People love to say shrooms “open your mind,” but do they actually make you smarter, or do they just make you stare at your hand for an hour wondering why fingers bend? I’ve had trips where I felt like a genius philosopher… and others where I couldn’t figure out how socks worked. So let’s talk about what the science really says, minus the hand-staring.
The short answer: shrooms won’t magically turn you into Einstein, but they can make your brain more flexible, creative, and open to new ideas. That’s kind of smart if you ask me.
What “Smarter” Even Means Here
When people ask if shrooms make you smarter, they usually mean things like:
- Does it improve memory?
- Does it boost creativity?
- Can it help you solve problems better?
- Will I win an argument with my cousin who thinks the Earth is flat?
Shrooms mainly affect cognitive flexibility, your brain’s ability to switch ideas, break patterns, and see things from a fresh angle. It’s like turning off autopilot and actually thinking.
What Science Says About Brain Power
Researchers have been busy looking at how psilocybin interacts with the brain. And while they’re not exactly handing out “Genius Level” certificates, the findings are pretty interesting.
One review found that:
“Psilocybin does not impair overall cognitive performance and may enhance certain aspects of attention and cognitive flexibility,” Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences.
Simply put, shrooms don’t make you dumb. That’s already a win.
Another study on rats (who, unfortunately, did not choose to take shrooms but went along with it anyway) showed:
“Acute psilocybin improved cognitive flexibility, enabling faster adjustment to rule changes,” , Neuropsychopharmacology.
Great news for rats trying to figure out their taxes.
Why People Feel Smarter on Shrooms
Here’s the fun part: psilocybin increases brain network communication. The usual traffic rules loosen up, and information flows in new ways. That’s why ideas suddenly connect, emotions make sense, and you feel like you just solved life.
For many people, this means:
- Insights about relationships
- Creative breakthroughs
- Better emotional understanding
- New ways of thinking
This doesn’t mean your IQ jumps. It means you access parts of your mind you usually ignore because your brain is too busy worrying about emails.
Can Shrooms Improve Long-Term Thinking?
Some studies on healthy people found that after a controlled psilocybin session, participants felt more open-minded, emotionally aware, and mentally flexible even weeks later.
“Psilocybin increased cognitive and emotional openness without producing deficits in memory or executive functioning,” Journal of Psychopharmacology.
This kind of mental openness can help people make smarter choices long-term, like leaving a toxic relationship or finally realizing that drinking five energy drinks a day is not a personality trait.
Where Shrooms Won’t Help You
Let’s be honest:
- They will not help you pass a math test while you’re tripping.
- They will not make you better at spelling (trust me).
- They will not help you remember where you put your keys.
- They will not make calculus easier. Nothing can make calculus easier.
Shrooms are not study drugs. They’re not stimulants. They won’t boost memory or make your brain faster.
But they can help you think differently, and sometimes that’s more useful than raw brainpower.
So… Do They Make You Smarter?
It depends on what you mean by “smart.”
- If smart means creative, flexible, reflective, and open to new ideas, then yes, shrooms can help with that.
- If smart means better at memorizing phone numbers, then no, forget it. (Literally.)
The real magic is in how psilocybin helps people break old patterns and approach life with a fresh mind. That kind of insight can feel like gaining a new brain.
Just remember, shrooms won’t do the thinking for you, they just loosen the mental gears so you can think for yourself.
Sources
Meshkat S. et al. – 2024 – Impact of Psilocybin on Cognitive Function: A Systematic Review – Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences
Torrado Pacheco A. et al. – 2023 – Acute Psilocybin Enhances Cognitive Flexibility in Rats – Neuropsychopharmacology
Rucker J.J. et al. – 2022 – The Effects of Psilocybin on Cognitive and Emotional Functions in Healthy Participants – Journal of Psychopharmacology
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