Magic Mushrooms

Psilocybin mushrooms are colloquially referred to as Magic Mushrooms or shrooms. These are hallucinogenic mushrooms which can be found growing in the wild, in many parts of the world. Though there are a number of different varieties of Psilocybin mushrooms, the most commonly used type is the Liberty Cap mushrooms or Psilocybe semilanceata. Another type called the Fly Agaric mushrooms or Amanita muscaria is also used, though not as commonly.  There are poisonous varieties of mushrooms as well, like Amanita Virosa and Amanita Phalloides and having them could result in deadly consequences. Except for Fly Agaric, Magic Mushrooms are generally eaten raw. They can also be cooked with food or had as a drink.

There are records of Magic Mushrooms being used at various periods in history. The earliest use goes back as far as 1 million years. They were used by many ancient civilizations and tribes like the people of Mesoamerica, because they were believed to help a person enter into a spiritual world. Such beliefs probably originated from the hallucinogenic affects of psilocybin. In fact, the Aztecs treated these mushrooms as sacred intoxicants; they were called teonanácatl which translates into “flesh of gods”. The Fly Agaric was also used as a medicine by Shamans.

In recent times they have been used as ‘pleasure drugs’. People started using it as a legal alternative to LSD. Fly Agaric has been observed to be used quite commonly since it produces effects similar to those obtained with a small dose of LSD. The effects appear within half an hour of consumption, and can last for as long as 9 hours. The duration of the effects also depends upon the way it has been ingested. People who use Magic Mushrooms say that it gives them a high. The manifestations vary some people may laugh uncontrollably and/or have feelings of well being, relaxation or confidence. Higher doses can produce aural and visual hallucinations. Some people may not be able to bear the effects of high doses and suffer from stomach ache and vomiting. A ‘bad trip’ may cause severe emotional distress by temporarily inducing feelings of paranoia and anxiety. A high dose of Fly Agaric may have discomforting side effects like lack of co-ordination, stiff joints, nausea and vomiting. Having more than one Fly Agaric can cause a major degree of distortion and convulsions. It could turn out to be fatal as well.

The tolerance levels for Magic Mushrooms increases fairly quickly for short periods. This means that once you have experienced a satisfying high with the help of a certain number of Liberty caps, you may need to take a double dose in order to get a similar high the next day. This in a way serves as a blessing in disguise because it prevents people from using it very frequently. Though the use of Psilocybin mushrooms does not generally result in physical dependence, the regular users might develop some sort of psychological dependency.

Magic Mushrooms are also being used for medicinal purposes. Psilocybin derived from these mushrooms is being used in developing medicines for various mental conditions, like Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), Clinical Depression and chronic cluster headaches. It has been observed that psilocybin can affect complete remission in a patient of OCD and related depression. And what’s more, the effects last for many months. This is something that modern medicines for OCD have not been able to achieve.

Legally Magic Mushrooms have been classified as Schedule I drugs by the United Nations. Drugs are classified under this schedule when they have a great potential for being abused and no recognized and accepted medicinal uses.