Psilocybin mushrooms have long been used for self-discovery and healing. Still, the last thing you’d want to do is use them improperly and cause yourself more harm than good. If you want to find out how to take psilocybin mushrooms and do it safely, you’ve come to the right place. After reading this article, you’ll know exactly how to handle the process with expertise and set yourself on the right path to improvement and deep-rooted healing.
Key Takeaways
- Safe mushroom consumption starts with choosing the right method. Each form affects onset time and intensity differently.
- Physical preparation matters. It’s recommended you test the mushrooms’ potency and consider your stomach contents for mindful preparation and, ultimately, a positive experience.
- Creating the right setting is essential. Without it, the container for your experience may introduce unnecessary distractions that impact you negatively.
Download Our Free Psilocybin Sourcing Guide
For harm-reduction purposes, we provide links to online psilocybin vendors, local stores, delivery services, and spore vendors for growing your own medicine at home.
Choosing the Right Consumption Method
Knowing how to consume shrooms safely is quite a robust topic that requires considering virtually every single aspect of the ritual, even those that may seem insignificant or really minor. Proper, mindful, and deliberate preparation is key to getting the most out of your session, and by far, the most important element involves choosing a method of ingestion. This will influence the psilocybin dosage, as well as the onset, intensity, and duration of effects.
Edible Forms
- Dried Mushrooms: This is the most traditional form, often eaten as is or mixed into food. However, given that they are unprocessed and lack synthetic preservatives, storing psychedelic mushrooms improperly could degrade the potency of the psilocybin contained within.
- Gummies or Chocolates: Some people find the taste of dried mushrooms off-putting and choose to ingest them using gummies or chocolates instead. While convenient, note that the dosages in edibles may be inconsistent with the information provided on the label, introducing potentially undesirable variability and unpredictability to your experience.
- Capsules: Capsules contain ground psilocybin mushroom powder, offering an easier and more reliable method of consumption.
Regardless of the method you choose, here at Psychedelic Passage, we will always and forever advocate for safety. If you’re just a novice taking the first steps on the path toward healing, don’t rush head-first into the process without full knowledge of what you’re putting in your body. To that end, consider purchasing Miraculix test kits to precisely understand the potency of the mushrooms you have on hand.
To Tea or Not to Tea?
You could also choose to brew a psilocybin tincture and drink your mushrooms instead. Brewing them into tea may provide a gentler onset and help reduce nausea. Additionally, liquid extracts often offer more precise dosing, increasing the safety of such trips.
Onset Time and Duration
As explained, the method of ingestion dramatically influences the entire experience, including how quickly you feel the effects and how long they last.
- Consumption Method: Tea and extracts take effect even in just 15 to 30 minutes, while edibles and capsules may take up to an hour to kick in, or even more depending on if you’ve eaten recently and other factors, although this is rare.
- Lemon Tekking: This technique involves soaking mushrooms in lemon juice before consumption to make the effects more potent. If you choose to do so, remember that your psychedelic experience will begin much earlier, potentially in as little as 10 minutes.
How to Use Shrooms Safely: Practical Considerations
As mentioned, the circumstances you create for yourself ahead of your session will shape your experience. To make sure you’re using shrooms safely, there are some conscious decisions you should make before embarking on the journey. We only scratch the surface here, but if you want a full exploration of dosage-oriented considerations, refer to our full guide here: Determining Therapeutic Psilocybin Dosages.
Should I Eat Before?
There is a lot of interplay between your stomach contents, your dosage intake, and the potency of the effects. To not minimize the latter, many people choose to fast anywhere between 4–12 hours before the session, though this is optional and subject to the journeyer’s personal preference.
Managing Nausea and Discomfort
Conversely, if you would like to avoid feeling nauseous—which is a common experience for people in the first 1.5–2 hours—it’s recommended to consume a light meal before.
Safe Environment
The key to a successful and gentle experience is cultivating a distraction-free environment. Set aside a solid couple of hours of responsibility-free time and do your best to ensure nobody will come knocking at your door once you’ve settled in. Avoid looking at your phone to not distract yourself with the screen, but keep it handy in case of an emergency—it’s always recommended that someone in your life knows what you’ll be participating in and can reach you if necessary.
Time of Day
Again, the timing of your journey is mostly a personal choice. While indigenous traditions often favor nighttime ceremonies, what matters most is planning around the full duration—4 to 6 hours for the main experience plus 1 to 3 hours for the afterglow. Be aware that larger doses may affect your sleep patterns, however, so try not to engage in the practice too late in the day.
The Bottom Line
Hopefully, we’ve clarified some burning questions considering how to take shrooms safely. Consider all of these elements and approach the experience with intention and respect. That way, you’ll set a foundation for a meaningful journey.
Like our article? Check out also: Holding Space – What Does It Mean in Psychedelic Facilitation
Get Your Free Medication Interaction Resource
Understand potential medication & psychedelic interactions in this free 59-page PDF.
Find Confidence and Clarity with Psychedelic Passage’s Guidance
Hi there! We sincerely hope that you’ve found valuable takeaways that resonate with your current intentions. To explore research-based education, stay updated with psychedelic news, and benefit from practical how-to articles, we encourage you to head over to our resources page.
If you’re seeking personalized advice and are prepared to take the first step toward a therapeutic psychedelic experience, we invite you to book a consultation with our team of experienced psychedelic concierges.
This consultation is more than just a conversation; it’s an opportunity to be matched with a trustworthy local facilitator. You’ll be seamlessly connected to our rigorously vetted network of psychedelic guides, ensuring potential matches align with your needs.
Psychedelic Passage offers confidence and peace of mind by alleviating the burden of having to guess who’s right for you. If you want to discover how Psychedelic Passage can help you, we empower you to learn more about our services and check out client testimonials from those who’ve gone before you.
Your healing path is uniquely yours, and our commitment is to serve you at every juncture. Psychedelic Passage: Your Psychedelic Concierge — The easy, legal way to find trustworthy psilocybin guides, facilitators and psychedelic assisted therapy near you in the United States.
Learn More About Our Network
- Book a Consultation Call
- Meet Our Referral Network
- Explore Frequently Asked Questions
- Watch Client Testimonials
- Is Psychedelic Passage Safe & Legit?
More Psychedelic Passage
- Listen to our podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and iHeartRadio
- Subscribe to our Youtube Channel
- Follow us on Instagram, Reddit, Twitter, and Linked in for bite-sized updates and content.
