Mr ADHD
Well-Known Member
I take no credit for this. I found this on an Amsterdam smart shop forum while searching for dosage information.
This answered all my questions and then some:
Sclerotia FAQ - a.k.a Philosophers Stones / Magic Truffles
Posted: 2009-11-05, 6:28 pm
Aldebran Linkbat
Supporting Member
Posts: 261
Location: UK Reply to topic
SCLEROTIA FAQ INTRODUCTION
There is something else that can see when the eyes are closed
(De Richleau, speaking in the novel The Devil Rides Out)
There is a lot of info on the net about magic mushrooms, but not much that is specifically about sclerotia
(a.k.a magic truffles/philosophers stones). The aim of this thread is:
*to provide some up-to-date info on the types & brands of sclerotia available in Amsterdam
*to provide a comparison between mushrooms and sclerotia (for those who have previously tried mushrooms but not sclerotia)
*Provide some useful information for people who have never taken psychedelic drugs and are curious about trying magic truffles when they visit Amsterdam. Hallucinogenic drugs are not toys, and to ensure you have a safe and enjoyable trip, its very important to know something about the drug before you try it! The current legal status of sclerotia in the Netherlands will only last as long as people it use it sensibly without injuring themselves reckless use could hurt not only yourself but jeopardise the availability of sclerotia for future users. This is a very long thread, but if you only read one part of it, read the ten commandments below:
Why try sclerotia?
For potential trippers, the first thing to consider is why do you want to do this? Hallucinogenic drugs are very interesting but not everyones idea of fun. They dont give a strong sensation of immediate pleasure in the same way as ecstasy or other stimulants, they wont make you feel incredibly self-confident and they wont make you instantly forget your troubles. If you just want to get fucked up or be out of it you might as well stick to alcohol, and if you want to get high youd be better off with weed. Think for yourself and dont let your mates (or me!) persuade you into an unpleasant experience that you never really wanted to have.
Sclerotia Quick Guide:
The following is taken from a flyer issued by McSmart (a truffle distributor). Ill reproduce it here as it offers concise, helpful advice which is worth reading at home before you even think about buying sclerotia/truffles
#############################################
The 10 Commandments:
this flyer is to inform you about truffles and their use:
Be Prepared
1) Come prepared, know what to expect. Truffles will give you a visual and hallucinogenic experience known as a trip.
You will become extremely aware of yourself and will discover more about your personality than you can imagine.
2) Consume truffles in secure, safe and quiet surroundings.
3) Consume truffles only when you are mentally fit and fully at ease. Never consume truffles when depressed, down or unhappy.
4) Consume truffles only when you want to, not because someone tells you to.
5) Sale and use under 18 is not allowed. Never combine alcohol, medications or other drugs with truffles. Do not operate machines or take part in traffic. Be aware that your reaction time is at least three times slower than under normal circumstances.
Be Aware
6) Chewing well and for a long time enhances the effects. Never consume truffles on a full stomach. Do not consume truffles sooner than 2 hours after any meal.
7) Never consume more than one box, always start out with half a box. The effects start after 30 to 45 minutes. Only then decide whether you want to increase your dosage.
Accept the short periods of fear and doubt during the trip, they are a part of it and will disappear shortly. After a maximum of 6 hours, the entire trip will have come to an end. At the better smart shops, trip stoppers are offered. If not available, take a normal dosage of vitamin C and as much sugar as you can handle.
9) Take time to deal with all the impressions and process the experience.
10) Truffles are one of the best experiences nature has to offer. The gifts of nature are there to be enjoyed.
McSmart
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Background to this FAQ
My personal experiences with sclerotia have involved 4 separate trips, 2 with Mexicana, 2 with Atlantis, at a range of fairly high doses alone in my hotel room, listening to music & writing down the experience in a notepad (which is where the occasional quotes in blue come from). This is against a background of 10 previous mushroom experiences for comparison. The descriptions of effects and so on are accurate, but remember that they only represent a small number of personal experiences in a particular setting.
Any comments and suggestions, especially on recommended doses and activities while tripping, would be useful, as my experience with sclerotia (alone, indoors) is not typical of the way that most people would use it. The information here comes mainly from personal experience, but also various research on the internet, which revealed a lack of easily accessible information specifically about sclerotia.
ABOUT SCLEROTIA
What happened to the mushrooms? Are they illegal now?
The bad news is that sales of fresh magic mushrooms have been illegal in Holland since December 2008 (although mushroom growkits can still be sold). The good news is that sclerotia are legal, the best known type of which are the Philosophers Stones. Sclerotia are not mushrooms (although they are formed by the same organism that mushrooms grow from), and therefore not covered by the mushroom ban. The legal status of sclerotia has been confirmed by the Dutch government, which has no immediate plan to change the situation.
What the hell is sclerotia?
Sclerotia are small, hard, nutty, oddly-shaped brown lumps of fungal material. They have the appearance of chocolate-covered popcorn but taste of sour walnuts. More importantly, they are hallucinogenic and sold in small refrigerated packs at your local friendly smartshop.
For a picture see here
Where do sclerotia come from? How are they related to mushrooms?
Im not a biologist or a mushroom grower, but this is a rough explanation based on what Ive read: Mushrooms grow above the ground (where they can release spores to allow reproduction), but the majority of the fungus they form part of is actually underground, looking like thin white plant roots, in a fibrous mat called a mycelium. With certain types of mushroom, sclerotia can form underground within the mycelium. Sclerotia store nutrients in a hard, compact ball shape. During environmental conditions that are not good for the mycelium (e.g a dry summer), the sclerotia can survive underground and re-start growth when conditions improve. Sclerotia is the plural of sclerotium. You may notice small white patches on the sclerotia this is not mould growing on it, this is where the mycelium would normally grow out of it.
For a good picture of sclerotia growing within the mycelium in a growkit see here
to compare, for pictures of mushrooms growing out of the mycelium in a growkit see here
Are sclerotia the same as truffles?
Sclerotia are not, strictly speaking, truffles at all, although they are usually marketed as magic truffles. Real truffles are not hallucinogenic. Anything sold as Magic truffles is technically sclerotia.
Are there different types of sclerotia?
There are 3 main types of sclerotia sold commercially. Each type of sclerotia is named after the mushroom whose mycelium it grows in. Not all magic mushrooms produce sclerotia in their mycelium, for instance the various types of cubensis mushrooms and the Hawaiian mushrooms previously sold in Amsterdam are not types that form sclerotia.
Psilocybe Tampanesis in the wild, the Tampanesis mushroom is extremely rare. It was originally found near Tampa, Florida (hence the name) and cloned to allow commercial production. The sclerotia of this mushroom are the original Philosophers Stones.
Psilocybe Mexicana use of magic mushrooms in western society gradually became popular after samples were brought back from indigenous Mexican ceremonies in the late 1950s. The active ingredients, psilocin & psilocybin, were isolated by Albert Hofmann, the discoverer of LSD, from samples of dried Mexicana mushrooms. This mushroom is known as Teonanacatl (Flesh of the Gods) due to its use by Mazatec shamans in healing ceremonies. Note that this mushroom is not the same as the Mexican cubensis mushrooms previously sold in Amsterdam, and has a different appearance. The Mexicana sclerotia are slightly more potent than Tampanesis.
Psilocybe Atlantis another type of mushroom. This type of sclerotia has appeared on the market in the past few months and is more potent than either Tampanesis or Mexicana. Exercise caution; its surprisingly strong compared to the other types; similar to the difference between the old Cubensis mushrooms and the Hawaiian mushrooms.
What are the different brands of sclerotia on the market? How much does it cost?
It depends which shop you are in, but currently there appear to be 3 main brands of sclerotia for sale in the smart shops, plus various shop-specific versions. Expect to pay around 10-13 for a 10g box, 15-18 for a 15g box, and 20+ for a 20g box. The stronger Atlantis truffles are likely to be slightly more expensive than the others.
McSmart A former distributor of quality magic mushrooms, they have now started selling sclerotia. A highly recommended product.
Tampanesis Philosopher's Stone 10g 15g 20g
Mexicana Flesh of the Gods 10g 15g 20g
Atlantis Fruits of Utopia 10g 15g 20g
Magic Truffles with a bizarre picture of a pig on the box, I believe this company is the truffle business of the former Procare mushroom growers.
Mexicana TEONANACATL 10g 15g
Tampanesis PHILOSOPHERS STONES 10g 15g
Atlantis NUMENORIUM XTC 10g 15g
Sirius - click the link for a Sirius Truffle Guide. Im a little bit sceptical of the claims for distinct differences between the types in terms of body highs and so on, but it gives an idea of which are stronger. Sirius dont specify which exact type of sclerotia is which, but presumably the Cosmic Connectors are the Atlantis type.
Space Shuttles 10g 15g 20g
Dolphin's Delight 10g 15g 20g
Golden Teacher 10g 15g 20g
Cosmic Connectors 10g 15g
**
There were previously packets of sclerotia distributed by De Kameleon as Butterfly (10g), Owl (15g), & Leopard (20g) but these no longer seem to be available. These were all Mexicana sclerotia.
Tatanka sell a 10g box as Mexicana, a 15g box as Columbiana and a 20g box as Hawaiiana in an attempt to offer a rough comparison to former mushroom doses. As mentioned previously, Columbian cubensis mushrooms and Hawaiian mushrooms dont produce sclerotia, so its possible that the packets may simply contain different doses of Mexicana sclerotia. Ive not been in the shop recently to ask.
Conscious Dreams also sell their own brand of Inner Visions sclerotia. The 15g packet of Atlantis I bought on my last visit had 2 huge pieces in it most other brands contain a larger number of smaller pieces, which are probably easier to eat.
In my opinion, any sclerotia sold that doesnt specify the exact type just confuses the issue. The 3 types are ultimately not that different from each other, and look very similar, but its nice to know what you are consuming!
Are the effects of sclerotia similar to magic mushrooms?
Yes. Dont take a huge dose under the mistaken impression that sclerotia are a much weaker version of mushrooms! The only known active ingredients of magic mushrooms* are psilocin and psilocybin, which are also contained in sclerotia. The psilocybin gets converted to psilocin before it enters the brain, so the difference in effects between any type of mushroom or sclerotia will depend purely on how much psilocin gets into your brain and the timescale over which this takes place. Some types of mushroom (such as the Hawaiian) are very strong and take effect very quickly. In terms of potency, sclerotia are more similar in effect to the Cubensis-type mushrooms previously sold as Mexicans, Columbians and so on.
