As a facilitator of psilocybin therapy retreats for elders (mostly 50’s – 80’s), I’m seeing evidence that supports a multitude of benefits for mental health, creativity, and inspiration for creating the next chapter of life.

Supporting Mental Health and Brain Growth

As a facilitator (and elder) for psilocybin retreats, I’m interested in ways to support mental health and growing healthy brains as we age. Do we need to accept declining brain health, dementia, Alzheimer’s, and disease?

Over the last five years, while facilitating private psilocybin retreats for elders, I have seen clients who have been on medications for depression and anxiety for years. Many of them have been able to get off these pharmaceutical band-aids. I also see new creativity emerge, transforming lives with meaning and deep enthusiasm.

In continuing these studies, it’s noteworthy to see the reasons why . . .

Scientific Insights on Aging and Brain Function

While researching support articles, I discovered that the director of George Washington University College of Medicine argues the brain of an elderly person is much more plastic than commonly believed.

As we age, the interaction of the brain’s right and left hemispheres becomes harmonious, expanding our creative possibilities. That is why many people over 60 embrace new creative activities.

Of course, the brain is no longer as fast as it was in youth. However, the brain wins in flexibility. That is why, with age, we are more likely to make the right decisions and are less exposed to negative emotions.

The Peak of Human Intellectual Activity

I read that the peak of human intellectual activity occurs at about age 70, when the brain begins to work at full strength.

This is because, over time, the amount of myelin in the brain increases, a substance that facilitates the rapid passage of signals between neurons.

Due to this, intellectual abilities are increased by 300% compared to the average.  The peak of active production of this substance is at 60-80 years of age.

Also interesting is the fact that after 60 years, a person can use two hemispheres at the same time. This allows you to solve much more complex problems.

Professor Monchi Uri from the University of Montreal believes that an elderly person’s brain chooses the least energy-intensive path, cutting unnecessary steps and leaving only the right options for solving the problem.

A study was conducted in which different age groups participated. Young people were often confused when passing the tests, while those over 60 made the right decisions.

The Highlights of the Brain of an Elderly Person

• The brain’s neurons do not die off. Connections between them simply disappear if a person does not engage in mental work.
• Absent-mindedness and forgetfulness appear due to an overabundance of information. Therefore, you do not need to focus your whole life on unnecessary trifles.
• Beginning at 60, people make decisions using not one hemisphere at a time like young people, but both.
• Conclusion: If a person leads a healthy lifestyle, moves, has a feasible physical activity, and has full mental activity, intellectual abilities. DO NOT decrease with age, but only GROW, reaching a peak by the age of 80-90 years.

So, we do not have to fear age if we continue to develop intellectually. 

And this is what I’ve seen providing psilocybin retreats for elders.  People go on to learn new crafts, make music, start painting, or dance!

Here are a few more stats that are interesting;

Interesting Statistics on Productivity and Aging

A team of doctors and psychologists in the NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE published this study:

The most productive age of a person is from 60 to 70 years

The 2nd most productive human stage is the age from 70 to 80 years old

3rd most productive stage is between 50 and 60 years old; before that, the person has not yet reached his peak.

The average age of the Nobel Prize laureates is 62

The average age of the presidents of the 100 largest companies in the world is 63 years

They found that at 60, you reach the peak of your emotional and mental potential, and this continues until you are 80.

Therefore, if you are 60, 70, or 80 years old, you are at the best level of your life.

Age, when combined with psilocybin therapy, can be an incredible boost to our inspiration.

Psilocybin Therapy: A Boost for Inspiration and Brain Health

The Safety and Benefits of Psilocybin Therapy

Although therapy with psilocybin mushrooms is not something to be taken lightly, psilocybin is arguably the safest of all the plant medicine teachers.

Unlike many naturally occurring plant medicines, they are incredibly gentle and non-toxic to the body and encourage the new growth of neurons in the brain.

They also help the body repair from the damaging effects of stress and work to restore physiological function.

Dosage and Healing Potential Psilocybin Therapy

Furthermore, psilocybin has therapeutic benefits in many different dosages, ranging from the barely perceptual “micro” dose to the so-called “heroic” dose, for an experience of healing deep-rooted issues and trauma.

Under the right setting and intention with an experienced guide, these magical little mushrooms have a distinct intelligence of their own.

They guide one’s experience toward what it perceives to be the most pressing priority, targeting what needs to be healed in the moment.