Sarah Brown
Magic mushrooms, also known as shrooms, are psychedelic drugs that can induce hallucinations, alter a person's thinking, sense of time, emotions, and personality, and cause both positive and negative experiences. The effects of magic mushrooms depend on various factors, including dosage, age, weight, and mental health history. While some people seek out magic mushrooms for spiritual experiences, self-discovery, or a peaceful high, the biggest danger to one's health is consuming poisonous mushrooms by mistake, which can lead to severe illness or even death.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Short-term effects | Typically wear off in 6 to 12 hours |
| Long-term effects | Personality changes, flashbacks |
| Effects | Affects all senses, alters thinking, sense of time, emotions, induces hallucinations |
| Effects depend on | Dosage, age, weight, personality, emotional state, environment, history of mental illness |
| Use | Eaten, mixed with food, brewed in tea |
| Effects begin | 30 minutes when eaten, 5-10 minutes when taken as tea |
| Effects last | 4-6 hours |
| Early effects | Nausea, excessive yawning |
| Trip | Mild- feeling drowsy or relaxed, higher doses- hallucinations, anxiety, paranoia, nervousness, distorted sense of time, place, and reality |
| Large dose | Can lead to psychosis |
| Poisonous mushrooms | Can make you violently ill or even kill you |
| Legality | Illegal in the US, but decriminalized in some cities |
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What You'll Learn
Hallucinations and altered senses
Hallucinogenic mushrooms, commonly known as magic mushrooms, shrooms, or psilocybin mushrooms, can induce hallucinations and alter the senses. The effects of magic mushrooms vary depending on factors such as dosage, age, weight, personality, emotional state, environment, and history of mental illness.
Magic mushrooms contain psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic. When ingested, psilocybin is converted by the body into psilocin, the chemical responsible for the mushrooms' psychoactive effects. These effects typically begin within 30 to 45 minutes of consumption and can last for up to six hours.
The hallucinations caused by magic mushrooms can be either visual or auditory, with users seeing or hearing things that are not there or are distorted. These hallucinations can range from mild to intense, and in some cases may lead to a "'bad trip," characterized by feelings of anxiety, paranoia, and confusion. The person may experience a distorted sense of time, place, and reality.
In addition to hallucinations, magic mushrooms can also alter one's senses and perception. They can induce perceptual changes, affecting a person's thinking, sense of time, and emotions. Users may experience a sense of euphoria and connection with others. However, negative emotions such as anxiety and paranoia can also be amplified.
It is important to note that the effects of magic mushrooms are unpredictable and vary from person to person. While some may experience a peaceful high, others may encounter frightening hallucinations and negative psychological effects. Additionally, magic mushrooms can cause flashbacks, where users relive parts of their trip, even long after taking the drug. These flashbacks can be triggered by various factors and may be disturbing, especially if they involve frightening hallucinations or experiences.
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Emotional and mental health impacts
Psilocybin, the primary psychoactive ingredient in "magic mushrooms", has been the subject of a growing body of research over the past 20 years, which has revealed its potential in treating mental and behavioural health disorders.
Psilocybin has been shown to have a positive impact on mood and substance use disorders. A single high dose of psilocybin can lead to a reduced negative mood, an increased positive mood, and a reduced amygdala response to negative affective stimuli. These effects can last for up to a month after ingestion. The compound interacts with serotonin receptors in the brain, which can trigger various psychedelic effects, including euphoria, hallucinations, sensory distortion, and changes in perception.
Psilocybin has also been shown to have promising results in treating patients with depression and anxiety, with some studies suggesting that psilocybin may help to regulate the brain's reward system in people with depression or suicidal ideation. Furthermore, psilocybin has been shown to increase brain connectivity in people with depression, even weeks after use. This may be due to the compound's ability to alter neuronal connectivity in regions of the brain associated with rumination, responsiveness, and emotion.
While the therapeutic potential of psilocybin is promising, it is important to note that it should be administered in a controlled setting with supportive therapy. The risks associated with psilocybin use include undesirable and harmful effects, such as extreme anxiety or short-term psychosis. These risks can be effectively reduced in a controlled environment with structured support and monitoring from trained therapists and clinicians.
Additionally, psilocybin should not be used as a substitute for seeking professional help for medical or mental health problems. Individuals should consult with their healthcare providers before considering complementary health approaches, such as psilocybin therapy.
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Physical side effects
The physical side effects of taking mushrooms vary from person to person and can be influenced by underlying psychological disorders. The physical effects are generally minor and transient, but they can be frightening and may trigger a cycle of adverse psychological reactions.
Common short-term physical side effects include dilated pupils, elevated blood pressure, and increased heart rate. These cardiovascular changes can be dangerous, especially with prolonged mushroom use, potentially leading to heart damage and an increased risk of cardiac arrest over time. Other physical reactions include nausea, increased perspiration, numbing, tremors, and changes in body temperature.
