Sarah Brown
Psilocybin mushrooms, commonly known as magic mushrooms or shrooms, are a type of hallucinogenic mushroom that contains the prodrug psilocybin, which turns into the psychedelic psilocin upon ingestion. The most potent species are members of the genus Psilocybe, such as P. azurescens, P. semilanceata, and P. cyanescens. Psilocybin mushrooms have been used for hundreds or thousands of years by Indigenous groups around the world for healing, divination, and spiritual rites. They are also used as recreational drugs, with over 30 million people having used them at least once. In recent years, psilocybin mushrooms have been tested as a treatment for chronic mental disorders such as anxiety, depression, addiction, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Common Names | Magic Mushrooms, Shrooms |
| Active Compounds | Psilocybin, Psilocin, Norpsilocin, Baeocystin, Norbaeocystin, Aeruginascin |
| Genera | Psilocybe, Cyclocybe, Hygrophorus, Panaeolus, Copelandia, Inocybe, Pluteus, Gymnopilus, Pholiotina |
| Species | P. azurescens, P. semilanceata, P. cyanescens, P. cubensis, P. mexicana, P. atlantis, P. zapotecorum |
| Effects | Hallucinations, Euphoria, Introspection, Nausea, Dilated Pupils, Increased Heart Rate, Muscle Weakness, Relaxation, Drowsiness, Lack of Coordination |
| Uses | Recreational, Spiritual, Religious, Medicinal (Anxiety, Depression, Addiction, PTSD), Divination, Healing |
| History | Rock Art (9000-7000 BCE Tassili, Algeria; Spain; Americas), Aztec Culture ("Flesh of the Gods"), Mesoamerican Culture, Central and South American Shamanism |
| Legal Status | Illegal or Restricted in Many Places, but Legislation Changing in Some U.S. States |
| Addiction | Not Physically or Psychologically Addictive, But Can Cause Compulsive Use and Social Problems |
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What You'll Learn
Psilocybe cubensis
The physical effects of ingesting psilocybin mushrooms may include nausea, vomiting, euphoria, muscle weakness or relaxation, drowsiness, and lack of coordination. The psychedelic effects appear around 20 minutes after ingestion and can last up to 6 hours. Psilocybin mushrooms have not been found to cause physical or psychological dependence. However, their safety in cardiovascular disease conditions is not fully known and may pose a risk for users with these illnesses.
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Panaeolus subbalteatus
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. When ingested, psilocybin is converted into psilocin, which produces psychoactive and mind-altering effects. The effects of psilocybin mushrooms appear around 20 minutes after ingestion and can last up to 6 hours. Physical effects may include nausea, vomiting, euphoria, muscle weakness or relaxation, drowsiness, and lack of coordination.
Psilocybin mushrooms have been used for hundreds or thousands of years by Indigenous groups around the world, particularly in Mesoamerica, for religious, divinatory, and spiritual contexts. They are considered sacred and have been used for healing, divination, and spiritual rites. In the 21st century, psilocybin mushrooms have also been tested as a potential treatment for chronic mental disorders such as anxiety, depression, addiction, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Psilocybin mushrooms can be used in various forms, such as consuming dried or fresh mushrooms, extracts, or food products like mushroom edibles or mushroom tea. The legal status of psilocybin mushrooms varies worldwide, with possession and use prohibited in some countries, while the laws in other regions may have ambiguity regarding their legal status.
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Psilocybe azurescens
Psilocybin mushrooms, commonly known as magic mushrooms or shrooms, are a type of hallucinogenic mushroom that contains the prodrug psilocybin, which turns into the psychedelic compound psilocin upon ingestion. Psilocybin mushrooms produce short-term increases in tolerance in users, making it difficult to misuse them as the more often they are taken within a short period, the weaker the effects are. They have been used for hundreds or thousands of years by Indigenous groups worldwide for healing, divination, and spiritual rites.
The cap (pileus) of P. azurescens is 3–10 cm (1.2–3.9 in) in diameter, conic to convex, expanding to broadly convex and eventually flattening with age. The surface is smooth and viscous when moist, covered by a separable gelatinous pellicle. The colour ranges from chestnut to ochraceous brown to caramel, often becoming pitted with dark blue or bluish-black zones. The cap strongly bruises blue when damaged. The lamellae (gills) are ascending, sinuate to adnate, brown, often stained into black where injured, close, with two tiers of lamellulae, mottled, and whitish edges.
P. azurescens causes the whitening of wood and typically fruits from late September until late December or early January. While possession and/or cultivation of this species is illegal in many countries, including the United States under federal law, some states and cities have decriminalized possession of personal amounts of psilocybin mushrooms. These include Oregon, Colorado, Seattle, Washington, Oakland and Santa Cruz in California, and Ann Arbor, Michigan.
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Psilocybe mexicana
P. mexicana has a long history of use by indigenous peoples in North and Central America, including the Aztecs, who considered it sacred and referred to it as "the flesh of the gods" or "teonanácatl" in Nahuatl. Its first known usage dates back over 2,000 years, and it has been consumed for its entheogenic effects, playing a significant role in religious, divinatory, and spiritual practices.
This mushroom typically grows in small groups among moss along roadsides, trails, humid meadows, or cornfields, particularly in grassy areas bordering deciduous forests. It is commonly found at elevations between 300 and 550 metres (980–1,800 ft) and is known to be native to Mexico, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Guatemala. Fruiting occurs from May to October.
In modern times, P. mexicana has been studied for its potential therapeutic benefits. It has been tested as a treatment for chronic mental disorders such as anxiety, depression, addiction, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Research suggests that psilocybin and psilocin may have the ability to alter brain functions by breaking old neural connections and creating new ones, potentially reducing negative thought patterns.
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Psilocybe semilanceata
P. semilanceata grows in grassland habitats, especially wetter areas, and is widely distributed in the temperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere, particularly in Europe. It has also been reported in some temperate areas of the Southern Hemisphere. The mushroom is most commonly found on pasture and parkland that has not been enriched with artificial fertilizer. It appears in grasslands in autumn and is fairly frequent in Britain and Ireland, where it is rather localized.
The etymology of the name Psilocybe semilanceata is based on the physical features of the mushroom. The generic name Psilocybe means 'smooth head', referring to the silky smooth, scaleless surface of the caps of these grassland mushrooms. The specific epithet semilanceata means 'half spear-shaped', as some of these mushrooms do indeed look like spears, although many have wiggly stems uncharacteristic of spear shafts.
The earliest reliable history of P. semilanceata intoxication dates back to 1799 in London. The species was first described by Elias Magnus Fries in 1838, who named it Agaricus semilanceatus. In 1871, German mycologist Paul Kummer transferred this species to the genus Psilocybe, renaming it Psilocybe semilanceata.
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Frequently asked questions
Psilocybe cubensis, Psilocybe semilanceata, Psilocybe azurescens, and Psilocybe mexicana.
Psilocybe alutacea, Psilocybe antioquiensis, Psilocybe atlantis, Psilocybe armandii, Psilocybe cyanescens, and many more.
Psilocybin mushrooms produce psychoactive and hallucinogenic effects, including visual and auditory hallucinations, altered perception of time and space, euphoria, and introspection.
Magic mushrooms or shrooms.
