Psilocybin mushrooms are one of the most used psychedelic drugs worldwide.
If you haven’t yet acquainted yourself with the world of psychedelics, then this is going to be an interesting first trip for you.
If you already know your psychedelics, well then — saddle up and prepare to learn all you’ll ever need to know about these spiritually wholesome fungi.
Now, here’s the first thing you ought to know: psilocybin mushrooms are also known as “magic mushrooms,” or “shrooms” for short. So named, because they are a special type of mushroom.
Its distinguishing property comes from the fact that it contains psilocybin, which is the naturally occurring compound that bequeaths its psychoactive properties.
Psilocybin mushrooms can occur both naturally and via cultivation. It alters the user’s phenomenological experience of the world and makes it rather… non-ordinary.
It does this by overstimulating serotonin receptors in the prefrontal cortex.
In the past couple of centuries, scientists have identified over 180 species, and all of their effects are similar.
As of recent times, more scientists are discovering the therapeutic benefits of psilocybin mushrooms. At the moment, they are favored over other psychoactive substances, as they don’t exhibit addictive traits.
They can help relieve anxiety, depression and so much more. But, before we get into all that, let’s first dive into the various shroom strains.
Most Common Strains of Magic Mushrooms
Liberty Caps (AKA Psilocybe Semilanceata)
Psilocybe semilanceata is the most widespread, naturally growing psilocybin mushrooms, otherwise known as “Liberty Caps.”
Using them is unlikely to generate many intense, psychedelic hallucinations, which makes them perfect for beginners.
These are also a strain of magic mushrooms that grow best in the wild.
Liberty Cap mushrooms look different from the many other strains of magic mushrooms — they have a conical or bell-shaped cap that does not broaden with age.
In the wild, Liberty Caps can look an awful lot like a species of poisonous mushrooms: Psathyrella (one of the most common causes of mushroom poisoning). For this reason, we advise you not to search for these if you are not an experienced mycologist.
Liberty Cap’s identifying markers are:
- It’s conical, bell-shaped, or spear-shaped cap
- The smallest variety of psilocybin mushroom, standing at around 40mm – 100mm
- A noticeably gilled underside
- Total Potency: 1.36%
- Potency Per Gram: 14mg
Philosopher’s Stone Magic Mushroom (AKA Psilocybe Tampanensis)
The Psilocybe tampanensis produces truffles, or “sclerotia,” containing psilocybin. These truffles are nicknamed “Philosopher’s Stones” because of their shape and dark brown color.
This mushroom truffle is easy for home cultivators to grow. In fact, they are commonly sold in special “smart shops” in the Netherlands.
You are likely to have a less intense experience taking Psilocybe tampanensis. However, nausea is a frequent side effect because of the density of the “stones.”
This strain of psilocybin mushrooms may lead you to experience cheerful feelings and a newfound appreciation for life.
The Philosopher’s Stone’s features include:
- Light straw or yellowish-grey color
- A dark brown center cap, mottled with yellow — sort of like stones or pebbles
- Total Potency: 1.00%
- Potency Per Gram: 10mg
Wavy Caps Psilocybin Mushroom (AKA Psilocybe Cyanescens)
Users nicknamed these magic mushrooms “Wavy Caps” because of the shape of their caps — wavy and rippled around the edges.
In the wild, Wavy Caps are one of the most widespread psilocybin mushrooms.
This strain of mushroom is very popular because of its potency. It also grows in huge patches, and so is more readily available for use.
Psilocybe cyanescens have strong hallucinogenic properties; you are likely to experience both visual and auditory hallucinations when taking them. Plus, Wavy Cap mushrooms can cause increased personal and external world-awareness.
These magic mushrooms also encourage a deeper appreciation for music and visual art.
Their identifying characteristics include:
- A rippling or wavy cap
- Caramel color
- Dark, purplish-brown spore print
- Total Potency: 1.24%
- Potency Per Gram: 12mg
Golden Caps (AKA Psilocybe Cubensis)
The reason for the name “Golden Caps” is from their yellow-brown cap.
This species is one of the most commonly used magic mushrooms. Because of their popularity, this strain has up to 60 different varieties, like B+ and Penis Envy.
B+ is one of the most popular strains of these magic mushrooms — tripping on it generates powerful feelings of spiritual connectedness and euphoria. You are likely to feel a strong grounded energy.
Penis Envy, a notably stronger strain, is one of the mushrooms containing 50% more psilocybin than other strains of Cubensis. It generates intense euphoric feelings, mental clarity, and perspective on personal issues.
Their identifying characteristics include:
- Wide cap
- Golden color
- Turns a bluish color when handled (because of oxidation)
- Total Potency: 1.26%
- Potency Per Gram: 13mg
Effects of Psilocybin: How Does It Feel to Be on Psilocybin Mushrooms?
Most hallucinogenic drugs pose some measure of risk triggering emotional and mental problems.
That said, this usually happens after the consumption of magic mushrooms in combination with alcohol — something that increases the risk of physical and psychological risks.
