Psilocybe or “magic mushrooms” as they’re commonly known, are a mild hallucinogen. Follow the author as she experiences them for the first time.
These guys look harmless enough…
This article is provided for informational purposes only. Please use your own judgment in deciding what to do with it. Be aware that magic mushrooms are illegal to possess in many countries.
An orange slice was sitting on the kitchen counter, hidden just behind the light. My head was throbbing mercilessly, the mushrooms just beginning to kick in.
A quarter of an orange- plump, juicy, veined. I began to laugh, in fact I began to laugh hysterically and couldn’t stop for the next three minutes.
I couldn’t help it – the orange slices reminded me of a vagina.
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At their best, magic mushrooms reduce you to a blubbering mess of giggles and bellyache laughter. At their worst, they make you feel like you just walked out of a harrowing rollercoaster ride: nauseous, dizzy, and bilious.
Prior to my recent foray into the hallucinogenic world, I was what one would consider the uncommon phenomenon of a drug-free, 20-something writer living in New York City.
I suppose my biggest hesitation with the idea of taking magic mushrooms -or any drug, for that matter – was losing self-control and putting into question the ideas I had about myself. But then again, maybe that was the point: discovering the unknown part of you, the alter ego lurking just behind the surface.
One day I had too much time, too few obligations, and access to a stash of magic mushrooms. That’s when I began to discover the complexities beyond what I thought I knew, and more importantly, who I thought I was.
Part 1 – Prepping for Shrooms
Psilocybe, or “magic mushrooms” as they’re more commonly called, are a mild hallucinogen.
The setting, I learned, determines largely whether you’ll have an enjoyable or excruciating trip.
They affect each person differently, and unless taken in large amounts, most people don’t actually hallucinate or have “visions” or “flashbacks.”
They’re organic, accessible (not much more difficult than scoring weed), and though it does come with its hazards, there’s the reassuring thought that if you don’t like it, your body will simply metabolize the drug and you can get back to normal again.
“Mostly it’s just glowing colors, distortions, details popping out.. good vibes,” I was reassured. “You’ll like it.”
The website MagicMushrooms.net is a great resource for first-timers, though my friends provided me with the most practical tips:
Through the looking glass.
Make the mushrooms more palatable
“They taste absolutely disgusting,” experienced shroom-takers all agree on. “Take them with M&Ms,” was one suggestion. “They’ll go down easier.”
Be in a good place
“Stay in a safe, comfortable environment.” The setting, I learned, determines largely whether you’ll have an enjoyable or excruciating trip. One friend highly recommends taking them on the beach, where the ocean looks like a pulsating blue glow.
Don’t let the blind lead the blind
“Make sure you’re taking them with someone who’s had them before,” I was told again and again.
Dave, my boyfriend and experienced shroom buddy insisted we clean our apartment. “You’ll find that everything clean will look dirty, and everything dirty will look disgusting,” he said.
“Good luck,” a friend of mine wrote before the experiment. “You’re going to learn so much about yourself, others, the world…”
Part 2 – Is it just me or is the world throbbing?
Twenty minutes into our first serving of shrooms, I was complaining of their non-effect on me. “I feel completely normal! They probably don’t even work on me,” I declared. “Let’s take the rest then,” Dave said. We licked the plate clean of mushroom dust.
Getting past the initial, debilitating effect of the mushrooms was the most challenging part of the experience.
Within minutes, Dave was bouncing around the room, laughing at every little thing and marveling at colors. I, on the other hand, was spiraling down a dark cave.
My limbs couldn’t decide if they wanted to shift restlessly, as they were beginning to do, or lay inert in bed. My head felt like someone was kneading it, and my stomach kept threatening to launch a revolution. The mushrooms were not sitting well with my body.
Getting past the initial, debilitating effect of the mushrooms was the most challenging part of the experience.
But once I was outside, navigating traffic and negotiating with sundry New York characters, it became easier to forget how horrible my body felt and how light my mind actually was.
My head wasn’t cloudy (the way one’s thoughts can be muddled when drunk) and with the city being an explosion of stimuli, my mind zipped through so many connections. I was aware of all of them, if only briefly.
Occasionally I would burst out laughing. At what, I didn’t know or remember, but I just laughed and snorted and wheezed until I was out of breath, stopping mid-giggle to convey how I had no idea what was so funny.
Part 3 – Did I just say that?
