The Risks of Magic Mushrooms: What You Need to Know
goodmoods23
September 27, 2024
Magic mushrooms are wild or cultivated mushrooms containing a psychoactive compound called psilocybe cubensis. They can result in feelings of euphoria, hallucinations and spiritual connectedness.
Shrooms can offer an entertaining and enlightening experience, however, bad trips can occur. So, it’s crucial you understand the risks involved in consuming them.
Psilocybin is considered a Schedule One drug because of its potential for misuse. So, it’s also vital to understand what treatment options are available if you need help developing coping skills.
What are medicinal fungi and what do they do?
Magic mushrooms are psychedelic drugs that produce hallucinations when you consume them. They have this effect because of the psilocybe cubensis chemical within them1.
Your body converts psilocybe cubensis into psilocin when you consume medicinal fungi. It acts primarily on your serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A (5HT2a) receptors, resulting in psychedelic effects like mood alterations and hallucinations2.
Magic mushrooms have a history of healing and spiritualistic use that dates back to 3000 BC Mesoamerica. Many people who consume them today, experience profound changes in their state of mind. They feel more open and connected to the world around them3.
How does psilocybe cubensis affect the brain?
The experiences you have with shrooms vary depending on various factors. Your age, emotional state, personality, mental health history, environment and how much you take all influence your trip4.
Here’s how medicinal fungi typically affect your brain:
Hallucinations: Shrooms typically alter the way you perceive reality. You might hear things that aren’t there, lose your sense of space and time or see shapes, colors or scenes that aren’t real.
Spiritual epiphanies: Magic mushrooms can affect your sense of self. You may experience oceanic self-boundlessness—a feeling of oneness with the universe, making you feel open and connected to everything.
Mood changes: Reaching a state of euphoria and elation are also common effects of medicinal fungi. You may feel giggly, excited and in awe of those around you.
There are also potential health benefits to consuming medicinal fungi. According to research conducted by Johns Hopkins, they may be able to help treat addiction, anxiety and depression5.
What are the risks of magic mushroom use?
Psilocybe mushrooms are popular for their peaceful psychedelic effects, however, there is a possibility of a bad trip. Some people experience paranoia, anxiety, confusion and frightening hallucinations6.
More serious risks with shrooms involve people who have a history of mental illness or existing health conditions. Some people simply misidentify a toxic mushroom in its place6.
Psychological risks
One of the most significant risks of taking medicinal fungi typically affects people with a predisposition to mental illness. Psychosis, delirium and other mental health issues could affect you if, for example, you or someone in your family has bipolar disorder or schizophrenia7.
The chances of psychosis or suicidality are usually low in controlled clinical studies on psilocybe cubensis. Researchers conduct careful screening on whoever they recruit to determine any risk factors8.
Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD), or flashbacks, is another potential adverse reaction to taking medicinal fungi. It involves experiencing hallucinations long after tripping on them9.
Flashbacks are vivid memories of images or scenes experienced while tripping on shrooms. They can be fleeting, or persist for weeks, months or years9.
According to a study in 2022 however, HPPD is incredibly uncommon and flashbacks are more often pleasant than negative9.
Physical risks
Magic mushrooms have few physical risks if you’re healthy and in a safe environment. You could experience diarrhea, nausea, dizziness or confusion, however, the chances of fatal reactions are miniscule6.
Psilocybin has a low toxicity level, meaning you’re unlikely to experience heart attacks or breathing problems. Magic mushrooms raise your heart rate and blood pressure, which could cause problems if you have existing health conditions6.
Another potential risk involving medicinal fungi is accidental misidentification. If you aren’t familiar with them, you could mistakenly consume something poisonous10.
You’re more likely to poison yourself if you go mushroom picking or purchase mushrooms from an unreliable source. It’s vital that you buy your shrooms from a PsiloSafe Certified company like Good Moods to avoid this risk.
Behavioral risks
Psilocybin mushrooms alter your perception of reality and cause you to hallucinate11.
If you’re in an unsafe and unsupervised environment or a negative head-space, you could experience a bad trip. This situation could result in anxiety, paranoia, panic or extreme fear while hallucinating11.
Having a bad trip in an unsafe environment where you aren’t aware of your surroundings or thinking clearly, could lead to you accidentally hurting yourself. It’s rare that you would harm yourself or anyone else intentionally during a hallucination12.
Magic mushroom dosage and consumption methods
You should always put your safety first when taking plant medications and psychedelics of any sort. Understanding how different doses of medicinal fungi affect you is crucial to reducing any potential risk.
Strength and effects vary amongst psilocybe cubensis mushroom species. One gram of dried psilocybe cubensis like Penis Envy contains an average of 1% psilocybe cubensis. This content ranges from 0.5–2% depending on the species13.
How to dose medicinal fungi
How much medicinal fungi you take and how you take it depends on what you hope to achieve. Here’s a breakdown of different dosages and the likely effects they produce:
Microdosing: This method involves taking between 50–250 mg of dried mushrooms daily with at least one day off per week. This dosage won’t cause any hallucinations or mind-altering effects.
Low dosing: It’s best to start low and slow if you’re unfamiliar with medicinal fungi. This method involves taking sub-perceptual doses ranging from 0.5–1 gram of dried shrooms14. These doses can act as a social lubricant, helping you relax and reduce anxiety15.
Medium recreational dosing: This method involves taking 2–3 grams of dried shrooms. It’s the most common dosage and produces stimulated visuals and mind-alteration while allowing you to maintain a sense of self and mobility14.
