How to dose psychedelic mushrooms. Psychedelic mushrooms, or magic mushrooms, belong to the genus Psilocybe. These organisms are capable of creating psilocybin, a substance connected with psychedelic outcomes.
But how much psilocybin is actually present in the most typical Psilocybe variants, and how should you consider measuring dried magic mushrooms or psilocybin-containing products? experience the convenience of top-quality cannabis with our fast weed delivery service!
Psilocybin is not the active substance in magic mushrooms. It is what’s referred to as a prodrug: An biologically inactive substance that can be converted by the body to produce an active compound. If you ingest magic mushrooms, psilocybin is converted into psilocin.
Psilocin is the active element that causes psychedelic impacts. These impacts arise from psilocin’s similarity to a neurotransmitter in the brain, serotonin.
Like cannabis plants, the chemical composition of magic mushrooms varies. Two randomly chosen Psilocybe mushrooms, even from the same type and harvest, can exhibit different psilocybin concentrations. Laboratory analysis is the only method to determine precisely how potent a specific fungus is.
Most magic mushrooms individuals encounter have not undergone laboratory testing due to the lack of a legal, regulated environment for such activities. Nonetheless, there is some documented data on the psilocybin content of typical Psilocybe fungus species, which we can utilize to guide measuring principles.
The most prevalent type of magic fungus is Psilocybe cubensis. Published studies on the psilocybin content of Psilocybe mushrooms have indicated they can contain roughly0.5 –1.0% total psilocin, averaging around0.7% by weight;0.7% total psilocin corresponds to approximately1% psilocybin.
But remember: Psilocybin content varies significantly from sample to sample within the same type. It also differs across types.
Let’s assume you possess some kind of magic mushrooms containing1% psilocybin. How much mushrooms, by weight, might you ingest to achieve mild, moderate, and strong effects?
For each level of effects, we’ll estimate the psilocybin content and outline potential effects, based on reports from experienced psychedelic users and also outcomes published in human clinical investigations.
Amount:1 gram
One gram of magic mushrooms is typically regarded as a low dose that still generates noticeable outcomes. These usually aren’t full-blown psychedelic effects with overt visuals or a detachment from consensus reality; you’re more likely to report happiness and an amplification of the senses, such as perceiving more vibrant colors.
At1% psilocybin content, this would be10 milligrams (mg) psilocybin. Note: This should not be considered a microdose; it is a low, noticeable dose.
Amount:1.75 grams
If you have an eighth-ounce of magic mushrooms—a typical quantity—and consume half of it, that would be1.75 grams, or about17.5 mg total psilocybin.
You will likely encounter some psychedelic impacts, including open- and closed-eye visuals, synesthesia (merging of the senses), and a more intense euphoria. However, you may not undergo a complete disintegration of your normal self-awareness, or the truly mind-blowing effects people describe from higher amounts.
Amount:3.5 grams (an eighth-ounce)
An eighth-ounce, or3.5 grams of dried mushrooms, will have around35 mg psilocybin content.
Ready or not, you’re going to have a full-blown psychedelic encounter that will include significant perceptual and cognitive distortions. You may or may not be able to maintain a conversation or accurately perceive your environment, especially at the peaks, which frequently come in waves.
No two journeys are exactly alike, but you’re virtually guaranteed to reminisce on this as a standout experience of your life. It is not advisable to take a high dose unless you have a safe, supervised environment to consume them in.
Amount:5 grams
The late Terrence McKenna famously referred to the “heroic dose,” his preferred method of diving into the full depth of the mushrooms experience: Five dried grams of mushrooms in silent darkness. At1% psilocybin content, five grams will contain about50 mg of psilocybin.
At this dosage, there isn’t much you can do but recline somewhere pleasant and let the experience envelop you. “You” won’t really exist once it occurs. It will most likely be overwhelming, possibly bizarre, and indescribable.
Taking a dose this large is infrequent. Few individuals, even experienced psychonauts, ever take this much. It is not advisable to use even close to this amount without substantial experience and an ultra-safe, comfortable environment.
Clinical trial findings
How do the doses and descriptions above compare to what has been noted in controlled human clinical investigations? In some of the pioneering psilocybin research conducted at Johns Hopkins University, regulated doses of psilocybin were given to subjects.
The studies provided individuals with a range of psilocybin doses and generally found that high doses frequently prompted a “mystical-type experience,” the formal research term for what we might refer to as a “full-blown psychedelic encounter.”
The amounts administered to induce such effects were in the20-30 mg range for psilocybin, or between the medium and high doses in the measuring guide above.
In other words, a full eighth-ounce, or3.5 grams, of dried P. cubensis is likely to contain more psilocybin than the doses administered to consistently induce mystical-type experiences in monitored human studies.
As always, the mantra for experimenting with a new psychoactive substance is: “Start low, go slow.” Begin with no more than one gram of dried mushrooms, or10 mg of psilocybin. Only try higher doses once you feel comfortable with a low dose.
It’s also critical to take psilocybin in a safe, comfortable environment, ideally with someone to monitor you or even professional human assistance in case of any challenges, as was the case in the Johns Hopkins research. The experiences one might encounter with psilocybin or other psychedelics are highly sensitive to your mental and physical state and surroundings—what’s known as “set and setting.”
Once you move into the “medium dose” range or higher, it’s crucial to be extra mindful of what you’re managing. Remember: you may never be the same again. Subjects from the Johns Hopkins studies often indicated their20-30 mg experiences to be among the most significant of their lives, comparable in importance to the birth of their first child.
How to dose psychedelic mushrooms. A2020 investigation found that psilocybin deteriorated over the course of15 months of preservation, with different rates of deterioration depending on temperature and lighting conditions. Psilocybin content was best maintained when mushrooms were preserved at room temperature in darkness.
Psilocybin deteriorated the most when mushrooms were stored at very low temperatures. In all situations, psilocybin declined over time. It can diminish significantly within just one month. Fresh mushrooms will be the most potent.
