Psilocybin is the active ingredient in “magic mushrooms”. Various mushrooms across the globe contain psilocybin and have been used in religious rites and ceremonies for hundreds of years, for spiritual and healing purposes.

Mushrooms are often dried and eaten, but can also be ingested by smoking and making a “mushroom tea”.

Psilocybin can also be produced synthetically. Common synthetic versions of psilocybin include 4-ACO-DMT and 4-HO-MET. These drugs are found in the form of powders and pills.

Psilocybin and its related synthetic compounds produce classical psychedelic effects similar to LSD, such as visual hallucinations, space and time distortion, and altered thinking.

Effects

Potential positive effects include a sense of joy, awe, apparent magical or supernatural experiences, euphoria, increased creativity, emotional enhancement, laughter, ego suppression, and enhanced empathy. (Guide) (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20855349/)
Potential neutral effects include an altered sense of time, feelings of a dreamlike quality, inert things seeming alive, altered sense of self, extremely vivid imagination, seeing geometric visual patterns, synaesthesia and sensory hallucinations. (Guide) (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20855349/)
Potential negative effects include fear of losing one’s mind, paranoia, fear, difficulty focusing or thinking clearly, overwhelm, nausea, and anxiety. (Guide) (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20855349/)
A person may experience physical effects that include pupil dilatation, small increases in blood pressure, mild increase in hormones including prolactin, thyroid-stimulating hormone and cortisol, nausea, yawning, increased urination, spontaneous bodily sensations and increased perspiration. (MAPS Report)(Psychonaut Wiki) (Drugpolicy.org)

Dosage

0.2-0.5g: This amount is considered a microdose and may occasion enhanced feelings of focus, creativity, empathy and decreased anxiety with long-term administration.
0.8-1.5g: Considered a low dose, typically this amount will induce visual enhancements and subtle auditory distortions, increased openness and empathy, the sense that conversations and communication have become more fluid, things may seem funnier. It may seem like the mind has less control of thoughts. A person may experience closed eye visuals and objects may appear as if they are “breathing.”
1.5-3.5g: Considered a moderate dose, the trip will typically include evident visual hallucinations with the appearance of patterns and fractals, closed eye visuals and changes in-depth perception, time perception becoming distorted, a sense of the mind losing control over thoughts and being able to think as rationally, difficulty in cognitive tasks. At this dose, a person is more likely to experience some fear and anxiety.
3.5g+: Considered a high dose, a person will typically experience introspective thoughts and revelations, a loss of sense of self, intense visual hallucinations, the loss of any contact with consensus reality and normal perceptions of time. Space may become distorted, and synaesthesia may occur. At this dose, it is more likely that someone may experience the fear of losing one’s mind and ego-death.
(5)(7) Note: weight of mushrooms varies, the outlined dosages are based on dried weight

Duration

Onset: 30 minutes- 1 hour
Peak effects: 2-3 hours after onset
Duration: 4-6 hours
After effects: 8-12 hours
(Guide)(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6364961)

Dangers

What not to mix with :

Drugs that lower seizure threshold: Some evidence suggests psychedelics could increase the risk of seizures, especially for those with a personal or family history of epilepsy. Using psychedelics alongside other drugs that may also increase the risk for seizure, such as tramadol, could further increase this risk. You can learn more about medications associated with increased seizure risk here.
Stimulants: Mixing psilocybin with stimulants such as amphetamines and cocaine, can increase anxiety levels and the risk of distressing thought loops.
Cannabis: Cannabis and psilocybin intensify one another so can lead to unpredictable outcomes. Smoking cannabis may bring about visual hallucinations once the drug experience is wearing off and coming to an end which can be unpleasant when unplanned.

What are the dangers?

Potential physical harms: Physical side effects reported in psilocybin clinical trials are often non-clinically significant. However, psilocybin users have reported unpleasant physical effects, which could risk harm, such as increased heart rate and blood pressure, irregular breathing, loss of muscle control, shaking, and headache.
Fatality: A deadly dose of psilocybin mushrooms in animals has been recorded at approximately 1000x a dose that is normally considered a high dose when taken by humans, and the number of recorded fatalities from psilocybin mushrooms in humans is rare. However, there can be a risk of fatality with consuming a toxic lookalike when foraging for fresh psilocybin-containing mushrooms. (13)
Experiencing a psychedelic crisis, risk of psychosis and Hallucinogenic Perception Persisting Disorder: General risks for all psychedelics apply. Read more under our general psychedelic risks and harm-reduction section of our website.
Serotonin Syndrome: Consuming stimulants or serotonergic acting drugs alongside psilocybin increases the risk of serotonin syndrome. Read more under our general psychedelic risks and harm-reduction section of our website.
Risky behaviours and impulsive decision-making: As mental coordination whilst under the influence of drugs is impaired, this can lead to somebody doing something dangerous or deadly. Impaired judgement and false-senses of certainty may also mean people under the influence can make decisions that wouldn’t otherwise if they were sober which can lead to negative outcomes.
Post-experience trauma: After experiencing profound changes in one’s sense of reality, it can sometimes be difficult to return to everyday life. Challenging experiences and being unable to understand or express the experience can leave people feeling isolated, confused, and distressed. Furthermore, malpractice or even abuse by guides and shamans can be detrimental.
Cardiac problems: Classical psychedelics have a stimulating effect, meaning they can increase heart rate and blood pressure. In clinical trials, these effects tend to be mild, and often reported as non-clinically concerning.
However, two case reports have described cardiac arrest following both LSD and psilocybin. In both cases, the users were suspected to or confirmed to have underlying health complications and may have been using other drugs. These reports suggest psychedelics, especially when combined with other stimulant drugs, could increase pressure on the heart to dangerously high levels, especially for those with pre-existing health conditions.
In clinical research, participants with cardiovascular diseases are often excluded from psychedelic trials because of this risk.

How can the risks be minimised?

It is not recommended to pick fresh psilocybin-containing mushrooms for consumption. There are some website resources to guide with identification, but foraging without experience or without a well-experienced forager should be avoided.
Having the correct set and setting will likely decrease the risk of a psychedelic crisis. For more information, please read General psychedelic risks and harm-reduction advice.
A safe environment with a trusted trip-sitter present can help mitigate the risk of negative outcomes caused by impulsive decision-making and behaviour linked to impaired judgement.

What are the potential benefits?

In 2006, University of Arizona researchers conducted a landmark study showing psilocybin therapy could successfully treat patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), kickstarting today’s psychedelic renaissance. Since then, a myriad of trials have demonstrated psilocybin can have long-term mental health benefits. Though psilocybin remains largely illegal across the globe, this increasing evidence has seen psilocybin therapy for depression legalised in Australia, and states in the US legalise psilocybin-therapy for personal development and wellness.

To date, psilocybin therapies have shown efficacy in treating:

Depression (major depressive disorder and treatment-resistant depression)
OCD
Alcohol use disorder
End of life anxiety
Migraine

Weblinks & Citations

Psychonaughtwiki: A rich source of information about psilocybin mushrooms and includes trip reports for varying doses of the drug.
TripsitMe: Fact sheet on psilocybin mushrooms which includes useful drug interactions to be aware of.
Drug Science: A comprehensive drug overview, including psilocybin risks, the effects of psilocybin as a drug on the body and brain and debunking myths about the drug.
Scientific review article for the therapeutic potential of psilocybin in mental health treatment.

Credit to Dr Andrew Gibson for contributing his medical expertise and background in harm-reduction to the process of making this content.

PSILOCYBIN MUSHROOMS