In our heightened state, Dave and I decided to walk to a nearby park. I still knew how to put one leg in front of the other, but not much else. Nausea was still invading my body in sporadic bursts, and though I hid behind large sunglasses, I felt everyone in the world could tell I was high.
Colourful stimuli / Photo by Photo Gallery
We found a grassy mound where we laid down and stared at the sky and the trees. I’ve heard colors appear to glow when on shrooms, but I wasn’t convinced that the greens and blues of the park were any more vibrant that day.
Dave noticed every little detail: “Did you realize that all the trees on our block are of the same species?”
After studying some puzzling elements around the park -a stuffed pig on roller-skates, tourists who asked for directions but never moved, people running to and from a tree with bright, fluttering balloons, he figured out that all these strange, disparate characters were planted by a Disney-sponsored Bingo game. “Now it makes sense,” he said.
I had settled into a mental acuteness unfamiliar to me. There was a distinct remove between what I was saying and what I was doing, and who the person was behind it all.
It felt like I was observing myself as I was being, and though I’d lived in New York City for two years, everything felt new again. The tranny who works at a vintage shop on my block (and whom I stopped noticing almost two years ago) looked me in the eye and said in her baritone, “Need a pair of shades?” I was terrified.
An Altered Perspective
My mind was opening up connections I wouldn’t normally make.
On our way home, we stopped by a deli and Dave said, “Let’s take a bottle of water,” I instantly responded, “But we have to pay for it first!” He looked at me strangely.
I reveled in this strange but satisfying sentience, and when the drugs wore off, I was left with a lingering curiosity about myself and the world.
I realized I was paranoid about doing something wrong. My subconscious, I figured out, is more uptight than my conscious self.
Soon, in the comfort of an air-conditioned bedroom, I was waxing existential and listening to music, which is famous for sounding better on hallucinogens. Lyrics turned into epiphanies.
Sometimes I’d catch myself mid-sentence, and wonder -do I actually live with this person (meaning me) and do I even like this person? It was a strange back- and-forth of ruminations, which I could sometimes convey verbally, sometimes not.
I reveled in this strange but satisfying sentience, and when the drugs wore off less than three hours later, I was left with a lingering curiosity about myself and the world.
Would I take magic mushrooms again? Sure, but next time I’ll do it outside of New York City -even when I’m sober and completely cognizant, the city’s still a lot to take in.
Update: Find some more specific tips for taking mushrooms here.
What do you think of magic mushrooms and their ability to “open” the mind? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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mushroooooomss…. its been almost 3years since i last tripped. magic only comes around dc in the winter. its november now and the time has come to embark on another journey.
3years ago:
i pick up the phone and all i hear is "i found em!!" "what are you talking about?" i said. "shrooms!! theyre here, i found em!!". he says with excitement pouring out of his mouth. "got a place?"(the environment is key) "one of my friends folks are out of town, we can party there" "im down lets do it."
an hour later three of my close friends pull up in an old mitsubishi eclipse pumping bob marley and sizzla. a 20 minute drive out of the city we come to a small rundown neighborhood. we pull up to a complex and our contact comes out the building and walks up to the window, chit chats for a minute takes the money and drops off 4/8s.↵ -
now im not sure if you ate shrooms before, but let me tell you this, they taste nasty as hell. knowing this, we decided to stop at mcdonalds and grab some 99cent double cheese burgers. we immediatly lift up the buns, add the topping and pile them in our mouths. everytime i do something like this, which isnt very often anymore but when i do, i always anticipate the trip, my heart will pick up a beat, my palms will start sweating, i just get anxious??
so now we're 20minutes out for the pick up and another 30min further out to the friends house. a huge empty house in the boondocks of VA.↵ -
theres 4 of us tripping and the owner of the house. within minutes im staring at the carpet watching the colors blend together and roll like waves. " are you guys seeing this? look at the carpet, its breathing!" pointing at the floor. my friends bust out laughing.
the next thing i know we're watching "the big lebowski" the movie is trippy enough sober, but while on shrooms. shieeet.
the bowling balls and pins were floating out of the tv dissolving into thin air.
