Background: Following years of inactivity, psychedelic research has rapidly expanded within clinical and therapeutic fields. In particular, magic mushrooms (psilocybin), a plant-based psychedelic, have been researched for the treatment of complex mental health and substance dependence conditions, and yielded promising results. Largely due to the historical baggage of the psychedelic movement in the 1950s-1970s, and the stigma of recreational substance use, recreational magic mushroom users have been ignored within the current psychedelic revival. This thesis addressed this gap, examining the magic mushroom recreational substance use patterns of emerging adults in Victoria, British Columbia. Theory and Methods: Using the normalization thesis as the guiding theoretical framework, this thesis used a sequential-exploratory mixed methods design. Statistical analysis of quantitative cross-sectional interviews (n=558) conducted between 2008 -2016 generated rates of use, availability, and self-rated knowledge rates of magic mushrooms users. Qualitative cross-sectional semi-structured interviews (n=20) analyzed through thematic analysis determined substance use behaviors with reference to the current social and cultural context. Participants were recreational magic mushroom users, aged 19- 24. Results: Quantitative results indicated high overall rates of lifetime and past year magic mushroom use, with the lowest reported prevalence rate of lifetime use occurring in 2014 (86%), suggesting high rates of use within the recreational substance using population. There were no statistically significant relationships between year and lifetime or past year rates magic mushroom use. Gender was statistically significantly associated with magic mushroom use, with males being more likely to use magic mushrooms. Qualitative results indicated dynamic and strategically planned magic mushroom experiences. Themes developed include: shifting understandings, optimizing experience, purpose driven use; and post-trip impact. Participants reported using for transformational, micro-dosing, and leisure purposes. Discussion: Results suggested that magic mushroom use is in the process of differentiated normalization and assimilative normalization, influenced by developmental, social and cultural forces. Recreational users report substance use practices that have not been widely reported with the substance use literature, including using small doses of magic mushrooms (i.e. micro-dosing) for self-enhancement and therapeutic purposes. Results can be applied to the current psychedelic revival in three ways: (1) directing future clinical research directions and; (2) provide lived and experience and relevancy to clinical research, which will improve applicability and; (3) re-conceptualizing the identity of a recreational substance user, which has important implications regarding stigmatization. / Graduate

Backrounds: Former Czechoslovakia was known for the studies of halucinogens and their use in cure in psychiatric care. In the last couple of years LSD and other halucinogens have been coming to renaissance again. Nowadays researchers are returning to these theories and they are trying to follow these studies. In the Czech Republic according to studies conducted in 2002, 2004 and 2008, there was an increase in the use of all drugs in general population. For example there was an increase of 2.5 times more of use between 2002 and 2008 (from 2.2% to 5.6%). The same increase showed the use of halucinogen mushrooms that were monitored only in 2004 and 2008. Objectives: The main point of the whole research was to map aspects and patterns of the use of magic mushrooms and LSD and monitor the outcome on these patients, also monitor their physical and psychiatric problems. The study monitors how each person deals with their use and solutions that can be used in prevention with patients especially among growing population are tried to be found. Methods and research group: The research was conducted in polystructured form of an interview with 34 patients in hospital in Dobrany (34 men and 3 women) who had had at least one piece of experience with the use of magic mushrooms or LSD and were willing for the...

