How many types of psychedelic mushrooms are there

Next, let's learn about what's considered a "dose" and the ways in which people consume magic mushrooms. Sign up for our Newsletter!

Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close. Mobile Newsletter chat dots. Mobile Newsletter chat avatar. Mobile Newsletter chat subscribe. Prev NEXT. Physical Science. Chemical Compounds. Derrumbes are still used ceremoniously by the Mazatec people of Oaxaca, Mexico, and continue to grow in the Sierra Madre mountain range.

Derrumbes are small, with stems ranging from 40 to mm 1. Their potency is low to moderate, and the trip can even be a bit shorter, lasting from three to six hours.

Psilocybe mexicana has a rich history. Hoffman, the chemist who discovered LSD , used that sample to cultivate more magic mushrooms and isolate psilocybin and psilocin for the first time in a lab. The species is common at altitudes between and meters to feet , and prefers to live in moss, meadows, deciduous forests, and soils rich in manure, as well as alongside roads and trails—but never directly on dung.

Although, their fruiting bodies generally contain more psilocybin, psilocin, and baeocystin according to Psillow. Psilocybe caerulipes, also known as the Blue Foot Mushroom, is a rare psilocybin mushroom that grows in the US.

Blue Foot mushrooms are named for their appearance: They have a blue-hue at the base of their stem. They are a moderately potent psilocybin mushroom, roughly the same strength as Psilocybe cubensis. Psillow warns that the experience could possibly be strong, so start small with one to three grams of dried mushrooms before diving into headier experiences.

Psilocybe stuntzii is a rare psilocybin mushroom that only grows in the West Coast of the US and Canada. Daniel Stuntz, who made the first type collection. Blue Ringers are also wood loving mushrooms and prefer to live on decaying debris, fresh mulch and wood chips.

They can be found in grassy areas, as well, like fresh sod and well-manicured lawns, or along roads, paths, and gardens, according to Stamets. However, be warned that Blue Ringers look very similar to a toxic species of mushroom, Galerina marginata. Psillow writes that P. There are some things to look out for when foraging for mushrooms—or buying them on the black market. A standard dose of shrooms is around two or three grams, but two grams of penis envy mushrooms could be much stronger than, say, two grams of golden teachers.

When foraging, the biggest risk, as mentioned, is that you might misidentify a mushroom. Some mushrooms found in the wild are actually fatal. In terms of addiction, shrooms have actually shown promise for treating substance use disorders. There are other risks, though, if you have bipolar, schizophrenia, or a personal or family history of psychosis. They belong to the polyphyletic group of mushrooms which are enriched with various psychedelic compounds like psilocybin, psilocin, and baeocystin.

Almost different types of mushrooms exist and vary due to their composition. The amount of psilocybin — the psychedelic effect causing component — is the main differentiating factor between certain types of psychedelic mushrooms. Although magic mushrooms may have hallucinating effects, they can easily be confused with poisonous mushrooms. Therefore, clearly identifying and familiarizing yourself with different types of mushrooms is vital. There are about species of psychedelic mushrooms which are distributed around the world.

These species have different names and are often classified according to their biological genera. Psilocybin, gymnopilus, panaeolus and copelandia are among the most common genera found throughout the world. Mexico has the most types of psychedelic mushrooms 53 , while more species are spread out in Canada and the US 22 , Europe 16 , Asia 15 , Africa 4 , and Australia and surrounding islands In general, psychedelic mushrooms are dark-spored, gilled mushrooms which grow in meadows and woods of the subtropics and tropic regions, where the soil is usually rich in humus and plant debris.

The most common and well-known varieties of magic mushrooms is cubensis, which is often referred to as the golden cap due to its cinnamon brown top and can have a diameter of cm. Psilocybin is soluble in water, moderately soluble in methanol and ethanol, and insoluble in most organic solvents. Psilocybin is a prodrug of psilocin, in vivo the molecule is metabolised into psilocin by dephosphorylation. Psilocin is an isomer of bufotenine , it differs only in the position of the hydroxylgroup.

Psilocin is relatively unstable in solution. Under alkaline conditions in the presence of oxygen it immediately forms bluish and black degradation products. Molecular formula: C 12 H 16 N 2 0 Molecular weight: The fungi containing psilocybin and psilocin mainly belong to the genuses Psilocybe , Panaeolus and Copelandia and their number exceeds 50 species.

Most of the mushrooms containing psilocybin are small brown or tan mushrooms. In the wild, these mushrooms are easily mistaken for any number of non-psychoactive, inedible, or poisonous mushrooms. This makes them difficult, and potentially hazardous, to identify. Because it is difficult to distinguish non-psilocybin species from the hallucinogenic ones by morphological observation in the wild, psilocybin-containing mushrooms may also be easily ingested unintentionally.

Hallucinogenic mushrooms resemble the common store mushroom Agaricus bisporus , although the flesh of Psilocybe mushrooms characteristically turns blue or green when bruised or cut. An identification method based on a genetic approach has been developed. A different species of mushroom, Amanita muscaria fly agaric , produces a state of delirium that also includes hallucinations, but its primary active agents are muscimol and ibotenic acid. In contrast to LSD, psilocin does not have an effect on the dopamine receptor.

Tryptamines and phenethylamine hallucinogens both have a relatively high affinity for serotonin 5-HT 2 receptors, but they differ in their affinity for other subtypes of serotonin receptors.

The correlation between the relative affinity of hallucinogens for 5-HT 2 -receptors and their potency as hallucinogens in human beings suggest that an important component of the mechanism of action of these substances is through stimulation of brain 5-HT 2 -receptors.

A primary role for the 5-HT 2 -receptor in the mechanism of hallucinations is further suggested by the observation that antagonists of the 5-HT 2 -receptor are effective in blocking the behavioural and electrophysiological effects of hallucinogenic drugs in animals and in man. Although 5HT 2 -receptors are certainly involved, at present, it is not possible to attribute the psychedelic effects to any single 5-HT receptor subtype.

Behavioural effects are dependent on dose and the individual reaction and sensitivity to psilocybin, previous experiences and the setting. The major effects are related to the central nervous system, but there are also some sympathomimetic effects. The subjective effects, however, may vary greatly between individuals and from one episode of use to the next within the same person.

The effects range from mild feelings of relaxation, giddiness, euphoria, visual enhancement seeing colours brighter , visual disturbances moving surfaces, waves , to delusions, altered perception of real events, images and faces, or real hallucinations. The sensory distortions may be coupled with restlessness, incoordination, feelings of anxiety, impaired judgement of time or distance, sense of unreality or even depersonalisation. These effects may be termed 'bad trips' by users and can also involve panic reactions and psychosis-like states.