Active Components of Magic Mushroom
Psilocybin and psilocin are hallucinogens that occur naturally in certain species of mushrooms. Hallucinogens alter a person’s perception of seeing, hearing or feeling things that are not really there. It may be sold on the street as dried whole mushrooms or brown powder. The active component is sometimes made in illegal labs and sold as a white powder, tablets, drops, or capsules.
The mushrooms are often eaten raw, depending on the type of mushroom. Some can make you feel sick. They may be steeped in hot water to make a mushroom “tea” or mixed with fruit juice to make “fungus delight.” Less often, they may be sniffed, snorted, or injected
Also Known As:
magic, magic mushrooms, philosopher’s stones, mushrooms, shrooms, mushies, fungus, fungus delight
Category:
Hallucinogens
How do Magic Mushrooms Affect the Body?
After taking shrooms, the psilocybin is absorbed into the bloodstream. The speed with which it has its effect varies depending on how it is taken. The effects of psilocybin are generally felt within a few minutes of drinking the tea or 30 minutes after eating mushrooms. They last for about three to six hours. Some people may experience hallucinations for up to four days.
Hallucinations
Mushrooms distort a person’s perception of the world around them. Colours, sounds, people and objects seem different. It can become hard to distinguish fantasy from reality. Although people can have visual and auditory hallucinations on shrooms, not everybody will experience it. Panic reactions and psychosis can occur on this drug.
Will Psilocybin Always Produce the Same Effects?
The effects of psilocybin are unpredictable. It is different for everyone. The way a person feels after taking psilocybin depends on many factors:
- age and weight
- mood, expectations, and environment
- whether a person has eaten recently
- the type and amount of food in a person’s stomach
- medical or psychiatric conditions
- the amount of mushroom taken (dose)
- how often or how long it had been used
- use of other drugs, including non-prescription, prescription, and street drugs
Short-Term Effects of Magic Mushrooms
Psilocybin can cause a person to feel anxious and experience panic attacks. As mentioned above, users may experience hallucinations and a loss of touch with reality. Psilocybin can also make time seem very different. Some people may have mixed senses, such as “seeing” sounds or “hearing” colours.
Short-term use of psilocybin can produce many other effects:
- lightheadedness
- dilated pupils (causes blurred vision)
- nausea, vomiting
- dry mouth
- numbness, particularly facial numbness (paresthesia )
- exaggerated reflexes
- sweating and increased body temperature followed by chills and shivering
- muscle weakness and twitching
- increased blood pressure and heart rate
- paranoia – extreme and unreasonable distrust of others
- psychosis – disordered thinking detached from reality.
In addition, a person could potentially experience:
- paranoia
- confusion and disorientation
- excessive sweating
- severe agitation
- loss of coordination
- loss of urinary control
- convulsions
After the mushrooms’ effects wear off, a user may feel very tired, depressed, and lethargic for a few days.
Long-Term Effects
The effects of long-term psilocybin use have not been studied. Although, some people have had prolonged psychosis that resembles paranoid schizophrenia.
Marc J. Bernard
Author,
Substance Use Disorder & Recovery Professional,
Referral & Consultation Counsellor