High recreational dosing: For a stronger psychedelic experience, take between 2.5–5 grams of dried medicinal fungi. This amount induces sensory hallucinations, synesthesia (tasting sounds or hearing colors), ego dissolution and cognitive changes14.
Very high recreation dosing: The heroic dose involves taking over five grams of dried shrooms. This dosage could lead to ego dissolution or ego death, where you completely lose your sense of self and your ability to make decisions or think clearly14.
How are medicinal fungi taken?
The most popular way to take medicinal fungi is oral ingestion, fresh or dried. Many other methods exist, here are the most common routes16:
In foods: Some people add shrooms to different types of foods, either cooking them with a meal or making chocolate bars and flavored gummies with them.
In tea: Another common method of shroom consumption is to make them into tea. Many people steep them in boiling water or with a teabag, helping cut the flavor of the mushrooms.
In drinks: Some users add their medicinal fungi to milkshakes or smoothies. This method also helps cut the flavor, making it easier to consume.
Guidelines for using medicinal fungi safely
Magic mushrooms are generally safe to consume and have few risks associated with them. A bad trip can happen, so take the following precautions to reduce any potential for harm17:
Address your state of mind: Before you consume shrooms, ask yourself why you’re taking them. Using them to cope with or avoid problems is never a good idea. It could lead to dependency or heighten the negative emotions you’re trying to ignore.
Use a trusted source: Ensure you buy your shrooms from a reliable supplier like Good Moods so you know what you get is safe and pure.
Test your shrooms: At Good Moods, we test our shrooms thoroughly. If you aren’t buying from us, use a drug-checking service to screen for potential contaminants, identify their strength and composition and learn harm reduction information.
Find a trip sitter: Ask a friend you trust to remain sober and watch over you while you trip. They help keep you safe and comfortable, looking after you if you have a bad trip.
Choose a safe space: Trips can last between 8–12 hours, so it’s crucial you take shrooms in a safe and peaceful environment.
Don’t mix: Most substances don’t interact well with psilocybe cubensis. Avoid having cannabis, alcohol, LSD and any other medications that could interfere with your trip. It’s also vital to stay hydrated and drink lots of water.
Don’t try to control your trip: Hallucinogenic mushrooms can offer an enlightening, entertaining and educational experience if you’re in the right frame of mind. If you don’t go with the flow and let them guide you, it could get scary, resulting in a bad trip.
Avoid risky behavior: Avoid certain activities like looking in the mirror, climbing up things, operating a vehicle or getting intimate with unfamiliar partners while tripping. The results are typically unpredictable and unpleasant.
Consider a trusted professional: If your goal is improving your human experience, consider getting help from a licensed practitioner, spiritual guide or therapist. They can support you through your journey, offering productive and rewarding results.
Treatment options for psilocybe cubensis misuse
Many people use psilocybe cubensis mushrooms for recreational, medicinal or spiritual purposes. They aren’t considered addictive and you build a tolerance quickly, making repeated use ineffective.
Some people, however, may form a dependency if they use shrooms as a coping mechanism. When they stop, they may experience psychological withdrawal, resulting in mental health concerns like depression and anxiety.
It’s vital to understand any drug triggers you may have. Here are some methods you can use to develop coping skills to manage them18:
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
Rehabilitation programs
Medical detoxification
Support groups
Reduce the risks of psilocybe cubensis with Good Moods
Magic mushrooms aren’t addictive but have the potential for misuse. So, people dealing with heavy personal issues should avoid them.
Psilocybin mushrooms offer various benefits, from entertaining and spiritual experiences to social lubrication and therapeutic treatments. They pose few risks to most users, however, many to people with a history of health conditions and mental illness.
The most significant risk you face when using medicinal fungi is buying a poisonous mushroom or having a bad trip.
You can avoid a bad trip by following safety guidelines. To reduce the risk of purchasing something toxic, buy your magic mushroom products from Good Moods.
References
Geiger, Haden A., et al. “DARK Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: Psilocybin.” ACS Chemical Neuroscience, vol. 9, no. 10, 29 June 2018, pp. 2438–2447, https://doi.org/10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00186.
Siegel, Joshua S, et al. “Psilocybin Desynchronizes Brain Networks.” MedRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), 24 Aug. 2023, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10493007/, https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.08.22.23294131.
Carod-Artal, F J. “Hallucinogenic Drugs in Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican Cultures.” Neurologia (Barcelona, Spain), vol. 30, no. 1, 2015, pp. 42–9, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21893367/, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nrl.2011.07.003.
Studerus, Erich, et al. “Prediction of Psilocybin Response in Healthy Volunteers.” PLoS ONE, vol. 7, no. 2, 17 Feb. 2012, p. e30800, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0030800.
Zeifman, Richard J., et al. “On the Relationship between Classic Psychedelics and Suicidality: A Systematic Review.” ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science, vol. 4, no. 2, 11 Mar. 2021, pp. 436–451, https://doi.org/10.1021/acsptsci.1c00024.
Müller, Felix, et al. “Flashback Phenomena after Administration of LSD and Psilocybin in Controlled Studies with Healthy Participants.” Psychopharmacology, 25 Jan. 2022, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-022-06066-z.
Johnson, MW, et al. “Human Hallucinogen Research: Guidelines for Safety.” Journal of Psychopharmacology, vol. 22, no. 6, 30 May 2008, pp. 603–620, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3056407/, https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881108093587.
Carbonaro, Theresa M, et al. “Survey Study of Challenging Experiences after Ingesting Psilocybin Mushrooms: Acute and Enduring Positive and Negative Consequences.” Journal of Psychopharmacology, vol. 30, no. 12, 27 Sept. 2016, pp. 1268–1278, https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881116662634.
