Magic mushrooms are a type of hallucinogenic mushroom. They contain psilocybin, a psychoactive agent that alters the way you think and feel. This blog post explores what magic mushrooms do to the brain by discussing three different types of effects: cognitive, emotional, and physical.
What are Magic Mushrooms?
Magic mushrooms are psychoactive fungus that contains psilocybin and psilocin. These substances cause changes in the perception, mood, and cognition of those who ingest them.
Magic Mushrooms were used by indigenous peoples for spiritual purposes or rites of passage before the arrival of European settlers. Today, they are used recreationally for their hallucinogenic properties at many music festivals around the world. Read more about astralagency.
In the United States, they grow naturally in many parts of the country including Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Washington.
What Are the Most Common Types of Magic Mushrooms?
The most common types of magic mushrooms are:
- Psilocybe Cubensis
- Psilocybe Subcubensis
- Panaeolus cyanescens
- P. aztecorum
- P. caerulescens
- P. tampanensis
What are the Effects of Magic Mushrooms?
In this section, let’s discuss three different types of magic mushrooms effects: cognitive, emotional, and physical.
Cognitive
The cognitive effects of magic mushrooms are often described as being more introspective, where people may experience feelings of oneness with the world. However, not everyone has this experience. Other common effects of cognition include:
- Hallucinations
- Euphoria
- Sense distortions
The most common hallucination is seeing patterns or objects that aren’t actually there, think complex geometric shapes in the sky or a person you know who isn’t really there but is standing right next to you.
Euphoria can be felt as an intense feeling of happiness or well-being which might also be accompanied by laughter and giddiness.
Finally, sense distortions are less commonly experienced but can range from auditory changes (elevated volume), tactile changes (tingling skin), or visual changes (colors seem brighter).
Emotional
The emotional effects of magic mushrooms are often described as having a positive effect on mood, where people feel happy and relaxed. Sometimes the feelings can be so intense that they lead to strong crying spells or elation.
Physical
One common physical side effect is nausea which may cause vomiting depending on how much someone has ingested.
Additionally, there is a chance for dry mouth because one of psilocybin’s metabolites affects saliva production in your body. Lastly, some people experience headaches from ingesting too many mushrooms but this typically goes away with time after the trip ends.
How Do the Effects of Magic Mushrooms Affect a Person’s Health?
Health effects may include liver problems, seizures and psychosis episodes when taken with other drugs such as alcohol or stimulants.
Long term effects
The long term effects can result in damage to brain cells resulting from underlying psychological issues that need addressing before they are used again and panic attacks when drug has been stopped.
Short term effects
Short-term negative physical side effects may include:
- Nausea and vomiting after eating mushrooms.
- Dizziness and headaches which last for days after using them.
- Dehydration following excess sweating during trip due to effect on body temperature regulation system by user who dances all night at club/rave instead of drinking water between doses causing rapid loss of body fluid via sweat without taking time to replenish lost fluids.
How Do the Effects of Magic Mushrooms Affect a Person’s Mind?
The experience is generally described as mystical or spiritual in nature, which can include euphoria and seeing sounds or hearing colors. It can be unpredictable due to factors such as dosage amount taken by user.
How Long the Effects Last?
This is a question that has been asked by many. It can be hard to tell, as there are so many different factors including one’s own weight and mental condition. The effects will typically wear off after around six hours or so with some lasting up to 18 hours. There are also various ways in which one may take the mushrooms, such as orally or through making tea with them. But you won’t find anyone smoking them!
Many people also report feeling these effects for days afterward if they took too much and had an intense experience while using them. This can make it difficult to sleep at night due to feelings of dread and anxiety but usually only lasts a few days before you begin to feel normal again.
How You Might Feel
The psychoactive chemicals (psilocybin and psilocin) substances act on serotonin receptors in your brain, which is why they can cause hallucinations. They also affect areas of the brain associated with emotions and short-term memory.
When you take them, you may feel an intense sense of euphoria, happiness, or even peace or love for other people. You might also see things more vividly than usual (colors may seem brighter and shapes sharper than normal or experience time distortion). Some users report feeling like time has slowed down or sped up significantly while under the influence.
If you’re given a dose of psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, and then asked to do something that requires creativity, like solving a puzzle or drawing a picture, your performance on those tasks is likely to improve.
That may be because the drug reduces activity in parts of the brain known as the anterior cingulate cortex and medial prefrontal cortex (areas that are normally quite active when people feel anxious about making mistakes).
As these regions quiet down, people tend to become more confident and comfortable taking risks. This is great news for anyone who has ever wanted to brainstorm new ideas but found themselves too afraid of what others would think.
Are Magic Mushrooms Illegal?
The consumption and sale of magic mushrooms in some countries is illegal because they are considered to be drugs. However, the consumption of these mushrooms is illegal in most states. It is also hard to detect when someone has taken them because they do not leave any unusual scent or taste on the person’s breath or body.
Conclusion
Research suggests that drugs like psilocybin may provide relief from addiction by reducing cravings and anxiety felt around drug use triggers, easing fear and depression, providing renewed meaning to life, improving quality of sleep, increasing feelings of optimism and enhanced spiritual well-being, increasing satisfaction with life, relationships, self and career, reducing the sense of isolation associated with addiction.
While some people might find magic mushrooms desirable, they can also be harmful. Some people who consume them will have a bad trip and many of those will experience panic attacks or other symptoms associated with PTSD.