• Knowledgebase: Questions about Drugs and Tobacco

    Questions about drug use, for adolescents and their parents.

    14. Tell me about Psilocybin mushrooms - Top

    Psilocybin mushrooms [a.k.a., 'shrooms, "Magic" Mushrooms] are a hallucinogen that are either eaten in their dried mushroom form or consumed as a white powder. The term "hallucinogen" means that taking this drug causes the user to experience an altered s ense of reality. This experience is usually referred to as "tripping." Used in smaller amounts, mushrooms can produce a feeling of relaxation and visual distortions. For example, many users experience a sensation of being detached from their body and o bserving themselves, see brilliant arrangements of color and light, or see fantastical images before them. In larger doses, users may experience more physical sensations, such as lightheadedness; numbness of the tongue, lips, and mouth; shivering or swea ting; nausea; and, anxiety. Use of this drug can also change one's perception of time, making minutes seem like hours.

    Psilocybin mushrooms do not generally cause dangerous physical reactions, nor is addiction or physical dependence likely. However, individual users' experiences vary widely, based on a number of factors. A person's expectations, previous drug experience s, mood, the amount of the drug consumed, and the setting may all play a part in what kind of effects the drug produces. In addition, mixing the use of Mushrooms with another drug, such as Marijuana, may produce unpredictable results. Hallucinations can range from the intriguing and pleasurable to the frightening, anxiety producing, and downright scary. Sometimes, if the experience is a scary one, it can be physically and emotionally uncomfortable, and the memory may stay with the user for a long time. Flashbacks of trips are also common among frequent users of the drug.

    In general, a trip begins with some feelings of nausea, jitteriness, and a mild increase in blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing. For the most part, these physical symptoms are not too severe. However, if a user experiences anxiety or fear during a trip, the body's reactions to these feelings may be difficult to endure.

    Also, keep in mind that it is very difficult to identify the Psilocybin variety of mushroom, both in the wild and in its dried form. There are other similar-looking mushrooms which cause hallucinations but which are much more dangerous and can even kill you.

    - Updated: March 10, 2001

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    • James L Horwitz, MD

    David C. Thomas, MD

    Barbara Lindberg, PNP