Sclerotia take effect noticeably more slowly than mushrooms, but at comparable doses the results are very similar. Expectation can play a large part, so if you are told that what you are taking is very visual or more philosophical that can influence your trip. In my experience, visual effects are influenced by dose and surroundings (e.g textures on walls and ceilings) more than by the type of mushroom or sclerotia you are eating (although many people would disagree with that). For more information on effects, see the section further down the thread.
* there is another type of magic mushroom called Amanita Muscaria (Fly Agaric) but these are totally different in appearance, active ingredients and effects (less hallucinogenic, often unpredictable and physically unpleasant) so Im ignoring them here.
How does sclerotia work?
From wikipedia: Psilocybin is rapidly dephosphorylated in the body to psilocin which then acts as a partial agonist at the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor in the brain where it mimics the effects of serotonin (5-HT). Psilocin is an 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A/2C agonist.
Well, you did ask. In English: The psilocybin in the sclerotia is turned into psilocin when you eat the sclerotia. The psilocin has a similar chemical structure to the neurotransmitter serotonin. This allows the psilocin to stimulate certain receptors in the brain at an increased rate compared to normal. This leads to an increase in sensory activity and all the other strange effects that psilocin produces. Beyond that, not a great deal is known about how specific effects on consciousness are produced, because the brain is not understood in enough detail.
Is there much difference between the types of sclerotia?
The only real difference is likely to be the strength of each type. Mexicana is reportedly slightly stronger than Tampanesis, and Atlantis is stronger than either of those.
So where can I buy them?
Four reputable shops spread around the city (there are many others) are:
Conscious Dreams Kokopelli, Warmoesstraat 12 (near the RLD) Conscious Dreams Kokopelli
Tatanka, Korte Leidsedwarstraat 151A (near the Leidseplein) Tatanka
Innerspace, Staalstraat 5 (near Muntplein) Innerspace.nl
Innerspace, Spuistraat 108 (near Dam Square)
Last edited by Aldebran Linkbat on 2009-11-05, 6:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Sclerotia FAQ - a.k.a Philosophers Stones / Magic Truffles
Posted: 2009-11-05, 6:36 pm
Aldebran LinkbatSupporting Member
Supporting Member
Posts: 261
Location: UK Reply to topic
DOSAGE, SET & SETTING
What dose should I take?
when you are hallucinating the person that is asking you if you want more drugs, its safe to say that you have probably taken enough already.
Dosage is a difficult question. To keep it simple, Id suggest a first-time user of psychedelics should take 10g in total. Less than that may be a bit disappointing (unless you are happy with a very mild experience) and more might feel a bit too intense. Choose the type (Tampanesis, Mexicana or Atlantis) depending on whether you want a slightly milder or slightly stonger experience, but Id suggest sticking to either Tampanesis or Mexicana for your first trip.
For other users, there are two variables to consider the type and weight. 5g of Tampanesis might be barely noticeable - a slightly stoned feeling. 20g of Atlantis is quite insane and not necessarily in a good way. This gives you a fairly narrow range of dosage between a mild trip and a very strong one. To try and judge a suitable dose for the kind of trip you desire is not that easy.
A box is designed to be a full dose for one person, so as a rough guide, 10g can be considered a light-medium dose, 15g a medium-heavy dose and 20g a very heavy dose. This will also depend on the type of sclerotia you are eating, with Tampanesis at the lighter end and Atlantis at the heavier.
When choosing how much to take, you should consider your previous experience with psychedelic drugs, who you are with, what level of effects you want to occur, and what you intend to do while under the influence. To be out and about in the city (which I would not recommend for a first-time user), stick to a low dose.
Speak to the person behind the counter in the smart shop and ask for advice, they have probably taken the stuff many times in different settings. They may also be able to give you a factsheet similar to the one reproduced at the beginning of this thread. Even if you know exactly what you want to buy, even if you have used the stuff before, the staff can still offer useful tips and information.
Its advisable to split your dose into two portions, eating the second portion after one hour or 90 minutes. If you dont like the effects or they are stronger than you expected, you dont have to eat the second portion. If you are planning a heavy trip, or you want to be extra-cautious, you can split the dose into three and ramp up the trip very gradually. Splitting the dose into more than 3 is just confusing. After the trip has peaked (maybe 3 hours) tolerance to the drug will increase and any further doses will have limited effect, so dont bother trying to take more when you feel yourself starting to come down.
For a first-time user, taking 10g in total as I suggest, dont expect much to happen with the initial 5g portion - but the margin between I should have eaten more and Oh my God this is horrible make it stop is not as wide as you might think. You can increase your dose during the trip but you cant reduce it!
For those familiar with mushrooms, 15g is a reasonable proposition, with the type used depending on whether you want a slightly milder or stronger trip. For someone used to eating a light dose of 35g Mexican cubensis mushrooms, a 10g dose of Mexicana sclerotia might be roughly equivalent, although thats an educated guess! You may want to buy 15g with the intention of eating 10g, leaving you the option to boost the trip if its not strong enough.
A gram of fresh sclerotia is generally reckoned to be roughly equivalent to 2 grams of fresh cubensis mushrooms, so by weight sclerotia is actually twice as potent as cubensis mushrooms (purely because fresh mushrooms contain a lot more water than sclerotia does).
Anyone used to eating a 12g box of Hawaiian mushrooms would find a 20g box of Atlantis to be comparable, although the sclerotia takes effect much more slowly. A 20g box of Atlantis eaten in one go is a very large dose, enough to cause fairly major delusions e.g that you are in contact with God and the aliens are coming. Indoors in a controlled environment, that kind of dose may be OK with a bit of previous experience (split it into 2 portions), but outdoors in a city you are asking for trouble. Be careful! A sclerotia trip starts off very slowly and then just builds remorselessly to its peak.
Dont attempt a heavy dose of sclerotia unless you have tried sclerotia (or shrooms) before and are familiar with the effects. Even with experience, it is not easy to predict exactly what kind of trip a particular weight of a particular type will produce.
If you are planning to trip outside, you really need to limit the dose to something easily manageable (preferably at a dose that you have experienced before). Even if you are with experienced friends, there is no guarantee that you wont get separated and wander off by yourself, lost and confused. You may trip with friends, you may have a sober friend to act as a sitter, but ultimately the only person able to deal with your mental state when you are tripping is you.
How should I take them?
The simplest way is just to eat sclerotia raw, giving them a very good chew before you swallow (to help absorb the drug better). The texture is better than mushrooms (similar to nuts) but the taste is arguably worse (a sour, bitter flavour). You might want to give the sclerotia a rinse before you eat them. Sclerotia doesnt store well outside of a fridge, so buy it on the day you intend to eat it.
Where is the best place to experience sclerotia?
this is a very small room to be going insane within
Tricky. Amsterdam is not an ideal location for a first-time sclerotia tripper. Too many people, too many bicycles, too many canals. Ideally you want a relaxed indoor location (e.g your home) or a safe, secluded outdoor location that you know well, with trusted friends. Neither are easy to find in the middle of Amsterdam. You will probably have to decide between your hotel room or a public location in the city. Wandering aimlessly around the streets is a bad idea if you want to go outside, plan a specific destination and try to avoid the need to cross busy roads while tripping. Whatever you intend to do, plan it carefully, dont just take the drug on a random impulse and wait to see what happens.
If you are in a group and not all of you are tripping, you might be able to blend in at coffeeshops and bars without attracting too much unwanted attention. Not everyone in your group may want to try sclerotia; those people can act as a sitter to keep an eye on you, reassure you and stop you getting lost or doing anything silly. Just be sure you can trust them not to start messing with your head! If there are two of you, maybe one person can trip while the other sits, and vice versa the next day, although of course its nice to share the experience with someone else tripping at the same time.
Out of doors, and depending on the weather, possible locations might be parks, museums, the botanical gardens or around the fairground that occasionally sets up in Dam Square. Id suggest the zoo, but then again many of the animal enclosures are unfenced, with only a small moat to keep the animals in, and those lions look so friendly .maybe the zoo is not such a good idea. If you are planning to be outside, be very careful to take a small dose (no more than 10g), split into 2 portions so that you can control the strength of the trip better. Dont fall into the canals, watch the car, bike and tram traffic, and dont draw attention to yourself acting crazy on sclerotia may be fun for you, but to everyone else you are just another weirdo druggie tourist to be avoided.
A hotel bedroom is a good place to stay safe and avoid anxiety from crowds. If the trip gets a bit too much you can sit in bed and ride it out in peace. More than one person tripping inside a hotel room could get a bit noisy, so its perhaps not a good option for a group. Wherever you are, make sure you have some water with you, as you will probably feel a bit thirsty during your trip.
If you are alone, with no experience of psychedelics, taking sclerotia for the first time (not an ideal scenario), I strongly recommend you stay in your hotel room. Be very cautious; try a 10g dose split into 2 portions, waiting an hour before eating more. If you ignore sensible advice and take too much, hide under the bedclothes and wait until the madness subsides. It sounds silly but trust me, Ive been there. Unlike most problems in life, hallucinations will go away by themselves without you needing to do anything. An MP3 player with a suitable playlist is a good idea - music is very enjoyable while tripping. A notebook is useful for solo trips, so you can note down your mad ideas (reducing the urge to find a random stranger to talk to!) and read them back when you are sober.
I took sclerotia two nights in a row but the second time was not so good. Why is that?
When you take sclerotia, your body reacts by altering the chemical output of the brain to compensate. As a result, taking the same quantity of the drug again within a few days will result in a reduction of effects (this tolerance lasts for about a week). Its probably best to take sclerotia only once during a short visit to Amsterdam the experience is intense and not the kind of thing you want to repeat quickly. If you are on a longer visit from overseas, you may want to fit in two experiences a week apart, but avoid taking the drug when you are tired (when you have just arrived) or the night before you leave (you may not be in the mood to check out of your hotel and take a long-haul flight the morning after a psilocin trip).
RISK, HEALTH & SAFETY ISSUES
Why all the safety warnings and instructions? Are sclerotia dangerous?
There are instructions and there are warnings and there are tigers in the trees that will eat you alive and are waiting in the containers of the drugs on your table
When used irresponsibly, almost any drug becomes potentially dangerous, and psilocin (the drug contained in the sclerotia) is no exception. In terms of what psilocin does to your body, its a very safe drug with a long history of usage. It does, however, have a short-lived but very powerful effect on your brain. Dont worry about what its doing to your body; its far safer than alcohol in terms of toxicity, and it would require an unfeasibly large dose of sclerotia to overdose as such (although in psychological terms, its very easy to accidentally consume more than you will feel comfortable with). There is no noticeable hangover from the drug, although you may feel a bit tired the next day.
