Los Angeles
During his reign as heavyweight champion of the world, no one was more feared than Mike Tyson, who obliterated opponents with ruthless efficiency.
But all the while, the troubled superstar was at war with himself, battling an abusive voice in his battered head that led “Iron Mike” to the brink of suicide.
He said that all changed when he began taking psilocybin mushrooms, more commonly known as “magic mushrooms,” and other similar consciousness-altering substances.
Now the boxing prodigy from Brooklyn is experiencing a career renaissance that he said is the result of psilocybin-powered mental and spiritual exploration.
“Everyone thought I was crazy, I bit this guy’s ear off,” an upbeat Tyson told Reuters, referring to his infamous 1997 fight against Evander Holyfield.
“I did all this stuff, and once I got introduced to the shrooms … my whole life changed.” To be sure, many people have had negative experiences with psilocybin, which can cause disturbing hallucinations, anxiety and panic.
Medical professionals studying them warn against self-medicating or using them outside of an approved medical framework. But Tyson, who turns 55 next month.—Reuters
