What does one need for the ideal magic mushroom trip? When I take mushrooms, I always ask myself the same things everyone does: out in the open or indoors? During the day or at night? Alone or with company? Music or silence? A recreational dose, or a heroic dose? Adventure or exploration? Improvisation or preparation?
Among all these options, are some objectively preferable to others? Is there in fact an ideal context in which a trip will go well for anyone, or are the answers to my questions merely subjective?
The easy conclusion would be that the answers vary from person to person – and this is partly true. The answers in fact depend on how you feel, how much experience you have with magic mushrooms (if any), if your trip has some sort of goal and what that goal is.
However, there does exist a perfect place to trip, which I’ll discuss later in this article. And that place has everything necessary to make sure one’s trip will be a safe one, and one that’s beneficial for whoever already ticks all the boxes with regards to having the right psychophysical prerequisites to consume mushrooms.
Having sought long and hard for the answers to my initial questions, today I’ll be sharing the insights that years of practice have brought me. I hope that whoever seeks to use mushrooms to further their self-knowledge – the only viable motive for consuming mushrooms for an extended period of time – can find my reflections useful. I am not against recreational use, but this kind of usage never gets one very far because the shortest games are always the best. Fun requires variety, and so naturally those who choose to take mushrooms for playful reasons quickly move on to other things. The real personal journey, meanwhile, is one which never finishes, as there are always new revelations one can come to. And mushrooms are an eternally great aid in this work, especially if one knows how to integrate.
My reflections are based on practice. In fact, over time, I have tried each option available because it is only right and natural to want to experience everything directly. After all, only through practice can one experience the psychedelic world. While informing oneself is a must – particularly if you are inexperienced – theory is too abstract to be all that useful.
Psychedelic experience is the discriminating factor which allows us some choices rather than others; your level of direct knowledge of mushrooms is what determines them. If you’re a beginner, for instance, it makes sense to prepare well and trip at home, during the day and maybe in the company of a sitter, with suitable music and a limited dose. On the other hand, a veteran psychonaut has more scope for choice and can do largely what they please – that is, while respecting set & setting to avoid any undesirable outcomes.
For some, the ideal trip is a challenging one in which one comes face to face with one’s own identifications. For others, it’s one which unblocks one’s mind from rigid ways of thinking: thought patterns, for example, which prolong depression. Others still feel a need to perceive beauty and so seek out an ecstatic or mystical experience. Therefore, one could say that every trip is perfect in its own way as long as there are no negative consequences once it is over.
It is precisely because of the subjective differences in magic mushroom use that I have asked myself whether there is a perfect method for everyone regardless. Now more than ever, what one needs in order to work with the mushrooms in the best way is clear to me – whether you’re a well-travelled psychonaut or a newcomer. Keeping in mind, the only exceptions are contraindications with regards to pre-existing mental and physical conditions which rule out the use of psychedelics for certain individuals.
Let’s return now to the questions listed at the start and look at what one might want to do (or perhaps have to do) when planning a magic mushroom trip.
Contents
Outdoors or indoors?
Outdoors or indoors? Naturally, there are pros and cons to both of these options. When I think about an indoor trip, I remember the Celts, who maintained that the Divine cannot be celebrated in places built by man – because of this belief, they would always practice their rites in Nature, in local forests which were known to be sacred. I both understand and appreciate this position. However, there are a great deal of man-made places which are built according to divine laws, which not only respect the sanctity of the location, but actually exalt and amplify it. Many churches, temples and all kinds of megalithic sites are a testament to their inspired origin. One can clearly feel the particular energy in these locations, but also find scientific evidence for it. I’m referring here to countless cathedrals, but also to small chapels and places widely considered to be sacred or therapeutic. One can even apply this idea to long walks taken along the telluric lines (or “ley lines”).
Interesting insights on this theme can be found in the book The Divine Blueprint by Freddy Silva, which extensively explores the subject in a fascinating way. I highly recommend it. The expanded state of consciousness mushrooms can provide is perfect for gaining direct experience with the natural and telluric energies these places hold. Undergoing a psychedelic voyage in an energetically significant place is advised as you might end up seeing and experiencing things which are otherwise difficult to perceive. Pay attention not to take too much though: some locations’ energetic intensity could greatly amplify the effects!
