Sarah Brown
Magic mushrooms, also known as shrooms, are a group of over 180 naturally occurring fungi that contain psilocybin, a drug that induces psychoactive and hallucinogenic effects. The effects of magic mushrooms can vary from positive feelings, such as happiness and a sense of connection, to negative feelings, such as anxiety and paranoia. While the effects of magic mushrooms can be intense and unpredictable, they do not typically result in a comedown like other drugs such as MDMA. Instead, the come-down phase of a magic mushroom trip is more often characterized by positively valenced feeling states, including a sense of calm, beauty, clarity, and gratitude. However, some individuals may experience a crash or hangover after taking magic mushrooms, with symptoms such as mood changes, headaches, and fatigue lasting for a couple of hours or even days after the trip.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Duration of comedown | Longer than the "come-up" phase, gradually tapers off |
| Feelings during comedown | Calm, beauty, clarity, gratitude, positive feelings, mood changes, fatigue, headaches |
| Factors influencing comedown | Amount consumed, individual factors, other drugs consumed |
| Detection time in urine tests | Up to 24 hours after ingestion, up to 72 hours in chronic users |
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What You'll Learn
- The comedown from shrooms can induce mood changes, headaches, and fatigue
- Shrooms are physically and psychologically taxing on the brain and body
- The duration of the mushroom comedown is longer than the come-up
- Shrooms can cause perceptual distortions, ego dissolution, and complete disconnect from reality
- Shroom use is unpredictable and can lead to bad trips and other negative experiences
The comedown from shrooms can induce mood changes, headaches, and fatigue
The "comedown" from shrooms can last a couple of hours, and individuals may continue to experience effects long after the trip ends. During the comedown, the effects of shrooms are less intense and vivid, but individuals may still experience mood changes, headaches, and fatigue.
Mood changes during the comedown from shrooms can include feelings of sadness, low mood, and low energy. These mood changes may be due to the effects of psilocybin and psilocin on serotonin receptors in the brain, which help regulate mood, perception, and mental processes. Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic drug found in magic mushrooms, and psilocin is its active metabolite. The duration of the mushroom comedown is longer than the "come-up" phase, but it is harder to define as the effects taper off gradually.
Headaches may occur during the comedown from shrooms as the psychoactive substances can be physically and psychologically taxing on the brain and body. Visual hallucinations and synesthesia, where senses converge and induce audible colors or physical sounds, can also occur during the comedown and contribute to the taxing effects on the brain.
Fatigue is another common symptom of the comedown from shrooms, as the experience can be energetically draining and disrupt sleep. The intensity of the comedown symptoms may depend on the amount of shrooms consumed, individual factors, and the presence of other substances. It is important to note that shroom use can be unpredictable, and mixing drugs is always risky.
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Shrooms are physically and psychologically taxing on the brain and body
While shrooms have been used historically in religious and spiritual ceremonies, and are currently being studied for their potential therapeutic benefits, they can be physically and psychologically taxing on the brain and body. Shrooms, or "magic mushrooms," are a group of over 180 naturally occurring fungi that contain psilocybin, a drug that induces psychoactive and hallucinogenic effects similar to LSD, mescaline, and DMT. The effects of shrooms can vary widely, ranging from positive feelings of happiness and euphoria to negative feelings of anxiety, paranoia, and loneliness. Visual hallucinations are also common, and these can become frightening if influenced by negative thoughts.
The physical and psychological taxing nature of shrooms is evident in the "come-up" or onset phase, which is often characterized by negatively valenced feeling states that resemble an acute stress reaction. This phase can be particularly challenging as individuals may experience a flood of emotions and heightened sensory perceptions that can be overwhelming. The "come-up" is followed by the peak of the psychedelic experience, where the effects of shrooms are most intense. During this phase, individuals may experience heavy perceptual distortions, ego dissolution, and even a complete disconnect from consensus reality.
As the effects of shrooms wear off, individuals enter the "comedown" or falling phase. While this phase is typically characterized by positively valenced feeling states, it can still be physically and psychologically demanding. The "comedown" can last for up to a couple of hours, during which individuals may experience mood changes, headaches, and fatigue. The fatigue associated with shroom use is significant, as it can leave individuals feeling drained and struggling to sleep. Additionally, the "comedown" can also be associated with a low mood and low energy levels, which can further contribute to the taxing nature of the experience.
The physical and psychological impacts of shrooms extend beyond the immediate "comedown" phase. Psilocin, the active compound in shrooms, interacts with serotonin receptors in the brain, including 5-HT2A receptors, which help regulate mood, perception, and mental processes. This interaction can have lasting effects on brain chemistry, and it may take time for the brain to return to its normal state. The length of time for brain chemistry to recover varies depending on individual factors, with some people experiencing changes within months while others may take years. Prolonged shroom use, especially among teens and young adults, can also lead to more serious consequences as the brain is still undergoing major development during these formative years.
