How Long Does a Shrooms Trip Last?
We love us some mushrooms. Neither plant nor animal, mushrooms are a kingdom of their own. Some of them are food, some are medicine, some are poison, and some are even magic (sort of).
Here, we’re focusing on the magic kind. Magic mushrooms is the colloquial name for psychedelic mushrooms, sometimes called simply “shrooms.” This actually encompasses multiple species and varieties of mushrooms with hallucinogenic properties. Magic mushrooms have a long history of use by humans for recreational, religious, and ritualistic practices.
In this article we’ll be answering three questions:
1. How long does a shrooms trip last?
2. How long does the effect of shrooms last?
3. How long does shrooms last in your system?
Do these questions all sound the same to you? Actually, there’s an important distinction. When we talk about how long shrooms last, we can be referring to multiple different things. For example, there’s a difference between the acute effects of a mushroom trip, long-term shifts in perspective and attitude, or chemical biomarkers that would show up on a drug test.
Check out this table for a quick summary:
*"4-6 hours"
*"1-2 days"
Hopefully, you have a curious mind and this table sparked more questions than answers for you.
If you’re very new to shrooms, you might be wondering what exactly we mean by a “trip.”
If you’re interested in the therapeutic, or even spiritual, powers of mushrooms, then you may wonder how shrooms can permanently change the way your mind operates.
And if you’re worried about legality, then you might be interested to know how long the biomarkers of shrooms will remain in your system.
Keep reading to learn how a 4–6-hour mushrooms trip can have other effects that last much longer.
How Long Does a Shrooms Trip Last?
The shrooms trip, or in other words, the acute state of altered consciousness, can last from 4-6 hours depending on the dose, the method of consumption, and the tolerance of the consumer.
But what do we mean by “trip?” The experience of consuming psychedelic shrooms is called a trip because it’s transporting. While you may remain conscious of your surroundings and reality, you are likely to experience them in a completely different way. Some of the easiest changes to characterize are the visual changes. Colors are brighter and more vivid, and exist where you never noticed them before. Shrooms have the effect of erasing the patterns that your brain and body have memorized so that you can experience the world from a fresh perspective.
That’s not to say that all trips are positive experiences, since some consumers report “bad trips” – full of paranoia and anxiety. It’s important to consume mushrooms in a safe and controlled environment with supervision.
In order to understand how long a trip will last, we need to look at the active compounds in mushrooms as well as what is going on in the brain. People are very different from each other. Mushrooms are also very different from each other. Both of these come into play when considering dosing.
The major bioactive compounds in most psychedelic mushrooms are psilocybin and psilocin, and these can vary greatly depending on the species and type of mushroom. Psilocybin is metabolized into psilocin by the body, and psilocin is the primary compound responsible for the psychoactive effects of mushrooms.
Psilocin exerts its effect on the brain by interacting with the receptors which usually bind serotonin. The more psilocin in the blood, the more psilocin is bound to receptors – which is also associated with an increased subjective sensation of a psychedelic experience.
Mushroom Dosing Guide
Mushroom dosing is highly variable. This chart contains estimated dosages based on an average psilocybin content of about 1% by mass.
However, psilocin and psilocybin concentrations can vary greatly between mushrooms varieties. Psilocybin is more concentrated in the cap compared to the stem. Other chemical constituents of mushrooms may also modulate or enhance the physiological experience. The mode of ingestion can also play a role – for example, soaking shrooms in lemon juice can increase potency.
Another consideration is that people will respond differently to dosages, with some people being more sensitive than others.
Mushroom Microdosing
For microdosing, you would consistently consume a very low dose of mushrooms. The dose is low enough that there should be very little apparent physiological effect. However, microdosing is anecdotally thought to preserve certain benefits such as improved mood, reduced anxiety, and enhanced cognitive function.
Microdosing is technically defined as 1% of the pharmacologically active dose. For mushrooms, microdosing is typically closer to 5-10% of a recreational dose, consuming 1-4 times per week (although there are many different protocols circulating the internet).
Although microdosing is quite popular, there is little to no research proving its efficacy. Only a few studies exist on microdosing shrooms, and they did not show statistically significant improvements in anxiety or depression.
Researchers suggest that a moderate to high dose of shrooms is needed to improve mental health. That’s because at these higher doses, people are able to have psychological insights. And that’s where the longer-term effects of shrooms come into play, as we’ll discuss next. It’s also worth pointing out that there could even be negative long-term health consequences to microdosing – we simply don’t have any research on this.
