How to Prepare for A Magic Mushroom Trip

Welcome to the magical world of mushrooms– not the ones you’re used to cooking with in the kitchen, but some real, trippy, magic shrooms. 

More and more people are talking about shrooms lately. Psychedelics have definitely entered the mainstream, from psychedelic therapy institutions to conferences to TV shows and dozens of celebrities and public figures opening up about their own experiences with psychedelics and magic mushrooms. Perhaps this has piqued your interest. Maybe you’re thinking that you’d like to experience a magic mushroom trip for yourself– with so many people talking about it and sharing the spiritual benefits they’ve received from taking psilocybin, it might be worth checking out. 

What are magic mushrooms?

First things first: What are these things? To keep things short and sweet, magic mushrooms, also colloquially known as “shrooms,” are a type of mushroom that contains the compounds psilocybin and psilocin, which are known to cause hallucinations and other changes in mood and vision. There are over 180 species of magic mushrooms out there, each with varying potency levels and offering different experiences to the user. Magic mushrooms can be consumed in a variety of ways, from simply raw munching to edibles to teas and more. 

How to prepare for your first magic mushroom trip

If you’re feeling ready to take a trip, you should probably be treating your magic mushroom experience like any other journey. And, like any other journey, you probably wouldn’t want to venture into the unknown empty-handed. Here’s how to take magic mushrooms for the first time.

When I first took magic mushrooms, I made sure I was in the company of someone that I trusted and that could take care of me if I started having a bad trip or feeling unwell. I also took a very low dose to start and waited a few hours before taking more shrooms. I had done a lot of reading before on what to expect in terms of timelines and sensations (just like you’re doing now– good job!), and I was in an environment that felt safe and comforting– my apartment. 

Prior to my first magic mushroom trip, I had also been microdosing for several months. This baseline level of familiarity with shrooms made me more comfortable going into the experience– even though I had never tripped before, I felt like I could meet the mushrooms through prior, minimal knowledge of them.

To prepare for your own first magic mushroom trip, perhaps you could do some of the things that I did. Psychedelic pioneer Timothy Leary famously said that the most important aspects of any psychedelic experience are set and setting– meaning, your mindset, and your environment. Are you feeling open and ready to welcome the experience? Are you in a generally good mood, even if you’re feeling a little nervous? These things are crucial to ensuring that you have a good trip and a positive experience while you’re on magic mushrooms. Make sure that you surround yourself with people you trust and are in an environment that feels safe to you. A lot of people prefer to take shrooms outside, in the presence of nature to feel a deeper connection to it– if this sounds appealing to you, make it happen!

You might also want some of your favourite personal and comfort items around you, such as a cozy sweater or a notebook to jot down any thoughts or draw any pictures that come up (if you’re feeling up to it). Music can also be great, and help set the mood and tone of the trip. Once you’re ready, consume your shrooms and get ready for a one-of-a-kind experience. Remember: The key is to just let go, and let the things that are happening around you happen.

How many magic mushrooms should I take?

Everything in life is subjective, including your trip and the shrooms needed to make that happen. While everybody is different and the number of magic mushrooms you should take fluctuates wildly, there are some general guidelines for taking shrooms.

For first-timers, we’d recommend starting low and going slow. If a microdose of psilocybin is anywhere from .1 to .4 of a gram, after the half-gram mark, you might start feeling a little wavy.

• Low dose: Anywhere from 1 to under 2 grams
• Medium to moderate dose: 2 to 3 grams
• High dose: 3.5 to 4.5 grams

Hero dose: At ad after 5 grams, you’re heading into “hero dose” territory– experienced users might want to explore the potential benefits and far-reaching experiences of a 6, 7, or even 8-gram magic mushroom trip. 

Famed psychedelic advocate and researcher Terence McKenna once said, a “heroic” dose of shrooms to give you the answers you’re looking for is 5 grams taken in “silent darkness,”but if that feels a bit too overwhelming for you, especially at the beginning of your journey, don’t worry about it– many psychedelic explorers don’t even go that far.

All in all, the number of magic mushrooms you need to take for your trip varies. The ideal amount for you depends on and can be affected by a number of factors, from your height and weight to whether or not you’ve eaten that day and even whether or not you follow a microdosing regimen. This dose calculator might help you figure out where to start.

Now, most guides will tell you not to eat before taking magic mushrooms– this will slow and lessen the effect. However, if you’re one with a sensitive stomach and are worried about feeling sick from the shrooms (hey, it happens!) consider consuming them in a different way rather than just shoving the raw things right in your mouth hole. Plenty of people opt for making mushroom tea– a more delicate and gentler way to take shrooms.

Moreover, nowadays, plenty of companies are making magic mushroom edibles, whether that be gummies or chocolate, or even capsules. Cacao actually goes really well with shrooms– it can heighten the effect and give you a pleasant addition to your high. For folks who don’t want to eat magic mushrooms raw, edibles like this might be a great way to still trip without the tummy ache. Furthermore, edibles can be extremely beneficial if you don’t have a scale or a way to measure your shrooms around— these things tend to be pre-measured and labeled, so you’ll know exactly what shrooms and how much you’re getting in your serving.

How long does a magic mushroom trip last? 

You might have already figured it out by now– magic mushroom trips and experiences are rarely promised and never the same, and with so many factors at hand, it can be nearly impossible to determine how long a magic mushroom trip will last. That said, like everything else we’ve talked about, there are some benchmarks you can keep in mind.

Most psychedelic trips follow the same formula– you have the slow onset, the peak, and then a slow return back to reality. Depending on how much you’ve taken, the peak can last longer or shorter. Usually, you can expect the duration of a magic mushroom trip to be anywhere from four to eight hours, with the onset and elongated comedown (or, rather, the “afterglow” period) lasting anywhere from a few hours to even a few weeks if you’ve really enjoyed yourself.

If you’ve taken a low dose such as a gram or just over, your psychedelic experience will be shorter and less intense than someone who has taken a large dose of three grams or more. A magic mushroom trip can feel like it can last a long time, but remember, it’s never more than a few hours.

If you’re worried about having a bad trip or start experiencing what you perceive to be one, remind yourself that you are safe and this is temporary– even though it might be unpleasant now, it’ll all be over soon, and you can get back to your normal life. Try to find a safe and comfortable place you can ride out the remainder of the trip, and let whoever is with you know that you’re not doing great and to keep an eye on you.

Otherwise, in order to make sure to prepare well for your first magic mushroom trip, focus on set and setting, watch your dosage by starting low and consuming shrooms slowly, and take care of yourself. Have a safe trip.

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