In the shadow of the freedom we enjoy every day, countless war veterans live with a struggle that never ends. No enemy on the horizon, no gunfire, but inner demons that manifest themselves in nightmares, panic attacks, insomnia and crippling fear: post-traumatic stress disorder, better known as PTSD. For many, this means a life in isolation, numbed by pharmaceutical medication that offers only symptom relief. But a new wave of hope is emerging, one that grows from the soil of nature: psychedelic therapy with magic truffles.
In this blog, we dive into the stories of two war veterans who found their way back to themselves thanks to guided sessions with magic truffles.
Jack
Jack is a US Marine who served in Helmand province, Afghanistan, in 2009. He survived multiple ambushes, lost comrades before his eyes and came back with what he himself described as "a permanent alarm in my head". Back in the US, he received one diagnosis after another: severe PTSD, anxiety disorders, depression. He was treated with antidepressants, sedatives and antipsychotics. A pharmaceutical cocktail that flattened his emotions but did not solve his problems.
After ten years of therapies with no lasting results, Jack heard about a magic truffles retreat in the Netherlands. Here, magic truffles, the sclerotia of psilocybe mushrooms are legal and can be used in therapeutic sessions under the supervision of trained facilitators. He signed up, not out of hope, but out of desperation. "If this doesn't work, I don't know if I want to go on living," he told his counsellor.
During the session, in which he was given a medium dose of magic truffles in a safe setting, Jack returned to his traumas. Only this time not as a victim, but as an observer. He saw the young version of himself on the battlefield, feeling the sadness and fear, but also the compassion. He was overcome by a sense of forgiveness, for himself and for all he had been through.
In the weeks following the session, he noticed that his nightmares decreased, that he slept deeply for the first time in years and that he could talk about his experiences with more openness. "It's like I'm breathing again for the first time in years," he told a follow-up. "The war is still a part of me, but it no longer controls me."
Malik
Malik is a Dutch veteran who was deployed to Iraq in 2006 as part of a NATO mission. After a suicide bombing that killed several civilians and one of his colleagues, he developed severe PTSD. The images kept coming back. Every loud sound triggered an attack. He lost his job, his marriage and eventually contact with his children.
In 2021, Malik decided to sign up for a supervised psychedelic programme using magic truffles. The session took place in a quiet woodland setting, guided by a trauma-informed psychologist and an experienced tripsitter.
During his session, he initially felt overwhelmed by fear. But under the influence of the magic truffles, his resistance melted. He saw his trauma not as a mess, but as a wound that demanded care. Images from his childhood appeared, conversations with his late father, and finally an inner child asking to be seen and protected.
Afterwards, Malik recounted, "It was like being in a dark room for years and someone finally turned on the light. Not to leave the room, but to see everything in it for what it is."
Three months after his session, Malik had no more panic attacks. He started volunteering, dared to have conversations with his ex-wife again and now sees his children regularly. His relationship with himself changed. "I am no longer the soldier who was destroyed by war. I am someone who survived a war AND found himself again."
These personal stories are no coincidence. Studies at institutions such as Johns Hopkins University and Imperial College London show that the active ingredients in magic truffles, can have profound therapeutic effects on people with PTSD, depression and anxiety disorders. The substance not only acts on the chemical balance in the brain, but also stimulates neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to re-arrange itself.
However, the real healing often takes place in the subjective experience, a sense of connection, of insight, of acceptance. And precisely that seems to be a crucial key in recovering from traumas that are often experienced as unspeakable.
Jack and Malik's stories show that magic truffles are not a panacea, but they can be a powerful catalyst for healing, if used properly, in a safe, professional and loving setting.
For war veterans who feel trapped in an invisible battle, magic truffles offer not an escape, but an entrance. An entrance to the deepest layers of their pain, but also to their humanity. To forgiveness. To peace.
Who knows, maybe in that small, underground truffle lies the key to the greatest liberation: inner peace.
Want to know more about psychedelic therapy with magic truffles? Visit the website of https://psychedelicinsights.com/ For personal guidance on a trans formative session with magic truffles.