The long term effects on mental health are not fully researched, but there is no evidence that mushrooms or sclerotia cause problems. However, if you were already going to experience some mental health problems in the near future, or there are reasons why you are at risk (e.g family history of mental illness), it would not be too surprising if the intensity of a strong psychedelic experience accelerated the onset of your problems. Be aware that some of the effects of psilocin do mimic various mild states of psychosis, so that feeling of going insane is not too surprising.
In small doses sclerotia generally provides a fun, giggly experience with a small amount of closed-eye visual hallucinations. With moderate doses the drug causes very vivid closed-eye and also some open-eye visuals, along with very bizarre thought patterns. With high doses, you will experience a type of temporary insanity (delusions) during which, although you should be able to maintain control of yourself without too much difficultly, you may believe all kinds of crazy nonsense - even though you may be very aware that its crazy and caused by the drug.
Visual hallucinations are easy to recognise, difficult to confuse with reality, interesting to watch, and are unlikely to cause you problems. Delusions are unpredictable, can be frightening, and may lead you to do or say strange things that you later wish you hadnt. A good setting, a sensible dose, a calm atmosphere, prior research and sympathetic friends should help you to avoid problems. Make sure you follow the warnings to never consume more than one box and avoid alcohol, otherwise you may put yourself in danger, especially in an unfamiliar environment such as a foreign city. This is powerful stuff!
The main risks of this type of hallucinogenic drug, especially if you take too much, are:
1) Accidental injury due to inattention or distraction (for example when crossing the road).
2) Dangerous/suicidal behaviour influenced by negative thoughts or delusional beliefs (unlikely, but possible if a high dose is consumed with alcohol or other drugs in a poorly-chosen setting, or the person has been recently experiencing high stress/depression/mental illness/suicidal thoughts). An example is this unfortunate guy. Note that this kind of news reporting doesnt always give you the full picture, and there are sometimes a range of personal factors and a mixture of drugs that combine to end in tragedy.
3) Bizarre behaviour attracting attention and leading to intervention by police or ambulance services (not such a problem in a country where the drug is legal, but best avoided!)
What sort of thing? How about being tazered nude on your front lawn? Avoid high-dose trips in public settings. Dont give the government reason to ban sclerotia keep the dose sensible and look after your mates. Dont call an ambulance just because someone is panicking about having a bad trip. Reassure them.
4) Possible triggering of underlying mental disorders - if you are on the verge of insanity, can hallucinogenic drugs push you over the edge? The idea that psychedelics trigger mental disorders is a bit of a scare story, but psilocin is a powerful drug that could potentially aggravate existing or hidden psychological problems. You need to be in a good overall mental state before you take sclerotia, as you are likely to intensify your existing feelings, good or bad. The build-up and peak of a trip can be very intense sclerotia is not a drug for quiet relaxation.
5) Psychological difficulties during the trip. Its not always fun in there. Anxiety, uncontrollable thoughts, dwelling on difficulties in your life, a sense of dread, a feeling of going insane, a complete loss of personal identity, the awful knowledge that the giant lizards are heading for your planet .
6) Drug Combinations - combining sclerotia with alcohol and other drugs is a bad idea and will increase the chances of any of the above problems. Alcohol makes your behaviour less inhibited, so you are more likely to do something stupid instead of just thinking crazy thoughts. Combining sclerotia with cannabis use is normally OK (dont try it unless you are already familiar with cannabis) but be aware that it may make the trip feel more intense. In terms of prescription drugs, sclerotia should be avoided by anyone on MAOI type anti-depressants, due to the way the two drugs interact (in any case it wouldnt be a good idea to take hallucinogenic drugs if you are depressed enough to need medication).
7) Mild nausea, vomiting, upset stomach unlikely, but some people may find that sclerotia doesnt agree with them very well. Its common to feel some very light nausea during the initial stages of the trip. Eating on an empty stomach (4 or 5 hours without food) helps avoid this. I suspect that one of my sclerotia experiences caused my bad diahoerrea the following day this could be due to contamination of the sclerotia with bacteria, or possibly a consequence of the other alkali substances in the sclerotia upsetting my stomach somehow. All my other mushroom and sclerotia trips have been fine, without anything but the mildest nausea. Psilocybin itself is not likely to make you sick, but eating any kind of raw mushroom or similar uncooked foodstuff may occasionally upset your stomach. You may want to rinse the sclerotia in water before you eat it.
Remember - you can avoid these problems by eating a modest dose in a relaxed, safe environment.
So what happens if I have a bad trip?
I see bones. Bones. Frameworks of bones. Bones everywhere. The stuff of nightmare. A TV that is switched off and transmits awfulness .persecution on all channels this is 16 shades of hell.
this is terrible but I like it
Dont Panic! Oh, you already are. Maybe you are very, very scared and realise with horror that you are having a bad trip. So what? Being a little bit scared is part of the attraction, like watching a horror movie or trying the thrill-rides in an amusement park. Dont think the trip has gone bad, its just more difficult and frightening at this point than you expected. As long as you are not in physical danger (e.g lying in the middle of the road), just accept what is happening and try to change your mood to something more positive if you can, and ride it out if you cant. If you are having a panic attack, concentrate on breathing deeply and slowly.
If you are an anxious person and the idea of a bad trip really bothers you, Id avoid taking the drug in the first place, as you will make it more likely to happen. In any case, theres rarely a trip that is so bad that the total experience can be considered a bad trip. More likely is that you may experience periods during the trip where you feel unsettled, anxious or scared. Its normal for the initial stages of the trip to be a little bit edgy, before the experience fully takes hold. The best advice is to stop trying to fight the experience you cant really stop the effects of the drug so you might as well learn to enjoy it. A bad trip is better than an average day at work!
In psychological terms, a bad trip is not much different to a nightmare (albeit an extremely intense, vivid, panic-filled nightmare) it seems very unpleasant at the time but afterwards its difficult to understand what was so scary about it. If you feel bad, just remember that the effects are caused by the psilocin and will go away by themselves eventually. As the drug takes effect, the experience can become very intense, but you can expect to feel calmer once the trip has peaked. Maintain a sense of humour, and remember that many, many people have experienced the same feelings as you. Deal with each moment as it arrives. Ride it out.
Think about the crazy stuff that is happening in your head and smile psilocin is a fundamentally silly drug with powerful and unusual effects that should be respected but not taken too seriously. Its quite possible to switch your mood to something more positive with a bit of effort, so dont feel that any negative thoughts or unpleasant imagery are the beginning of some terrible bad trip which you wont be able to escape. In any case, even if you end up dwelling negatively on your personal problems, these kind of difficult experiences can be viewed positively if they enable you to confront issues from a new perspective. The end of a nightmare-fuelled bad trip can feel surprisingly peaceful when youve faced all your fears theres not so much left to worry about.
Will I be able to control myself during the trip? What if I decide to jump from a building?
If the idea of loosening your grip on reality really bothers you, Id think very carefully before trying sclerotia. In general, magic mushrooms & sclerotia make you lose control of your thoughts but retain control of your behaviour, so with a bit of mental effort you can behave sensibly. Like alcohol, the effects depend strongly on the user - one person may be a total liability after a few pints of beer while another is not noticeably drunk. With sclerotia, factors to consider are the dosage, previous psychedelic experience, age and personality of the user, and especially the setting for the trip.
A scenario might be that you are alone in your hotel room. Everything is feeling just amazing and you want to go down to reception and tell the beautiful receptionist how amazing everything is. Is this a good idea? You might be a bit fucked, and it might seem like a good idea at the time, but you are still capable of thinking to yourself: would I do this sober? Is this the kind of thing I wanted to avoid doing during my trip? In that respect, its slightly similar to alcohol the drug may cause you to want to do or say something, but you are still capable of making a judgement along the lines of if I was sober I would probably think that this was a really bad idea, so I wont do it. Of course, with both alcohol and sclerotia, if you take way too much (or combine them) you may have little control over your actions. If you normally have trouble controlling yourself when drunk, dont touch sclerotia.
As for jumping from buildings, its been done (resulting in the shroom ban), but usually by people combining magic mushrooms with alcohol and other drugs, or people who were suicidal / mentally unstable in the first place. If you dont normally climb out of windows while sober, theres no particular reason you would suddenly decide to do it under the influence of sclerotia. If taking sclerotia indoors, a hotel room without a balcony is preferable you are unlikely to do anything stupid, but just the knowledge that its there can make you feel uneasy if you keep dwelling on urban myths about trippers thinking they can fly.
Psilocin is unusual because you can maintain a kind of mental clarity even on fairly high doses, but at the same time you are capable of believing the most incredible delusional nonsense. You can be aware that your beliefs are delusional but still believe them (like a dream where you know you are dreaming but the dream doesnt stop). Ive had some very strange delusional beliefs, yet Ive been capable of writing them down, so I couldnt have been totally out of it.
The higher the dose, the worse the delusions get, but this shouldnt become a real issue unless you ignore the sensible warning to never eat more than one box. The second box is more often than not Pandoras box and is likely to tip the experience into something darker and more delusional, at least in my experience. On a very high dose, there is a potential danger that, for example, you believe you are God and are capable of anything, that your death wouldnt matter, that this life is not real and so on.
However, you are more likely to sit and ponder this than do anything practical to demonstrate your powers, and you may still be capable of choosing to behave normally, even if your thoughts are bizarre. Think of the stereotypical crazy person who appears to be normal in most respects but is convinced that he is Napoleon. A high-dose mushroom tripper is in a similar state - able to behave rationally, aware of his surroundings but convinced of any number of weird ideas. Of course, there are no guarantees about how any particular individual will react, and if you take a really stupid dose you may lose contact with reality entirely. Very high doses have their place, but its not Amsterdam away from home, in a densely populated city, you cannot control the conditions well enough to ensure your safety.
A common feeling during a trip is that you want to tell anyone and everyone about your amazing insights into the mysteries of the universe. This is a bad idea, but if you plan carefully what you intend to do during the trip, and stick to it, its not hard to avoid trouble. Set yourself some ground rules before you take the drug a mental list of things you want to avoid doing during the trip, such as opening the windows, going outside, making a lot of noise, phoning your parents, talking to random strangers and so on. Of course, having a sober, experienced sitter helps, and is a very good idea for a first-time user. In short - this is a drug with some strange effects, but on a sensible recreational dose they are manageable if you use a bit of common sense.
