A bizarre mid-flight incident involving an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot has raised questions about the effects of psychedelic mushrooms, sleep deprivation and psychosis.
Psilocybin mushrooms, often referred to as magic mushrooms, contain the psychoactive compound psilocybin. When ingested, psilocybin is converted into psilocin in the body, which interacts with serotonin receptors in the brain. This interaction leads to various effects on brain function and perception.
The pilot, 44-year-old Joseph David Emerson, was on board as a passenger and is accused of trying to cut the engines mid-flight, before being subdued by the flight crew. Later, Emerson reportedly told police he had taken psychedelic mushrooms 48 hours before the flight, was in a mental health crisis, dehydrated and had been awake for 40 hours. He has pleaded not guilty to numerous legal charges.
Josh Wooley, an associate professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of California at San Francisco, said if the off-duty pilot took mushrooms 48 hours before the incident on the plane, “he very likely did not have any psilocybin or other active ingredients in his body at the time … but that doesn’t mean that his experience was not related to his mushroom use.”
Emotionally, psilocybin can also cause harrowing experiences, with deep and overwhelming fear, panic or distress, and can cause people to make bad decisions, which is why experts say it should only be taken under the supervision of trained therapists and medical professionals.
