Laura Smith
Psilocybin mushrooms, more commonly known as magic mushrooms or shrooms, are a group of fungi that contain the prodrug psilocybin, which turns into the psychedelic psilocin upon ingestion. Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic and has hallucinogenic effects. Dozens of species of psychedelic mushrooms are found in Europe, and evidence suggests that human use of psilocybin mushrooms predates recorded history. In modern times, psilocybin mushrooms are consumed for their hallucinogenic effects, which can alter a person's thinking, sense of time, and emotions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Other names | Magic mushrooms, shrooms, psychedelic mushrooms |
| Composition | Psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic |
| Active drug | Psilocin |
| Effects | Hallucinogenic, can affect all the senses, alter thinking, sense of time and emotions |
| Dosage | 1.0 to 3.5–5.0 g of dry mushrooms, 10 to 50 g of fresh mushrooms |
| Toxicity | Low level |
| Addiction | No physical dependence |
| Withdrawal effects | Mild psychological effects, tiredness |
| Therapeutic potential | Substance use disorders, mental illnesses |
| History | Imagery in cave paintings and rock art of modern-day Algeria and Spain suggests human use predates recorded history |
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What You'll Learn
History and traditional use
Psilocybin mushrooms, commonly known as magic mushrooms or shrooms, are a type of hallucinogenic mushroom and a polyphyletic informal group of fungi that contain the prodrug psilocybin. This prodrug turns into the psychedelic psilocin upon ingestion. Psilocybin mushrooms have a rich history throughout various ancient cultures, particularly within spiritual and healing practices.
One of the earliest and most documented uses of psilocybin mushrooms can be traced back to Mesoamerican cultures, such as the Aztecs and the Maya. The Aztecs referred to these mushrooms as "teonanácatl", which translates to "flesh of the gods". Spanish colonial records also provide abundant sources for psilocybe mushrooms' ritual, therapeutic, divinatory, and ludic functions in Mesoamerica. The Codex Vindobonensis Mexicanus 1, a fifteenth- or sixteenth-century pictographic manuscript created by the Mixtec people, portrays an ancient, pre-colonial mushroom ritual. The Florentine Codex, a sixteenth-century colonial text, also preserves Aztec sources containing a mushroom ceremony performed by traders to give thanks for a successful expedition.
Beyond the Aztecs, other indigenous tribes in Central and South America have used psilocybin mushrooms for centuries. The Mazatec people of Oaxaca, Mexico, are particularly noted for their ongoing use of these mushrooms in traditional healing ceremonies. Maria Sabina, a Mazatec healer, played a significant role in introducing psilocybin mushrooms to the Western world in the 1950s, when her rituals were documented and shared with R. Gordon Wasson, an amateur mycologist and banker.
In ancient cultures, the use of psilocybin mushrooms was deeply rooted in ritual and community. The controlled, supportive environments of traditional ceremonies helped participants navigate their psychedelic experiences, facilitating healing and spiritual growth. This understanding is now being recognised in contemporary psychedelic-assisted therapies, where the mindset and physical environment in which psychedelics are consumed are considered vital to the therapeutic process.
Psilocybin mushrooms have had numerous medicinal and religious uses in dozens of cultures throughout history. However, their potential benefits have only recently begun to be explored in clinical settings. Modern research has shown that psilocybin can have profound effects on mental health, offering new hope for conditions that are often resistant to conventional treatments.
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Effects and risks
Psilocybin mushrooms, commonly known as magic mushrooms or shrooms, are naturally occurring and consumed for their hallucinogenic effects. They are psychedelic drugs, which means they can affect all the senses, altering a person's thinking, sense of time and emotions.
The effects of psilocybin mushrooms are subjective and can vary considerably among individual users. The mind-altering effects typically last from three to eight hours, depending on dosage, preparation method, and personal metabolism. The first 3–4 hours after ingestion are typically referred to as the 'peak', during which the user experiences more vivid visuals and distortions in reality. The effects can seem to last much longer due to psilocybin's ability to alter time perception.