Last edited by Aldebran Linkbat on 2009-11-05, 7:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Sclerotia FAQ - a.k.a Philosophers Stones / Magic Truffles
Posted: 2009-11-05, 6:44 pm
Aldebran LinkbatSupporting Member
Supporting Member
Posts: 261
Location: UK Reply to topic
EFFECTS
So what exactly can I expect to happen if I take sclerotia?
An invasion of the abnormal into the normal. I see cartoon figures grimly attacking across the central reservation. My mood seems to be bleak .changing like the weather. My thoughts get dragged into weird scenarios, where grinning maniacs in stetson hats man the bars underground deep within your hallucination. There is no sense to this. And then you remember what this is like. Your point of view collapses and returns. You seem to fall through yourself. You hear the sound of an elevator but you are not moving. You write in unusual tenses and strange tints of pastel appear in shadows across your vision, like you are falling asleep within your hallucination and dreaming that you are writing.
I mentioned at the beginning that sclerotia have a slight resemblance to popcorn. Imagine that you are going to see a movie, only the movie is contained within the popcorn. The screen is behind your eyelids. There is no script, the director is clinically insane, and the projectionist is inserting psychedelic visuals and random reels of nonsense featuring fragments of memories from your normal life. That is what a sclerotia trip is like with one caveat however much you read or hear, your first sclerotia or mushroom trip is always slightly different to how you imagined it would be.
With that in mind, here is a rough guide to what you can expect, although the exact effects are highly personal and impossible to predict in advance. Obviously, a larger dose will cause stronger effects. For the best visuals, a very high dose is not always best, as the delusional effects of the drug distract you from appreciating the more colourful aspects (i.e you spend more time obsessed with bizarre ideas and less time appreciating the visuals). You may have an intense high-dose trip involving a ludicrous theory about the meaning of life, remember little of what you saw or thought, and experience a slightly disappointing feeling that you somehow missed the party.
The timescale of a typical trip is given first, followed by a bit more detail about the actual effects:
Timescale (which will vary a bit depending on total dosage and whether you split it into portions)
First 30 minutes absolutely fuck-all happens. Dont let this fool you.
30+ minutes the first effects begin very gradually, strange sensations, minor visual alterations
45 minutes closed-eye visuals become obvious
1 hour the trip is beginning to kick-in properly and the strength of the dose can be judged
1 hour 30 the trip is building towards its peak
2 hours if you took a high dose you are probably becoming a bit delusional at this point
3 hours peak of trip
4 hours effects reducing in intensity. A more relaxed and less hectic feel
5 hours effects have largely worn off, you may feel sober but you are still tripping slightly
6 hours effects have worn off completely. Feel tired but normal.
Physical effects & onset:
A sensation in my temples of the drug starting to infiltrate my brain. A subtle feeling that seems to affect my vision ever so slightly.
Feelings of heat or cold. Greater awareness of muscle tension and other bodily sensations. Body feels heavy. Slight feeling of mild nausea which passes away. General unease and a sense that something strange is occurring. A brief tingling feeling in your head. Sense of mental drift; that thoughts are becoming less controlled. Vision starts to subtly alter.
Closed-eye visuals CEV (Strength will vary depending on dose, but a psychedelic light-show should be visible even on a mild dose).
When I close my eyes, I am looking down onto a tiled floor and seeing toys in an imagined space and tiles everywhere and the space is fragmenting and the tiles are spiralling
my CEV are: whales made out of purple and the colour orange
a red-chequered tablecloth that is refracted in a thousand mirrors
I see biscuit tins and silvery wings
everything is red and there are rivers of words and packets and advertising running around the surfaces of imaginary objects at unusual angles
Repeating patterns, objects, colours, scenes, people, animals, cities are viewed with eyes closed, as though projected onto the back of the eyelids. Imagery flows and continually transforms into new visions. There is often an inky black or bright white background (may depend on ambient light), colours are fluorescent, shapes are often stylised or cartoon-like. classic psychedelic imagery of spirals, kaleidoscopic movement, transformations. Although the imagery is clearly internally generated, there is no awareness of thinking them up or imagining them they are viewed purely as a spectator. The creation of a new perceptual field not related to the surrounding 3D space - a seemingly vast internal world appears to be opening up inside your head.
Open-eye visuals OEV (These are not always present, - even on higher doses they are sometimes not particularly vivid - and depend strongly on the surroundings.)
The bedclothes pulsate, but now they are still again. This is a tricksy drug, stealthily invading your peripheral vision
Note - these kind of hallucinations generally involve perceptual alterations to the surfaces of real objects. Dont expect to see objects that arent there you wont see any marching penguins in your hotel room (unless you brought them with you when you checked-in). On a high enough dose you might become convinced that there are invisible penguins surrounding you (frankly, your obsession with penguins is beginning to disturb me) but thats a delusion, not a hallucination. You may see creative re-interpretations of actual objects (e.g there is a real coat on the floor, but when you are not viewing it directly you see it as a cat) but my basic point is that although your visual sense becomes distorted its still fairly reliable.
Specks of light appear in peripheral vision. Colours attract more attention. Movement, objects or scenes perceived in peripheral vision that vanish when viewed directly. Surfaces may appear to ripple or breath slightly. Patterned or speckled surfaces begin to spiral when examined closely. Some surfaces such as carpet may give an appearance of word-soup (indistinct letters and numbers within a surface), holes in ceiling tiles may appear to contain gemstones. Objects may appear to glow slightly, especially in artificial light. Shadows seem to move.
Derealization:
the hallucinations encompass everything. When everything is everything there is no way to shut it off.
What is real? What I see? My own thoughts? I can tell you that my own thoughts are unusual and my own ideas do not seem to be real.
The world feels increasingly unreal, as though normal life is itself a kind of hallucination. Sense of drifting away from reality. Physical world perceived to be a mental construct. An odd sensation of being awake and asleep at the same time. Time itself may seem to stretch (time dilation) so that 2 minutes feels more like 20.
Depersonalisation:
my point of view keeps shifting. I am everywhere and nowhere.
I am becoming undone
Thoughts and imagery dominate conscious experience - body feels a secondary, disconnected entity, e.g feelings of hunger may be perceived indirectly as a strange emotional emptiness. Reduced sense of individual identity - less awareness of being me. Thoughts are just disconnected thoughts, not my thoughts. Internal monologue (i.e consciously thinking things to yourself) may stop. On a strong dose you may feel as though your personality is becoming unravelled, and the drug is taking over. This effect is usually temporary as the trip builds to a peak once you are there you may feel a bit more yourself again, as you adjust to the change in consciousness caused by the drug.
Euphoria & Racing Thoughts, Mania:
there is traffic coming into me on roads in my head
to have your own ideas attack you like a guerrilla force and try to creep up on you like an invading army
my thoughts construct their own reality like a film set
hallucinations that arrive unwanted and unplug the wires in your head
Powerful excitement and awe at vividness of CEV. Rapid changes in emotional state happy, sad, giggling. Thought loops you get caught thinking about something which absorbs your attention more and more strongly for what seems a long time, but isnt. Thoughts and CEV are produced involuntarily at an extremely fast rate and are difficult to process into a coherent framework. A gradual adjustment to the pace of the internal imagery and thought-patterns as the trip takes hold. You feel wired into some kind of fantastical machine and begin to appreciate the awesome power of your brain. You are manic, grinning insanely, gripped by the intensity of the drug experience. You are enjoying yourself.
Grandiose ideas & delusions: (on higher doses).
My hallucinations do not trouble themselves by entering into my 3D view of the world or what I see when I close my eyes. They compete with the very reality this notebook is within.
could your delusions be the awakening of a demon you had forgotten existed?
I am your God
the rulers of the universe will drop from the trees
The torrent of ideas and imagery combines with a general state of mania to drive schemes of thought which are increasingly bizarre. A conviction that you have discovered some philosophical or spiritual truth of immense significance. An end of the world feeling that something momentous is about to happen. Plans to change your life or a feeling that interpersonal relations will dramatically improve based upon your experience during the trip. Confidence that the world will become a new and better place. A sense of oneness and peace with your life, other people and the universe in general. Music lyrics or programmes on TV seem to have a direct significance to your personal situation. A Feeling that your thoughts are being broadcast into other worlds. A sense of connection or communication with God / aliens / demons / nameless entities from other dimensions. Frankly, anything is possible.
Comedown:
this hallucination is tumbling through the darkness and it will only hit the earth when I close my eyes.
that was quite strong and I have run out of paper. Goodnight.
The comedown is actually rather pleasant. You begin to realise that your crazy ideas are even more crazy than you thought at the time. You decide that your plan to take over the world / your method of creating a perfect new universe / your solution to the meaning of life / your idea for a movie blockbuster (delete as appropriate) is not such a great idea after all. Maybe the alien invasion isnt going to happen. Maybe you arent God. You feel relaxed and enjoy re-connecting with normality. After around six hours in total, you should be back to normal (if you were normal to start with) and able to sleep. You may be feeling quite hungry and wish to enjoy a snack. You are not entirely sure how to describe what just happened, but it was fun.
Sources & Further Reading:
For most purposes, information about mushrooms applies equally to sclerotia, so reading about magic mushrooms will tell you most of what you might want to know. Reading about other peoples experiences on mushrooms, both good and bad, is both amusing and helpful and can give you some idea of what to expect and what to avoid doing.
Erowid Mushrooms
Vast archive of information, documents and trip reports
Erowid Psychedelic Experience FAQ
General tips & advice for anyone planning to trip
Erowid Mushroom experience reports
Vast archive of trip reports - the good, the bad and the ugly
The Shroomery
Huge mushroom-related website & message board
Shroomery Sclerotia
With useful links to various sclerotia-related threads
Shroomery Sclerotia FAQ
Mainly technical information on growing sclerotia, with a few interesting facts
Save Our Shrooms!
Updated news on the legal situation in the Netherlands
For an interesting, highly readable (and reasonably cheap) book about the origins and history of magic mushroom usage, read Shrooms: A Cultural History of the Magic Mushroom by Andy Letcher. It discusses theories of ancient mushroom usage, the discovery of indigenous magic mushroom usage among Mazatec people in Mexico in the 1950s, the identification of psilocybin as the active ingredient, popularisation of mushroom use, the counter-culture of the 1960s, criminalisation, Timothy Leary, Terence McKenna, right through to the open sale of fresh mushrooms in the smart shops of Amsterdam in the 1990s.
