What are Shrooms? Learn The Basics About Magic Mushrooms
Magic mushrooms, aka shrooms, are naturally occurring mushrooms which contain the psychoactive compound psilocybin. There are around 200 psilocybin-containing mushroom species found across the globe, all of which induce hallucinogenic/psychedelic effects once consumed. We at Get Magic Mushrooms are a new shrooms dispensary in Canada, as the market for buying shrooms (especially online) has grown tremendously in recent years. Let’s talk science for a bit, and give you some facts about the chemical composition and hallucinogenic effects of shrooms.
Breaking Down the Scientific Facts About Shrooms
As psychedelic tryptamines, psilocybin and psilocin are structurally very close to the important chemical transmitter serotonin. Serotonin plays significant roles in regulating our moods, sleep patterns, and coping strategies for stress in our brains and digestive systems. Psilocin molecules engage the same receptors in the brain that serotonin activates because of this closeness in molecular structure, particularly at a particular receptor site known as 5HT2A. This specific receptor governs a wide range of mental processes, including emotion, creativity, memory, and perception.
The cortex, the part of the brain linked with reasoning and rational thought, contains a sizable number of these 5HT2A receptors. These cells are also quite lengthy, covering a bigger area of the brain than most other cells, and as a result, they have a greater impact on brain activity.
These receptors are sat into by psilocin, which then activates them to provide the typical “trip” of a magic mushroom experience, which might involve adjustments to mood, imagination, and perception. Additionally, recent studies have demonstrated that psilocin has an impact on the Default Mode Network, a region of the brain (DMN).
Our DMNs resemble the major information highways in our brains. While we go about our regular lives, they serve as information consolidation centres, discreetly gathering data. They also enable us to “time travel” in our imaginations, enabling us to reflect on the past and make plans for the future. Some believe that our DMNs serve as the physical locations of our individual identities and senses of self.
One or more of the DMN’s “connection hubs” are momentarily disabled by psilocin. Due to the sudden closure of our brain’s primary information highway, the brain is compelled to build connections with its many components that it would not normally make. This implies that while psilocin is acting on the brain, new connections are formed between sections of the brain that it normally wouldn’t ‘speak’ to.
How Magic Mushrooms Make You Feel
The user’s consciousness, emotions, perception, and sensory experience are all altered by psilocybin mushrooms. A psychedelic “trip” is the term used to describe these alterations,
which can continue for two to six hours. The amount taken and the psilocybin concentration of the mushrooms have a direct impact on how intense the trip will be.
One frequently mentioned effect of psilocybin is that the mind seems to open up and sensory experiences can become extremely acute. This implies that on psilocybin, things that a person would ordinarily find aesthetically attractive (such as art, nature, music, etc.) can appear far more beautiful than they would when they are sober, but it can also imply that regular sensory experiences can become overwhelming. Being in a busy environment can be challenging due to the overwhelming sensory input that can easily overload the mind and senses, like in a street or a nightclub, for example. The ideal physical environment for a psilocybin mushroom experience is somewhere cozy and familiar, where the amount of sensory input is low or can be managed, such as at home or in a quiet outdoor area. Hearing sounds that are more distinct, crisp, distorted, or meaning-layered can be a symptom of auditory hallucinations. Language or music appreciation and perception can both shift.
The experience has a number of notable side effects, such as the ability to think in novel, unusual, or peculiar ways; feelings that are much more closely linked to sensory experiences; an inward gaze toward one’s own emotions or character; time distortions; visual and auditory hallucinations; and, at very high doses, the experience of ego death. The phenomenon known as “ego death” may occur in users at very high doses. Your sense of self can (appears to) cease to exist during this powerful experience, which can be frightening, weird, enlightening, or all three. A high dose is not advised because ego death can be a very intense experience, especially for first-time users or those who are not very comfortable with the trip.
We hope that this article helps better inform you on how amazing and interesting shrooms are, and whether they are the right fit for you. Read more about these magical fungi at our previous blog post here.