, faster recovery, and sustained mental clarity.

When you push hard, you burn ATP faster than your mitochondria can produce it. That's when fatigue hits.

This stack tackles the problem at three levels: cordyceps helps mitochondria make ATP more efficiently, creatine stores and recycles it, and psilocybin appears to regulate metabolism itself.

Recent research shows psilocybin is way more than just psychedelic. It reversed metabolic disease in mice and may improve mitochondrial function in humans.

It's emerging as a metabolic regulator, not just a cognitive tool. We're just beginning to understand how it resets cellular energy systems.

My baseline has shifted. I feel like I'm brimming with energy on the football pitch. Recovery between games is noticeably faster.

When working, there's a sustained mental clarity that feels different from anything else I’ve tried.

Start with creatine if you lift or deal with brain fog. Add cordyceps for cardio and breathlessness. If you're 30+ and thinking longevity, consider both.

Psilocybin microdoses are the experimental edge. I feel like I’m onto something, but maybe I'm just getting carried away.

02/07/2026

02/07/2026

Trauma is not just what happened to us.
It’s also how the nervous system learned to survive.

When people talk about trauma, they often imagine a single overwhelming event. In reality, trauma is better understood as a process: the lasting imprint of threat, helplessness, or loss on the brain and body. Two people can live through similar events and emerge very differently, not because one is “stronger,” but because their nervous systems adapted in different ways.

From a neuroscience perspective, trauma is associated with changes in how the brain detects danger, regulates emotion, and integrates memory. Systems designed to protect us — vigilance, avoidance, dissociation — can remain active long after the original threat has passed. What once helped survival can later limit flexibility, connection, and a sense of safety.

Clinically, this reframes trauma away from pathology and toward adaptation. Many trauma-related symptoms make sense when we ask “What happened to you?” rather than “What’s wrong with you?” This shift matters. It reduces shame and opens the door to more compassionate, curiosity-driven approaches to healing.

Research into psychedelic-assisted therapies has renewed interest in trauma, particularly around how rigid patterns of fear and meaning might soften under certain conditions. At the same time, this is an evolving field. Early findings are promising, but they are not universal, and context, preparation, and integration appear crucial. Psychedelics are not a shortcut — and they are certainly not a solution on their own.

A thoughtful conversation about trauma invites humility. Brains are complex. Healing is rarely linear. And no single framework explains every person’s experience.

02/05/2026

01/25/2026

So there's this new study from Oregon where they gave psilocybin mushrooms to eight athletes with traumatic brain injuries - boxers, MMA fighters, surfers, and bobsledders.

These people had been living with concussion symptoms that were absolutely wrecking their lives.

They hooked everyone up to EEG machines and did brain scans before and after guided psilocybin sessions.

The changes were visible on the scans - their frontal lobes literally rebalanced themselves.

That's the part of your brain that handles mood and impulse control.

The results were kind of incredible.

Depression dropped, PTSD symptoms improved, and their brains got noticeably better at focusing and making decisions.

One test showed their "noticing and responding" signals got significantly stronger and their brains were physically working better.

The theory is that psilocybin doesn't just mask symptoms like typical treatments.

It actually helps the brain rewire around damage at both the neurological and metabolic level.

We're talking about cellular repair, not just a temporary mood boost.

It's early days. The study was on just eight people and is not peer-reviewed yet.

But former NHL player Daniel Carcillo, who runs the treatment centre, says these athletes are finally coming back to themselves.

If it works for severe repeated head trauma, what could it do for millions with milder injuries?

01/25/2026

L*D MICRODOSING story.

This client is very sensitive and found herself in a slightly altered state of consciousness but with great results: A bit floaty and loopy. She had a concussion one year ago and has ADHD.

She will cut her dose in half after the first day which you see below.

"The floaty and loopy is more fascinating and entertaining than anything. I've never experienced my arms feeling like they weigh nothing before🤣 but yeah it did cut through the ADHD brain fog the way the (Stamet's) stack does.

Usually when i miss a day on the stack I have a lot of issues with executive function because my ADHD makes my brain work too fast for me to keep up with it. The stack feels like a proper dose of ADHD medication to slow my brain down enough for me to keep up and the L*D feels like it's working the same way at least"

For those of you who may be wondering, Stamet's stack is a shroom product with Lion's Mane and Niacin.

01/22/2026

In this episode of the MAPS Canada podcast, policy and advocacy team member Kyle Sittek-Lumsden speaks with Dr. Blake Pearson about his father Pete Pearson's experience with existential distress as well as the application process for psychedelic-assisted therapy and medical assistance in dying.

They talk about the personal difficulties related to a terminal diagnosis and how Pete's SAP application was denied after an 11 month waiting period while his MAiD request was accepted within 30 days. Join us for this moving and emotional discussion on how these two policy issues intersect in a real-world case.

If you would like to show support for Pete's case to receive compassionate access to psychedelic-assisted therapy through Section 56. exemption, please email the Minister of Health at https://bit.ly/3Zbu67D
Email Minister of Health: hcminister.ministresc@hc-sc.gc.ca or call here 613-957-0200

Link to the video: https://youtu.be/UaxVIrT-jFM