Staying inside has the advantage of being more comfortable. One has easy access to a bathroom, water, food, and a feeling of being protected. Meanwhile, being outside puts one in contact with the spirit of nature. The beautiful perceptions one can experience about the life flowing all around us can be truly indescribable. It’s a wonderful thing that everyone should try. How can one reconcile these opposing needs for safety and wonder? A house surrounded by greenery can be perfect. That way, you can reap the benefits of both solutions. But what if you live in a condo? How can one reconcile these opposing needs for safety and wonder? A house surrounded by greenery can be perfect. That way, you can reap the benefits of both solutions. But what if you live in a condo? You can actually find a great many solutions to this on house sharing websites, and there are also “holistic” centres which welcome groups seeking to have ceremonial experiences with sacred plants. Research in this area is more than doable if one is discreet about it.
Another solution would of course be outdoor camping. But one must always be cautious of any prohibitions or restrictions on fire lighting in the area. Tripping at night in the presence of a fire is almost mandatory, both for practical reasons and for the simple fact that fire takes on an incredible quality during a mushroom trip.
Finally, being outdoors on a beautiful day is good in that it only requires a few things: yourself; whatever you think will make you more comfortable; food; water, and maybe a little specially selected music.
During the day or at night?
There is no real answer to the question of whether day or night is better, as the two experiences are so vastly different. A good way to experience both is to organise your trip so that it crosses the transition between these times. That way you can experience both.
A daytime trip is more suited to someone with less experience. While sunlight can be helpful and reassuring, the dark of night is more likely to evoke certain fears. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it all depends on whether you’re ready to confront these fears in an altered state of consciousness.
The most extreme condition is night time surrounded by nature: a uniquely challenging immersion in the forces of the natural world! This enterprise requires you to have a fire, without which one invites danger into the mix. And a fire is much more than just a means of helping to scare away animals which are best kept at bay. It’s something one can spend a good portion of the trip simply contemplating, receiving the benefits of its primal inspiration. Mushrooms greatly support this aspect of the man-fire relationship, and therefore it is something that deserves to be experienced directly.
Personally, my ideal trip takes place at night, in a space that is protected somehow, surrounded by nature and, of course, in the presence of a fire.
Alone or in company?
I prefer to trip alone. However, being with other people opens up a much greater array of benefits. The issue is I’m a little lazy: organising a ceremony with other people takes time and effort, not to mention the vigilance I feel I have to maintain during the ceremony. Indeed, I’m usually the most experienced person there, and that places a lot of responsibility on my shoulders. Or at least that’s how I see it. This applies especially to group experiences not conducted by a shaman, which accounts for almost all magic mushroom trips.
When you’re alone, you’re free to concentrate on yourself. You’re in charge of whether there is music playing or not, and you can generally do what you want without external distractions. This all makes introspective work much easier.
A group experience is of course more structured. (You’ll find a long chapter dedicated to mushroom ceremonies in my book The Magic Mushroom User’s Guide, and also an article HERE on the same subject). Paradoxically, the limits dictated by ceremonial rules tend to create even more opportunities for learning something useful from the experience – much more, in fact, than the rules of a solo trip tend to do. Yes, I mean it! It’s a paradox but an empirically understandable one. Think about it like this: isn’t a football match more fun if there are rules the teams must follow? Give it some thought and you’ll see that rules are actually fundamentally important. If you happen to disagree with me on this, feel free to tell me why in the comments.
The most important difference though, and the one which brings with it the most benefits, is precisely the presence of other participants. During the trip, other people are transformed into pure mirrors, who can reflect the aspects of yourself you can’t usually see. How do you know this is true? Here’s a simple rule to keep in mind (which applies to both psychedelic experience and everyday life): if it bothers you, it’s about you! What someone’s doing, or the way in which they’re doing it can be unbearable for you, but a whole lot of fun to someone else. Considering that the other person can remain indifferent while their behavior is so disturbing to you… isn’t the problem coming from you? What is it exactly that’s prompting you to feel so troubled? In that moment you just have to stay in contact with what you feel. The fungus can help you understand that, just maybe, your anxiety comes from something as mundane as an angry comment a teacher made to you when you were little! When you discover this fact, and integrate it, you’ll find your discomfort vanishes as if by magic, confirming that the other person is such only according to your judgement.
