Psychedelic therapy Netherlands

What is the purpose of a truffle ceremony?

Let's start by saying that the purpose for which someone uses psychedelics plays a major role in the effect of the trip. For example, you can use a low dose of shrooms or magic truffles as a party drug. The same also applies to LSD, MDMA and a number of other synthetic variants. For most people, the combination of psychedelics and party-setting will not be seen as something therapeutic, although it can have a positive effect on the mindset for some people.

If psychedelics are used as a means during a therapeutic setting, the so-called truffle ceremony or truffle therapy, the health benefits are often greater than during a party setting. The purpose of intake therefore plays a role in the outcome.

Changes play a key role

Apart from the physical positive effects of psychedelics, which we explain further below, it is precisely healthy changes that play an important role. Psychedelics such as psilocybin enable us to make new (brain) connections and these are often new insights. These new connections can cause us to think differently and to teach ourselves new patterns. If the new patterns are healthier patterns, then we benefit from better physical and mental health. So always try to investigate which healthy changes can help you further.

More BDNF through psychedelics

Because psychedelics such as psilocin (from truffles) stimulate the 5-HT2a receptor, BDNF is released. When the body releases more BDNF, it flips the switch on a series of genes that grow brand new brain cells, nerve cell connections. Even slightly higher BDNF makes you learn faster, remember better, age more slowly, and your brain quickly rearranges connections with different parts of the brain and body.

BDNF also increases your brain's plasticity. When your brain cells get damaged or get into a stressful situation, BDNF protects them and helps them come back stronger. The neural pathways become more flexible rather than broken down, which could explain why higher levels of BDNF are associated with warding off depression.

Learn more about BDNF

Lower activity of the DMN

The Default Mode Network (DMN) includes brain regions in the cortex that are normally active during rest and is involved in event recall, social and emotional judgment, and future planning. Lowering the activity of the DMN ensures that the sense of time disappears and that people live more in the here and now. This means that worries and fears about the future disappear.

A lower activity of the DMN therefore ensures a lower stress level and therefore lower cortisol. Low cortisol ensures that the body can use its self-healing mechanism, which means that diseases and inflammation can be fought. Thanks to the reduced inflammation levels, more serotonin is released, which in turn releases more BDNF while also lowering anxiety and depression.

Read more about being in the now

Less ego

Psychedelics in higher doses ensure that the ego is put on the back burner. The ego usually wants to be fed with more and more and often unhealthy things. The ego makes us restless and anxious as self-preservation is the ego's greatest goal. Without ego we will not survive, but an overactive ego creates separation, loneliness and addictions.

Less ego means more connection, less depression, more serotonin, more BDNF, more healthy choices, less stress, and less DMN activity.

Pent up emotions

It often happens that during a psilocybin session emotions come up that have been blocked for a long time. It is precisely the release of this “old pain” that releases emotional blockages and sometimes also psychosomatic complaints. It can sometimes feel like a liberation to feel uninhibited everything that needs to be felt.

Exposure therapy

In a number of cases, for example with PTSD, exposure therapy can be combined with a lower dose of psychedelics. The psychedelics provide a state of biochemical satisfaction, less gloom and less fear. This state of mind in combination with the telling and reliving of the trauma allows the emotional link to the trauma to change to something less fearful.

Even better results

In trip therapy we look beyond just what psychedelics can do for health. Precisely using the insights for healthy changes offers a solution for the long term. Good preparation with a focus on health and healthy changes ensures a better result. An already improved health also ensures a better psychedelic session and that is why it is useful to balance the neurotransmitters in the brain beforehand. The intake for trip therapy includes a questionnaire so that we can advise you and thus get the most out of the session.