What a trip: The new frontiers of MDMA and psilocybin in mental health 

Australia has become the first country to legalise MDMA and psilocybin in restricted therapeutic settings. An Irish psychiatrist says easing restrictions surrounding these psychedelic drugs here would speed up clinical research

Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychoactive ingredient found in magic mushrooms and the subject of ongoing clinical trials. Pic: iStock

While adults are experts at honing in on a task and filtering out background noise, babies and young children are masters of absorbing absolutely everything — whether it is a toothbrush, a sock, or an empty crisp packet.

Alison Gopnik, a US developmental psychologist, coined the phrase “lantern consciousness” to describe this awe-struck, diffuse state of awareness. According to Gopnik, our baby “lanterns” narrow into more focused, adult “spotlights” with time and the loss of novelty in everyday experiences.