There is a button and there is a note and the note simply says: Effects On? Or Effects off?
This answered all my questions and then some:
Sclerotia FAQ - a.k.a Philosophers Stones / Magic Truffles
Posted: 2009-11-05, 6:28 pm
Aldebran Linkbat
Supporting Member
Posts: 261
Location: UK Reply to topic
SCLEROTIA FAQ INTRODUCTION
There is something else that can see when the eyes are closed
(De Richleau, speaking in the novel The Devil Rides Out)
There is a lot of info on the net about magic mushrooms, but not much that is specifically about sclerotia
(a.k.a magic truffles/philosophers stones). The aim of this thread is:
*to provide some up-to-date info on the types & brands of sclerotia available in Amsterdam
*to provide a comparison between mushrooms and sclerotia (for those who have previously tried mushrooms but not sclerotia)
*Provide some useful information for people who have never taken psychedelic drugs and are curious about trying magic truffles when they visit Amsterdam. Hallucinogenic drugs are not toys, and to ensure you have a safe and enjoyable trip, its very important to know something about the drug before you try it! The current legal status of sclerotia in the Netherlands will only last as long as people it use it sensibly without injuring themselves reckless use could hurt not only yourself but jeopardise the availability of sclerotia for future users. This is a very long thread, but if you only read one part of it, read the ten commandments below:
Why try sclerotia?
For potential trippers, the first thing to consider is why do you want to do this? Hallucinogenic drugs are very interesting but not everyones idea of fun. They dont give a strong sensation of immediate pleasure in the same way as ecstasy or other stimulants, they wont make you feel incredibly self-confident and they wont make you instantly forget your troubles. If you just want to get fucked up or be out of it you might as well stick to alcohol, and if you want to get high youd be better off with weed. Think for yourself and dont let your mates (or me!) persuade you into an unpleasant experience that you never really wanted to have.
Sclerotia Quick Guide:
The following is taken from a flyer issued by McSmart (a truffle distributor). Ill reproduce it here as it offers concise, helpful advice which is worth reading at home before you even think about buying sclerotia/truffles
#############################################
The 10 Commandments:
this flyer is to inform you about truffles and their use:
Be Prepared
1) Come prepared, know what to expect. Truffles will give you a visual and hallucinogenic experience known as a trip.
You will become extremely aware of yourself and will discover more about your personality than you can imagine.
2) Consume truffles in secure, safe and quiet surroundings.
3) Consume truffles only when you are mentally fit and fully at ease. Never consume truffles when depressed, down or unhappy.
4) Consume truffles only when you want to, not because someone tells you to.
5) Sale and use under 18 is not allowed. Never combine alcohol, medications or other drugs with truffles. Do not operate machines or take part in traffic. Be aware that your reaction time is at least three times slower than under normal circumstances.
Be Aware
6) Chewing well and for a long time enhances the effects. Never consume truffles on a full stomach. Do not consume truffles sooner than 2 hours after any meal.
7) Never consume more than one box, always start out with half a box. The effects start after 30 to 45 minutes. Only then decide whether you want to increase your dosage.
Accept the short periods of fear and doubt during the trip, they are a part of it and will disappear shortly. After a maximum of 6 hours, the entire trip will have come to an end. At the better smart shops, trip stoppers are offered. If not available, take a normal dosage of vitamin C and as much sugar as you can handle.9) Take time to deal with all the impressions and process the experience.
10) Truffles are one of the best experiences nature has to offer. The gifts of nature are there to be enjoyed.
McSmart
##################################################
Background to this FAQ
My personal experiences with sclerotia have involved 4 separate trips, 2 with Mexicana, 2 with Atlantis, at a range of fairly high doses alone in my hotel room, listening to music & writing down the experience in a notepad (which is where the occasional quotes in blue come from). This is against a background of 10 previous mushroom experiences for comparison. The descriptions of effects and so on are accurate, but remember that they only represent a small number of personal experiences in a particular setting.
Any comments and suggestions, especially on recommended doses and activities while tripping, would be useful, as my experience with sclerotia (alone, indoors) is not typical of the way that most people would use it. The information here comes mainly from personal experience, but also various research on the internet, which revealed a lack of easily accessible information specifically about sclerotia.
ABOUT SCLEROTIA
What happened to the mushrooms? Are they illegal now?
The bad news is that sales of fresh magic mushrooms have been illegal in Holland since December 2008 (although mushroom growkits can still be sold). The good news is that sclerotia are legal, the best known type of which are the Philosophers Stones. Sclerotia are not mushrooms (although they are formed by the same organism that mushrooms grow from), and therefore not covered by the mushroom ban. The legal status of sclerotia has been confirmed by the Dutch government, which has no immediate plan to change the situation.
What the hell is sclerotia?
Sclerotia are small, hard, nutty, oddly-shaped brown lumps of fungal material. They have the appearance of chocolate-covered popcorn but taste of sour walnuts. More importantly, they are hallucinogenic and sold in small refrigerated packs at your local friendly smartshop.
For a picture see here
Where do sclerotia come from? How are they related to mushrooms?
Im not a biologist or a mushroom grower, but this is a rough explanation based on what Ive read: Mushrooms grow above the ground (where they can release spores to allow reproduction), but the majority of the fungus they form part of is actually underground, looking like thin white plant roots, in a fibrous mat called a mycelium. With certain types of mushroom, sclerotia can form underground within the mycelium. Sclerotia store nutrients in a hard, compact ball shape. During environmental conditions that are not good for the mycelium (e.g a dry summer), the sclerotia can survive underground and re-start growth when conditions improve. Sclerotia is the plural of sclerotium. You may notice small white patches on the sclerotia this is not mould growing on it, this is where the mycelium would normally grow out of it.
For a good picture of sclerotia growing within the mycelium in a growkit see here
to compare, for pictures of mushrooms growing out of the mycelium in a growkit see here
Are sclerotia the same as truffles?
Sclerotia are not, strictly speaking, truffles at all, although they are usually marketed as magic truffles. Real truffles are not hallucinogenic. Anything sold as Magic truffles is technically sclerotia.
Are there different types of sclerotia?
There are 3 main types of sclerotia sold commercially. Each type of sclerotia is named after the mushroom whose mycelium it grows in. Not all magic mushrooms produce sclerotia in their mycelium, for instance the various types of cubensis mushrooms and the Hawaiian mushrooms previously sold in Amsterdam are not types that form sclerotia.
Psilocybe Tampanesis in the wild, the Tampanesis mushroom is extremely rare. It was originally found near Tampa, Florida (hence the name) and cloned to allow commercial production. The sclerotia of this mushroom are the original Philosophers Stones.
Psilocybe Mexicana use of magic mushrooms in western society gradually became popular after samples were brought back from indigenous Mexican ceremonies in the late 1950s. The active ingredients, psilocin & psilocybin, were isolated by Albert Hofmann, the discoverer of LSD, from samples of dried Mexicana mushrooms. This mushroom is known as Teonanacatl (Flesh of the Gods) due to its use by Mazatec shamans in healing ceremonies. Note that this mushroom is not the same as the Mexican cubensis mushrooms previously sold in Amsterdam, and has a different appearance. The Mexicana sclerotia are slightly more potent than Tampanesis.
Psilocybe Atlantis another type of mushroom. This type of sclerotia has appeared on the market in the past few months and is more potent than either Tampanesis or Mexicana. Exercise caution; its surprisingly strong compared to the other types; similar to the difference between the old Cubensis mushrooms and the Hawaiian mushrooms.
What are the different brands of sclerotia on the market? How much does it cost?
It depends which shop you are in, but currently there appear to be 3 main brands of sclerotia for sale in the smart shops, plus various shop-specific versions. Expect to pay around 10-13 for a 10g box, 15-18 for a 15g box, and 20+ for a 20g box. The stronger Atlantis truffles are likely to be slightly more expensive than the others.
McSmart A former distributor of quality magic mushrooms, they have now started selling sclerotia. A highly recommended product.
Tampanesis Philosopher's Stone 10g 15g 20g
Mexicana Flesh of the Gods 10g 15g 20g
Atlantis Fruits of Utopia 10g 15g 20g
Magic Truffles with a bizarre picture of a pig on the box, I believe this company is the truffle business of the former Procare mushroom growers.
Mexicana TEONANACATL 10g 15g
Tampanesis PHILOSOPHERS STONES 10g 15g
Atlantis NUMENORIUM XTC 10g 15g
Sirius - click the link for a Sirius Truffle Guide. Im a little bit sceptical of the claims for distinct differences between the types in terms of body highs and so on, but it gives an idea of which are stronger. Sirius dont specify which exact type of sclerotia is which, but presumably the Cosmic Connectors are the Atlantis type.
Space Shuttles 10g 15g 20g
Dolphin's Delight 10g 15g 20g
Golden Teacher 10g 15g 20g
Cosmic Connectors 10g 15g
**
There were previously packets of sclerotia distributed by De Kameleon as Butterfly (10g), Owl (15g), & Leopard (20g) but these no longer seem to be available. These were all Mexicana sclerotia.
Tatanka sell a 10g box as Mexicana, a 15g box as Columbiana and a 20g box as Hawaiiana in an attempt to offer a rough comparison to former mushroom doses. As mentioned previously, Columbian cubensis mushrooms and Hawaiian mushrooms dont produce sclerotia, so its possible that the packets may simply contain different doses of Mexicana sclerotia. Ive not been in the shop recently to ask.
Conscious Dreams also sell their own brand of Inner Visions sclerotia. The 15g packet of Atlantis I bought on my last visit had 2 huge pieces in it most other brands contain a larger number of smaller pieces, which are probably easier to eat.
In my opinion, any sclerotia sold that doesnt specify the exact type just confuses the issue. The 3 types are ultimately not that different from each other, and look very similar, but its nice to know what you are consuming!
Are the effects of sclerotia similar to magic mushrooms?
Yes. Dont take a huge dose under the mistaken impression that sclerotia are a much weaker version of mushrooms! The only known active ingredients of magic mushrooms* are psilocin and psilocybin, which are also contained in sclerotia. The psilocybin gets converted to psilocin before it enters the brain, so the difference in effects between any type of mushroom or sclerotia will depend purely on how much psilocin gets into your brain and the timescale over which this takes place. Some types of mushroom (such as the Hawaiian) are very strong and take effect very quickly. In terms of potency, sclerotia are more similar in effect to the Cubensis-type mushrooms previously sold as Mexicans, Columbians and so on.