Trip companions become the best allies for auto-observation. Indeed, what you feel towards them is ultimately a snapshot of yourself, and the mushrooms put you in a position to observe this with maximum ease. Obviously this doesn’t apply solely to anxieties, but also to the things you admire in others – what you admire is always and only what you admire in yourself! It’s well understood that mushrooms prompt you to work more on yourself every time you take them, but the way in which this happens changes according to whether you’re alone or with other people.
Any moment of the group experience can put you to the test – if one member of the group starts to feel unwell, for example, and fears they are having a “bad trip”, how do you react? This is a moment of truth. Faking it is not an option. How you react or respond is a good litmus test for what point you’re at yourself: where your strengths are and where you might still have work to do.
Group work changes completely if there is a good facilitator or shaman to conduct the ceremony. Their presence helps to alleviate, or entirely eliminate, the sense of collective responsibility everyone feels towards each other. All in all, this is really the best solution, allowing the participants to benefit from introspective work and the mirrors they hold up to one another without having to worry about each other’s safety.
I like situations that allow us to take on such a responsibility, and that includes “self-managed” ceremonies without a leader. But sometimes it is wonderful to just abandon oneself to the safety of a ceremonial space where everyone is taken care of, where a shaman or a facilitator watches over the journey everyone is undergoing.
Music or Silence?
Now, music or silence? But also: recorded music or live music? If you have good musicians on hand, live music can be best, but many great artists have already recorded their best performances for us, so it’s hard to be disappointed by a selected playlist of those. In contrast, live music is something I happen to heartily despise. I’ve ended up literally walking away from the music to get respite from someone’s indecent strumming!
With regards to the outdoors, it’s important to remember that there is no such thing as silence out in the wilderness. The natural sounds and noises of nature are a unique and fascinating soundtrack in themselves. This is why you might end up feeling like music is out of place outdoors and opt for just sitting with the noises that are already there. The wind rustles through the leaves, the birds chirp and whistle, the insects hum… in the context of this audio experience a trip takes on a new meaning. Often you’ll find yourself feeling the relationship between what happens within one’s mind and what manifests outside of it. Understanding your inside and your outside are one and the same is one of the most beautiful aspects of the magic that mushrooms can offer!
I once happened to start the music outdoors, then had to turn it off almost immediately. It was completely extraneous to what we were experiencing, and therefore annoying. Just stay with what you feel though and decide what you want as you go. Remember, there are no hard and fast rules.
(To an extent…)
The one fixed rule here is that the music must be specially selected. Sticking on something random is always a risk. There’s nothing worse than the wrong music for setting one off on a bad trip! And the inverse is also true: particularly good music can help you avoid bad experiences such as thought loops – which at high doses can be particularly challenging!
The ideal mushroom trip provides both music and silence. It is up to the discretion of the person responsible for the playlist to gauge the right thing to do from one moment to the next. Just silence makes sense within nature, but always having music can become excessive. If whoever is in charge of the music stays in contact with what they feel, they’ll understand without a doubt when to press play or pause. Understanding the quality of the moment, and looking around at the participants, they’ll have an easy enough time discerning what course of action is best. As always, the state of consciousness the mushrooms induce will help one come to the best decision.
Recreational dose or heroic dose?
I say “recreational” here to describe what is essentially a low dose – i.e. mostly when one is consuming amounts equal to or lower than 2.5g of dry mushrooms. Doses such as these allow us to maintain a degree of contact with our shared reality. This is not to say that they are necessarily fun, as fun is never guaranteed.
A similar point can be made with regards to the heroic dose, i.e. the amount prescribed by Terence McKenna: 5 dry grams on an empty stomach, alone, in silent darkness. The exact dose is not important though if you ask me, as 5 dry grams is simply unachievable for some, while others will find that amount relatively easy to handle.
McKenna talks of a ‘committed dose’: a quantity which inspires respect and even apprehension. For me, this dose exists in the realms above 10g, while for a friend of mine it sits at around 2.5g. You will discover yours wherever you find your comfort zone being challenged.
