From personal experience, the depression-alleviating effects of mushrooms are not caused by grand spiritual experiences (although death acceptance and a general

From personal experience, the depression-alleviating effects of mushrooms are not caused by grand spiritual experiences (although death acceptance and a general feeling of spiritual peace do accompany the experience) so much as mental clarity that causes very powerful, practical gestalt shifts. Here's a deliberately boring but true example: I used to be very disinterested in cleaning and tidying. I live way up in my head most days, and if I let myself, I can go weeks without really looking at myself or my environment. When I tripped the first time, I looked around myself and really saw my living situation for the first time, in profound relief. It was like cleaning grease off a camera lens. I was a stereotypical 20-something depressed academic living alone, "in filth" so to speak. I realized very clearly and distinctly that I was choosing to create this environment, and that my habit of neglecting tidiness and hygiene was an affectation I was choosing out of irrational pride (I was clinging to the childish notion that being bothered by filth was irrational and a waste of time and energy better spent working). I just... saw all that clearly, in a manner of a few seconds, and made up my mind to change my behavior. That decision has improved my life, and generally made me a happier and more functional human being (as well as a better partner to others). I've expanded on that realization to make my external demeanor and appearance more approachable, and taken the gruff, sometimes nasty edge out of my personality. This has not, to my knowledge, diminished my productivity. Having tripped a few times, each time I've discovered and confronted some new set of facts about myself and how I think and behave that, upon sober examination, are true. The last time I tripped on mushrooms I was overwhelmed by the cacophony of toxic thoughts that were bubbling up in my head "unbidden". It was like hearing my voice recorded for the first time - it was definitely the familiar thoughts I had every day, but I realized just how weirdly cruel and unnecessary they were. That led me into daily sitting and paying attention to the shit stew bubbling around in my head, which has really helped short-circuit some of the bizarre self-flagellating depressive thought loops that used to paralyze me. Again, just from personal experience, mushrooms remove barriers to self-perception, and put you in a frame of mind for having powerful realizations about yourself and your relationship with the world. They ALSO can produce some absolutely mind-blowing spiritual ecstasy, feelings of oneness with the world, an expanded appreciation of the way the natural world works, awareness and acceptance of death... but for my two cents, the big value proposition is ripping away the mental filters we impose unconsciously on ourselves that cause unnecessary suffering.