Sclerotia take effect noticeably more slowly than mushrooms, but at comparable doses the results are very similar. Expectation can play a large part, so if you are told that what you are taking is very visual or more philosophical that can influence your trip. In my experience, visual effects are influenced by dose and surroundings (e.g textures on walls and ceilings) more than by the type of mushroom or sclerotia you are eating (although many people would disagree with that). For more information on effects, see the section further down the thread.
* there is another type of magic mushroom called Amanita Muscaria (Fly Agaric) but these are totally different in appearance, active ingredients and effects (less hallucinogenic, often unpredictable and physically unpleasant) so Im ignoring them here.
How does sclerotia work?
From wikipedia: Psilocybin is rapidly dephosphorylated in the body to psilocin which then acts as a partial agonist at the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor in the brain where it mimics the effects of serotonin (5-HT). Psilocin is an 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A/2C agonist.
Well, you did ask. In English: The psilocybin in the sclerotia is turned into psilocin when you eat the sclerotia. The psilocin has a similar chemical structure to the neurotransmitter serotonin. This allows the psilocin to stimulate certain receptors in the brain at an increased rate compared to normal. This leads to an increase in sensory activity and all the other strange effects that psilocin produces. Beyond that, not a great deal is known about how specific effects on consciousness are produced, because the brain is not understood in enough detail.
Is there much difference between the types of sclerotia?
The only real difference is likely to be the strength of each type. Mexicana is reportedly slightly stronger than Tampanesis, and Atlantis is stronger than either of those.
So where can I buy them?
Four reputable shops spread around the city (there are many others) are:
Conscious Dreams Kokopelli, Warmoesstraat 12 (near the RLD) Conscious Dreams Kokopelli
Tatanka, Korte Leidsedwarstraat 151A (near the Leidseplein) Tatanka
Innerspace, Staalstraat 5 (near Muntplein) Innerspace.nl
Innerspace, Spuistraat 108 (near Dam Square)
Last edited by Aldebran Linkbat on 2009-11-05, 6:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Sclerotia FAQ - a.k.a Philosophers Stones / Magic Truffles
Posted: 2009-11-05, 6:36 pm
Aldebran LinkbatSupporting Member
Supporting Member
Posts: 261
Location: UK Reply to topic
DOSAGE, SET & SETTING
What dose should I take?
when you are hallucinating the person that is asking you if you want more drugs, its safe to say that you have probably taken enough already.
Dosage is a difficult question. To keep it simple, Id suggest a first-time user of psychedelics should take 10g in total. Less than that may be a bit disappointing (unless you are happy with a very mild experience) and more might feel a bit too intense. Choose the type (Tampanesis, Mexicana or Atlantis) depending on whether you want a slightly milder or slightly stonger experience, but Id suggest sticking to either Tampanesis or Mexicana for your first trip.
For other users, there are two variables to consider the type and weight. 5g of Tampanesis might be barely noticeable - a slightly stoned feeling. 20g of Atlantis is quite insane and not necessarily in a good way. This gives you a fairly narrow range of dosage between a mild trip and a very strong one. To try and judge a suitable dose for the kind of trip you desire is not that easy.
A box is designed to be a full dose for one person, so as a rough guide, 10g can be considered a light-medium dose, 15g a medium-heavy dose and 20g a very heavy dose. This will also depend on the type of sclerotia you are eating, with Tampanesis at the lighter end and Atlantis at the heavier.
When choosing how much to take, you should consider your previous experience with psychedelic drugs, who you are with, what level of effects you want to occur, and what you intend to do while under the influence. To be out and about in the city (which I would not recommend for a first-time user), stick to a low dose.
Speak to the person behind the counter in the smart shop and ask for advice, they have probably taken the stuff many times in different settings. They may also be able to give you a factsheet similar to the one reproduced at the beginning of this thread. Even if you know exactly what you want to buy, even if you have used the stuff before, the staff can still offer useful tips and information.
Its advisable to split your dose into two portions, eating the second portion after one hour or 90 minutes. If you dont like the effects or they are stronger than you expected, you dont have to eat the second portion. If you are planning a heavy trip, or you want to be extra-cautious, you can split the dose into three and ramp up the trip very gradually. Splitting the dose into more than 3 is just confusing. After the trip has peaked (maybe 3 hours) tolerance to the drug will increase and any further doses will have limited effect, so dont bother trying to take more when you feel yourself starting to come down.
For a first-time user, taking 10g in total as I suggest, dont expect much to happen with the initial 5g portion - but the margin between I should have eaten more and Oh my God this is horrible make it stop is not as wide as you might think. You can increase your dose during the trip but you cant reduce it!
For those familiar with mushrooms, 15g is a reasonable proposition, with the type used depending on whether you want a slightly milder or stronger trip. For someone used to eating a light dose of 35g Mexican cubensis mushrooms, a 10g dose of Mexicana sclerotia might be roughly equivalent, although thats an educated guess! You may want to buy 15g with the intention of eating 10g, leaving you the option to boost the trip if its not strong enough.
A gram of fresh sclerotia is generally reckoned to be roughly equivalent to 2 grams of fresh cubensis mushrooms, so by weight sclerotia is actually twice as potent as cubensis mushrooms (purely because fresh mushrooms contain a lot more water than sclerotia does).
Anyone used to eating a 12g box of Hawaiian mushrooms would find a 20g box of Atlantis to be comparable, although the sclerotia takes effect much more slowly. A 20g box of Atlantis eaten in one go is a very large dose, enough to cause fairly major delusions e.g that you are in contact with God and the aliens are coming. Indoors in a controlled environment, that kind of dose may be OK with a bit of previous experience (split it into 2 portions), but outdoors in a city you are asking for trouble. Be careful! A sclerotia trip starts off very slowly and then just builds remorselessly to its peak.
Dont attempt a heavy dose of sclerotia unless you have tried sclerotia (or shrooms) before and are familiar with the effects. Even with experience, it is not easy to predict exactly what kind of trip a particular weight of a particular type will produce.
If you are planning to trip outside, you really need to limit the dose to something easily manageable (preferably at a dose that you have experienced before). Even if you are with experienced friends, there is no guarantee that you wont get separated and wander off by yourself, lost and confused. You may trip with friends, you may have a sober friend to act as a sitter, but ultimately the only person able to deal with your mental state when you are tripping is you.
How should I take them?
The simplest way is just to eat sclerotia raw, giving them a very good chew before you swallow (to help absorb the drug better). The texture is better than mushrooms (similar to nuts) but the taste is arguably worse (a sour, bitter flavour). You might want to give the sclerotia a rinse before you eat them. Sclerotia doesnt store well outside of a fridge, so buy it on the day you intend to eat it.
Where is the best place to experience sclerotia?
this is a very small room to be going insane within
Tricky. Amsterdam is not an ideal location for a first-time sclerotia tripper. Too many people, too many bicycles, too many canals. Ideally you want a relaxed indoor location (e.g your home) or a safe, secluded outdoor location that you know well, with trusted friends. Neither are easy to find in the middle of Amsterdam. You will probably have to decide between your hotel room or a public location in the city. Wandering aimlessly around the streets is a bad idea if you want to go outside, plan a specific destination and try to avoid the need to cross busy roads while tripping. Whatever you intend to do, plan it carefully, dont just take the drug on a random impulse and wait to see what happens.
If you are in a group and not all of you are tripping, you might be able to blend in at coffeeshops and bars without attracting too much unwanted attention. Not everyone in your group may want to try sclerotia; those people can act as a sitter to keep an eye on you, reassure you and stop you getting lost or doing anything silly. Just be sure you can trust them not to start messing with your head! If there are two of you, maybe one person can trip while the other sits, and vice versa the next day, although of course its nice to share the experience with someone else tripping at the same time.
Out of doors, and depending on the weather, possible locations might be parks, museums, the botanical gardens or around the fairground that occasionally sets up in Dam Square. Id suggest the zoo, but then again many of the animal enclosures are unfenced, with only a small moat to keep the animals in, and those lions look so friendly .maybe the zoo is not such a good idea. If you are planning to be outside, be very careful to take a small dose (no more than 10g), split into 2 portions so that you can control the strength of the trip better. Dont fall into the canals, watch the car, bike and tram traffic, and dont draw attention to yourself acting crazy on sclerotia may be fun for you, but to everyone else you are just another weirdo druggie tourist to be avoided.
A hotel bedroom is a good place to stay safe and avoid anxiety from crowds. If the trip gets a bit too much you can sit in bed and ride it out in peace. More than one person tripping inside a hotel room could get a bit noisy, so its perhaps not a good option for a group. Wherever you are, make sure you have some water with you, as you will probably feel a bit thirsty during your trip.
If you are alone, with no experience of psychedelics, taking sclerotia for the first time (not an ideal scenario), I strongly recommend you stay in your hotel room. Be very cautious; try a 10g dose split into 2 portions, waiting an hour before eating more. If you ignore sensible advice and take too much, hide under the bedclothes and wait until the madness subsides. It sounds silly but trust me, Ive been there. Unlike most problems in life, hallucinations will go away by themselves without you needing to do anything. An MP3 player with a suitable playlist is a good idea - music is very enjoyable while tripping. A notebook is useful for solo trips, so you can note down your mad ideas (reducing the urge to find a random stranger to talk to!) and read them back when you are sober.
I took sclerotia two nights in a row but the second time was not so good. Why is that?
When you take sclerotia, your body reacts by altering the chemical output of the brain to compensate. As a result, taking the same quantity of the drug again within a few days will result in a reduction of effects (this tolerance lasts for about a week). Its probably best to take sclerotia only once during a short visit to Amsterdam the experience is intense and not the kind of thing you want to repeat quickly. If you are on a longer visit from overseas, you may want to fit in two experiences a week apart, but avoid taking the drug when you are tired (when you have just arrived) or the night before you leave (you may not be in the mood to check out of your hotel and take a long-haul flight the morning after a psilocin trip).
RISK, HEALTH & SAFETY ISSUES
Why all the safety warnings and instructions? Are sclerotia dangerous?
There are instructions and there are warnings and there are tigers in the trees that will eat you alive and are waiting in the containers of the drugs on your table
When used irresponsibly, almost any drug becomes potentially dangerous, and psilocin (the drug contained in the sclerotia) is no exception. In terms of what psilocin does to your body, its a very safe drug with a long history of usage. It does, however, have a short-lived but very powerful effect on your brain. Dont worry about what its doing to your body; its far safer than alcohol in terms of toxicity, and it would require an unfeasibly large dose of sclerotia to overdose as such (although in psychological terms, its very easy to accidentally consume more than you will feel comfortable with). There is no noticeable hangover from the drug, although you may feel a bit tired the next day.
