UW–Madison researchers test psilocybin, the compound in “magic mushrooms,” as new tool in mental health care

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - Scientists at UW-Madison are leading national studies on psilocybin, to determine whether the psychedelic compound could offer lasting relief for mental health and substance use disorders.

Dr. Charles Raison, a professor of psychiatry and human ecology, said the renewed attention around psychedelics reflects their long history in human culture.

“I realized back in the early 2000s that a number of things humans had rediscovered repeatedly across history — I sometimes call them ancient practices — might hold potential as treatments for depression,” he said. “As it began to become apparent after 2010 that psychedelics, I sometimes say, might be the queen of ancient practices,” he said.

Dr. Raison has studied unconventional approaches to mental health for years, from