Psilocybin mushrooms—colloquially known as shrooms—are a type of naturally growing mushroom which contain the compound psilocybin. They grow naturally all over the world in moist environments and have been in use for thousands of years by cultures all over the world.

At very low doses (microdoses), psilocybin acts as a mood enhancer, giving you a warm and fuzzy feeling and a sense of clarity and focus where you can be more productive and social.

The higher the dose, the more profound the experience becomes; both in terms of what you see and hear (visual and auditory hallucinations) and what you experience (often a different perspective on yourself and your life).

Today, psilocybin is being used extensively in clinical trials for treatment-resistant depression, addiction, alcoholism, eating disorders and other conditions with success. Psilocybin-assisted therapy has been given FDA “breakthrough therapy” status in the USA, as a treatment for depression.

Despite what you were taught in high school, psilocybin mushrooms are safe for healthy people. For the past few years mushrooms have ranked as the Global Drug Survey’s safest illicit substance—safer even than cannabis because they put the least amount of people in the hospital.

Psilocybin mushrooms are not considered addictive because they don’t tend to give users an escape like alcohol or opioids. Tolerance builds up very quickly – taking mushrooms two days in a row often results in a less intense experience the second day, for example.

The following people should avoid consumption of psilocybin mushrooms:

• Those under the age of 18
• Those with health conditions e.g., mental condition
• Those who are pregnant and/or breastfeeding
• Those taking medications that interact with serotonin receptors, mainly SSRI and SNRI antidepressants

We generally recommend you consume water with shrooms – it makes the experience much more enjoyable. If you are going to consume alcohol, do so in moderation as it tends to cause dehydration.