There have been many substances over the years that the federal government feels should have an illegal designation. However, not all of them seem to have quite the devastating effects that propaganda films would have you believe. For instance, you only have to look at movies like Reefer Madness to see the outsized hysteria that once surrounded marijuana. 

These days, recreational marijuana has legal status in many states, with more joining that list seemingly every year. It’s proof positive that opinions change regarding some substances. 

Colorado recently legalized magic mushrooms, and some other states seem willing to at least consider doing likewise. There’s still a great deal of debate, though, over whether these types of mushrooms actually have any kind of legitimate therapeutic properties. 

It’s worth talking about, so let’s do so right now.

What Does the Term “Magic Mushrooms” Mean?

There are hundreds of mushroom species in the world. Some people eat them, and they have no hallucinogenic properties. You can order a large pie from the nearest Pizza Hut with these kinds of mushrooms on it for about $10.

You can also find many species of mushrooms growing naturally in the woods. If you go for a walk in the park, you can probably locate some on rotten logs or growing happily on trees. 

You should probably never eat any of the kinds of mushrooms that you find growing in the wild, unless you’re an expert and know which ones you might consume with no ill effects. If you don’t have this knowledge, and you eat a random mushroom, it can make you very sick.

When you hear the term “magic mushrooms,” though, that typically doesn’t mean shitake mushrooms that you might have on a salad or a random species that you will find out of doors. The term usually means psilocybin mushrooms.

What Do They Resemble?

This kind of mushroom usually has moderately-sized caps and long stems. If you buy it for consumption, you may notice that they have a grayish-white color. If you buy fresher ones, they might have reddish or orange caps. 

Usually, if you purchase them either to consume for recreational or therapeutic purposes, you will get them dried. If you buy fresh ones, they usually look plumper and taste different than the dried variety. 

The History of This Kind of Mushrooms

For many years, psilocybin mushrooms had illegal status, despite some individuals claiming that they had therapeutic properties. During the Hippie Movement in the 1960s, it was not unusual for individuals to purchase and consume them to try to get high. 

Those who consumed them usually did so by eating them. The braver souls might chew them up and swallow them, both the stems and the caps. The bags in which dealers sold them also often contained what looked like dust, powdered bits of the mushrooms that had broken off during shipping. 

Most people agree that these kinds of mushrooms don’t taste very good, so eating them in chocolate or with peanut butter became popular. Others would brew a tea with them and drink it. Any of these measures would usually bring on the high or euphoric state that the user wanted. 

However, some Native American tribes and other groups used these types of mushrooms long before the hippies in the 60s. Many of them believed the visions they saw after consuming them could tell them about their futures or reveal inner truths about themselves or the spirit world.

Do These Kinds of Mushrooms Have Therapeutic Value?

This leads us to the question of whether these types of mushrooms have therapeutic value. There’s no simple answer to that question, though.

While many studies into these kinds of mushrooms seem to indicate that they can help people with certain conditions, there’s never any guarantee of that. These mushrooms, if you take the correct dose, can give you hallucinogenic visions. 

If you don’t ingest very much, some users report feeling a pleasant tingling sensation. They might see trails if they wave their hand back and forth in front of their face. They might enjoy music more or find lights fascinating. 

Does that translate to them having therapeutic value? It seems to vary person by person. Some individuals close to the end of their life from a debilitating disease report feeling calmer about their impending death after consuming them. However, others report feeling a sense of dread or alarm. 

Beware the Bad Trip

Individuals in and around the drug culture use the term “tripping” to describe the sensation when they consume mushrooms, and also LSD and certain other hallucinatory drugs, like mescaline or peyote. A “good trip” might produce those euphoric sensations both of mind and body that some people find so beneficial. It’s also possible, though, that you will get the dreaded “bad trip.”

A bad trip might make you see hallucinations that frighten you badly. It may also make you feel sick to your stomach. You might vomit or have other negative physical reactions. 

Most people describe bad trips as you having intrusive, recurring thoughts that you can’t seem to escape. The average trip takes a few hours, but it can seem like much longer if you’re not enjoying yourself. 

Should You Try Mushrooms for Therapy?

In short, you never know how you’re going to react if you consume mushrooms in any of the ways that we’ve described. While some people swear by them as a way of getting over depression or other psychological problems, others try them and come away insisting that they’ll never do anything like that again.

If you decide that you want to try magic mushrooms, it’s probably best that you start with a smaller dose. Sometimes called microdosing, this technique means you likely won’t have very strong effects, so you can see if you like it.

You should also have someone sober there to watch over you. That way, they can make sure you don’t do anything to harm yourself.