Thread by @FatherMcKennaa

Magic mushrooms are the most popular & easiest to access psychedelic worldwide. Every day, another article, celebrity, or scientist seems to be discussing their benefits.

But what is psilocybin & how do you use it safely?

The ULTIMATE psilocybin mushroom guide, a 🧵

DISCLAIMER:

DO NOT consume psilocybin if you or your family members have a history of psychosis/schizophrenia.

Psychedelics are illegal in many countries & can be psychologically harmful under certain circumstances.

This thread is for harm reduction & education purposes.

Psilocybin is one of three active alkaloids present in magic mushrooms. Your liver converts psilocybin to psilocin, which travels through the bloodstream to the brain where it locks into serotonin receptors, rerouting neural traffic, & causing psychedelic effects.

Effects:

Cognitive: Emotion enhancement, language suppression, thought loops, ego suppression/loss

Physical: Tactile enhancement, neurogenesis, body high, changes in gravity, pain relief

Visual: drifting, embedded geometry, color enhancement/shifting
https://t.co/68HQKgab6P

https://twitter.com/FatherMcKennaa/status/1573060322524803072?s=20

Humans have used psilocybin since the dawn of time. A TIME article in 1957 popularized them, but they were unavailable until the McKennas wrote a growing guide in 1976. Psilocybin will probably be an FDA-approved treatment in 3–5 years.
https://t.co/G0wNKX00QB

https://twitter.com/FatherMcKennaa/status/1594379797211545600?s=20

A breakdown on the effects of different doses:

Psilocybin typically takes 4–6 hours but can be longer or shorter in certain situations.

Lemon Tek: Lemon juice converts psilocybin to psilocin decreasing length by ~1 hour

With Syrian Rue (Psilohuasca, contains MAOIs): Increases length & potency, not recommended for beginners.

Magic mushrooms can vary in potency by up to 10x. Different species, caps vs stems, strains, flush, mushroom to mushroom, & the age/storage of mushrooms all affect potency.

There are potency tests, but they are hard to access. Start low & go slow.

Route of administration(ROA) refers to how you consume a drug. You should only consume psilocybin mushrooms orally. Do not smoke (lung infection), inject (blood infection), snort (not active/painful), or boof (sore asshole/potential infection).

You can prepare mushrooms in a variety of ways.
-Tea(hot water)
-Blue juice(cold water)
-Blue honey(shrooms, honey)
-Plain(raw or dried)
-In food(smoothies are common)
-Crystals of the Gods(ethanol extraction)
-Capsules
-Chocolates
Some like mushrooms with food, others don't.

Two methods that change the effects:

Lemon Tek: Citric acid converts psilocybin to psilocin; quickens effects, increases intensity, & shortens length.

Aztec combo: Cacao taken with shrooms.

https://twitter.com/FatherMcKennaa/status/1614164069896028160?s=20

Would you travel to a new country for no reason, with no plan? No.

Psychedelic trips are similar — you should approach them with intention. It can be simple — having a good time with friends, or more complicated — healing from trauma. Say your intention aloud or write it down.

Even with experience, psychedelic trips can still go wrong. Emergency plans are important for groups, in nature, at events, & with beginners.

They should include a plan for an injury/bad trip, a group agreement to stay safe, a meet-up location, & a sober person to call.

I recommend a tripsitter. They're crucial for therapeutic work, groups, & beginners. They should be empathetic, trusted, & responsible.

If you can't find a tripsitter, have a sober & trusted friend you can call or use an online service like Fireside.

https://twitter.com/FatherMcKennaa/status/1598020535354798085?s=20

Set refers to your mindset before & during your trip. Pre-flight anxiety is normal, but you should avoid tripping while suicidal or having feelings of harming yourself/others. You can trip while depressed, but I recommend an experienced facilitator if you attempt this.

Setting refers to the environment you trip in & includes:
-The people you're with
-Your physical location/environment
-Music choice
-Planned activities
-Unexpected events
-Time of day
-Weather
A controlled setting can help prevent bad trips / adverse experiences.

High/low doses:
-High doses(10g+) Similar to DMT, with a loss of reality & entities. Start low & go slow. High doses can be unforgiving & dangerous, even for veterans.

