Psychedelic drugs help sex lives of couples to mushroom

MAGIC mushrooms, LSD and other psychedelic drugs raise sexual function and could save struggling marriages, an Imperial College London survey claims.

The illegal substances have been shown for the first time to boost libido as well as enjoyment of sex.

Data from almost 300 people who filled in a form before and after becoming high on psychedelics revealed six months’ worth of sex-life enhancements. The participants included recreational users and a small number taking psilocybin, the active chemical in magic mushrooms, as part of a trial to see if the drug can help depression.

Both recreational users and depressed individuals who took a psychedelic reported more interest in sex, more sexual arousal and greater sexual satisfaction. The scientists say the drugs could be used as part of couples counselling because a healthy sex life has been shown to improve marriage health.

Tommaso Barba, the lead author of the study and a PHD student at Imperial, said: “Our findings suggest potential implications for conditions that negatively affect sexual health, including clinical depression and anxiety.

“This type of research may seem ‘quirky’, but the psychological aspects of sexual function – including how we think about our own bodies, our attraction to our partners and our ability to connect to people intimately – are all important to psychological wellbeing,” Mr Barba said.

The study, published in Scientific Reports, found people using the drugs do not become obsessed with sex, with it being no more important to patients than before, but the enjoyment of it is heightened.