Magic mushrooms are used as a tool for self-growth, as well as treating legitimate medical conditions — such as depression, PTSD, existential anxiety, cluster headaches, and more.
Medical research on magic mushrooms has shown a lot of promise over the last few decades, and longstanding laws around the use of magic mushrooms are being revisited.
In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about magic mushrooms — from start to finish.
What Are Magic Mushrooms?
“Magic mushroom” is an all-encompassing term for any species of fungi with psychoactive or hallucinogenic effects. They’re one of the most common psychoactive substances on earth.
There are over 200 different species of magic mushrooms — which can be found growing on every continent on earth except Antarctica.
Magic mushrooms contain two psychoactive alkaloids — psilocybin and psilocin. These alkaloids have the ability to interact with the serotonin receptors (5HT2A) — producing changes in the way we perceive sensory information (sound, vision, and touch).
Aside from changing sensory perception, magic mushrooms have a strong spiritual component. They’re used as a tool for self-discovery and spiritual experience. They’ve been used as a sacrament in virtually every region of the world in which they can be found — including South America, North America, Europe, Asia, and Australasia.
Medical research on magic mushrooms has seen a lot of breakthroughs in the last three years too. Magic mushrooms have been shown to offer substantial benefits in treating addiction, depression, anxiety, cluster headaches, and much more.
Microdosing Magic Mushrooms
(Less than 0.2 grams)
Microdosing magic mushrooms is a popular practice these days.
It’s used as a form of nootropic (substances that increase focus and memory) to boost productivity and creative thought process.
This concept involves taking magic mushrooms at a sub-psychoactive dose (it won’t make you high) on an ongoing basis.
This practice was made famous after it came to light that a circle of Silicon Valley CEOs and executives were using microdoses of magic mushrooms to be more productive and improve higher cognitive reasoning and thought.
What Does a Microdose Feel Like?
Microdoses of magic mushrooms (below the psychoactive threshold) produce a sense of focus and increased creativity.
The effects are strongest on the first day but gradually become more subtle the more you use them. This is because the body quickly develops a tolerance to the psychoactive effects of the mushrooms — but this doesn’t mean they’re not offering any benefits.
Some people won’t experience any perceptual or physical changes, even with the first dose.
The goal of using microdoses is to achieve a higher level of focus and productivity over time. They’re used to assist in developing new habits and routines and achieve a better grasp on emotional and interpersonal connections.
The first few days of taking a microdose can result in some mild perceptual changes — such as slight waviness in vision (especially when looking at a digital screen), tingly sensations throughout the body, and changes in depth-perception in the hands and limbs.
Microdoses can also cause some mild changes in mood (either extra social or slightly antisocial), a feeling of mild euphoria, and alterations in workflow or focus.
Over the course of a few days, you should notice most of the perceptual changes disappear. You should still experience the benefits of focus, concentration, and creativity.
What Does a Heroic Dose Feel Like?
Heroic doses of magic mushrooms start out with the same progression of the standard psychoactive dosage range. The difference only becomes apparent around 90 minutes after using the mushrooms.
High doses can produce strong dissociative states. While it’s rare for even large doses to cause a complete decoupling with reality in the way other psychedelics like DMT or Ibogaine can produce, high doses often make users feel as though they’re outside their own bodies.
A common experience involves the perception that you’re standing “behind yourself”, watching your body move autonomously through the world beyond your control.
You experience intense visions and hallucinations — some of which can be terrifying at times. Bad trips are much more common at this high dose, which is why it’s important that you have experience with using these mushrooms before even attempting this dose. The intensity of visions can become similar to drugs like DMT or ayahuasca at this dose.
The total duration of effects will be slightly longer when using high doses compared to standard psychoactive doses. The average duration of effects for this dose is around 7 hours.
