Magic mushrooms, also known as “psychedelic shrooms” or just” shrooms”, have been around for ages. Now, 50 years after the initial market appeared in the west, we see exponential growth: from small dispensaries in California to whole chains building their nation-wide brands, like Funguyz mushroom chocolates in Canada.
At the very core lies the need for understanding the potential consequences, no matter how safe or unsafe the product is.
They are wild or cultivated mushrooms that contain Psilocybin. It’s a naturally occurring psychoactive compound that is hallucinogenic (DEA, 2017). You might be concerned about its safety for someone new to magic mushrooms. You still have a lot to live for and don’t want to die from the “trip”, right? So, can you really die from shrooms?
Can You Die From Shrooms?
Shrooms will make you hallucinate, feel elated, ecstatic even, change your mood or even affect your perspective on life. However, you’re highly unlikely to die.
In pure theory, you’ll have to consume 19 grams of pure Psilocybin to get a lethal dose. It’s important to note that mushrooms are usually about one percent Psilocybin by weight.
Hence, you’d have to consume 1.9 kilograms of shrooms to die from an overdose. And that’s an insane amount of mushrooms for one user.
Your real concern should be not the overdose in a traditional sense, but an overdose that will affect your consciousness and not the physical processes: the bad trip.
Ever heard of the early psychonautic experiences? Dying time after time after time in a seemingly eternal nightmare of a bad trip while hallucinating is something that you should avoid at all costs — and that’s a legit reason to dose your shrooms carefully.
What Are Some Symptoms Of a Shroom Poisoning?
Now, let’s talk about the lethal danger — poisoning. These symptoms may vary by species, but here are some important things you may notice:
- AbdomInal pain;
- Excessive sweating;
- Kidney failure;
- Low blood sugar;
- Mucus in the lungs;
- Muscle spasms;
- Muscle pain;
- Slow heart rate.
Mushrooms that show symptoms after two hours are often less dangerous than mushrooms that show signs after six hours. Some of these dangerous species of mushrooms include Amanita, Gyromitra, and Cortinarius (O’Mailey, G. and O’Mailey, R. 2018 ). These signs relate to all mushrooms, not even necessarily psychedelic (but if you prefer to keep it as natural as it gets and go mushroom hunting in the woods, and not order them from a reputable dispensary nearby, knowing these symptoms shall come in handy).
In Cases Of Overdose, What Do I Do?
To keep it honest and simple, you should not rely on your own power in case of poisoning or an overdose. After having too many Mushrooms, you might feel nauseous, paranoid, and even psychotic — which is not good for taking crucial decisions.
It’s best to seek medical attention ASAP. You need professional medical help if you really experience mushroom poisoning or a magic mushroom overdose. It’s not something to take lightly.
Why Do People Even Use Shrooms?
In the early days, psychedelics were used for religious purposes. In various religious and shamanic rituals shrooms are used to put people into an alternate reality. It is aimed to achieve visions or contact the spirit or a higher power.
Many use them for recreational purposes or to attain a higher mental state. These mushrooms are native to South America, Mexico, and the United States. These magic mushrooms can be raw, dried, or brewed into tea.
How Do Magic Mushrooms Work?
When ingested, the primary psychoactive ingredient, Psilocybin, is converted into Psilocin which makes its way to the brain. Here, it prevents the reuptake of the neurotransmitter serotonin, thereby increasing its activity.
Now, Psilocin has the same chemical structure as serotonin. Simply put, it can also bind to and stimulate receptors in the brain. This “amplified” stimulation causes shroom users to hallucinate. While the experience may be quite enjoyable, some users have reported unpleasant episodes.
How Do Magic Mushrooms Affect You?
About thirty minutes after taking magic mushrooms, you’ll start feeling euphoric, and you might even begin hallucinating. Why? Well, Psilocybin causes your brain to rearrange its neural networks temporarily. After a few minutes, you’ll start seeing your environment differently.
How Long Does The Mushroom Effect Last?
Magic mushrooms in your system would last between 6-8 hours. However, this depends on the number of mushrooms you consume.
Any Side Effects To Taking Magic Mushrooms?
Just like we said, there are no side effects. However, you may be restless, anxious, and uncoordinated when you consume more than your body can handle. Heck! You might even freak out. This is known as a Bad trip.
Are They Addictive?
One of the fantastic things about psychedelics is that they are not addictive. No one’s craving for the next shroom fix after having one or two. That’s not how it works.
However, magic mushrooms can cause tolerance. In other words, you may need higher doses to get the same effect. Unfortunately, this can increase the risk of adverse effects and overdose.
Final Thoughts
Reports have shown that aside from their psychoactive properties, these edibles have many benefits. It’s very safe to use, but many users tend to abuse it. Notwithstanding, it’s still one of nature’s remedies to man’s needs.
