{"id":1304,"date":"2023-03-12T13:40:39","date_gmt":"2023-03-12T13:40:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mushroomhunting.org\/?p=1304"},"modified":"2024-05-01T14:51:05","modified_gmt":"2024-05-01T14:51:05","slug":"psilocybin-and-magic-mushrooms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mushroomhunting.org\/index.php\/2023\/03\/12\/psilocybin-and-magic-mushrooms\/","title":{"rendered":"Psilocybin and Magic Mushrooms"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Why is everyone talking about psilocybin?\u00a0<\/strong> \u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(And how the heck do you even pronounce <\/em>that?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, Emily and I were interviewed briefly on the news in our home state of Rhode Island, and the topic was not exotic gourmet flavors, but psilocybin.  Lawmakers in our State have proposed decriminalizing magic mushrooms; psilocybin (\u201csill-a-SY-bin\u201d) is the hallucinogenic chemical found in these \u201cshrooms\u201d, which has been found to have important medical uses.  The subject of this newsletter is not an excellent topic for kids; and we certainly don\u2019t encourage the use of an illegal substance, even for adults.  Psilocybin is a very important topic, though, and we are in a position to educate people.  Just as with many other topics in mycology, there is a whole lot of unfounded fear, based on a lack of information.  And as always, there\u2019s a whole lot of misinformation out there too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people think all this talk of hallucinations sounds rather scary; others think it sounds like tons of fun.  But that\u2019s all beside the point right now.  It may be surprising to hear this, but research by Johns Hopkins Institute (and others) has now proven conclusively that the internal mental experience of \u201ctripping\u201d on psychedelic mushrooms, which takes several hours, can bring significant progress and healing to people suffering from PTSD, alcoholism, depression, and other conditions.  Another breakthrough is for the person facing a terminal illness; the terrible fear and hopelessness they suffer through can actually be alleviated, significantly, through just one psilocybin therapy session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psilocybin (again, it\u2019s \u201csill-a-SY-bin\u201d) is found in a good number of mushroom species, most of which belong to the genus Psilocybe<\/em>.  That\u2019s pronounced \u201csill-LAH-sa-bee\u201d\u2026note that in this word, a different syllable is loudest.  The most famous species is Psilocybe cubensis.  <\/em>There are plenty of others, though.  The mushrooms are dried and eaten; in the body, psilocybin is converted to psilocin (this related chemical is pronounced \u201csill-LOH-sin\u201d\u2026again, note the syllable emphasis; that\u2019s three vocab words starting with psil-, so you\u2019ll have to pay attention).  Before being ingested, some magic mushroom species actually contain significant amounts of psilocin already, in addition to the precursor, psilocybin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
This free stock photo I found, taken by Andreu Garcia, shows some fresh Psilocybe cubensis<\/em> (it’s usually seen after being dried).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The effects vary depending on the dosage, but they include visual and auditory disturbances, which in general are easily recognized as being merely the effects of the drug.  Elation, euphoria, and laughter are common, while at other times the person ends up working through the most difficult topics and emotions.  However, in either case, the end result is quite often a profound and joyous sense of revitalization.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A typical example:  the person who has decided to take up an old hobby they used to absolutely love; they have reconnected to their old sense of fun and creativity, and they\u2019re going to enjoy their precious time off a whole lot more from now on!  Another common example:  the person who has confronted the reality of life and death, and in conclusion, has decided they are simply done<\/em> smoking cigarettes, forever; it just doesn\u2019t fit with how much they care about their loved ones, and they\u2019ve also concluded that they deserve to love themselves better.  I\u2019ve heard many other examples.  The experiences tend to have a lot in common.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another upsetting but especially important topic:  for terminally ill patients, psilocybin has been shown to bring inexpressible relief from the anxieties of actually facing one\u2019s own death.  This gets into some heavy psychological or even religious\/spiritual territory, and I don\u2019t want to get too far off our topic; but basically, it has helped people facing the end of life to find acceptance, peace, and even happiness amidst their circumstances. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