-Microdosing: ~1/10 of a standard dose used for a variety of conditions.
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https://twitter.com/FatherMcKennaa/status/1617359420052344833?s=20

Psilocybin builds immediate tolerance & cross-tolerance with other psychedelics. Taken two days in a row, it would be ~30% as strong as day one. It takes 1–2 weeks to reset tolerance.

The more often you trip & the higher doses you use, the higher chance for negative reactions.

You cannot die from a psilocybin overdose alone, but you can hurt yourself or others, be abused, or have long-term psychological effects such as psychosis, depersonalization, derealization, or HPPD.

https://twitter.com/FatherMcKennaa/status/1625673087017684994?s=20

Common side effects include:

Cognitive: Anxiety/paranoia, feelings of doom, confusion, personality regression, time distortion, auditory hallucinations

Physical: Frequent urination, pupil dilation, runny nose, sedation, spontaneous bodily sensations, nausea

Nausea is the most common side effect of psilocybin for two reasons:
1. Chitin, a harder-to-digest fiber
2. Serotonin receptors in your gut

How to avoid it:
-Extraction (water or ethanol)
-Ginger products or lemon oil
-Anti-nausea medications (research interactions first)

Antidepressants decrease the effects of psilocybin during use & up to 3 months post-use. About 50% of people can overcome this with higher doses. Some people microdose psilocybin to help with antidepressant withdrawals. Read more:
https://t.co/AUpTgTFJ6Itinyurl.com/5fxsp4fk

Research
Psilocybin has been researched for a wide range of conditions including death, depression, reaction time, evolutionary benefit, pain/headaches, PTSD, tobacco addiction, OCD, eating disorders, chronic pain, alcohol dependence & more.

Read more:
scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&…

Growing
If you can do so, I strongly recommend growing your own mushrooms. You save money, have massive yields, & don't have to rely on a dealer. Uncle Ben's tek is simple, but be aware — it counts as manufacturing a Schedule 1 drug.

https://twitter.com/FatherMcKennaa/status/1592239667625463808?s=20

Foraging
DO NOT forage mushrooms without a teacher/guide for your first few times.

More people die from wrongly identified mushrooms each year than people that have ever died from psilocybin.

Purchasing
Take caution when buying mushrooms online, there are frequent scams. DO NOT purchase from social media & research op-sec before online purchases. Chocolate bars often contain 4-AcO-DMT, not psilocybin. Powdered mushrooms can't be identified & lose potency faster.

Dangerous Interactions
Do not take psilocybin with amphetamines, cocaine, tramadol, or lithium. Take caution if supplementing with a natural MAOI such as St. John's Wort.

Cannabis strongly potentiates effects & should be avoided. If you’re a frequent user, smoke AFTER the peak.

Drug Combos:
Psilocybin can be combined with other drugs but should be avoided for your first experience. Be cautious with combos & use low doses.

Hippie Flip: Psilocybin + MDMA
Jedi Flip: Psilocybin + LSD + MDMA
https://t.co/0PjmOFyUCL

https://twitter.com/Tripsittermag/status/1673719895823884289?s=20

Trip Killers
While not necessary, if a situation is particularly difficult, CBD, Black Pepper, & L-Theanine can ease anxiety. If you have consent & access, you can also employ “trip killers”, which have higher risks but are more effective.

https://twitter.com/alieninsect/status/1590528819190181888?s=20

Activities
Need some ideas on what to do while tripping? Check out this thread:

https://twitter.com/Tripsittermag/status/1671879760992153603?s=20

Music recommendations:

https://twitter.com/FatherMcKennaa/status/1644103819037659138?s=20

References:

https://t.co/GK6AdZPRZ5
https://t.co/oOgD2Qim7G
https://t.co/u0n3Cuh2jipsychonautwiki.org/wiki/Psilocybi…
erowid.org/plants/mushroo…
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psilocybin
mushroomwisdom.com/blog/mushroom-…

Other psychedelic guides, starting with how to use LSD safely:

https://twitter.com/FatherMcKennaa/status/1643301893081550848?s=20

Rolling safe on MDMA:

https://twitter.com/FatherMcKennaa/status/1655612681259466752?s=20

Hyperspace Travel Guide — a DMT guide

https://twitter.com/FatherMcKennaa/status/1599822552146542593?s=20

Shulgin’s favorite trip — 2C-B

https://twitter.com/FatherMcKennaa/status/1673059284459085824?s=20