How Long Does the Effect of Shrooms Last?
For many people, the hope is that their six hours shrooms trip will cause a permanent shift in consciousness. Psilocybin is being researched as a treatment for treatment-resistant depression and other mental health conditions.
When you take shrooms, there are two things going on that may contribute to long-term psycho-emotional healing.
One factor is a shift in brain chemistry. Obviously, there is a temporary shift that occurs during the acute stage of intoxication. We already discussed how psilocybin interacts with the serotonergic system of the brain. As a result, there may be some lasting neurobiological mechanisms that help to reduce depression and anxiety.
But there is another, potentially more important factor. The temporary shift in brain chemistry can also lead to lasting psychological insights. Researchers described something called “oceanic boundlessness.” People who receive effective mental health treatments with psilocybin report a feeling of being one with the universe.
These subjective insights are suggested to enhance the neurobiological changes that took place by helping the person to change their attitude, mood, and behavior.
How Long Do Shrooms Last in Your System?
And then there’s a final, very practical question, which is how long do shrooms – or the evidence of shrooms – last in your system. In other words, how much time does psilocybin spend in your blood, and after that, your urine? Can we see shrooms on a drug test?
When you consume psilocybin, it is rapidly converted to psilocin in the body. Psilocin is a similar molecule, but is more fat-soluble. That means that once it gets into your blood, it can very easily cross the blood-brain barrier to disrupt your normal brain chemistry. The body continues to metabolize psilocin and eventually excretes it, primarily through the urine.
When you are on shrooms, psilocybin and psilocin are easily detected in the blood. They are also easily detectable in a urine sample for about a day or two – or even up to a week, given the right conditions. Read more about how quickly mushrooms are metabolized, and how long they might show up on a drug test.
The Take-Away
So, there you have it – three very different answers to almost the same question. While a shrooms trip may last for a few hours, and the chemical biomarkers for only a few days, the psychological insights gained in that time have the potential to be life-changing.
As always, when experimenting with magic – or magic mushrooms – it’s important to do your research and be responsible. Feel free to contact us for a free consultation.
Shrooms that contain psilocybin are considered federally illegal, at least in the U.S., because psilocybin itself is a Schedule I Controlled Substance. This means that, in the eyes of the federal government, psilocybin has a high potential for misuse, no accepted medical uses, and can only be safely used under the supervision of a medical professional.
Whether or not this classification of shrooms is really fair is up to you, but there are fortunately other options for those looking to experiment without breaking the law. Remember our friend Amanita muscaria, the classic red-and-white toadstool mushroom? Its active ingredients are not controlled substances, which means they are not subject to the same restrictions and legal penalties.
Magic mushrooms, including those with psilocybin and things like A. muscaria, typically begin to kick in within about 30-60 minutes. Effects generally peak after an hour or two, and the entire trip will likely last from four to six hours.
There are, of course, personal and biological factors that can affect how long your shroom experience lasts. The potency of the shrooms in question, the dose you take, and your own metabolism can all influence how strong a trip is and how long it sticks around.
Once your trip has come to a close, you can likely expect the remnants of your fungal friends to linger in your body for about one to three days. Keep in mind, though, that most standard drug tests don’t check for magic mushrooms, and if they do, they’re almost certainly looking for psilocybin.
If drug testing is a concern of yours, it might be best to choose shrooms that are psilocybin-free or time your trips to leave enough days for your body to purge it from your system.
The word “shrooms” is generally used as an umbrella term for different types of psychedelic or “magic” mushrooms.
Unlike the mushrooms we might eat in a dish, shrooms often contain compounds that can produce psychedelic effects, like hallucinations, distorted senses, and altered states of consciousness, also known as “trips.” The most common psychoactive compound found in these sorts of shrooms is psilocybin, but not all shrooms capable of impacting the brain rely on psilocybin to do so.
Many people turn to shrooms for recreational or medicinal purposes (or both), which isn’t a new phenomenon; many types of mushrooms have been used for centuries or even longer to treat common ailments, promote spiritual exploration, and bring people closer together.
In fact, some shrooms, like fly agaric (Amanita muscaria), are so ancient that researchers have traced their origins back to the period before indigenous peoples crossed from Eurasia to the Americas via the Bering Straits. That means that shroom use has been around for almost as long as modern human society has!
- Use the right amount for your body.
- Pay attention to side effects.
- Talk to a doctor before starting any new medication plan, shroomy or not.
- Take time to find the right products for your needs and goals.
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