Key takeaways.
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What kinds of detox should I do before a trip?
When it comes to a magic mushroom trip, it's important you do some kind of physical detox before the journey. This can include fasting, abstaining from alcohol and keeping the diet light.
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How should I prepare my mind before a mushroom trip?
Keep one day before the journey reserved for meditating, walking in the forest, or reading books. At least one day before journeying should be dedicated to quiet time.
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Should I avoid any herbs or supplements before a mushroom trip?
Avoid adaptogenic herbs before a mushroom journey.
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How can I ensure I have a great trip?
Having a question or intention helps to inform your journey, keeps you grounded during the experience, and acts as a guiding tool throughout your magic mushroom trip.
You might be preparing for your first magic mushroom trip; you might be preparing for your tenth. Either way, how you prepare for a magic mushroom trip in the days leading up to it can affect a) how positive your mushroom trip is and b) how strong and vivid it is.
Certain foods and herbs can impact the way that you experience magic mushrooms. Alcohol, for example, can interfere with the clarity of the journey and make it confusing. Adaptogenic herbs (found in many supplements) can diminish the effects of a magic mushroom trip, making it more subtle and less profound. Stimulants like caffeine can intensify the effects of a magic mushroom journey, and lemon tekking can intensify the trip by 2 - 3 times. With all of these things considered, you can prepare for your journey in a way that’s most conducive to what you would like to feel and experience.
As you’re going to learn, astral traveler, sometimes preparation is also about preference. But as you’ll also learn, taking mushrooms and preparing for the trip turns into something like a ritual. How you perform your ritual will be all about you, but we have some guiding advice to make your mushroom experience as safe and pleasant as possible for your mind and body.
Psychedelic therapists can help you prepare for your magic mushroom trip.
Psychedelic-assisted therapists can play a crucial role in helping you set intentions for their psychedelic journeys. Through personalized sessions, they guide you in exploring your motivations, goals, and desires for the experience.
Therapists assist in formulating clear and meaningful intentions, which can enhance the therapeutic and transformative potential of the journey. They provide psychological support and insight to ensure that your intentions align with your personal growth and healing objectives.
Therapists can also offer valuable guidance in creating a secure and conducive environment for a successful psychedelic experience. They can help you assess their physical surroundings, ensuring safety and comfort during the journey. Therapists also support you in managing potential stressors and addressing any concerns that might arise during the preparation phase. This assistance fosters a sense of trust and confidence, which is essential for a positive and effective psychedelic session.
Ultimately, the point of working with a therapist is to create a more profound and therapeutic psychedelic experience. It can result in increased self-awareness, personal growth, resolution of emotional issues, and a better understanding of your thoughts and emotions faster than if you attempt it yourself.
We created a directory of psychedelic therapy clinics to help you find a psychedelic therapist near you. If you are seeking help from a trusted psilocybin therapist, refer to our Trusted Psychedelic Therapists portal.
Don't forget to integrate.
Psychedelic therapists play a vital role in integration after a psychedelic experience. They can help you process and make sense of your journey, which can be confusing and overwhelming.
They can also offer insights and strategies to apply the experience positively to their daily lives.
Psychedelic preparation is important for microdosing, too.
Preparing for microdosing, similar to macrodosing, can help enhance the quality and clarity of your experiences. It allows you to focus on the intended benefits of microdosing, such as increased creativity, mood enhancement, or productivity.
Some aspects of preparation, like detoxification and mental quietude, can apply to microdosing, especially if you seek profound benefits. However, the degree of preparation may vary based on the goals of macrodosing and microdosing.
Read: Microdose Cycling: What It Is, and Why You Should Be Doing It
Tip 1. Detox for 1 - 3 days before your mushroom trip.
Almost all civilizations that had an ethnobotanical culture emphasized the importance of preparation before a psychedelic journey. For example, the Shipibo people of Peru abstain from sex, alcohol, pharmaceutical medicine, red meat, garlic, and onions in preparation for an Ayahuasca ceremony. There is sometimes an element of fasting, too. Underneath all of these practices is the concept of detoxification.
The point of detoxifying the body is twofold:
First, to detoxify your body also detoxifies your mind.
Second, the fewer toxins in your body and mind, the more you can experience the “spirit” of the psychedelic without interference from other things.
For example, alcohol has a “psychoactive” effect all on its own. Drinking that in the days leading up to the journey may cause the effects of alcohol to “bleed” into your mushroom experience, confusing the purity and clarity of the mushrooms themselves.
