Verywell Mind

Mental Health A-Z

Self-Improvement
Psychology
Podcast
News
About UsSearch
Search
Verywell Health
Verywell Fit
Verywell Family

ADDICTION DRUG USE HALLUCINOGENS

What to Know About Magic Mushroom Use
By Elizabeth Hartney, BSc, MSc, MA, PhD
Updated on July 20, 2022
Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD
Print
Side effects of magic mushrooms
Verywell / Alison Czinkota

Table of Contents
What Do Shrooms Do?
Potential Benefits
Common Side Effects
Signs of Use
Addiction & Withdrawal
How to Get Help
Frequently Asked Questions
Magic mushrooms are wild or cultivated mushrooms that contain psilocybin, a
naturally occurring psychoactive and hallucinogenic compound. Psilocybin is
considered one of the most well-known psychedelics according to the Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administrations (SAMHSA).1

Psilocybin is classified as a Schedule I drug, meaning that it has a high potential

for misuse and has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United
States.

Press Play for Advice on Psychedelic Use

Hosted by Editor-in-Chief and therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The
Verywell Mind Podcast, featuring psychologist Brian Pilecki, shares the types of
conditions psychedelics might treat, and the best resources to learn more
information. Click below to listen now.

Follow Now: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts

Although certain cultures have been known to use the hallucinogenic properties of
some mushrooms for centuries, psilocybin was first isolated in 1958 by Dr. Albert
Hofmann, who also discovered lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD).

Magic mushrooms are often prepared by drying and are eaten by being mixed into food
or drinks. Although, some people eat freshly picked psilocybe mushrooms.

Also Known As: Magic mushrooms are also known as shrooms, mushies, blue meanies,
golden tops, liberty caps, philosopher's stones, liberties, amani, and agaric.
Drug Class: Psilocybin is classified as a hallucinogen.

Common Side Effects: Magic mushrooms are known to cause nausea, yawning, feeling
relaxed or drowsy, introspective experience, nervousness, paranoia, panic,
hallucinations, and psychosis.

How to Recognize Shrooms

Psilocybe mushrooms look like dried ordinary mushrooms with long, slender stems
that are whitish-gray and dark brown caps that are light brown or white in the
center. Dried mushrooms are a rusty brown color with isolated areas of off-white.

Magic mushrooms can be eaten, mixed with food, or brewed like tea for drinking.
They can also be mixed with cannabis or tobacco and smoked. Liquid psilocybin is
also available, which is the naturally occurring psychedelic drug found in liberty
caps. The liquid is clear brown and comes in a small vial.

What Do Magic Mushrooms Do?

Magic mushrooms are hallucinogenic drugs, meaning they can cause you to see, hear,
and feel sensations that seem real but are not. The effects of magic mushrooms,
however, are highly variable and believed to be influenced by environmental
factors.2

Click Play to Learn More About Shrooms

This video has been medically reviewed by John C. Umhau, MD, MPH, CPE.

A number of factors influence the effects of magic mushrooms, including dosage,

age, weight, personality, emotional state, environment, and history of mental
illness.

While psilocybe mushrooms are often sought out for a peaceful high, shrooms have
been reported to induce anxiety, frightening hallucinations, paranoia, and
confusion in some.3 Hospital admissions related to the use of magic mushrooms are
often connected to what is known colloquially as a "bad trip."

What the Experts Say

Magic mushrooms have been used for thousands of years for both spiritual and
medicinal uses among indigenous people of America and Europe.

Shrooms have a long history of being associated with spiritual experiences and
self-discovery. Many believe that naturally occurring drugs like magic mushrooms,
marijuana, and mescaline are sacred herbs that enable people to attain superior
spiritual states. Others take magic mushrooms to experience a sense of euphoria,
connection, and a distorted sense of time.

The psilocybin found in shrooms is converted to psilocin in the body and is

believed to influence serotonin levels in the brain, leading to altered and unusual
perceptions. The effects take 20 to 40 minutes to begin and can last up to 6 hours—
the same amount of time it takes for psilocin to be metabolized and excreted.4
Potential Benefits of Magic Mushrooms
While some people take magic mushrooms solely for their peaceful high, they may
also provide a few benefits that are more medicinal in nature.

Medical Use
Can magic mushrooms help with medical conditions? Some say yes. In 2018,
researchers from Johns Hopkins University recommended reclassification of
psilocybin from Schedule I to Schedule IV in order to allow for medical use.

As a Schedule 1 drug, psilocybin cannot be prescribed for medicinal use. If its

classification is changed, psilocybin mushrooms could then potentially be available
by prescription.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins found that psilocybin was an effective treatment for
depression and nicotine and alcohol addictions, as well as other substance use
disorders.5 Studies have also shown that magic mushrooms were effective for
relieving the emotional distress of people with life-threatening cancer diagnoses.6

The Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins is also
researching how psychedelics affect a variety of conditions such as:

Alzheimer's disease
Anorexia nervosa
Opioid addiction
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome
Microdosing
One study found that people who self-medicated with small dosages of psilocybin
were able to relieve cluster headaches while avoiding any psychoactive effects of
the drug.7 This type of practice is often referred to as microdosing, or taking
very small amounts of a drug to test its benefits while minimizing unwanted side
effects.

