Snorting toad excretions could cheer you up, increase mindfulness, and reduce anxiety and depression for an entire month after just one sniff of the psychedelic substance, a new study has found.
Researchers, led by Maastricht University in the Netherlands, discovered that when people took a single inhalation of dried secretions from the Colorado River toad, they were more satisfied with life and showed reduced stress, anxiety and depression for a month afterwards.
The toad’s psychedelic secretions have long been drawn on for spiritual exploration, with users saying it can help with mental health problems. Given the limited research on its effects on humans, the team set out to study the effects of inhaling dried toad secretion vapor.
They found 42 willing subjects to try the secretions and studied them before, during, 24 hours afterwards, and a month later. The results showed that satisfaction with life, convergent thinking and mindfulness levels increased afterwards, and were still found to be elevated some four weeks later in the 24 participants who returned to complete the study. Depression, anxiety, and stress levels all decreased.
The stronger the psychedelic experience, the more pronounced the prolonged effects were, researchers found.
While the team warned that the findings are just preliminary, and said that those who did not return to complete the study may have had different experiences, they concluded that the results showing long term changes to the subjects warrant further research into therapeutic applications of the substance.
