你的大脑在“迷幻蘑菇”作用下的反应：英语精读讲义

Psychedelic or magic mushrooms have been ingested by humans for over 9,000 years. 語法

人类摄取致幻蘑菇，也就是俗称的“魔法蘑菇”，已有9000多年的历史。

Even today, this naturally grown fungus is commonly used as a recreational drug causing hallucinations. 短語搭配

即使到了今天，这种天然生长的真菌仍常被用作会引发幻觉的娱乐性药物。

But how exactly does it work? 表達脈絡

但它究竟是怎么起作用的？

The main psychoactive ingredient in shrooms is called psilocybin. 用詞

魔法蘑菇中的主要精神活性成分叫作裸盖菇素。

When ingested, the body breaks it down into the active drug psilocin, 講解

摄取后，人体会把它分解成活性物质裸盖菇碱，

which makes its way to the brain. 短語搭配

随后裸盖菇碱会进入大脑。

And here it begins to prevent the reuptake of the neurotransmitter serotonin, 用詞

在这里，它开始阻止神经递质血清素的再摄取，

increasing its activity.

从而增强血清素的活性。

On top of this, psilocin actually has a similar chemical structure to serotonin, 短語搭配

此外，裸盖菇碱的化学结构其实与血清素相似，

meaning it can also bind to and stimulate receptors in the brain. 表達脈絡

这意味着它也能与大脑中的受体结合并刺激这些受体。

This amplified stimulation causes you to perceive and experience things without any real stimulus, 語法

这种增强的刺激会让你在没有任何真实刺激的情况下感知和体验事物，

also known as hallucination.

也就是产生幻觉。

These can be of a varying nature from visual to auditory sensations

这些幻觉形式多样，可能是视觉或听觉感受，

or mystical and insightful feelings.

也可能是神秘体验或顿悟感。

And while the experience can be quite enjoyable, 語法

尽管这种体验可能相当愉快，

some users have reported very unpleasant episodes.

但有些使用者也报告过非常不愉快的经历。

These feelings generally last between 3 to 8 hours, 語法

这些感觉通常会持续3到8小时，

but could feel much longer as the drug alters your sense of time. 短語搭配

但由于药物会改变你的时间感，感觉上却可能漫长得多。

Scientists have also suggested that the brain may temporarily rearrange itself by inhibiting normal brain activity 講解

科学家还提出，大脑可能会通过抑制正常的脑活动来暂时重组自身，

and immediately creating new biologically stable brain connections.

并立即建立新的、在生物学上稳定的脑连接。

This ultimately makes it harder to determine reality from fantasy 語法

这最终会让人更难分辨现实与幻想，

and amplifies your intensity of thought,

并让你的思绪变得更加强烈，

which makes planning ahead and self-conscious thinking almost impossible.

从而几乎无法提前规划或进行自我反思。

We also see activation in the hippocampus and anterior cingulate cortex,

我们还会看到海马体和前扣带皮层被激活，

which are associated with dreaming. 短語搭配

这两个区域都与做梦有关。

Finally, specific emotional regions of the brain are chemically activated,

最后，大脑中某些与情绪有关的区域会受到化学作用而激活，

which can lead to a sense of expanding consciousness. 短語搭配

这可能带来意识扩展的感觉。

And because the drug temporarily alters the paths in your brain,

而且，由于这种药物会暂时改变大脑中的神经通路，

thinking outside the box becomes extremely natural. 習語

跳出固有框架思考会变得极其自然。

In a famous US study,

在美国一项著名的研究中，

36 college-educated participants were given psilocybin and observed in a laboratory. 語法

36名受过大学教育的参与者服用了裸盖菇素，并在实验室中接受观察。

One-third of the participants reported the experience 講解

三分之一的参与者表示，这次体验

as the single most spiritually significant moment in their lives 語法

是他们一生中最具精神意义的时刻，

with two-thirds putting it in their top five. 語法

而三分之二的人将其列入人生中最具精神意义的五大时刻。

Two months after taking the drug,

服药两个月后，

79% of the participants reported increased well-being and satisfaction.

79%的参与者表示，自己的幸福感和满足感有所提升。

Friends and family were also interviewed and agreed with these claims.

研究人员还采访了他们的亲友，而亲友也认同这些说法。

But it's not all so positive. 表達脈絡

但它并非只有积极的一面。

22% of the clinically tested individuals experienced fear and paranoia

在接受临床测试的人中，有22%经历过恐惧和偏执，

at certain points during their trip. 用詞

这种情况会在致幻体验过程中的某些时刻出现。

And because of the state of their brains,

而由于他们当时的大脑状态，

these typically manifested as terrifying and uncontrollable hallucinations. 用詞

这些情绪通常会化为可怕且无法控制的幻觉。

Though much is still unknown about shrooms, 表達脈絡

尽管关于魔法蘑菇还有很多未知之处，

they're not considered clinically addictive and cause little toxicity to other organ systems. 用詞

但临床上并不认为它会让人成瘾，而且它对其他器官系统的毒性很低。

In fact, a UK study found that they caused the least amount of damage

事实上，英国一项研究发现，魔法蘑菇造成的伤害最小，

both to the individual and to others 語法

无论是对使用者本人还是对他人，

when compared to other recreational drugs. 語法

这是将它与其他娱乐性药物比较后得出的结果。

Ultimately, scientists believe that the laws need to change around clinical testing of the drug,

总而言之，科学家认为，监管这种药物临床试验的法律需要修改，

so advanced research can be executed

这样才能开展更深入的研究，

to fully understand both the positive and negative effects 語法

从而全面了解它带来的正面和负面影响，

that this magic fungus has on our brains.

也就是这种魔法真菌对我们大脑造成的种种影响。

And if you haven't seen our video

如果你还没看过我们的那期视频，

on the science behind type A versus type B personalities,

内容是A型人格与B型人格背后的科学，

you can check it out on our second channel AsapTHOUGHT.

可以前往我们的第二频道AsapTHOUGHT观看。

Link in the description.

链接在简介中。

And subscribe for more weekly science videos.

别忘了订阅，观看我们每周更新的更多科学视频。