That being said, what is the ideal dose? The most orthodox will tell you it depends on the set & setting – and they would be correct – but if everything is just right, what ideal dose do we want to choose? For me, the answer will always be: a challenging one! I love that feeling of the fungus unravelling the normal workings of the mind in that first hour, finding oneself projected into a world swarming with almost indescribable images and sensations. These sensory experiences immediately get to work resetting the Default Mode Network (the patterns your brain maintains in an ordinary mental state and uses day in and day out for better or for worse).
If you’ve tried doses over 3.5g, you’ll know the exact feeling that tells you whether or not you’ve “broken through” – i.e. if you’ve crossed the threshold or if you’re still connected somewhat to ordinary consciousness. Low doses, of course, will not take you “elsewhere”. Only if you have the courage to challenge yourself can you wield the mushrooms’ powers to enter a new reality! If the contest (setting) is just right, why not take advantage of the opportunity to dive head first into the ocean of your interior world?
My recommendation to anyone trying mushrooms for the first time is to always keep the dose to 1.5 (dry) grams or lower. But if the set & setting happens to be ideal and, even more importantly, if the experience is being led by a true expert whom you trust, you can push the maximum a little and go up to 2 or even 2.5 grams.
A note: if you happen to be particularly sensitive to psilocybin, it’s likely that this dose will induce an intense experience. However, if you maintain trust in the process, you could be in with the chance of something epic: contact with a reality you otherwise could never have imagined. You can only find out what a psychedelic experience really is by trying it. If you choose to read and study instead, you’ll have a faint idea but nothing more. That being said, making sure you’re well informed beforehand is always recommended.
Adventure or exploration?
This question is not too different to that of “improvisation or preparation”. Adventure is, after all, improvised by nature. If you prepared for it, it would be more akin to exploration. I have no qualms in saying that while one must prepare for a challenging dose, you can allow yourself some margin for improvisation if you keep it under 2.5g.
Adventure is an evocative term. Who isn’t tantalised by the prospect of it? Nevertheless, if I want to consume 5 dry grams can’t I be sure that I’ll be landing myself in a rather unpredictable situation? Preparing for the experience essentially means organising for there to be safety (and comfort), which is necessary if you want to voyage without worrying about problems such as inquisitive policemen! Or the problem of being out somewhere in the city and suddenly being unable to stand. The issues you can encounter when your senses are altered to profound levels are too many to count. Under certain circumstances, for example, I will completely avoid crossing busy roads. Just as one needs to be careful going to the bathroom in public, just in case one ends up in the newspaper the next day for having mistaken a water fountain for a toilet!
I take a couple of dry grams and I decide to take a long walk: adventure! No preparation. The only resource at my disposal is the experience I’ve accumulated over the years across numerous trips. Under these conditions, I can certainly do it. It can be beautiful, in fact. One splendid day during the summer, I packed my bag with a bottle of water, some fruit (both fresh and dry), a towel to stretch myself out on, and a phone with earphones to listen to music if I felt so inclined… a little planning is always necessary, after all. One of the things the worst “bad trips” recorded have in common is complete unpreparedness for stressful situations. And stressful situations can become dramatic pretty fast if you’re under the influence of psychedelics.
Connecting the dots
How can one take all of this and put it together into an unforgettable experience? One that is safe and above all legal? Such a place to do this does actually exist, and that place can be found in Holland’s Nature Temple!
The first time I saw photos of this place, I could hardly believe my eyes. It was as if it had been designed by the fungus itself. This project wasn’t simply from the mind of a human being but from the inspiration of the people who constructed this work upon the Earth: Mark and Maya.
When I (casually!) first happened upon the place online, I wrote to them straight away to communicate my pleasure at what I had found. I asked if I could send them a copy of my book to see if we were on the same page, and they replied immediately and resonated completely with what I had to say! This could not have happened if it weren’t for the longstanding relationship with mushrooms we had in common.
Nature Temple is a work of art which welcomes psychonauts in the best way possible. It is constructed out of natural materials and surrounded by a plethora of wildlife. The transparent roof lets in the sky, while the central fireplace is like a sun providing all important heat and warmth – important elements to any successful nighttime mushroom trip. You will find everything you need there to trip with others in a safe, assisted manner. Mark and his staff are highly experienced and attentive, and one can enjoy some perfectly chosen live music to accompany the experience.