The long term effects on mental health are not fully researched, but there is no evidence that mushrooms or sclerotia cause problems. However, if you were already going to experience some mental health problems in the near future, or there are reasons why you are at risk (e.g family history of mental illness), it would not be too surprising if the intensity of a strong psychedelic experience accelerated the onset of your problems. Be aware that some of the effects of psilocin do mimic various mild states of psychosis, so that feeling of going insane is not too surprising.
In small doses sclerotia generally provides a fun, giggly experience with a small amount of closed-eye visual hallucinations. With moderate doses the drug causes very vivid closed-eye and also some open-eye visuals, along with very bizarre thought patterns. With high doses, you will experience a type of temporary insanity (delusions) during which, although you should be able to maintain control of yourself without too much difficultly, you may believe all kinds of crazy nonsense - even though you may be very aware that its crazy and caused by the drug.
Visual hallucinations are easy to recognise, difficult to confuse with reality, interesting to watch, and are unlikely to cause you problems. Delusions are unpredictable, can be frightening, and may lead you to do or say strange things that you later wish you hadnt. A good setting, a sensible dose, a calm atmosphere, prior research and sympathetic friends should help you to avoid problems. Make sure you follow the warnings to never consume more than one box and avoid alcohol, otherwise you may put yourself in danger, especially in an unfamiliar environment such as a foreign city. This is powerful stuff!
The main risks of this type of hallucinogenic drug, especially if you take too much, are:
1) Accidental injury due to inattention or distraction (for example when crossing the road).
2) Dangerous/suicidal behaviour influenced by negative thoughts or delusional beliefs (unlikely, but possible if a high dose is consumed with alcohol or other drugs in a poorly-chosen setting, or the person has been recently experiencing high stress/depression/mental illness/suicidal thoughts). An example is this unfortunate guy. Note that this kind of news reporting doesnt always give you the full picture, and there are sometimes a range of personal factors and a mixture of drugs that combine to end in tragedy.
3) Bizarre behaviour attracting attention and leading to intervention by police or ambulance services (not such a problem in a country where the drug is legal, but best avoided!)
What sort of thing? How about being tazered nude on your front lawn? Avoid high-dose trips in public settings. Dont give the government reason to ban sclerotia keep the dose sensible and look after your mates. Dont call an ambulance just because someone is panicking about having a bad trip. Reassure them.
4) Possible triggering of underlying mental disorders - if you are on the verge of insanity, can hallucinogenic drugs push you over the edge? The idea that psychedelics trigger mental disorders is a bit of a scare story, but psilocin is a powerful drug that could potentially aggravate existing or hidden psychological problems. You need to be in a good overall mental state before you take sclerotia, as you are likely to intensify your existing feelings, good or bad. The build-up and peak of a trip can be very intense sclerotia is not a drug for quiet relaxation.
5) Psychological difficulties during the trip. Its not always fun in there. Anxiety, uncontrollable thoughts, dwelling on difficulties in your life, a sense of dread, a feeling of going insane, a complete loss of personal identity, the awful knowledge that the giant lizards are heading for your planet .
6) Drug Combinations - combining sclerotia with alcohol and other drugs is a bad idea and will increase the chances of any of the above problems. Alcohol makes your behaviour less inhibited, so you are more likely to do something stupid instead of just thinking crazy thoughts. Combining sclerotia with cannabis use is normally OK (dont try it unless you are already familiar with cannabis) but be aware that it may make the trip feel more intense. In terms of prescription drugs, sclerotia should be avoided by anyone on MAOI type anti-depressants, due to the way the two drugs interact (in any case it wouldnt be a good idea to take hallucinogenic drugs if you are depressed enough to need medication).
7) Mild nausea, vomiting, upset stomach unlikely, but some people may find that sclerotia doesnt agree with them very well. Its common to feel some very light nausea during the initial stages of the trip. Eating on an empty stomach (4 or 5 hours without food) helps avoid this. I suspect that one of my sclerotia experiences caused my bad diahoerrea the following day this could be due to contamination of the sclerotia with bacteria, or possibly a consequence of the other alkali substances in the sclerotia upsetting my stomach somehow. All my other mushroom and sclerotia trips have been fine, without anything but the mildest nausea. Psilocybin itself is not likely to make you sick, but eating any kind of raw mushroom or similar uncooked foodstuff may occasionally upset your stomach. You may want to rinse the sclerotia in water before you eat it.
Remember - you can avoid these problems by eating a modest dose in a relaxed, safe environment.
So what happens if I have a bad trip?
I see bones. Bones. Frameworks of bones. Bones everywhere. The stuff of nightmare. A TV that is switched off and transmits awfulness .persecution on all channels this is 16 shades of hell.
this is terrible but I like it
Dont Panic! Oh, you already are. Maybe you are very, very scared and realise with horror that you are having a bad trip. So what? Being a little bit scared is part of the attraction, like watching a horror movie or trying the thrill-rides in an amusement park. Dont think the trip has gone bad, its just more difficult and frightening at this point than you expected. As long as you are not in physical danger (e.g lying in the middle of the road), just accept what is happening and try to change your mood to something more positive if you can, and ride it out if you cant. If you are having a panic attack, concentrate on breathing deeply and slowly.
If you are an anxious person and the idea of a bad trip really bothers you, Id avoid taking the drug in the first place, as you will make it more likely to happen. In any case, theres rarely a trip that is so bad that the total experience can be considered a bad trip. More likely is that you may experience periods during the trip where you feel unsettled, anxious or scared. Its normal for the initial stages of the trip to be a little bit edgy, before the experience fully takes hold. The best advice is to stop trying to fight the experience you cant really stop the effects of the drug so you might as well learn to enjoy it. A bad trip is better than an average day at work!
In psychological terms, a bad trip is not much different to a nightmare (albeit an extremely intense, vivid, panic-filled nightmare) it seems very unpleasant at the time but afterwards its difficult to understand what was so scary about it. If you feel bad, just remember that the effects are caused by the psilocin and will go away by themselves eventually. As the drug takes effect, the experience can become very intense, but you can expect to feel calmer once the trip has peaked. Maintain a sense of humour, and remember that many, many people have experienced the same feelings as you. Deal with each moment as it arrives. Ride it out.
Think about the crazy stuff that is happening in your head and smile psilocin is a fundamentally silly drug with powerful and unusual effects that should be respected but not taken too seriously. Its quite possible to switch your mood to something more positive with a bit of effort, so dont feel that any negative thoughts or unpleasant imagery are the beginning of some terrible bad trip which you wont be able to escape. In any case, even if you end up dwelling negatively on your personal problems, these kind of difficult experiences can be viewed positively if they enable you to confront issues from a new perspective. The end of a nightmare-fuelled bad trip can feel surprisingly peaceful when youve faced all your fears theres not so much left to worry about.
Will I be able to control myself during the trip? What if I decide to jump from a building?
If the idea of loosening your grip on reality really bothers you, Id think very carefully before trying sclerotia. In general, magic mushrooms & sclerotia make you lose control of your thoughts but retain control of your behaviour, so with a bit of mental effort you can behave sensibly. Like alcohol, the effects depend strongly on the user - one person may be a total liability after a few pints of beer while another is not noticeably drunk. With sclerotia, factors to consider are the dosage, previous psychedelic experience, age and personality of the user, and especially the setting for the trip.
A scenario might be that you are alone in your hotel room. Everything is feeling just amazing and you want to go down to reception and tell the beautiful receptionist how amazing everything is. Is this a good idea? You might be a bit fucked, and it might seem like a good idea at the time, but you are still capable of thinking to yourself: would I do this sober? Is this the kind of thing I wanted to avoid doing during my trip? In that respect, its slightly similar to alcohol the drug may cause you to want to do or say something, but you are still capable of making a judgement along the lines of if I was sober I would probably think that this was a really bad idea, so I wont do it. Of course, with both alcohol and sclerotia, if you take way too much (or combine them) you may have little control over your actions. If you normally have trouble controlling yourself when drunk, dont touch sclerotia.
As for jumping from buildings, its been done (resulting in the shroom ban), but usually by people combining magic mushrooms with alcohol and other drugs, or people who were suicidal / mentally unstable in the first place. If you dont normally climb out of windows while sober, theres no particular reason you would suddenly decide to do it under the influence of sclerotia. If taking sclerotia indoors, a hotel room without a balcony is preferable you are unlikely to do anything stupid, but just the knowledge that its there can make you feel uneasy if you keep dwelling on urban myths about trippers thinking they can fly.
Psilocin is unusual because you can maintain a kind of mental clarity even on fairly high doses, but at the same time you are capable of believing the most incredible delusional nonsense. You can be aware that your beliefs are delusional but still believe them (like a dream where you know you are dreaming but the dream doesnt stop). Ive had some very strange delusional beliefs, yet Ive been capable of writing them down, so I couldnt have been totally out of it.
The higher the dose, the worse the delusions get, but this shouldnt become a real issue unless you ignore the sensible warning to never eat more than one box. The second box is more often than not Pandoras box and is likely to tip the experience into something darker and more delusional, at least in my experience. On a very high dose, there is a potential danger that, for example, you believe you are God and are capable of anything, that your death wouldnt matter, that this life is not real and so on.
However, you are more likely to sit and ponder this than do anything practical to demonstrate your powers, and you may still be capable of choosing to behave normally, even if your thoughts are bizarre. Think of the stereotypical crazy person who appears to be normal in most respects but is convinced that he is Napoleon. A high-dose mushroom tripper is in a similar state - able to behave rationally, aware of his surroundings but convinced of any number of weird ideas. Of course, there are no guarantees about how any particular individual will react, and if you take a really stupid dose you may lose contact with reality entirely. Very high doses have their place, but its not Amsterdam away from home, in a densely populated city, you cannot control the conditions well enough to ensure your safety.
A common feeling during a trip is that you want to tell anyone and everyone about your amazing insights into the mysteries of the universe. This is a bad idea, but if you plan carefully what you intend to do during the trip, and stick to it, its not hard to avoid trouble. Set yourself some ground rules before you take the drug a mental list of things you want to avoid doing during the trip, such as opening the windows, going outside, making a lot of noise, phoning your parents, talking to random strangers and so on. Of course, having a sober, experienced sitter helps, and is a very good idea for a first-time user. In short - this is a drug with some strange effects, but on a sensible recreational dose they are manageable if you use a bit of common sense.