Psilocybin mushrooms have not been known to cause physical or psychological dependence (addiction). However, regular use may cause people to become tolerant to the effects of psilocybin, and cross-tolerance occurs with other drugs, including LSD and mescaline. The risk of a bad trip may increase if a person takes higher doses of psilocybin or has feelings of anxiety before taking it.
Adverse side effects are often mild or moderate and may resolve with time, but some people may require medical treatment. Physical effects may include nausea, vomiting, euphoria, muscle weakness or relaxation, drowsiness, and lack of coordination. Psilocybin typically raises blood pressure and heart rate, which may be dangerous for people with heart conditions. People may also experience side effects like agitation, confusion, and vomiting or nausea, which may be severe and require medical attention.
People may do things that put themselves or others at risk of physical harm after taking mushrooms in an unsupervised environment—for example, driving dangerously or walking into traffic—as they may be less aware of their physical surroundings and have an impairment in their ability to think clearly.
There is also a risk of accidental poisoning from misidentifying mushrooms and consuming a toxic mushroom instead of one containing psilocybin. Magic mushrooms look similar to poisonous mushrooms that can cause severe illness or even death.
A 5.0 g dose of dried mushroom is often referred to as a "heroic dose". In terms of psilocybin dosing, subthreshold or microdoses are <2.5 mg, low doses are 5 to 10 mg, the intermediate or "good effect" dose is 20 mg, and high or ego-dissolution doses are 30 to 40 mg. Recreational doses of psilocybin mushrooms are typically between 1.0 and 3.5–5.0 g of dry mushrooms and 10 to 50 g of fresh mushrooms.
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Legality
Psilocybin mushrooms, commonly known as magic mushrooms or shrooms, are a group of fungi that contain the prodrug psilocybin, which turns into the psychedelic psilocin upon ingestion. They are naturally occurring psychedelic drugs, which can affect all the senses, altering a person's thinking, sense of time, and emotions. They can also cause hallucinations, where a person may see or hear things that do not exist or are distorted.
The legality of psilocybin mushrooms varies worldwide. Psilocybin and psilocin are listed as Schedule I drugs under the United Nations 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances. Schedule I drugs are defined as drugs with a high potential for abuse or drugs that have no recognized medical uses. However, the mushrooms containing the drug were not specifically included in the convention, and many countries have some level of ambiguity and selective enforcement regarding their legal status.
In most jurisdictions, the cultivation of psilocybin mushrooms is considered drug manufacture and is often severely penalized. However, some countries and one US state (New Mexico) have ruled that growing psilocybin mushrooms does not qualify as "manufacturing" a controlled substance. Possession and use of psilocybin mushrooms, including the bluing species of Psilocybe, are prohibited in most places. However, there is ambiguity in many national, state, and provincial drug laws, and spores of psilocybin mushrooms, which do not contain the drugs, are legal to possess in many areas, leading to an active underground economy for their sale and the exchange of cultivation information.
In the United States, psilocybin and psilocin were first subjected to federal regulation by the Drug Abuse Control Amendments of 1965, and many US state courts have considered the mushroom a "container" of illicit drugs, and therefore illegal. However, there is a pending bill in the California State Legislature that would legalize the "possession, obtaining, giving away, or transportation of specified quantities of psilocybin." In Oregon, voters passed a ballot initiative in 2020 that made "magic mushrooms" legal for mental health treatment in supervised settings. In November 2020, the District of Columbia passed the Entheogenic Plant and Fungus Policy Act of 2020, which allows for the possession and non-profit gifting or distribution of psilocybin mushrooms.
Outside of the United States, national drug laws have also been amended to reflect the terms of the United Nations convention. Examples include the UK Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, the Canadian Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, the Australian Poisons Standard (October 2015), the Japanese Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Law of 2002, and German legislation enacted in 1998.