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The duration of the mushroom comedown is longer than the come-up
The effects of psilocybin or "magic" mushrooms typically last between four and six hours. The most intense effects usually peak between two and three hours after ingestion. However, the duration of the "comedown" phase, or "come-down", is longer than the "come-up" or onset phase. While the come-up is characterised by negative feelings, the comedown is marked by positive feelings, such as calmness, beauty, clarity, and gratitude.
The length of the comedown is harder to define as the effects and after-effects of psilocybin mushrooms taper off gradually. A "comedown" can last up to a couple of hours after the trip, and individuals may continue to experience the effects of shrooms, albeit less intense and vivid. They may also experience mood changes, fatigue, headaches, and difficulty sleeping. Psilocin metabolites can be detected in the body through urine tests up to 24 hours after ingestion and up to 72 hours in chronic users.
The duration and intensity of the mushroom experience depend on several factors, including the amount ingested, individual characteristics, and whether other drugs are taken concurrently. For example, cannabis is commonly used in conjunction with psilocybin mushrooms, and this may influence the experience of the mushroom comedown.
It is important to note that the use of psilocybin mushrooms carries risks, including unpredictable and harmful experiences such as "bad trips". Additionally, there are many types of mushrooms, and some, like fly agaric, can be poisonous and even deadly.
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Shrooms can cause perceptual distortions, ego dissolution, and complete disconnect from reality
The effects of shrooms vary depending on the amount consumed and individual factors. Shrooms, or "magic mushrooms", are a group of over 180 naturally occurring fungi that contain psilocybin, an inactive prodrug that is quickly converted to psilocin, inducing psychoactive and hallucinogenic effects. The effects of shrooms usually kick in within 10 to 30 minutes and last between four and six hours. The most intense or noticeable effects peak between two to three hours after ingestion.
The effects of shrooms can rapidly change while the body metabolizes psilocin and psilocybin, ranging from positive feelings, such as happiness and joy, to uncomfortable feelings, such as anxiety and paranoia. Some users might have visual hallucinations that can become frightening due to negative thoughts. Others might experience synesthesia, where senses converge and induce audible colours or physical sounds. Psilocin interacts with serotonin receptors in the brain, including 5-HT2A receptors, which help regulate mood, perception, and mental processes. This also increases activity in the prefrontal cortex, which regulates planning, judgment, and social behaviour, thus inducing the described effects.
The intensity of the shrooms experience is dependent on the dosage. One gram of psilocybin mushrooms is said to induce euphoria and enhanced senses. Two grams induce perceptual distortions and heavy euphoria. 3.5 grams induces heavy perceptual distortions and ego dissolution (reduced sense of self). The highest recommended dose, 5 grams, is said to cause a complete disconnect from reality.
Ego dissolution refers to the disintegration of the salience network and reduced interhemispheric communication in the brain. It is associated with a disruption in the maintenance of the self, where the mind infers that the self is an object whose existence explains the co-occurrence of physical and psychological attributes. This can lead to a loss of self-awareness and a sense of unity with the environment.
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Shroom use is unpredictable and can lead to bad trips and other negative experiences
The unpredictability of shroom use is due in part to the varying strength of magic mushrooms, which depends on factors such as freshness, season, and location of growth. Additionally, individual factors such as dose, size, and the use of other drugs can also influence the effects of shrooms. For example, larger doses of shrooms can cause users to act unpredictably, with potential emotional and paranoid behaviour. Mixing drugs is always risky, and some mixtures are more dangerous than others. For instance, cannabis has been shown to potentiate the psychedelic experience and may influence the come-up and come-down phases of shroom use.
The duration of the shroom come-down is typically longer than the come-up, but it is harder to define as the effects taper off gradually. While the come-up is often characterised by negative feelings, the come-down phase is more likely to be characterised by positive feelings of calm, beauty, clarity, and gratitude. However, the come-down can also induce mood changes, headaches, and fatigue, as psychoactive substances can be physically and psychologically taxing on the brain and body.
The biggest danger to health when taking shrooms is the risk of accidentally consuming poisonous mushrooms, which can lead to severe illness or even death. It is important to note that many poisonous mushrooms closely resemble magic mushrooms, making it easy for pickers to mistake them. Therefore, individuals should be aware of the potential risks and negative experiences associated with shroom use, especially young people, who are more vulnerable to the negative consequences of substance use due to their developing brains.
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Frequently asked questions
A mushroom comedown can last up to a couple of hours and sometimes longer than the "come-up". Users have reported feeling mood changes, headaches, fatigue, calmness, beauty, clarity, and gratitude. The comedown can be influenced by the amount consumed, individual factors, and whether other drugs were consumed.
Psilocybin can be detected in the body through urine tests up to 24 hours after ingestion and up to 72 hours in chronic users.
Magic mushrooms are currently illegal. The biggest danger to your health when taking magic mushrooms is consuming a poisonous mushroom by mistake. Many poisonous mushrooms look similar to magic mushrooms and it is easy for pickers to mistake them. People have fallen severely ill or even died from consuming poisonous mushrooms.