Mushrooms can also cause delayed headaches, usually lasting less than a day, and increased serotonin levels in the brain, which can have implications for long-term mental health. While physical withdrawal symptoms are not a significant concern, there is a risk of developing an addiction to mushrooms, and the potential for accidental poisoning from consuming poisonous mushrooms is a serious risk.
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'Bad trips' and flashbacks
A "trip" refers to the intoxication from a drug that causes hallucinations. A bad trip occurs when the trip caused by a psychedelic drug is negative. A bad mushroom trip may also be referred to as a bad shroom trip. Bad trips can lead to excessive fear, agitation, emotionally disturbing situations, or mood swings. The key feature of a bad trip is a feeling of losing oneself or going crazy, or ego dissolution.
There are several things that can increase the probability of a bad trip, but anyone who is using psychedelic substances is at risk of having a bad trip. Some of the things that can increase the risk of having a bad trip include the use environment, the amount of mushroom consumed, and the user's mood, personality, and expectations. While avoiding these risks can reduce your chances of having a bad trip, anyone can have a bad trip at any time while using psychedelics.
If you feel like you’re having – or are going to have – a bad trip, let your friends know and get their help. Go to a nice quiet spot where you feel safe and can relax. A bad trip guide can also help. This involves having someone who is sober stay with the person having the bad trip and talk them through the trip. However, not everyone will benefit from a bad trip guide, and some people may develop a paranoid attitude towards the guide or even become aggressive.
In some cases, bad trips can be beneficial and give people deep existential and life-altering insights. Bad trip narratives may be a potent coping mechanism for users of psychedelics in non-controlled environments, enabling them to make sense of frightening experiences and integrate these into their life stories.
Some mushroom users have flashbacks where they relive some part of a drug trip when they're no longer high. Flashbacks can come on without warning and might happen a few days or months after taking mushrooms.
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Legality and risks
The legality of psilocybin mushrooms, also known as "magic mushrooms" or "shrooms", varies across the world. While the United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances, adopted in 1971, requires its members to prohibit psilocybin, the mushrooms containing the drug were not specifically included in the convention. As a result, there has been ambiguity in many national, state, and provincial drug laws regarding the legal status of psilocybin mushrooms.
In the United States, psilocybin is listed as a Schedule I drug under the Psychotropic Substances Act, indicating a high potential for abuse and no recognized medical uses. However, the legal status of psilocybin mushrooms varies at the state and local levels. For example, Denver, Oakland, Santa Cruz, and Ann Arbor have decriminalized the possession of psilocybin mushrooms, while California, Georgia, and Idaho have specifically prohibited the sale and possession of psilocybin mushroom spores. On the other hand, Oregon has legalized the use of magic mushrooms for mental health treatment in supervised settings.
In other countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Japan, psilocybin mushrooms are regulated or prohibited under various controlled drugs and substances acts. In the European Union, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) classifies psilocybin as a hallucinogen, and its possession and use are generally prohibited.
The risks associated with the use of psilocybin mushrooms include the possibility of a "bad trip", which may include paranoia, loss of boundaries, a distorted sense of self, and frightening hallucinations. The risk of a bad trip may be influenced by dosage, age, weight, personality, emotional state, environment, and history of mental illness. Additionally, there is a risk of accidental poisoning from consuming poisonous mushrooms that resemble psilocybin mushrooms. Long-term risks may include flashbacks or persistent, distressing alterations to how one sees the world, known as hallucinogen-persisting perception disorder, although this condition is rare.
It is important to note that the use of any drug, including psilocybin mushrooms, carries risks, and individuals should be cautious and informed about the potential dangers before consuming such substances.
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Frequently asked questions
Magic mushrooms, also known as shrooms, are psychedelic drugs that contain psilocybin and psilocin, which have psychoactive properties. They are often eaten, mixed with food, or brewed into tea.
The effects of magic mushrooms vary depending on dosage, age, weight, personality, emotional state, environment, and history of mental illness. Early effects include nausea and excessive yawning, followed by perceptual changes such as hallucinations, anxiety, paranoia, and a distorted sense of time and reality.
Magic mushrooms are not considered harmless. While they are rarely life-threatening, they can cause severe side effects such as anxiety, paranoia, and flashbacks. Poisonous mushrooms can also closely resemble psilocybin mushrooms, posing a risk of fatal poisoning. Mixing with other substances can increase psychological and physical risks.
Magic mushrooms are not considered physically addictive, and users rarely report physical withdrawal symptoms. However, some psychological effects of discontinuation have been noted, including depression. Tolerance to psilocybin develops quickly, leading to increased dosage requirements.
Magic mushrooms are illegal in most places and are classified as a controlled substance. However, some cities have decriminalized possession of small amounts for personal use, and there is advocacy for further legalization due to their potential health benefits.
