The Beginner's Guide to Psilocybin Mushrooms
Psilocybin mushrooms are growing in popularity for therapy, research, and recreational use. Here's your beginner's guide to these magical fungi. Psilocybin is really a largely illegal substance and we do not encourage or condone its use where it's contrary to the law. However, we accept that illicit drug use occurs and think that offering responsible harm reduction information is imperative to keeping people safe. For that reason, this guide is made to ensure the safety of those who choose psilocybin.
Psilocybin mushrooms are fungi which contain the psychoactive compound psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic compound capable of producing powerful hallucinations and mystical-type experiences, along with other effects. Psilocybin is commonly called “magic mushrooms” or “shrooms.” Significantly more than 180 species of mushrooms contain psilocybin or its derivative psilocin, and the fungi have an extended history of use within Mesoamerican spiritual and religious rituals. They're also among the most used and commonly used psychedelics in the U.S. and Europe.
Psilocybin mushrooms are more than simply a drug and sacrament, however. They've been used in therapeutic settings to treat many different ailments and disorders including cluster headaches, obsessive-compulsive disorders, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and addiction, and a recently available resurgence in research into psilocybin's therapeutic effects is showing promising results.
Psilocybin Mushroom Effects
Pharmacology
Psilocybin is the active psychedelic ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms. The threshold dose for feeling the results of dried mushrooms is usually in the 0.2-0.5g range, although it varies for each person. A reasonable dose in the 1-2.5g range, taken orally, typically produces effects that last from three to six hours. Psilocybin is about 100 times less potent than LSD and 10 times less potent than mescaline.
Read More: LSD vs Shrooms
Once you take psilocybin, the human body metabolizes the substance into psilocin, both that produce psychedelic effects. Psilocybin and psilocin primarily communicate with serotonin receptors in the brain and have an especially high affinity for the 5-HT (serotonin) 2A subtype receptors. In rodents, psilocybin has shown a solid interaction with receptors in hub parts of the mind that integrate sensory experiences. This could explain effects such as synesthesia—the ability of mixing sensory modalities, such as for instance hearing colours or tasting sounds—and altered leucistic golden teacher sensory experiences during mushroom trips.
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