The overall amount of psilocybin and psilocin per mushroom is unknown. It can vary in terms of the psychoactive contents, making it hard to predict the intensity, length, and type of “trip” you will experience.
People can have a mild trip, which causes them to feel drowsy or relaxed. But, on the other hand, they may also experience an unpleasant trip marked by delusions, panic, and hallucinations.
The side effects can include both physical effects and psychological effects, such as:
- Paranoia
- Drowsiness
- Panic
- Psychosis
- Lack of coordination
- Space-time distortion
- Dilated pupils
- Nervousness
- Euphoria
- Muscle weakness
- Introspective experiences
- Increase in heart rate, temperature, and blood pressure
NOTE: Do NOT ingest magic mushrooms to escape reality — that’s how they get abused. When used correctly, they offer new perspectives that may help people live a more fulfilled and authentic life.
Long-Term Effects of Psilocybin
The long-term effects of the use of magic mushrooms are not so much physical as psychological. The most documented effect among those who practice long-term use of psilocybin is the occurrence of flashbacks.
These will usually take the form of visual distortions that involve recurrent emotional and sometimes nostalgic hues — either positive or negative.
Other long-term effects include:
- HPPD — Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (similar to, but different from flashbacks)
- Recurrent feelings of depersonalization (rare)
- More intense anxiety (rare — only with the corresponding comorbidity)
- Psychological addiction
Health Benefits of Psilocybin
Source: commons.wikimedia.org
In line with the results of psychedelic research being conducted at the moment, Johns Hopkins recently conducted a study.
The results showed that consuming magic mushrooms can be beneficial, especially for people suffering from psychiatric disorders.
More relevantly, they showed that psilocybin mushrooms abate more common problems like migraines and panic attacks.
Johns Hopkins also demonstrated that using psilocybin mushrooms motivates long-lasting positive personality changes in its consumers.
So, yes — there’s a lot to look forward to here.
Likewise, they gave a vitamin placebo — called “niacin” — or a single dose of psilocybin to quite a high number of patients with a history of depression, anxiety, and treatment-resistant cancers.
They performed this experiment within several psychotherapy sessions, and reliably noticed a profound improvement in the dosed batch of patients.
They Help With Migraines / Headaches
Psilocybin from magic mushrooms is converted to psilocin once ingested, and this then becomes a partial booster for serotonin receptors — called 5-HT receptors.
Specifically, the 5-HT(2a) and 5-HT(2b) receptors.
Psilocybin, together with other tryptamines, are called “serotonergic” psychedelics. This is because they trigger these serotonin receptors, which are targeted by psilocybin to induce a psychedelic experience.
They Help With Panic Attacks
Just as well, psilocybin mushrooms help people who battle chronic anxiety. What’s more, magic mushroom use can help with panic attacks without necessarily causing hallucinogenic effects.
To achieve this, the consumed dose of psilocybin needs to be low enough to let you go about your daily activities with ease. This way, the dose will not manifest itself in your mental awareness.
If anything, your focus improves as the effects last in your system. This is called “microdosing.”
Why Microdosing?
Like we’ve said, the optimal method of psilocybin mushroom use when dealing with migraines is to microdose.
Microdosing is the practice of taking small effective doses, typically under 0.5 grams. This means that you can achieve relief without activating any negative side effects — including the psychedelic effects associated with magic mushrooms.
Handling Psilocybin Mushrooms
The good thing about taking care of psilocybin spores is that it’s pretty easy. Heck, anyone can do it.
From the Philosopher’s Stone variety to Liberty Caps, shrooms really don’t demand much.
But, there are a couple of important factors to consider if you decide to do it yourself. Below, you’ll find a couple of pointers — some vital dos and don’ts for city dwellers wishing to plant their own shrooms.
Keep Your Growing Area Sterile
To help reduce the chances of contamination, avoid getting mold and cat hair/fur in your mycelium jars. This is important, because mold — in particular — may cause a decline in the quality of the product you eventually ingest. And we don’t want that.
You also need to glove up (rubber please) and wipe your work surface with isopropyl alcohol. We’re talking mycelium jars to pretty much everything around you.
Remember to add water to your hardwood sawdust and grain to create your base for growing shrooms. A 5-pound block should be enough to start with.
Use sawdust — popular due to its nitrogen-poor nature — picked from oak, alder, and sweet gum trees. This mixture forms the perfect food for your budding shrooms.
Play Music for Your Shrooms
Really — it works.
Studies have shown that plants benefit from listening to music as they grow. Our preferred pick?
Mort Garson’s 1976 electronic classic, “Mother Earth’s Plantasia.” The album was quite literally recorded specifically for a botanical audience. It is meant for plants! It’s one of a few releases of its kind.
Sure, shrooms are technically fungi, not plants. But there’s similar anecdotal evidence suggesting music helps shrooms grow and thrive.
Alternatively, you can simply choose the type of music you’d personally listen to during a psychedelic trip.
