This is the effect of magic mushrooms upon the brain

The above image shows the relationship between different parts of the brain.

On the left hand side is an fMRI scan of someone given a placebo, on the right someone injected with psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms.

The brain activity on the left is perfectly normal, but on the right, regions of the brain that don't normally communicate are doing so.

The study authors, publishing their findings in the Proceedings of the Royal Society Interface, said the map of the hyper-connected brain might suggest evidence of synaesthesia; sensory mixes where oversaturated colours can seem to be tasted and sounds seen.

The images don't just look pretty - it is hoped they could one day be used to help treat depression.

More: [Can't smell these things? You may have five years left to live]2