watching the woman swinging back and forth on the wires as she painted was intense let me tell you. this goes on for i dont know how long and then the door bell rings…. about 10 people i dont know walk in the room. it was like a bolt of electricity ran through my body, a zap, all at once my mood just flipped. i started feeling really scared, not knowing who these people were, what theyre background was, or what they were even doing here. i pulled my knees close up to my chest as i sat on the couch clinching myself tight feeling completely uncomfortable. i couldnt take it anymore, i got up and went to the kitchen, grabbed a glass of milk and went outside for a smoke.↵ -
as soon as i got outside and away from the unknowns i started feeling warm inside again. i remember taking a piss behind a tree and becoming one with planet earth. lol.(ever since then, i will pee outside any chance i get)
after the smoke i walked inside to the living room again to find all the unknowns are gone.
now after all this had happened, feeling uncomfortable with the "unknowns". one of the house owners friends( a rich white rasta with dreds) walked in the room and asked " we need beer, is there anyone here that is 21?" all eyes fell on me as i raised my hand. "i am…" i could hear the words echo through my head. i felt like frodo baggins from lord of the rings about to embark on a grand adventure. so two other wanna be rastas and i hop into the back of this kids decked out, indigo neon lit, lexus. im sitting in the back flying down the dark hilly roads watching the blue lights in his car bounce to the music at 80miles an hour. just taking everything as it comes.↵ -
we finally get to the grocery store and they hand me a wad of cash. "what do you want?" i asked "get what you can" he said. "ill do my best" i replied..lol.. walking down the isles with the cash wadded up together in both hands trying to find the beer was a trip inside of its self. after finding the beer and not thinking far enough ahead to grab a cart. i put as many cases underneath my arms as i could fit and make my way up to the check out counter. thinking it would be easier to go through the self check out line and not deal with anybody i make my move. even thinking i could do this on my own was not a good idea. i couldnt figure out how to turn on the machine or scan any items, insert the money or even in what order i should do them in. every time i touched something the machine would beep. it wouldnt stop beeping.
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frustrated and overwhelmed i began to think i was attracting too much attention so i headed for the customer service booth and without a word i hold up the wadded cash in both hands and push it towards the rep. "this is the last time im doing this" he muttered. after the transaction, feeling completely paranoid, as if everyone is starring at me i make a dash for the door. "GO, GO, GO!!" i yelled as i flew into the car. i can only imagine now what everyone must have been thinking. lol
we arrive back at the house to find a party of kids waiting for the beer.
i knew i couldnt handle that, so i rounded up my friends and headed for the car. we sat in his car for hours pondering the meaning of life, watching mercedes benzs, and beamers full of rich kids come to the house.
as the night goes on and the effects start to wear off, we decide to head back to arlington and that i should drive. once we safely get back in town, my friend pulls out a spliff hoping that it would bring back some of the effects. so we find a quite neighborhood to park and spark the joint.↵ -
a few minutes go by and we see another vehicle with its head lights off in the review mirror pull up and park a few cars back. keeping our eyes on the parked car, we watch to see if anyone gets out. nothing. the car didnt move, no one got out, it just sat with its lights off. by now, all of our senses are heightened and the pot began to kick in. i turn on the car and start to drive away only to find the car behind us turns on his lights and starts to follow. i drove faster. he drove faster. i turned. he turned.
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who is this? whats happening? i thought, paranoid out of my brains. i head for the "rat traps". a neighborhood in arlington well known for its winding, maze like roads. speeding through the rat traps i finally loose him, turn off the car and pull the keys out of the ignition and just sit. a few minutes pass and we see the car fly by. immediately i turn the car on, and head back the opposite way and make my way home. i pull up to my house and hop out of the car feeling safer than ive ever felt in my life. i say goodnight to my friends, creep back in my house and climb in bed. i havent slept that good in ages. like a baby. a trip i will never forget.
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if you do decide to shroom, here are some tips that might come in handy.
choose your fellow trippers wisely – people you trust, people you know.
atmosphere is everything – if you feel uncomfortable, down, depressed, go somewhere you know, somewhere safe.
prepare for your trip – 2-3days before your trip, listen to calm music, try to stay in a state of zen, happiness. if something serious or bad happens a few days before, do not go on a journey.
milk – if your trip gets too intense, drink a glass of milk and youll feel better in minutes
vomit – dont be scared if you throw up, some people do every trip, its normalBE SAFE AND ENJOY
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i'm just wondering, have you tried them?
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i dont know a single gang related dealer what so ever. and ive met my fair share of dealers…
mostly just hippies and ganja farmers. im pretty sure gangs only control the shiesty shit like coke, meth etc…
shrooms are a different catagory alltogether.↵ -
No drug acts the same in the same person twice and no two persons have the same effect with the same drug. Both our body and minds carry different baggages in life, but the moment is also important.
