Momentum Moment: 'Shrooms & Psychedelics
By Mike Berland
June 12, 2020
2020 is the year ‘Shrooms and psychedelics have momentum.
How ‘Shrooms and Psychedelics are becoming Momentum Masters
We first started studying consumer perception of ‘Shrooms and psychedelics in 2018 when we analyzed CBD and other provocative, innovative ingredients for Origins’ Hello Calm and Glam Glow’s Moisture Trip CBD face masks. We studied ‘Shrooms again when we worked with Four Sigmatic to understand and expand their consumer base. And now we’re seeing 'Shrooms and psychedelics breakthrough as Americans try to make the most of their staycations this summer with another type of trip.
Since analyzing ‘Shrooms and psychedelics through our momentum lens, we’ve seen the MFactor for ‘Shrooms increase 70% since March, from 30 to 51 points and the MFactor for psychedelics increased 21% since January from 64 to 78 points.
Here’s how ‘Shrooms and psychedelics hit all 5 drivers of momentum:
Disruption: ‘Shrooms and psychedelics disrupt our way of thinking. They have a chemical impact on our brain that breaks up our “repetitive ways of thinking” and rewires brain communication patterns. This causes the “altered state of consciousness marked by transient confusion, followed by a high probability of novel, meaningful and possibly even mystical experiences.”
Innovation: Similar to what we’ve seen with CBD, there’s a new use case for a natural ingredient. 'Shrooms were historically demonized as illicit and dangerous. Now, they are more commonly accepted for microdosing during the work week to help feel focused, present, and energetic.
Polarization: Psychedelics and 'Shrooms don’t always lead to pleasant or happy experiences. Particularly when used to help treat depression, anxiety, and PTSD, psychedelics can unlock some dark thoughts and memories, causing internal polarization. Re-living unpleasant and scary experiences in extreme detail can be painful in the moment, but doing so under the influence of ‘Shrooms is said to help people confront the deep parts of their psyche and deal with them in a new way.
Sticky: Just like a vivid dream, you never forget a ‘Shroom / psychedelic experience. And they are particularly sticky because it’s not just a vivid memory you re-watch in your head. These trips leave you with a tangible, long-lasting feeling. You might not remember all the details of what happened on a trip, but you never forget how you felt, who you were with, or what you took away from the experience. “In contrast to talk therapy, psychedelic sessions are experiential, meaning that we experience changed ways of both seeing and being in the world.”
Social Impact: ‘Shrooms and psychedelics help people relax, open up, be vulnerable, and connect with others on a deeper level. Whether you are looking for a new activity for your quarantine crew or something to do as socialize with others for the first time in 3 months, ‘Shrooms could be the perfect way to bond & reconnect.
Are psychedelics and ‘Shrooms the next CBD/THC?
We’ve seen this story before - taking a new look at an old ingredient. Like CBD / THC, magic mushrooms are natural, full of health and wellness benefits, and after having been demonized over the last 60 years are now more commonly accepted. Over the past few years, marijuana has gone through a rebrand from “pot” to “legalized cannabis”. To gain broad acceptance and understanding of the tangible benefits, the magic mushroom and psychedelics industry are in need of a repositioning as well.