This magical place is a positive response to every question one might have on the ideal situation in which to get acquainted with sacred mushrooms! An environment which is at once closed off and open to nature and the sky above; the night illuminated by the glow of the central fire; in the company of other voyagers but assisted by a sensitive and highly experienced team; music and silence masterfully alternated; the chance to delve into the deepest recesses without fear; and finally a carefully prepared inner adventure. This is the ideal context in which to explore consciousness itself.
To this date, my most beloved friends are ones I met during my years of ayahuasca ceremonies. Friends made under these circumstances are particularly special, and this too plays a part in one’s decision to approach the world of mushrooms through an intense and authentic ceremonial experience: at once the best way to meet the mushrooms, and the best to get to know some beautiful people.
I plan to expand on the topic of this marvellous place soon. So stay tuned if you want to know more.
If you enjoyed the post and found it useful, please buy me a coffee!
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/DMTripson
I’m taking dries magic mushrooms for the first time…it’s been used in FDA trials for treatment-resistant depression…Kaiser wanted me to have ECT, after years of putting me on numerous psychotropic drugs that give me suicide ideations…I’m very hopeful and am with experienced friend…thank you for this information!
Dear Penelope, thank you for writing! I’m glad you have the help and support of an experienced friend. I wish you all the best and much happiness 🙂
Kia Ora. I would love to get your book. I notice it is only available at Book Depository in Italian. Will they have the English version soon? Amazon is not a good option for me. Thanks
Hi, I don’t know where you are, in Europe you can also find it on Zamnesia.com – a well-known Dutch site where you can also find grow kits or magic mushroom spores, but in the rest of the world unfortunately for now I have no alternative to amazon .. .
If you want to write me via email, let’s see if I can help you. Thanks for the attention 🙂
I’m somewhere between 10-14 g’s also, sometimes lemon tek for immediate blast off, but not always guaranteed to go somewhere else, I only expirence ego death every 10-20 trips.
Hi Leo! I never know for sure where a journey might take me, but those times I experience awakening, temporary but wonderful, I want nothing more! It does not depend on the dose but on the setting, and the ceremonial one works best. If you try you will see that it will take fewer trips to turn off the descriptive ego, the monkey in the head. All the best
I am just starting my journey! I has taken about 1 g dry and it only felt like something akin to a very small bite of a marijuana edible while a friend of mine had mild visual changes and euphoria. I am a bit nervous about taking a higher dose because I do not have the access to experiment with small increases. These tips have helped a lot with deciding on how to go about my next experience!
Hi Bella, a dry gram is the threshold beyond which you begin to perceive the effect, and that’s exactly what you experienced. If you managed to increase by half a gram I think you would start to have visual and auditory effects, ideal for visiting a museum or walking in a park! Let me know how it goes, see you soon!
Hello. I’m not nearly as experienced as you are, I’ve been into psilocybin for two years. I don’t know if there’s an ideal setting – it depends on the purpose. For me there are two different settings: alone or with friends. I did almost all of my trips alone. The first trip, I did with a friend, without purpose or knowledge, just because we were after a cocaïne binge and someone offered us some cubes. I couldn’t get what my friend found recreative about the experience. He was bothering me with questions like “is it pleasant?” for which my answer was “it’s neutral”. He was all over the place and wanted to put music all the time. The trip became interesting when he left. I had a special “magical” object given me by an Egyptian, alittle metal ball with yin /yang paintings which made a bell sound when shaken. I just sat motionless and shook the ball in time. Then I watched the ceiling and suddenly feelings from my childhood emerged. Finally I got up and looked in the mirror and it was at the same time funny and scary. My face was like a plastic mask, something artificial, and suddenly I was no longer identified with my face. I relaxed all my muscles which made a “dying” face, like my features were fading away. Thé funny thing is that it was not just a hallucination, for when my friend came back, I scared the shit out of him with that face. For a few months after the trip, I felt an improved émotional functioning, which was also noticed by poeple surrounding me. That was in august 2019.
