How Do Mushrooms Make You Feel? Discover the Curious Emotions They Evoke and How To Facilitate a Positive Journey

If you’re considering taking psychedelic mushrooms for the first time, not knowing what to expect and the possibility of a “bad trip” looming over your head is enough to make anyone hesitate.

The truth is, you can’t control every aspect of your journey or predict exactly how mushrooms make you feel, but there are things you can do to facilitate a positive experience.

Don’t let the unknown hold you back — but also don’t leave the entire outcome of your experience to chance.

Continue with us as we explore how most people feel when they take mushrooms and what you can do to ensure you have a safe, enjoyable journey.

What Is Psilocybin in Mushrooms?

Psilocybin is the active prodrug compound found naturally in “magic mushrooms” that causes the psychedelic effect.

Psilocybin is still considered a Schedule 1 drug by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), defined as drugs with a high potential for abuse.

However, numerous studies have found psilocybin mushrooms to have many psychological benefits. They have also been used for religious purposes in dozens of cultures throughout history.

As a result, many cities have decriminalized psilocybin and legalized its supervised use, including Oregon and Colorado.

‍How Does Psilocybin Work?

Psilocybin alone is biologically inactive, but when ingested and metabolized by the body into psilocin, it has mind-altering, hallucinogenic effects. 

Psilocybin can induce a state of altered consciousness that has lasting personal and spiritual significance. 

Most people take mushrooms by eating them fresh or cooked, then mixed with food to disguise the bitter taste.

Dried mushrooms are sometimes brewed for tea, powdered and snorted or put into capsules, or smoked in a mixture with tobacco or cannabis.

Psilocybin can also be found as a tincture that can be taken by mouth or injected.

‍How Do Magic Mushrooms Make You Feel?‍

‍8 of the Most Common Feelings Experienced After Taking Mushrooms

The effects after taking mushrooms will vary depending on factors like:

• Dosage
• Freshness
• Season and location they have been grown. (All mushrooms served at licensed service centers are grown in licensed manufacturing facilities.) 

Additionally, your surroundings and the intentions you set before embarking on your journey will affect your mental state, preparedness, and emotions you may experience.

Still, many people report similar effects so be prepared to experience some of the most common side effects when taking mushrooms.

Physical Feelings

#1: Nausea or Vomiting

Most people experience feeling nauseous or vomiting about 30 minutes to one hour after ingesting mushrooms.

The amount of nausea may be influenced by hydration, physical condition, metabolism, dosage, or other factors. 

Mushrooms are made mostly of chitin, an indigestible polysaccharide that triggers inflammation and immune response.

Some suggest processes of ingestion that involve breaking down the chitin as much as possible through grinding into a powder form or chewing for at least 30 minutes to assist in digestion and decrease the chance of nausea. 

Though most people experience nausea, it usually subsides as the psilocybin peaks in the system.

#2: Increased Heart Rate

Another compound found in magic mushrooms is phenethylamine. 

Phenethylamine acts as a stimulant, neurotransmitter, and hallucinogen in the body. 

Chemically similar to amphetamine, it has similar effects including rapid heart rate, increased blood pressure, agitation, and nausea.

#3: Drowsiness

Not everyone experiences drowsiness when they take mushrooms.

Most people who do report feeling drowsy feel it early on in their journey.

Drowsiness and yawning mark the period when your digestive system starts the conversion of psilocybin to psilocin.

Psilocin and psilocybin affect serotonin receptors in the brain. These receptors react by releasing neuropeptides including serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin, which have been found to cause yawning and drowsiness.

The yawning and drowsiness will usually wear off after the first hour of taking mushrooms.

#4: Lack of Coordination

Depending on your individual experience, you may lose connection with your physical body or lack coordination.

On the other hand, some users experience a heightened sense of reflexes and feel more in tune with their bodily functions.

The dose and experience level may also play a part in whether you experience this side effect or not.

‍Emotional Feelings

#5: Euphoria

Euphoric feelings can take you outside of your body as you feel a heightened sense of consciousness. 

Euphoria can be linked with a deeper sense of spirituality or religious connection.

Individuals might also begin to experience euphoric ego dissolution, a deep sense of interconnectedness with the world around them, which can lead to profound insights and spiritual growth.

#6: Hallucinations

Psilocin and psilocybin bind to serotonin receptors in the brain.

A study in mice found that when psilocin binds itself to serotonin receptors, it weakens the primary visual region of the mouse’s brain. 

Scientists believe this is due to the brain filling in missing information, causing visual hallucinations. 

Some people may also experience synesthesia, which can give you the feeling of tasting sounds or hearing colors.

#7: Anxiety or Paranoia

If you haven’t prepared mentally or emotionally, you may experience anxiety or paranoia.

To some, the hallucinations or loss of control can trigger feelings of anxiety or paranoid thoughts.

Having a facilitator to guide you through your experience and away from negative emotions or feelings can be useful. 

Before taking mushrooms, a facilitator will discuss with you any previous experience and what you’d like to achieve before recommending a dose.

You can share your intentions for your journey with your facilitator and they will usher you throughout the process, as well as ensure a safe environment. 

Knowing someone is with you who has your best interest at heart can be enough to curb anxiety and paranoia.

If you’re interested in learning how you can assist others on their path to healing with psilocybin contact Clinical Cognitive Training today.

Our training courses provide you with the tools you need to become a trusted certified psilocybin facilitator in Oregon.

‍#8: Altered Sense of Time

A minute may feel like an hour, or an hour may feel like a minute.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, people who take mushrooms can lose a sense of time and space.

Depending on your dose, experience, and metabolism, the average trip can last from five to eight hours.

‍How Do Mushroom Gummies Make You Feel Compared To Alternative Dosing Methods?

Alternative methods of consuming magic mushrooms have gained popularity for their convenience and discreteness. 

Gummies provide a chewable option that can be easily dosed.

The effects of mushroom gummies compared to other alternative dosing methods depend on the amount of psilocybin contained in the gummies.

The taste of gummies is often preferred for those who find the taste of dried magic mushrooms unpleasant, or for those who want a more controlled dosage experience.

Factors That Help Determine How You Might Feel After Taking Mushrooms

In addition to factors like dosage, freshness, season, and location where the mushrooms were grown, other elements can influence how magic mushrooms will affect you.

Your journey with magic mushrooms can vary depending on:

• Your expectations and intentions
• Your age and weight
• If and what you’ve eaten recently
• Your current medications, including SSRIs
• Past and present substance use; and
• Your personality

A licensed psilocybin facilitator can help tailor your experience to cultivate optimal conditions that encourage a positive journey.

A Psilocybin Facilitator Can Help Guide How Mushrooms Make You Feel — Learn More With Clinical Cognitive Training

If you want to try mushrooms and would like a knowledgeable, trained person to guide you through the process and help you get the most out of your experience, Clinical Cognitive Training can help. 

Our licensed psilocybin facilitators are highly trained to provide ethical care for people who are looking to embark on a journey to healing from mood disorders or trauma, or who are looking for deeper spiritual exploration.

If you are interested in becoming a licensed psilocybin facilitator in Oregon, Clinical Cognitive Training is the country’s leading psilocybin facilitator training facility.

With flexible training program options, we can equip you with the skills necessary to provide the best support for your clients.

Contact us today for more information or to register for training

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