Questions and Answers

» Are magic mushrooms poisonous?

» Will a urine drug test detect mushroom use?

» How long will mushrooms be detectable on a hair test?

» Are freshly picked mushrooms stronger than dried ones?

» So mushrooms are legal in the UK then?

» What's to stop me going to Amsterdam and bringing some fresh mushrooms back with me?

» Is there a good way of disguising the taste?

» How do you stop the nausea?

» Can you smoke mushrooms?

» What is a bad trip and how do I avoid one?

» What should I do to help someone having a bad trip?

» What are flashbacks?

» How many mushrooms should you take?

» I took a load of mushrooms (7 grams) recently and had the baddest trip ever. I thought of things like God and death. Is this normal?

» I took shrooms 4 times in last 3 weeks. First time was unforgettable but 3 other times I didn t trip at all. What is it with me?

» How do I identify non-poisonous mushrooms?

» I have recently stopped eating mushrooms. They have made me pass out twice now and I have seen others do the same. It is not a pleasant experience. what causes this black out?

» ask us a question (in complete confidence)

Are magic mushrooms poisonous?

No. Psilocybin mushrooms are not toxic. The National Institute For Occupational Safety And Heath (NIOSH) in the US Psilocybin (641) is rated less toxic than Aspirin (199) and Nicotine (21).

However, the main danger is in mistakenly picking poisonous, non-magic mushrooms. Do not gather mushrooms unless you know what you are doing. You can find a guide here

Will a urine drug test detect mushroom use?

Standard drug tests do not test for the presence of psilocybin.

» How long will mushrooms (psilocybin) be detectable on a hair test?
Technically between 3 to 5 months after use, but psilocybin is not usually tested for in standard (cannabis, cocaine, amphetamines, opiates, PCP) or advanced drugs tests (barbituriates, benzodiazepines like Valium).

You can find detail drug tests info here

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Are freshly picked mushrooms stronger than dried ones?

Difficult to say. Growing conditions, age, and species can all affect the amounts of psilocybin and psilocin in mushrooms. Psilocin breaks down easily and doesn't survive the drying process. Psilocybin is much hardier (it survived over 115 years in one tested sample). Psycho activity depends on the ratios of the two in the mushrooms, which varies from species to species.

So mushrooms are legal in the UK then?

No. The law was changed in April 2005. It is now illegal to possess magic mushrooms in any form: fresh, dry, in growkits, in bags, in an omelette, a soup, tea, chocolate, salad, battered with cod etc etc (you get the idea).

What's to stop me from going to Amsterdam and bringing some fresh mushrooms back with me?

Only fresh 'liberty cap' magic mushrooms (psilocybe semilanceata) are legal in the UK because they are indigenous to the UK. Taking them over the border or bringing them from another country is, however, illegal.

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Is there a good way of disguising the taste?

Mushrooms can be made more palatable by washed them down with water or orange juice, or making into a tea with ginger and honey. Honey disguises the taste. Ginger quells nausea.

How do you stop the nausea?

Nausea is a common effect during the 'coming-up' stage of the experience (first 20 minutes to an hour). Some people are more susceptible than others. Making the mushrooms into a tea can reduce nausea as can an empty stomach.
Shamanic tribes who use mushrooms in their rituals abstain from foods containing caffeine, alcohol, sugar and fats for days beforehand.

Can you smoke mushrooms?

No - it doesn't work. High temperatures destroy psilocybin, the active ingredient. Plans for that 'magic pizza', 'magic soup' or 'magic omelette' should be shelved.

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What is a bad trip and how do I avoid one?

A bad trip occurs when the euphoria of an mushrooms trip changes into something more sinister and frightening.
It can be triggered by a threatening or adverse environment, the surfacing of difficult unconscious memories or material, a sense of being overwhelmed by the power of the drug and by attempting to resist its effects, or by problems between you and anyone you may be sharing the experience with. First time users are more likely to have bad trips.
Bad trips are characterized by intense feelings of paranoia, sensations of dying, fear, and anxiety. This maybe accompanied by threatening or frightening visual hallucinations: spiders, blood, insects, monsters, skulls etc. It is a deeply uncomfortable and traumatic state but can be avoided or changed by taking careful precautions. See our bad trip guide.

What should I do to help someone having a bad trip?

Change something. The music, the setting, the lighting. Reassure them that they have taken a drug and the effects will wear off. Give them a time scale and a sense of when it will end. Above all be calm and do not panic. See our bad trip guide for more details.

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What are 'flashbacks'?

Flashbacks are the involuntary reliving of an LSD trip or state of mind days, week, or even months after an experience. Often used by anti-drugs organizations to spread fear, there is much debate as to whether flashbacks actually exist. Few users report them and no conclusive studies have been done.

How many mushrooms should you take?

Psilocybin content varies widely from species to species and from mushroom to mushroom. There are no hard and fast rules regarding dosage. As a rough guide, however, a medium dose is equivalent to three grams dried, or 30 grams fresh.

First time, aim low. You can always increase the amount another time, but you can't undo a far-too-large dose. Be wary of over-confidence. Each psychedelic trip is different and each level of the experience has its own intensity and pitfalls. Even if you know the lay of the land, tread carefully.

I took a load of mushrooms (7 grams) recently and had the baddest trip ever. I thought of things like God and death. Is this normal?

7 grams is a huge dose. Mushrooms are pretty powerful psychedelic substances and, like LSD, they can dissolve the filter or 'ego' between you and the outside world, leaving you open to a flood of new feelings, sensations and thoughts - both positive and negative. It's not unusual to have insights about yourself, the universe, God, and death in this state. Psilocybin (the active ingredient in mushrooms) was used by psychologists in the 1960s to induce a mystical religious experiences and help people over ruts in their lives.

A good book about this subject is High Priest by Timothy Leary. It's a bit over-written in places but there's solid info in there. You can also read other peoples' mushroom experiences here.

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I took shrooms 4 times in the last 3 weeks. First time was unforgettable but 3 other times I didn't trip at all. What is it with me?

It's not you. It's your body. Tolerance to mushrooms and the active ingredient psilocybin is almost immediate and will last for three to four days. You will have to take twice the amount of mushrooms the next day to achieve the same effect.

How do I identify non-poisonous mushrooms?

Try this guide here

I have recently stopped eating mushrooms. They have made me pass out twice now and I have seen others do the same. It is not a pleasant experience. what causes this black out?

It's possible that too high a dose of psilocybin could lead to a catatonic state but there is nothing in literature about black outs. How much are you taking? If you are taking relatively small amounts, it's likely your body is telling you something and you've made the right decision to stop. If you are taking large amounts (4 or 5 grams dried or more), it may be that your dose is just too high.