When the pandemic and lockdowns came, I thought about psilocybin and got some “truffles” from a well known website in Holland. I wasn’t scared because I have experienced really bad trips with alcohol (I’m an alcoholic, sober for 14 years) and also dextrometorphan (talk about thought loops, fear of losing it, and sense of impending doom!).Of course I did everything wrong the first time. I was expecting too much of a “healing” experience. I took a hefty dose of 30g truffles which according to commonly admitted conversion rates makes for 6g dried mexicana (but I believe the conversion is wrong, or maybe true for the strongest truffles like Hollandia or Valhalla). The comeup was fast and strong. I can see a beautiful park from my kitchen, I was sitting there, and suddenly the trees motioned what seemed like arms towards me, then every sound was echoed 10 times and I couldn’t make much sense of anything, but I was disappointed because I wasn’t interested in hallucinations per se, I was seeking a healing experience. I was feeling a kind of spirit trying to help me but I wanted to feel it stronger, so I took another 25g about 1-2 hours within the trip. It just fucked me up some more, I began talking To myself in a strange language, tried praying Jésus, but nothing came out of it. On top of that, I took yet another 30g, this time Hollandia, but it was too late into the trip and it just made me feel unwell and crap my pants.
I stuck more or less to that setting for the rest of the spring and summer, it’s nice because I just have to open the windows and sit in an armchair and I’m faced with nature, trees, birds, sun, clouds. ..Then something very strange happened : I went to my friend (the one with whom I had the first experience )and we took truffles together – or rather, I took 30g Valhalla, ,because he had trouble chewing on the stuff and he vomited almost all he had ingested. I cut my phone off and we listened to music, funny trip, I saw faces on album cover moving and winking, out of the blue I asked for a specific song my father loved, which I never listened to except when he “inflicted ” that upon me…At 10pm my friend received a phone call. My family had been trying to reach me since 4pm, my father just had a stroke and died. 4 pm was approximately the time we listened to the song. ..
A month later, I decided to dive straight into the “megadose”, which meant 60g of truffles, 30g Valhalla and 30g Atlantis. According to conversions, this would be somewhere between 8 and 14g of dried mushrooms. I had the trip of my life. There was a flash of light and I disappeared. Then “I” was just a bunch of subatomic particles, which slowly rebuilt reality, becoming atoms, bacteria, then I began to get again a sense of self, but everything was being rewired, I remember re-learning left and right. ..then I realized I was not in the kitchen but in the bedroom, went back to the kitchen and found some vomit in a small cup. I had managed not to vomit on the floor while being “not there”! I took another 30g of truffles, which prolonged the comedown, I rolled a joint and what I saw from my window was the most beautiful sight ever : the landscape seemed like a painting by great masters of Holland like Breughel, but it was animated! The picture changed all the time and it was like a thousand museums were there one after the other. The cool thing is that this perception kinda stayed with me after the trip. I just had to meditate a few minutes and everything appeared in its real beauty.
Then came the winter and I got to experience the “darkness and silence” setting. But the silence was not there, I live in a flat so every sound seemed amplified, including my pulse, which was qui te à bit of an annoyance. With this setting, sometimes with a candle lit, I heard voices speaking with strange accents, I had false traumatic memories, generally speaking I found it uncomfortable and unrewarding.
Last setting was on new years eve december 31st 2021. I went to a friend to guide him through his first trip. His ex-girlfriend joined us. The dosage was on the careful side – I’m not into risking to screw up others sanity just for the sake of showing off my skills in handling high doses.It was the second best trip after the one with the 60g truffles. Or maybe on par. In fact it was radically different. No losing touch with reality, almost no hallucinations, but à very friendly atmosphere and deep personal discussions, very therapeutic!
To sum up this lenghty post, I would say for me there are two ideal trips : either alone, with a really strong dose, indoors but with a view of nature and open window, warm&sunny weather – ideal for self-exploration and deep “rewiring”, or with kind poeple, lowish dose (25g Hollandia, so according to admitted conversion rates 5g dried is lowish for me….), ideal for emotional therapy, felt like a clever MDMA – I mean there was that sense of deep love but it wasn’t artificial and I didn’t feel stupid the next day, all that had been said made deep sense and has strenghtened our friendship. I’m gonna continue “soloing” but not as frequently, I think that even with tolerance breaks of 15/30 days the mushrooms lose their magic and the trips become kinda répétitive. And I’m eager to have more “social” experiences on lower doses, as the outcome seems very positive when done with the right poeple.
