This is not the case for everyone.

My partner had a bad trip on magic mushrooms where he became completely delusional, believed his loved one was a terrorist who had poisoned him and was trying to kill him. He shot her believing it was self defence, in a complete state of delusion. Before that moment, he had been running to a neighbour's house completely naked screaming for help from the "terrorist". I was a witness to this - it was undeniable how delusional he was. It was not like a normal mushroom trip. And after the event, he was on and off delusional for years. He still is delusional sometimes to this day. He still hallucinates sober on a regular basis.

Magic mushrooms do not usually cause violence, they do not usually cause delusion, they do not usually cause a psychotic episode that leaves lasting mental health effects afterwards.

BUT THEY SOMETIMES DO.

This is important to realise. Because both me and my partner believed until that awful night that magic mushrooms were the safest of all drugs and we never could have imagined that this could happen. And you can say yes that "they only bring out what's in you" but my partner was not a violent or evil person, and he still shot and KILLED one of his best friends.

Look up the case of Thomas Chan in Canada for another example of the rare but life ruining capability of mushrooms to cause delusional states that lead to death. He stabbed his father to death thinking he was a demon.

Is it common? No. I have taken psychedelics many times and never had a situation like this. Most people will have the "love from the universe" experience. But people who have a predisposition to certain kinds of mental illness, people with trauma that hasn't been resolved by therapy, people who have PTSD - psychedelics in the wrong set and setting can trigger a mental breakdown and sometimes it can involve violence. Not malicious violence but "I'm scared and I think this is the only way I can save my life from the monster that I think is going to kill me" violence caused by a delusion.

My partner is now in prison for manslaughter, and his friend is dead, because of a magic mushroom trip.

I will not say "don't ever do mushrooms" because it is very very rare that this happens. But don't spread misinformation that violence never happens or that mushrooms are completely loving and benign substances that can be taken on a whim. They are NOT. People with mental illness should only take them with trained therapists I think.

I'm not saying this show portrayed psychedelics in a realistic way, I haven't watched it. But I don't like how this article implies any depiction of psychedelics as having the potential to bring about violent or harmful episodes in people is "propaganda from the Nixon administration" and misinformation. People who take psychedelics, who have had lifechangingly beautiful experiences on psychedelics, can also have lifedestroying experiences on psychedelics. Which is why you need to be VERY CAREFUL. Trip responsibly.