There is also the chance of experiencing nausea with magic mushrooms, so having a clean, empty stomach and detoxified digestive tract can reduce some of these unwanted side effects.
You can detox by eating clean, whole, healthy foods. Include lots of vegetables and white meats (fish and chicken) but abstain from red meats. Drink lots of water. Don’t take any other recreational drugs leading up to a mushroom journey and abstain from alcohol for at least 3 days prior.
Tip 2. Have quiet time for at least one day.
In The Psychedelic Experience by Timothy Leary, he strongly advocates the importance of mental quietude around the time of taking psychedelics. Just as it’s important to detoxify the body, it’s also important to quiet your mind from the distractions and chitter-chatter of everyday life.
If you are looking for a deeper, more profound psychedelic experience from magic mushrooms, this is a very important preparation step. The more you can clear your mind from mundane thoughts like which day is trash day, when rent is due, what’s on for work, and the like, the more space you'll have to invite in an enlightening experience.
Spend the day before your mushroom journey in a quiet space, enjoying music, meditating, stretching, doing mild exercise, and just generally focusing on yourself. It doesn’t matter what you do, so long as you aren’t busying yourself with tasks. Reading a book, taking a bath, taking a walk, and hanging out with furry creatures are all totally acceptable forms of quiet time.
Tip 3. Avoid adaptogenic herbs for at least 3 days before a mushroom trip.
If you're considering magic mushrooms, chances are you're health-conscious and are on some sort of herbal or vitamin regime. Often, these herbal tinctures and supplements contain adaptogenic plants. For example, chaga, reishi, maca, ashwagandha, and tulsi are all adaptogenic herbs. These herbs are commonly used in health products, so make sure to stop taking them for at least 3 days before a mushroom journey.
The rationale behind stopping adaptogenic herbs is that adaptogens are powerful grounding herbs that help the brain and body adapt to stress. Adaptogens are like stress vaccines — that’s literally how they’ve been referred to by scientists. This might sound really conducive to a magic mushroom trip, but it can actually reduce the strength and overall profundity of the experience.
Adaptogens keep you cemented to the ground. But you really don’t want that during a magic mushroom trip.
For the record, adaptogens are fine to use while microdosing because the objective of microdosing is entirely different. For macrodosing, it’s best for your body to be clear of any adaptogenic herbs and plants.
Tip 4. Forming an intention or question informs your journey.
Finally, in the days leading up to your magic mushroom journey, you can take time to think about an intention or question for your journey. It can be something as simple as finding a lost object or you might just go in with the simple intention of curiosity. It could be something as deep as reconciling traumas or damaged relationships. Whatever it is, having a clear idea helps to inform and guide your journey.
Sometimes when you take magic mushrooms, it can be strong and overwhelming. Visual perception, mental perception and emotional activity all change under the effects of magic mushrooms. It’s sometimes easy to get lost in all of the experiences you're having. Having an intention or question and being able to remember and circle back to that helps to keep you focused and less overwhelmed.
You might even be surprised by what happens when you go in with a specific intention, too.
Bonus Tip 1. Dosage is important.
The choice of magic mushroom strain can significantly influence the nature of the psychedelic experience.
Different strains contain varying levels of psychoactive compounds like psilocybin and psilocin. For example, Psilocybe cubensis strains like Golden Teacher are known for their moderate potency, while Psilocybe azurescens strains are much more potent.
Selecting the right strain and dosage involves considering your experience level, desired intensity, and specific goals for the journey. A knowledgeable choice can lead to a more tailored and satisfying experience.
Bonus Tip 2. So is the strain and potency.
Awareness of the potency of different magic mushroom strains is vital in ensuring a safe and controllable psychedelic experience. Preparing with the right dosage of mushrooms, based on their potency, helps you avoid an overwhelming or underwhelming trip.
High-potency mushrooms may lead to intense experiences, while low-potency ones might not provide the desired effects. Dosing accordingly allows for a more predictable and manageable journey, contributing to a positive and transformative experience.
Be prepared for the unexpected.
A magic mushroom journey is different every single time. That’s why no matter how many times you’ve done it, you never really know what to expect. Having a preparation ritual helps you settle into a comfortable place in your mind and body so that when the unexpected occurs, you’re cool, calm, and collected.