Hi Nicolas, thank you for your time, yours is not a comment but an actual post!
While I was reading I was wondering where the ideal trip was, in fact I was reading about non-ideal trips, to those who have read your story I recommend not to do like you, extreme doses without a sitter is like playing Russian roulette.
Towards the end of your story we finally arrived at ideal travels, where both nature and friends are present, we should be able to travel in this way more often, in these times of “social distancing” we need instead to huddle and stay together. To this image I add the presence of fire, sitting in a circle around the fire with a few grams of mushrooms for each … what else? I wish you all the best 🙂
Thanks for your reply, indeed I don’t recommend going my way and extreme doses without a sitter may be dangerous. The time when I redropped two times, amounting a total of 85g truffles, was retrospectively stupid. But as I wrote, I had experience with dextrometorphan which I find way more scary than any mushroom trip. With DXM, I had a feeling that my body was doing things ahead of my mind and I couldn’t decide anything. And I couldn’t focus on breathing. For mushrooms, 1)I had the feeling that they are deeply benevolent. The worst moments were not with the highest doses, but when it was dark and I had a very unpleasant feeling of cold. 2)My sitter was my breathing. No matter how much “mindfuck” there could be, I could always focus on breathing. I have a small experience of buddhism, when I’m about to trip I always remind myself that breathing is everything, it anchors me in the present and any ideas no matter how strange they are, are just ideas. Breathing is our easiest connection with a superior power, we cannot decide not to breathe and psilocybin never made someone stop breathing. But the more informed and experienced I get, the more I tend to think that one should aim for the lowest effective dose, and for higher doses, well…I agree that a trip sitter is best, but from your own account you took 20g (which seems even to me a dose I would not dare to tackle )without a sitter…To each his own, for my friends who want to try I’m utterly careful, for myself, well, through dozens of trips I know that in the worst case I’m gonna lie in bed, and if things became unbearable, I have some benzodiazépines at hand. Everyone comes from a different place, I’m an abstinent alcoholic, I’ve been hooked on opiates…
Ah and I forgot to mention that I had a previous encounter with shrooms, when I was young and really stupid, I was in Holland with a friend and after consuming large quantities of weed and alcohol we took some mexicana, after an hour they were doing nothing so we took the second half, when they came up I was clearly launched into a state of psychosis, the sheer speed of my thoughts and the crazy emotional changes were the scariest experience ever. I waited 20 years before trying shrooms again. Without alcohol I know it can’t be so damn scary. But J agree, I’m not a good exemple, I do not adivse anyone to follow my own reckless path, and I know psychedelics are powerful and should be treated with respect.
Hey Tripson,
I love out by the deserts of Southern California so I feel like my best trips have been in Joshua Tree (many years ago before it was “quite” so popular). As I said that was many, many years ago. My best trip included friends (who were also very experienced). We began tripping in the afternoon when it was still light out. We also all were able to venture out on our own to explore the landscape and literally “commune” with nature, and when we were feeling like it we could also seek out another person. By nighttime we lit a fire and all sat around it, either staring deeply into the fire or wandering not too far off to lie on a rock and watch the Perseids meteor shower. I do have to say that the only time there was music involved it was played deep in a cave by my brother and a little too intense for me, so I went back out in the Sun. Regardless it was wonderful to read your writing to re-familiarize with tripping as I plan a solo one soon. Thanks for all the fabulous info!!
Dear Denyse, I have nothing to add to your evocative description, I felt like I was there with you, thank you so much for the resonance that I felt as if I knew you. Please keep in touch. Hugs
Many thanks for your great blog! I appreciate the love and care you have for well beeing of your readers, it really shines between the lines!
I’m just about to start my exploration and have my first batch of B+ strain developing on my book shelve.