People in general, too\u2014healthy people\u2014report most often that hallucinogenic mushroom trips are positive experiences of self-evaluation and personal growth, leaving them feeling very grateful to be who they are.  But it\u2019s still illegal for now.  What are the actual concerns about this drug? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For one thing, it\u2019s intoxicating; and just like with alcohol or anything else that\u2019s intoxicating, a person who has taken psilocybin should avoid operating a vehicle or other heavy machinery until the effects wear off.  For another thing\u2014again, just like with anything else that\u2019s intoxicating\u2014common sense dictates that consuming psilocybin all the time is sure to decrease<\/em> one\u2019s level of enlightenment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And yet, from a single experience with psilocybin, many people have reported overwhelmingly positive changes in overall mood, outlook, and mental health; often, there is a sense of permanent recovery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It depends on the dosage, but in general, the effects of psilocybin are more powerful than those of marijuana.  Still, the general opinion among drug users is that \u201cshrooms\u201d is one of the \u201csoft drugs\u201d or \u201chippie drugs\u201d.  It is not physically addictive at all; it causes no withdrawal symptoms; and a death by psilocybin overdose has still never been reported!  Yet, somehow, legally it is listed as a Schedule I drug, among the likes of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl.  This is what lawmakers in Rhode Island, and elsewhere, are trying to change.  Some other states have already succeeded in decriminalizing magic mushrooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Katie Benoit of Rhode Island\u2019s WJAR Channel 10 News had a few questions for us.  The main one they included in the news segment was this:  Does that kind of mushroom grow around here, in the wild?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can honestly say yes, they do.  And don\u2019t worry\u2014you can\u2019t get high from touching them, just as you can\u2019t get poisoned from touching a poisonous species.  But we can also honestly say that the magic mushrooms fall solidly into the \u201cexperts only\u201d category.  It\u2019s because of their resemblance to other species, truly dangerous species\u2014especially the Deadly Galerina, and the Deadly Conocybe.  A careless mushroom hunter going after an expert-level species could make a tragic mistake!  This can happen with expert-level culinary mushrooms, too.  We teach our beginner students to forget about the Parasols and other delicious-but-difficult ones, at least for the time being, and focus instead on learning species such as Black Trumpets, which are simple to identify correctly\u2026and<\/em> super delicious.  That\u2019s how you get safely into the hobby of mushroom hunting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
A nice Black Trumpet (Craterellus cornucopioides<\/em>).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For now, in most areas of the country, a person can only obtain psilocybin legally through a therapist who is licensed to administer it during a trial study.  If interested, look up the Johns Hopkins University Center for Psychedelics and Consciousness, and see if you can participate in a study that’s going on in the state where you live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, you don\u2019t have to eat magic mushrooms to get a kick out of them.  It can be a real \u201ctrip\u201d just to come across a hallucinogenic mushroom.  Just like with deadly ones, psychedelic shrooms are fun to discuss, especially when you see one \u201cin person\u201d.  It always makes for a good laugh when we find them during one of our outdoor classes:  \u201cWell guys, it looks like we\u2019ve come across Jimi Hendrix\u2019s favorite species.\u201d  It\u2019s a fairly astonishing thing, to see a magic mushroom just growing there, by the side of the trail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I feel I must point out that there is a lot of ignorance involving the species Amanita muscaria<\/em>.  I have a feeling this will become a problem eventually, because as more people talk about magic mushrooms, more people will mistakenly call Amanita muscaria<\/em> one of them. I will attempt to clarify.  That exact species is commonly found on the West Coast, but there\u2019s an East Coast variety too.  A. muscaria<\/em> does not contain psilocybin.  It is<\/em> intoxicating, and it is<\/em> used in rituals by some indigenous tribes, particularly in Asia; but the drug it contains is not classified as a psychedelic, but as a deliriant.  So Amanita muscaria<\/em> is NOT a \u201cmagic mushroom\u201d, even though some shops in Florida are apparently selling it as such.