Magic mushrooms rewire the brain in a way scientists didn't expect

A surprising discovery reveals how psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, rapidly reshapes the brain by creating new neural connections and strengthening them. Researchers found that the drug behaves differently in healthy and chronically stressed mice, potentially helping repair brain circuits damaged by prolonged stress. Most intriguingly, they identified a way to trigger this brain rewiring without the behavioral response associated with psychedelic effects.