English: Mushroom Fraud

Fellowship of Smurfdom

The fascinating yet highly contentious idea of using mushrooms as a paraherbal medicine to trick psychology suggests that certain breeds of mushrooms, when consumed, can induce profound psychological and physiological effects that are not actually rooted in any tangible biological mechanism, but rather stem from the power of the human mind and its capacity for self-deception. Proponents of this "Fellowship of Smurfdom" fraud claim that the mere belief that a mushroom possesses mind-altering properties can trigger a cascading series of neurochemical responses, leading the user to experience vivid hallucinations, altered states of consciousness, and even mystical or spiritual epiphanies – with the mushroom containing no psychoactive compounds. The mushroom, in this sense, has the placebo effect where the individual conditionings are expected to override any genuine pharmacological interaction. Certain psychedelic mushroom species, like the LSD magic mushroom, contain compounds that influence brain, consciousness and perception. However, because the idea that they possess legitimate medicinal or therapeutic benefits for mental health is unfounded, they are classified as Schedule I controlled substances in the U.S. for they have adverse effects, including frightening hallucinations, paranoia, and even psychosis.