It should be noted that researchers tend to advise against self-medicating with

psilocybin because, outside of a clinical setting, it may be harder to manage your
anxiety while under the influence (potentially leading to a bad trip), you may take
too high of a dosage, and it's hard to know the purity of the drug if you're
purchasing it from an unregulated source.8

In addition, people with pre-existing mental health conditions may be more likely
to experience adverse effects from psilocybin.
Comprehensive Study Finds Microdosing Boosts Mental Health
Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy
Some psychedelic agents are currently being investigated for their benefits when
used in combination with psychotherapy. Psilocybin is one that is being considered
as a psychedelic therapeutic for both addiction and anxiety associated with
terminal illness.9

This therapy may work, in part, through its effects on personality. One small-scale
study involving subjects with treatment-resistant depression found that, after
engaging in psilocybin therapy, their neuroticism scores decreased while their
scores in extraversion, openness, and conscientiousness increased.10

Are Psilocybe Mushrooms Legal?

In 2019, Denver became the first city to decriminalize mushrooms. Oakland became
the second city less than a month later. Other U.S. cities have followed suit,
including Santa Cruz in California and Ann Arbor in Michigan.

This does not mean that shrooms are legal, but that the city is not permitted to
"spend resources to impose criminal penalties" on people in possession of the drug.
However, in 2020, Oregon became the first state to legalize psilocybin-assisted
therapy.

What Is Psilocybin Therapy?

Common Side Effects of Psilocybin Mushrooms
All hallucinogens carry the risk of triggering mental and emotional problems and
causing accidents while under the influence. Among adolescents, magic mushrooms are
frequently taken in combination with alcohol and other drugs, increasing the
psychological and physical risks.
The amount of psilocybin and psilocin contained in any given magic mushroom is
unknown, and mushrooms vary greatly in terms of the amount of psychoactive
contents. This means that it is very hard to tell the length, intensity, and type
of "trip" someone will experience.

Consuming shrooms can result in a mild trip, with feelings of relaxation or

drowsiness, to a frightening experience marked by hallucinations, delusions, and
panic. In the worst-case scenario, magic mushrooms have even been known to cause
convulsions.11

Side effects of magic mushrooms can include both physical and mental effects.

Physical effects of psilocybin mushrooms include:

Dilated pupils
Drowsiness
Headaches
Increased heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature
Lack of coordination
Muscle weakness
Nausea
Yawning
Mental effects of shrooms are:

Distorted sense of time, place, and reality

Euphoria
Hallucinations (visual or auditory)
Having introspective (spiritual) experiences
Nervousness
Panic reactions
Paranoia
Psychosis
More research is needed on the long-term, lasting side effects of magic mushrooms.
But it has been reported that people can experience long-term changes in
personality, as well as flashbacks, long after taking mushrooms.

Since magic mushrooms look similar to poisonous mushrooms, poisoning is yet another
potential risk of taking these drugs. Mushroom poisoning can cause severe illness,
organ damage, and even death.

It's also common for magic mushroom products to be contaminated. A study of 886
samples alleged to be psilocybin mushrooms were analyzed by Pharm Chem Street Drug
Laboratory. Only 252 (28%) were actually hallucinogenic, while 275 (31%) were
regular store-bought mushrooms laced with LSD or phencyclidine (PCP) and 328 (37%)
contained no drug at all.12

Help for Mushroom Poisoning

If you suspect that you or someone you care about has consumed a poisonous
mushroom, call poison control right away at 800-222-122. Don’t wait for symptoms to
occur. They are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Signs of Magic Mushroom Use

If your loved one is using shrooms, they may be nauseous or appear nervous or
paranoid. In the case of drug use, it's always important to pay attention to any
changes in sleep and eating patterns, as well as shifts in mood, personality, and
social activities.

There are rare but potential long-term side effects of hallucinogens, including
disorganized thinking, mood changes, paranoia, and/or visual disturbances.
Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD) occurs when a person experiences
hallucinations or visual disturbances long after using a hallucinogenic drug. These
are also known as "flashbacks" and can be mistaken for a brain tumor or a stroke.13

You may notice that your loved one is experiencing dissociative effects of
hallucinogens, which may include:

Amnesia
Anxiety
Depression
Difficulty breathing
Hallucinations
Inability to move
Increase in blood pressure, heart rate, and/or body temperature
Loss of coordination
Loss of memory
Mood swings
Numbness
Panic
Psychotic symptoms
Seizures
Speech difficulties
Suicidal thoughts or attempts
Weight loss
If your loved one is taking mushrooms, they might display unusual behavior such as
jumping out of a window or other dangerous actions.

If the mushrooms were contaminated or mixed with other drugs, they may show signs
of poisoning, including tachycardia (heart beating too fast), hypertension (high
blood pressure), hyperthermia (body tissue becomes too hot), nausea, or vomiting.14

Magic Mushroom Tolerance, Dependence, and Withdrawal

Like most drugs, the more you use magic mushrooms, the more tolerance you develop.
Tolerance also develops quickly with regular use, meaning that with regular use, a
person will need more of the drug to achieve the same effect.

