Can magic mushrooms dampen depression?

Hallucination-inducing "magic" mushrooms could help some people blunt the anxiety caused by chronic depression, according to a small-scale study released Tuesday. "This is the first time that psilocybin" -- a mind-altering chemical in several species of mushroom -- "has been investigated as a potential treatment for major depression," lead author Robin Carhart-Harris of Imperial College London said in a statement. The study only involved 12 people and did not use a placebo-taking control group.