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Treatment for mental health disorders
Psilocybin, the primary psychoactive ingredient in "magic mushrooms," has been the subject of a growing body of research over the past 20 years, suggesting its potential in treating mental and behavioral health disorders. The molecular structure of psilocybin enables it to penetrate the central nervous system, influencing a specific subtype of serotonin receptor in the brain. This interaction can lead to alterations in mood, cognition, and perception, resulting in various psychedelic effects.
When administered in controlled conditions with supportive therapy, psilocybin has demonstrated promising results in the treatment of several psychiatric disorders. Notably, multiple clinical trials have supported its ability to reduce depression symptom severity, including in individuals with treatment-resistant depression. A recent phase 2 double-blind trial found that a single 25 mg dose of synthetic psilocybin, when combined with psychotherapy, led to significantly lower levels of depressive symptoms after three weeks. Furthermore, psilocybin-assisted therapy has been found to produce substantial antidepressant effects that may last at least a year for some patients.
Psilocybin has also shown effectiveness in treating other mental health conditions. It has been beneficial in relieving symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and has shown positive results in smoking cessation studies. Additionally, psilocybin therapy has helped ease fear and anxiety in people with terminal cancer. The National Institute of Health awarded Johns Hopkins a grant in 2021 to explore psilocybin's potential as a smoking cessation tool, marking the first federal grant in 50 years for psychedelic treatment research in the United States.
While psilocybin shows potential in the treatment of mental health disorders, it is not without its risks and side effects. Studies have reported side effects such as headaches, nausea, fatigue, dizziness, and elevated blood pressure. In some cases, suicidal ideation and self-injurious behavior have also been observed. Therefore, careful screening and professional supervision are crucial when considering psilocybin therapy. Despite the promising findings, more research is needed to fully understand the long-term side effects and the mechanism of action of psilocybin before it can be widely adopted for therapeutic use.
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Microdosing
Psilocybin, commonly known as magic mushrooms or shrooms, is a naturally occurring psychedelic found in certain types of mushrooms. When psilocybin is ingested, it is converted by the body into psilocin, the chemical with psychoactive properties. The most potent species are members of the genus Psilocybe, such as P. azurescens, P. semilanceata, and P. cyanescens.
A microdose of psilocybin is typically considered to be less than 2.5 mg, with doses of 5 to 10 mg considered low and 20 mg considered an intermediate or "good effect" dose. Microdoses are typically taken 3–5 times per week, with each dose ranging from 0.1 to 0.3 g of dried mushrooms.
Some individuals who microdose psilocybin report improvements in mood, emotional well-being, and cognition, as well as reductions in stress, depression, and anxiety. However, researchers caution that the public uptake of microdosing has outpaced the scientific evidence, and more research is needed to confirm these apparent effects.
One study followed psilocybin microdosers (n = 953) and non-microdosing comparators (n = 180) for approximately 30 days and identified small- to medium-sized improvements in mood and mental health that were consistent across gender, age, and the presence of mental health concerns. Additionally, improvements in psychomotor performance were observed specifically in older adults. However, the study also found that combining psilocybin with HE and B3 did not impact changes in mood and mental health.
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Frequently asked questions
Psilocybin mushrooms, also known as magic mushrooms, shrooms, mushies, blue meanies, golden tops, or liberty caps, are a type of hallucinogenic mushroom. They are a polyphyletic informal group of fungi that contain the prodrug psilocybin, which turns into the psychedelic psilocin upon ingestion.
The effects of psilocybin mushrooms usually begin in 30 minutes when eaten, or within 5–10 minutes when taken as a soup, tea, or microdose, and can last approximately four to six hours. The effects include perceptual changes, such as visual and auditory hallucinations, heightened emotions and senses, and a distorted sense of reality.
Psilocybin mushrooms have a low level of toxicity, which means that there is a low potential for causing fatal events like breathing problems or a heart attack. However, there are health risks associated with taking psilocybin, especially when unsupervised or outside of a clinical setting. These risks include impaired judgement, extreme fear, anxiety, panic, paranoia, and a "bad trip". There is also a risk of misidentifying mushrooms and consuming a toxic mushroom instead.
