Anna Sale

By the summer of 2015, months into his recovery, Jim was ready for a change of scenery. A nonprofit that supports injured adventure athletes called the High Fives Foundation offered him free physical therapy in Northern California. Jim flew there and stayed in a buddy's rec room for the summer. In July, he joined a crew of people at a big music festival near Tahoe.

String Cheese Incident was playing. It was the kind of concert where people are dancing and laying around on blankets.

String Cheese Incident was playing. It was the kind of concert where people are dancing and laying around on blankets.

String Cheese Incident was playing. It was the kind of concert where people are dancing and laying around on blankets.

Jim was avoiding alcohol during his rehab, but most everyone around him was drinking. Then someone gave him a large psilocybin chocolate bar, one with magic mushrooms, and he ate it. This was not a microdose.

Jim was avoiding alcohol during his rehab, but most everyone around him was drinking. Then someone gave him a large psilocybin chocolate bar, one with magic mushrooms, and he ate it. This was not a microdose.

Jim was avoiding alcohol during his rehab, but most everyone around him was drinking. Then someone gave him a large psilocybin chocolate bar, one with magic mushrooms, and he ate it. This was not a microdose.

Psychedelics, including psilocybin, have been reported to cause muscle spasms in people with spinal cord injuries, causing the muscles to flex involuntarily, and it's hard for your brain to tell them to stop. Scientists don't know why. And for Jim, right as his psychedelic experience began to peak, his right quad muscles and knee began to vibrate and kept wanting to lock.

Psychedelics, including psilocybin, have been reported to cause muscle spasms in people with spinal cord injuries, causing the muscles to flex involuntarily, and it's hard for your brain to tell them to stop. Scientists don't know why. And for Jim, right as his psychedelic experience began to peak, his right quad muscles and knee began to vibrate and kept wanting to lock.

Psychedelics, including psilocybin, have been reported to cause muscle spasms in people with spinal cord injuries, causing the muscles to flex involuntarily, and it's hard for your brain to tell them to stop. Scientists don't know why. And for Jim, right as his psychedelic experience began to peak, his right quad muscles and knee began to vibrate and kept wanting to lock.

When you start noticing that, Jim, are you like telling people around you like, I'm noticing something in my leg. And what was the response like? Was there an awareness among the people you were with that psilocybin could have that kind of physical manifestation or were people sort of like... and was it mysterious?

When you start noticing that, Jim, are you like telling people around you like, I'm noticing something in my leg. And what was the response like? Was there an awareness among the people you were with that psilocybin could have that kind of physical manifestation or were people sort of like... and was it mysterious?

When you start noticing that, Jim, are you like telling people around you like, I'm noticing something in my leg. And what was the response like? Was there an awareness among the people you were with that psilocybin could have that kind of physical manifestation or were people sort of like... and was it mysterious?

When that day was over and you started noticing the trip was ending, were you afraid it was going to go away?

When that day was over and you started noticing the trip was ending, were you afraid it was going to go away?

When that day was over and you started noticing the trip was ending, were you afraid it was going to go away?

You're saying it could have just been that? You're not sure?

You're saying it could have just been that? You're not sure?

You're saying it could have just been that? You're not sure?

And did that functionality with your right hamstring from that day, was that a milestone of recovery that you've got functionality that stayed?