Submitted by Geandra Rodrigues (geandrar@gmail.com) on 2018-10-30T14:48:28Z No. of bitstreams: 1 jonathanviniciusdorinidemoraes.pdf: 1108891 bytes, checksum: 913d05a63b04d550cfc4dc23439e2505 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2018-11-23T11:41:20Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 jonathanviniciusdorinidemoraes.pdf: 1108891 bytes, checksum: 913d05a63b04d550cfc4dc23439e2505 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-11-23T11:41:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 jonathanviniciusdorinidemoraes.pdf: 1108891 bytes, checksum: 913d05a63b04d550cfc4dc23439e2505 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-08-22 / Esta pesquisa visa uma aproximação à vida de uma espécie de cogumelos mágicos (Psilocybe cubensis) difundida em Minas Gerais e por outras regiões no Brasil e no mundo, e a um conjunto de relações entre estes e os humanos. Com base na teoria ator-rede de Bruno Latour e inspirado pela antropologia “de volta à vida”, de Tim Ingold, o trabalho busca desenhar este campo social a partir de um percurso etnográfico que considera diversas dimensões encontradas ao se perseguir as práticas humanas com estes cogumelos: regulações do uso; o ciberespaço e as técnicas micológicas; modalidades de trocas comerciais e não comerciais aí presentes; experimentos-eventos compartilhados entre pessoas-organismos e o relato de suas “viagens” com cogumelos. O trabalho considera os humanos e os cogumelos como protagonistas, e a prática de ingestão de cogumelos como relações entre pessoas e materiais; assim persegue os cogumelos e as cogumelosidades em contextos diversos e entre diferentes participantes da pesquisa. / This research aims at an approach to the life of a species of magic mushrooms (Psilocybe cubensis) spread in Minas Gerais and other regions in Brazil and the world, and to a set of relations between them and humans. Based on Bruno Latour's network-actor theory and inspired by Tim Ingold's "back to life" anthropology, the aim of this work is to draw this social field from an ethnographic course that considers several dimensions found when pursuing human practices with these mushrooms: use regulations; cyberspace and mycological techniques; modalities of trade and non-trade there; experiments-events shared between people-organisms and the reporting of their "trips" with mushrooms. The work considers humans and mushrooms as protagonists, and the practice of mushroom ingestion as relations between people and materials; thus chasing mushrooms and the conceptions of them in different contexts and between different research participants.

[pt] As substâncias psicodélicas clássicas são agonistas serotoninérgicos que atuam essencialmente no sistema de neurotransmissão 5HT2A. Essas substâncias podem promover estados alterados de consciência, bem como alterações visuais, afetivas, de humor e alterações cognitivas. Historicamente, eles têm sido usados para fins ritualísticos, recreativos e medicinais. Estudos indicam que essas substâncias apresentam baixa toxicidade, baixo risco de dependência e overdose. Existe um interesse científico atual no uso dessas substâncias como tratamento para uma variedade de condições e, embora muitos estudos busquem investigar objetivamente os resultados vinculados ao seu uso, os conteúdos subjetivos da experiência dos usuários ainda são pouco explorados. Considerando que a perspectiva de primeira pessoa é central para a experiência psicodélica, esta tese buscou investigar experiências subjetivas ligadas a psicodélicos por meio de uma variedade de abordagens. Primeiramente, buscou-se adaptar e validar o Ego Dissolution Inventory (EDI), instrumento amplamente utilizado por pesquisadores para avaliar um fenômeno essencial da experiência psicodélica, para o contexto brasileiro (Artigo 1). Em seguida, buscou-se explorar relatos públicos negativos (Artigo 2) e positivos (Artigo 3) de usuários de psilocibina (princípio ativo dos cogumelos mágicos), por meio do método Reinert, que analisa quantitativamente as falas transcritas. Por fim, discutiu-se a possível influência dos estados alterados de consciência (ASC), incluindo aqueles relacionados ao uso de substâncias psicoativas, na evolução humana (Artigo 4), sugerindo futuras pesquisas para explorar essa hipótese. / [en] Classical psychedelic substances are serotonergic agonists that act essentially on the 5HT2A neurotransmission system. These substances can promote altered states of consciousness, as well as visual, affective, mood, and cognitive changes. Historically, they have been used for ritualistic, recreational, and medicinal purposes. Studies indicate that these substances have low toxicity, low risk of dependence and overdose. There is current scientific interest in the use of these substances as a treatment for a variety of conditions, and while many studies seek to objectively investigate outcomes linked to their use, the subjective contents of the experience of users is seldom explored. Since a first-person perspective is central to the psychedelic experience, this thesis sought to investigate subjective experiences linked to psychedelics through a variety of approaches. First, we sought to adapt and validate the Ego Dissolution Inventory (EDI), an instrument widely used by researchers to assess a central feature of the psychedelic experience, to the Brazilian context (Article 1). Then, we sought to explore public negative (Article 2) and positive (Article 3) reports of psilocybin (the active principle of magic mushrooms) users, through the Reinert method, which quantitatively analyses transcribed speeches. Finally, the possible influence of altered states of consciousness (ASC), including those linked to use of psychoactive substances, in human evolution was discussed (Article 4), suggesting future research to explore this hypothesis.