I’ve had two of experiences with low (~2g ) doses mushrooms and LSD. The first occasion was with my dear friends place and I consumed perhaps one cap and two stalks if I remember correctly. I could definitively feel the effects and had some visuals, especially with candle flames that I ended up staring. I had also a strong realization where I was really struck by the idea how all our experiences are only “inside our heads”. The LSD trips have been very much on the recreational level but I think experienced one of my only nights out with out my social anxiety and mental hold up that I am often carrying with me. I still embrace the feeling of being able to look people directly into eye and smile a smile that was reflected back to me from their faces.
After a 5 year break of psychedelics, I want to approach mushrooms from a new perspective and use it explore the effects on small doses and see whether I will have meaningful experiences. I do have a lingering wish that they would help me to cope with the social anxiety mental hold up that is limiting the prospects of my life. Perhaps have more courage to start doing things in a different way despite the shyness that I am experiencing.
I am planning to start with 1 g doses on solo settings and see how my experience and overall well-being develops into. If things go well, Í will gradually go up to 2 g on my own. In case I’m still curious to try higher doses I hope to find a sitter. Perhaps I can find some experienced sitter that could guide me through the journey in an atmosphere of safety and acceptance. I just ordered your book and can’t wait to get the paperback on my hands and start planning my ceremonial setting. Wish you all the best.
Dear Geofrey, thank you for your appreciation! You say that mushrooms have offered you moments of awareness about social anxiety and understandings on the fact that experiences are inside our heads: excellent result, mushrooms sometimes give you this peculiar point of view, it remains our task to accept that all the external is only internal!
I have improved my relationship with others by recognizing that what I feared of others was what I thought of others! For example, the fear of feeling judged (for any reason) is caused by the judgment I have towards others! The mushroom can help you explore this “mirror”, be confident, you have already started well.
Thanks for taking my book, thanks for your trust, write to me and let me know, if I can help you I’m here! All the best 🙂
Hey thanks a lot for this blog
I have taken shrooms many times in my youth, then stopped for 35 years while raising kids, and now in my late 50s will be back into it again. I’m sure it will feel like the first time! 🙂
May I ask 3 boring practical questions?
1 – How empty your stomach should ideally be? For example, for a morning trip, better have a light brekkie b4, right?… Not good to take the tea without eating anything? 2 – do you usually eat and drink DURING the trip? I honestly don’t remember. Just wondering if I should have food handy… 3 – Also don’t remember if we have cravings after, like the munchies? I’m basically wondering if I should go buy some chocolate and bread before starting my trip tmr. Many thanks again, awesome blog with so many awesome people commenting too. Good on us, connecting to nature and its healing powers to find better ways. PS – also, if I take it late afternoon, I might not be able to sleep right?…. I’m taken 10 small dry ones = 2g. And have a kind of a sitter. Thanks!
Hi love, many years have passed, but I think you don’t forget completely, a bit like riding a bicycle, you won’t do stunts if you haven’t been driving for a long time, but you will never forget how to do it.
1) the stomach must be simply empty to avoid interactions with fungi, in the initial phase you may feel nausea if you have food in the stomach; no fasting is needed, especially if you are not used to fasting, so let at least 3/4 hours pass after your last meal, 5/6 hours if you have eaten a lot.
2) Do I eat and drink during the trip? If I’m hungry or thirsty, yes! You usually have no stimulation when the effect is most intense, you usually drink water or eat some nuts in the descending phase of the experience.
3) Munchies like with Cannabis? You don’t usually get so greedy 🙂 but your sense of taste is expanded and you appreciate good food more; fruit is always delicious while less wholesome foods can satisfy for a moment but then annoy – I am referring to sweets above all, but then it depends on each one’s preferences.
I don’t know if 10 small dried mushrooms weigh 2 grams, only a scale can tell for sure, but if you take that amount in the late afternoon I’d say you sleep well in the evening even if you go to bed before midnight. Please let me know how it went! I wish you all the best!
Thanks 🫀
DM Tripson spot-it-on! It’s like diving into a maze of questions we’ve all had before a trip. The way they break down everything from setting to dosage is super helpful and relatable. Plus, it’s cool how they hint at this perfect tripping place while keeping it real about the individual nature of psychedelic experiences. Thanks for sharing this gem—it’s definitely making my next trip planning way less daunting!
Thank you Psilo!!! 🙂