Developing a tolerance can be especially risky with shrooms because consuming a

large amount can result in overdose symptoms which, while not fatal, can include:

Agitation
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Muscle weakness
Panic or paranoia
Psychosis
Seizures
How Long Does Psilocybin Stay in Your System?
The short-term effects of magic mushrooms typically wear off in 6 to 12 hours.4 But
people can experience long-term changes in personality and flashbacks long after
taking the drug.

The average half-life of psilocybin ranges from one to two hours and it generally
takes five to six half-lives for a substance to be eliminated from your system.

The typical urine drug screening for employment does not test for psilocybin, but
there are specific tests that can be ordered to test for it. Like many other drugs,
magic mushrooms can be found in hair follicles for up to 90 days.15
 How Long Does Psilocybin Stay in Your System?
Addiction
Psilocybin is not addictive and does not lead to compulsive use. This is partly
because the drug can cause an intense “trip.” Plus, people can build a tolerance to
psilocybin fairly quickly, making it hard to have any effect after several days of
repeated use.

Withdrawal
While people rarely report physical symptoms of withdrawal when they stop using the
drug, some experience psychological effects, which may include depression.

How to Get Help for Magic Mushroom Misuse

If you suspect a loved one is experimenting with or regularly using magic
mushrooms, consider having a firm yet loving conversation with them about the risks
of psychedelics—especially when combined with alcohol or other drugs. At this time,
it’s also important to emphasize that you are there to help and support them.

If you or a loved one are struggling with substance use or addiction, contact the
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National
Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for information on support and treatment facilities in
your area.

For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database.

Mind in the Media: What How to Change Your Mind Tells Us About Psychedelics
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Are magic mushrooms safer than other hallucinogenic drugs?
No. In addition to their potential to be poisonous, magic mushrooms are just as
unpredictable in their effects as other drugs. Some people have reported much more
intense and frightening hallucinations on magic mushrooms than on LSD.16

What are fly agaric mushrooms?

Fly agaric mushrooms contain the psychoactive chemicals ibotenic acid and muscimol,
which are known to cause twitching, drooling, sweating, dizziness, vomiting, and
delirium.17 Fly agaric mushrooms are not the same thing as psilocybin-containing
mushrooms.

17 Sources
Editorial Process
Our Review Board
Share Feedback

Related Articles
Psilocybin mushrooms
How Long Does Psilocybin (Mushrooms) Stay in Your System?
Psilocybin mushrooms, commonly known as magic mushrooms, mushrooms or shrooms being
grown in a home based incubator.
What Is Psilocybin Therapy?
Michael Pollan talking to a healer in the Netflix docuseries "How to Change Your
Mind"
Mind in the Media: What How to Change Your Mind Tells Us About Psychedelics
Peyote (Lophophora williamsii) cactus
What to Know About Using Peyote
person holding a tiny mushroom
Comprehensive Study Finds Microdosing Boosts Mental Health
Male face silhouetted in sky as if a hallucination
7 Examples of Hallucinogenic Drugs
Scared girl experiencing a bad trip at home alone
What Is a Bad Trip? Psychedelic Drugs Can Induce Fear or Distress
Young couple talking with their doctor on a video call
How Does Psychedelic Teletherapy Work?
Peyote harvest cactus with mescaline inside it
Mescaline: Everything You’ve Been Afraid to Ask
Kratom use
Kratom: Everything You've Been Afraid to Ask
Extracting psilocybin from magic mushrooms in the lab
Psilocybin Effective For Depression a Year Post Treatment, Study Finds
LSD Molecule
How Psychedelic or Hallucinogenic Drugs Work
patient lying on a therapist's couch under the influence of psychedelics
Oregon Paves the Way for “Magic Mushroom” Mental Health Treatments
PCP Pills
PCP: Everything You’ve Been Afraid to Ask
Types of psychedelic drugs
The Different Effects of the Types of Psychedelic Drugs
A photograph of mushrooms growing on dead wood.
Can Psilocybin Be Used to Treat Depression?
Verywell Mind
Daily Tips for a Healthy Mind to Your Inbox
Enter your email
SIGN UP
Mental Health A-Z
Self-Improvement
Psychology
News
Voices
The Verywell Mind Podcast
Our Review Board
About Us
Editorial Process
Diversity Pledge
Privacy Policy
In the News
Cookie Policy
Advertise
Terms of Use
Careers
California Privacy Notice
Contact
Follow Us
instagram
facebook
pinterest
flipboard
Verywell Health
Verywell Fit
Verywell Family
Verywell Mind's content is for informational and educational purposes only. Our
website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice,
diagnosis, or treatment.
Ⓒ 2022 Dotdash Media, Inc. — All rights reserved
Verywell Mind is part of the Dotdash Meredith publishing family.
We've updated our Privacy Policy, which will go in to effect on September 1, 2022.
Check it out here