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We see Amanita muscaria<\/em> variety guessowii<\/em> all the time here in New England; it even grows in my neighbor’s yard! But I have never eaten it, and I don’t think you should either. Consider this: that advice is coming from a guy who has tried over 250 edible mushroom species, and listens to a lot of Pink Floyd, too! Amanita muscaria<\/em> is not “shrooms”. From what I’ve read, it sounds like the effects are less like LSD, and more like PCP! I have no interest in passing out and\/or accidentally breaking things with unexpected strength. In fact I don\u2019t even want to include a photo of Amanita muscaria<\/em> in this article.  I recommend against eating it, in general, for several reasons:  (1) The experience itself is highly unpredictable.  (2) Apart from the intoxicating component, it can also contain muscimol, a serious toxin, in highly varying amounts when collected in different regions.  (3) Some other kinds of Amanita<\/em>\u2014similar-looking relatives from the very same genus as Amanita muscaria<\/em>\u2014are deadly.  (4) All of this distracts from the discoveries about the therapeutic potential of psilocybin.  It\u2019s a new field of research.  As you read about the topic from varying sources, I recommend being skeptical, watching out for mistaken (or even completely fake) news reporting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The news report we took part in was accurate.  But here\u2019s a story I hesitated to share with the news reporter., about one particular gilled mushroom Emily and I found. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a couple years before the pandemic.  On a beautiful day up in eastern Massachusetts, I was driving along with Emily, and glancing out the side window.  I took in the colorful foliage, some yards, somebody\u2019s bird bath that had tipped over and shattered, another yard\u2026and suddenly I slowed down and pulled over.  What had I seen?  My brain processed sights and memories for a second.  What I saw\u2026wasn\u2019t what I saw.  It hadn\u2019t been a bird bath at all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not a bird bath.  It\u2019s a gilled mushroom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It was so huge that its own weight had toppled it over, splitting the cap a bit.  But what had looked like shards of broken clay were other mushrooms growing beside the big one.  I picked it up, and a big piece of the cap broke off.  It was somewhat of a cluster, too, with smaller ones attached at the base of the humongous one.  We passed it back and forth, laughing at what a giant it was.  \u201cBiggest gilled mushroom we\u2019ve ever found?\u201d I asked Emily.  \u201cDefinitely!\u201d she replied.  \u201cWe should weigh it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We got the scale, and weighed it\u2026and just the big one by itself weighed in at 7.5 pounds.  Holy moly!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“But…but you don’t suppose this is… Nooooo, it can’t<\/em> be…”  But it was.  We had determined it was a hallucinogenic species.  Holy $#*%!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It was not very fresh, though, so the psilocybin had likely broken down already; it was no longer psychoactive.  So even if we’d been on our way to Woodstock, this “shroom” would not have been tempting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, yes, magic mushrooms can sometimes be found out there in the world.  But remember, they are still illegal to possess.  I would not have enjoyed trying to explain to a cop that the psilocybin wasn’t “active” anymore.  I assume that a seven and a half pound magic mushroom could get a person some jail time…but I would hope for leniency, considering that we literally found it on the side of the road.  A little baggie of dried ones, ready to eat, would be a lot more problematic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you take mushroom classes with us, and take your time learning from careful study, foreseeably you could get good enough at it to identify your own. But for now, the only way to get psilocybin legally is to have it administered by a licensed therapist, as part of a legitimate trial study.  If interested, I would recommend looking up Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelics and Consciousness Research, and see about participating in a psilocybin therapy study that\u2019s going on in the state where you live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyone having trouble remembering how to pronounce psilocybin?  Just listen to the rock song that has this lyric:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been lying on your feathers \/ You keep talkin\u2019 \u2018bout the weather<\/em> I\u2019m a psilocybin pony \/ You\u2019re a flip fandango phony.\u201d <\/em>  \u2014from \u201cIn Touch with Your World\u201d (Ric Ocasek), performed by The Cars. Loaded with Greg Hawkes’ oddball sound effects, this is easily the strangest song on their classic debut album from 1978.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We found this “psilocybin pony” outside a convenient store in the Berkshires in western Mass.  Actually it might be an LGBTQ+ pony!  Either way, I believe the actual title of this cool artwork was A Horse of a Different Color.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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