I do believe drugs takes people to see "things" differently. I would not say it´s the only way, but since our perspectives are build in the brain via intricate chemical and electrical impulses and since is well know drugs act precisely there, in the brain, in those complex exchange of impulses, I think is save enough to say that drugs really makes people see "things" differently.
What every person will do with the change, it´s up to the person.
Also is good have in mind that there are drugs with different ways of reaching and tempering with those impulses. Some are mild, others, not.
I wish everybody would dare venture new perspectives sometimes.
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I don't know a lot about shrooms. i always wanted to try them but was scared id had a bad trip. i took shrooms that were in chocolate an 8th was cut up into it. I tried it with a friend one day a couple weeks ago. The girl even said to take half since i was small and never did them be4. So i did but then like a half hr later he was 'trippin" and i wasnt i only took half at that time he eat it all so I wound out eating the other half and still no tripping i got high i dont liek weed but the best way to explain it is it was like a better high than weed gave me. The only time i saw anything "swaying" was if i stared at it but even then the curtins r weird and even if ur sober and stare at them they kinda move… so i dont even think it worked but my question is y?? he said it might becuz i have a tolerence for them but like i said it was my 1st time… so does any1 know y that happened to me? i want to try them again but i dont wanna waste my money if it happens again but people told me if i try them again to take them reg. not mixed in with anything……if some1 could plz email me back at blueeyes21589@yahoo.com it would be really awesome….thanks!!!!
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well personally shrooms are pretty awesome but to tell the truth them xoz hit the spot…try havin a good roll….
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Pretty cool article> I'm just glad that there are some people out there who get the chance to experience this amazing thing called life. With proper balance, life is an adventure and should be fully explored. So, in that respect, my glass is half full, and life can be wonderful. It's frustrating to think that so many people want to control others with their ideas, thoughts, and beliefs. Of course, order is a necessity of life, but I really feel that disorder is the beauty of life. It is our irrational, unexaplainable behavior that is what makes us human. We are distinctly separate from nature, yet somehow we're all still in this together. The human spirit has many angles and can never be defined by a single theory — and why should it!! Some of the best things in life have no explanation, and perhaps that is the wonder of life — to be amazed at who we are. Nobody has all the answers, and if they say that they do they are lying. We are all on an amazing 1 time journey that can be the greatest or the worst- depending on how you look at it. I don't care how people find hapiness. I only hope that they do find happiness, and I am no one to tell them differently.
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sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeet
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Great read. Cheers!
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“We followed instructions from the ancient romans. They would partake in the shrooms follwed by a table spoon of honey and then a glass of wine. Well we boiled the shrooms till they were colorless and each had a cup of shroom tea.Followed by a ten minute period of anticipation for we all knew we were going to peuke,and we did. Then we had a spoon of honey and went down to our local for a glass of wine. Half an hour later one of my friends who only had one leg, was dancing away with us ,but without his crutches.All I can say is “Those Romans hey!”
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wow, that was amazing. I am on my first trip and am just starting to feel the effects, but I really connected with what you are saying here,
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Pretty cool article> I’m just glad that there are some people out there who get the chance to experience this amazing thing called life. With proper balance, life is an adventure and should be fully explored. So, in that respect, my glass is half full, and life can be wonderful. It’s frustrating to think that so many people want to control others with their ideas, thoughts, and beliefs. Of course, order is a necessity of life, but I really feel that disorder is the beauty of life. It is our irrational, unexaplainable behavior that is what makes us human. We are distinctly separate from nature, yet somehow we’re all still in this together. The human spirit has many angles and can never be defined by a single theory — and why should it!! Some of the best things in life have no explanation, and perhaps that is the wonder of life — to be amazed at who we are. Nobody has all the answers, and if they say that they do they are lying. We are all on an amazing 1 time journey that can be the greatest or the worst- depending on how you look at it. I don’t care how people find hapiness. I only hope that they do find happiness, and I am no one to tell them differently.
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(I MEAN THAT THIS COMMENT IS AMAZING….IT DIDNT REPLY TO WHAT I WANTED IT TO)↵ -
The experience I felt was conveyed was introspective on his part. The funny thing I’ve found about it is that it sounds like when someone has a bad trip. Only difference is he handled it like a champ and came out on the other side enjoying himself and rolling with it. it was a good story but most of the trips i’ve had and babysitting came off like his babysitters trip. happy trails everyone
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