Do NOT Dry Your Shrooms in One Big Pile
A terrible mistake that’s devastating in effect, yet easy to avoid is drying all your hallucinogenic mushrooms in one area.
Imagine checking every box in the shroom growing process — sterilization, done. Inoculating the mycelia properly, done. Temperature and moisture control on lock, done and done.
After several weeks, your grow box is full of beautiful, plump shrooms.
Everything is going peachy and nothing could possibly take a turn. Right?
Wrong.
Not when you make this huge misstep.
Placing all your fresh shrooms in a single covered bowl will blacken the shroom spores and produce a foul smell.
You could quickly try and place the drying shrooms in front of a fan. But this won’t save them from looking like burnt matchsticks, which will give them a look similar to a type of poisonous mushroom. This happens because of the collected moisture and mold coming from the center.
You really don’t want to lose weeks of progress in a single day. DIY cultivation is no walk in the park.
But, when you’re personally invested and willing to take the time to grow mushrooms at home, you gain a certain reverence for the medicine.
Frequently Asked Questions About Shrooms
How Long Does It Take to Grow Mushrooms?
This wholly depends on the mushroom strain and growing conditions. But typically, one to two months is the ideal time frame.
Make sure you keep a close eye on your mycelium cakes. Pretty soon, you should start seeing white bumps that later sprout into “pins.”
Your mushrooms should be ready for harvest 5 – 12 days after your first sighting. We highly recommend you pick them before the veil breaks to reveal the gills.
Despite all these guidelines, it boils down to the mushroom grower’s own research.
Remember, the actual growth of psilocybin mushrooms is not yet legal in Canada. And even though local enforcement won’t knock your door down looking for mushrooms, you need to be aware of this at all times.
Are Psilocybin Mushrooms Detectable in Drug Tests?
The thing about psilocybin is that it does not have a high potential for abuse. Therefore, it’s not often included in drug testing.
It’s certainly possible to test for psychedelic mushrooms, but it’s just not as common as other drugs. That said, magic mushrooms can stay in your system for up to 15 hours, though this is not a given.
It all depends on many variables — the type of mushroom you ingest, your health, and so on. These factors may also determine how long it takes for hallucinogenic mushrooms to be detected by a drug test.
FACT: Psilocybin mushrooms have long existed within many indigenous cultures around the world. They have long been considered sacred medicine, and many religious and spiritual origin stories contain references to their use.
There is even evidence that suggests they were used thousands of years ago by aboriginal Saharan tribes in North Africa.
How Long Does It Take to Feel the Effects of Shrooms?
Magic mushrooms (fresh or dried), can be mixed with food, doused in hot water, or ingested on their own.
Once ingested, the effects of magic mushrooms begin to kick in around 30 minutes later. However, it also depends on psilocybin use.
When taken in tea, the effects kick in quickly — 10, maybe even 5 minutes, after ingestion. A magic mushroom trip can last between 4 and 6 hours, but some people may feel effects for a lot longer.
Factors that affect the duration and severity of taking mushrooms include:
- Your level of tolerance
- Your age
- Presence of a preexisting mental health condition
- Whether you mix the psilocybin mushrooms with any other controlled substance or drug
- The species of mushroom
- How much you take
- How they are consumed
- Whether you use psilocybin that’s fresh or dried (as the potency in dried mushrooms is higher)
Have a Good Trip
Here at Mind Mend, we make a point of working closely with local farmers in Vancouver to produce the highest quality, most environmentally-conscious organic psychedelic mushrooms.
We’ve made sure there’s nothing in our product in the way of GMOs or pesticides. Nothing.
All our products have been lab-tested and are processed for responsible consumption.
Our magic-buy psilocybin mushroom products are available for convenient consumption as capsules, gummies, or tinctures at doses appropriate for both beginners and advanced psychonauts.
They help relieve conditions such as OCD, PTSD, anxiety, and depression. They also help boost creativity, performance, and general wellbeing.
Our Service
Mind Mend provides a safe and healthy way to reap all of our shroom benefits.
Our products are pesticide-free, 100% natural, all Canada grown, and non-GMO. And the best part is: we deliver our products all across Canada!
Visit our website to see our wide variety of high quality, 100% natural psilocybin mushroom products that are relaxing and stimulating with no synthetic equivalent. Order Now!
Some Final Psilocybin Tips
- Avoid unfamiliar surroundings or ones with excessive stimulation
- Don’t cross-fade — if you use mushrooms and alcohol at the same time you’ll regret it.
- Have a trip guide — someone who can level you if things get too intense.
- Drink plenty of water before consumption.
- 2 words — set and setting. These are crucial to having a positive experience with magic mushrooms.
- Only purchase psilocybin mushrooms from a legitimate source.
- Never buy psilocybin products without a dosage chart.
- Always start with low doses of psilocybin for the first time.
- Always check in with yourself, mentally and emotionally, before dosing.
Have a magical trip!
Featured Image: Pixabay by TomaszProszek