Last edited by Aldebran Linkbat on 2009-11-05, 7:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Sclerotia FAQ - a.k.a Philosophers Stones / Magic Truffles
Posted: 2009-11-05, 6:44 pm
Aldebran LinkbatSupporting Member
Supporting Member
Posts: 261
Location: UK Reply to topic
EFFECTS
So what exactly can I expect to happen if I take sclerotia?
An invasion of the abnormal into the normal. I see cartoon figures grimly attacking across the central reservation. My mood seems to be bleak .changing like the weather. My thoughts get dragged into weird scenarios, where grinning maniacs in stetson hats man the bars underground deep within your hallucination. There is no sense to this. And then you remember what this is like. Your point of view collapses and returns. You seem to fall through yourself. You hear the sound of an elevator but you are not moving. You write in unusual tenses and strange tints of pastel appear in shadows across your vision, like you are falling asleep within your hallucination and dreaming that you are writing.
I mentioned at the beginning that sclerotia have a slight resemblance to popcorn. Imagine that you are going to see a movie, only the movie is contained within the popcorn. The screen is behind your eyelids. There is no script, the director is clinically insane, and the projectionist is inserting psychedelic visuals and random reels of nonsense featuring fragments of memories from your normal life. That is what a sclerotia trip is like with one caveat however much you read or hear, your first sclerotia or mushroom trip is always slightly different to how you imagined it would be.
With that in mind, here is a rough guide to what you can expect, although the exact effects are highly personal and impossible to predict in advance. Obviously, a larger dose will cause stronger effects. For the best visuals, a very high dose is not always best, as the delusional effects of the drug distract you from appreciating the more colourful aspects (i.e you spend more time obsessed with bizarre ideas and less time appreciating the visuals). You may have an intense high-dose trip involving a ludicrous theory about the meaning of life, remember little of what you saw or thought, and experience a slightly disappointing feeling that you somehow missed the party.
The timescale of a typical trip is given first, followed by a bit more detail about the actual effects:
Timescale (which will vary a bit depending on total dosage and whether you split it into portions)
First 30 minutes absolutely fuck-all happens. Dont let this fool you.
30+ minutes the first effects begin very gradually, strange sensations, minor visual alterations
45 minutes closed-eye visuals become obvious
1 hour the trip is beginning to kick-in properly and the strength of the dose can be judged
1 hour 30 the trip is building towards its peak
2 hours if you took a high dose you are probably becoming a bit delusional at this point
3 hours peak of trip
4 hours effects reducing in intensity. A more relaxed and less hectic feel
5 hours effects have largely worn off, you may feel sober but you are still tripping slightly
6 hours effects have worn off completely. Feel tired but normal.
Physical effects & onset:
A sensation in my temples of the drug starting to infiltrate my brain. A subtle feeling that seems to affect my vision ever so slightly.
Feelings of heat or cold. Greater awareness of muscle tension and other bodily sensations. Body feels heavy. Slight feeling of mild nausea which passes away. General unease and a sense that something strange is occurring. A brief tingling feeling in your head. Sense of mental drift; that thoughts are becoming less controlled. Vision starts to subtly alter.
Closed-eye visuals CEV (Strength will vary depending on dose, but a psychedelic light-show should be visible even on a mild dose).
When I close my eyes, I am looking down onto a tiled floor and seeing toys in an imagined space and tiles everywhere and the space is fragmenting and the tiles are spiralling
my CEV are: whales made out of purple and the colour orange
a red-chequered tablecloth that is refracted in a thousand mirrors
I see biscuit tins and silvery wings
everything is red and there are rivers of words and packets and advertising running around the surfaces of imaginary objects at unusual angles
Repeating patterns, objects, colours, scenes, people, animals, cities are viewed with eyes closed, as though projected onto the back of the eyelids. Imagery flows and continually transforms into new visions. There is often an inky black or bright white background (may depend on ambient light), colours are fluorescent, shapes are often stylised or cartoon-like. classic psychedelic imagery of spirals, kaleidoscopic movement, transformations. Although the imagery is clearly internally generated, there is no awareness of thinking them up or imagining them they are viewed purely as a spectator. The creation of a new perceptual field not related to the surrounding 3D space - a seemingly vast internal world appears to be opening up inside your head.
Open-eye visuals OEV (These are not always present, - even on higher doses they are sometimes not particularly vivid - and depend strongly on the surroundings.)
The bedclothes pulsate, but now they are still again. This is a tricksy drug, stealthily invading your peripheral vision
Note - these kind of hallucinations generally involve perceptual alterations to the surfaces of real objects. Dont expect to see objects that arent there you wont see any marching penguins in your hotel room (unless you brought them with you when you checked-in). On a high enough dose you might become convinced that there are invisible penguins surrounding you (frankly, your obsession with penguins is beginning to disturb me) but thats a delusion, not a hallucination. You may see creative re-interpretations of actual objects (e.g there is a real coat on the floor, but when you are not viewing it directly you see it as a cat) but my basic point is that although your visual sense becomes distorted its still fairly reliable.
Specks of light appear in peripheral vision. Colours attract more attention. Movement, objects or scenes perceived in peripheral vision that vanish when viewed directly. Surfaces may appear to ripple or breath slightly. Patterned or speckled surfaces begin to spiral when examined closely. Some surfaces such as carpet may give an appearance of word-soup (indistinct letters and numbers within a surface), holes in ceiling tiles may appear to contain gemstones. Objects may appear to glow slightly, especially in artificial light. Shadows seem to move.
Derealization:
the hallucinations encompass everything. When everything is everything there is no way to shut it off.
What is real? What I see? My own thoughts? I can tell you that my own thoughts are unusual and my own ideas do not seem to be real.
The world feels increasingly unreal, as though normal life is itself a kind of hallucination. Sense of drifting away from reality. Physical world perceived to be a mental construct. An odd sensation of being awake and asleep at the same time. Time itself may seem to stretch (time dilation) so that 2 minutes feels more like 20.
Depersonalisation:
my point of view keeps shifting. I am everywhere and nowhere.
I am becoming undone
Thoughts and imagery dominate conscious experience - body feels a secondary, disconnected entity, e.g feelings of hunger may be perceived indirectly as a strange emotional emptiness. Reduced sense of individual identity - less awareness of being me. Thoughts are just disconnected thoughts, not my thoughts. Internal monologue (i.e consciously thinking things to yourself) may stop. On a strong dose you may feel as though your personality is becoming unravelled, and the drug is taking over. This effect is usually temporary as the trip builds to a peak once you are there you may feel a bit more yourself again, as you adjust to the change in consciousness caused by the drug.
Euphoria & Racing Thoughts, Mania:
there is traffic coming into me on roads in my head
to have your own ideas attack you like a guerrilla force and try to creep up on you like an invading army
my thoughts construct their own reality like a film set
hallucinations that arrive unwanted and unplug the wires in your head
Powerful excitement and awe at vividness of CEV. Rapid changes in emotional state happy, sad, giggling. Thought loops you get caught thinking about something which absorbs your attention more and more strongly for what seems a long time, but isnt. Thoughts and CEV are produced involuntarily at an extremely fast rate and are difficult to process into a coherent framework. A gradual adjustment to the pace of the internal imagery and thought-patterns as the trip takes hold. You feel wired into some kind of fantastical machine and begin to appreciate the awesome power of your brain. You are manic, grinning insanely, gripped by the intensity of the drug experience. You are enjoying yourself.
Grandiose ideas & delusions: (on higher doses).
My hallucinations do not trouble themselves by entering into my 3D view of the world or what I see when I close my eyes. They compete with the very reality this notebook is within.
could your delusions be the awakening of a demon you had forgotten existed?
I am your God
the rulers of the universe will drop from the trees
The torrent of ideas and imagery combines with a general state of mania to drive schemes of thought which are increasingly bizarre. A conviction that you have discovered some philosophical or spiritual truth of immense significance. An end of the world feeling that something momentous is about to happen. Plans to change your life or a feeling that interpersonal relations will dramatically improve based upon your experience during the trip. Confidence that the world will become a new and better place. A sense of oneness and peace with your life, other people and the universe in general. Music lyrics or programmes on TV seem to have a direct significance to your personal situation. A Feeling that your thoughts are being broadcast into other worlds. A sense of connection or communication with God / aliens / demons / nameless entities from other dimensions. Frankly, anything is possible.
Comedown:
this hallucination is tumbling through the darkness and it will only hit the earth when I close my eyes.
that was quite strong and I have run out of paper. Goodnight.
The comedown is actually rather pleasant. You begin to realise that your crazy ideas are even more crazy than you thought at the time. You decide that your plan to take over the world / your method of creating a perfect new universe / your solution to the meaning of life / your idea for a movie blockbuster (delete as appropriate) is not such a great idea after all. Maybe the alien invasion isnt going to happen. Maybe you arent God. You feel relaxed and enjoy re-connecting with normality. After around six hours in total, you should be back to normal (if you were normal to start with) and able to sleep. You may be feeling quite hungry and wish to enjoy a snack. You are not entirely sure how to describe what just happened, but it was fun.
Sources & Further Reading:
For most purposes, information about mushrooms applies equally to sclerotia, so reading about magic mushrooms will tell you most of what you might want to know. Reading about other peoples experiences on mushrooms, both good and bad, is both amusing and helpful and can give you some idea of what to expect and what to avoid doing.
Erowid Mushrooms
Vast archive of information, documents and trip reports
Erowid Psychedelic Experience FAQ
General tips & advice for anyone planning to trip
Erowid Mushroom experience reports
Vast archive of trip reports - the good, the bad and the ugly
The Shroomery
Huge mushroom-related website & message board
Shroomery Sclerotia
With useful links to various sclerotia-related threads
Shroomery Sclerotia FAQ
Mainly technical information on growing sclerotia, with a few interesting facts
Save Our Shrooms!
Updated news on the legal situation in the Netherlands
For an interesting, highly readable (and reasonably cheap) book about the origins and history of magic mushroom usage, read Shrooms: A Cultural History of the Magic Mushroom by Andy Letcher. It discusses theories of ancient mushroom usage, the discovery of indigenous magic mushroom usage among Mazatec people in Mexico in the 1950s, the identification of psilocybin as the active ingredient, popularisation of mushroom use, the counter-culture of the 1960s, criminalisation, Timothy Leary, Terence McKenna, right through to the open sale of fresh mushrooms in the smart shops of Amsterdam in the 1990s.
There is a button and there is a note and the note simply says: Effects On? Or Effects off?