If you were about to go on the greatest journey of your life to meet a great wise sage, you would prepare. You might prepare your questions or your greeting, or you might prepare by brushing up on your knowledge of some scripture. It’s the same with mushrooms. Just because taking them doesn’t require you to walk out of your house, doesn’t mean it’s not a journey — and doesn’t mean it’s not worth the preparation.
Preparation for a magic mushroom trip doesn’t necessarily make you more prepared for what’s about to happen. As we said, it’s unexpected every single time. But preparation helps you to be ready and strong for the unexpected, and puts you in a welcoming space for profound thoughts, feelings, and visions.
What are your most important preparation rituals for a magic mushroom journey? We'd love to hear from you in the comments.
Preparing for magic mushrooms FAQs.
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Why is it essential to prepare for a magic mushroom trip in advance?
Preparing for a magic mushroom trip in advance is crucial because it can significantly influence the quality of your experience. Proper preparation can make your trip more positive, intense, and vivid.
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How can foods and herbs impact a magic mushroom trip?
Certain foods and herbs can affect your magic mushroom experience. Alcohol can interfere with clarity, adaptogenic herbs can make the trip subtle, and caffeine can intensify effects. Techniques like lemon tekking can also enhance the trip. Preparing in a way that aligns with your desired experience is essential.
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Why should you detox for 1-3 days before a mushroom trip?
Detoxifying the body is important to enhance the purity and clarity of the magic mushroom experience. Removing toxins, such as alcohol or red meat, can prevent them from interfering with your journey. Detoxification can also reduce the chance of experiencing nausea during the trip.
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What should you do to detoxify before a mushroom trip?
To detoxify before a mushroom trip, eat clean, whole, healthy foods, focus on vegetables and white meats, and drink plenty of water. Avoid red meats, alcohol, and recreational drugs for at least three days leading up to the trip.
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Why is it important to have quiet time for at least one day before a mushroom trip?
Mental quietude is crucial before taking magic mushrooms. Clearing your mind from everyday distractions allows for a more profound and enlightening experience. Spend the day before your trip in a quiet space, engage in relaxing activities, and avoid tasks that keep your mind busy.
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Why should you avoid adaptogenic herbs before a mushroom trip?
Adaptogenic herbs, which help the body adapt to stress, can reduce the strength and profundity of a magic mushroom experience. They anchor you to the ground, which isn't desirable during a trip. However, adaptogens are suitable for microdosing since the objectives of microdosing differ.
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How can forming an intention or question impact your mushroom journey?
Having a clear intention or question for your journey can guide and inform your experience. It keeps you focused, less overwhelmed, and may lead to profound insights. Whether it's a simple or deep intention, it helps you make the most of the trip.
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Why is it important to be prepared for the unexpected during a magic mushroom trip?
Magic mushroom trips are different every time, and the unexpected can occur. Preparation helps you settle into a comfortable mental and physical state, so you remain calm and collected when unexpected experiences arise. It creates a welcoming space for profound thoughts, feelings, and visions.
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Are there different methods for consuming magic mushrooms, and how do they affect the trip?
Yes, there are various methods to consume magic mushrooms, including brownies, gummies, shroom tea, and lemon tekking. Lemon tekking can intensify the trip by 2-3 times, but reduces nausea, onset time, and the total trip duration. Each method can influence the onset, duration, and intensity of the trip, so choose one that aligns with your preferences and goals.
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Do psychedelic therapists play a role in determining the appropriate magic mushroom dosage for me?
Yes, some therapists will work with you to determine the appropriate dosage based on their goals and needs. They consider factors like your mental health history and previous experiences with psychedelics.
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Is it necessary to have a psychedelic therapist present during a psychedelic experience, or can they provide guidance remotely?
While in-person sessions are common, some therapists in our directory can provide guidance remotely. However, in-person therapy allows for more immediate support and is often preferred, especially for higher-dose experiences.
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Can I work with psychedelic therapists for both macrodosing and microdosing experiences?
Yes, you can work with some psychedelic therapists for both macrodosing (full psychedelic trips) and microdosing (sub-perceptual doses). Psychedelic therapists tailor their approach to meet the unique needs and objectives of each experience.
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What product would you recommend for a magic mushroom journey?
We have two macrodose formulations so you can completely tailor your magic mushroom journey to your needs. Our Balanced High is a refined take on the renowned Scooby Snacks, and is designed to promote a shorter, more intense, energetic, and creative trip. Extended Release, as the name implies, extends the length of the trip, but offers a more gentle psychedelic journey.
