Smoking mushrooms have hallucinogenic effects. Just taking a few puffs can take you on a roller coaster of emotions. From feeling anxious and paranoid to giggly and terrified, every sentiment can be experienced within a few moments.
But can you smoke mushrooms? Is it worth it?
Sure, you can smoke mushrooms, but are you prepared to face the psychedelic effects after it?
Let’s understand the science behind mushrooms, also popular with names like magic mushrooms and shrooms, and know what makes them so tripping.
While some mushrooms are edible and are used to prepare different dishes, others could be highly toxic. Ingesting mushrooms in the wild increases the chances of gastrointestinal issues, organ failure, and death.
What Happens When You Smoke Mushrooms?
The person smoking mushrooms gets hallucinogenic effects immediately.
Certain mushrooms contain a compound called psilocybin. It offers therapeutic benefits and is often used in mental health disorders due to its psychedelic effects (1). The compound contributes to easing emotional processing and reduces fear responses.
Even though it is widely used in treating certain mental disorders (2) under proper guidance, taking it without prescription and in overdose leads to psychedelic effects.
Therefore, when you smoke mushrooms, getting psychedelic effects and feeling hallucinated is common.
Is Smoking Mushrooms Dangerous to Health?
To understand if mushrooms are health hazardous, it is important to learn how it reacts in the body.
Shrooms are believed to interact with serotonin, a chemical that carries messages between nerve cells in the brain and throughout the body (3). It helps to regulate emotions.
As a person smokes mushrooms, the compound psilocybin interacts with serotonin receptors present in the brain. As these two components interact, emotions such as thinking and perceiving alter, making the person go into hallucination.
When consumed in a controlled environment and as a part of therapeutic medicine, shrooms contribute greatly to controlling different emotions. In fact, it is seen to heighten the sense of creativity and spiritual connections. Moreover, the person may feel an improved sense of well-being.
However, every person experiences the effects differently, and smoking just for fun can cause more harm than help.
Adverse Effects of Smoking Mushrooms
If you wonder if you can smoke mushrooms, find out what dangers lie ahead. Here are the common risks associated with smoking shrooms-
1. General Smoking Risks
Smoking in any way is not good for health as it contains harmful toxins that damage the lungs and blood vessels. The chances of lung cancer become tremendously high due to smoking.
If you add magic mushrooms to your smoke, the risks elevate even more due to the presence of psilocybin.
2. Inhalation of Mold Spores
Mushrooms contain spores, and inhaling certain types of spores can lead to severe health issues. These are-
- Infections
- Allergies
- Weakened immune system
- Bad lung condition, especially when you are already dealing with some lung disease
Therefore, people with mold allergy and a preexisting lung disorder should never smoke mushrooms.
3. Bad Psychoactive Effects
Some of the common psychoactive effects that a person may experience as a result of smoking shrooms include-
- Panic
- Trouble making decisions
- Frightening hallucinations
- Difficulty in differentiating between reality and fantasy
4. Physical Side Effects
The side effects of shrooms are not limited to mental and emotional status but physical, too. Some common physical side-effects of mushroom intake include-
- increased heart rate and blood pressure
- nausea and vomiting
- increased body temperature
- abdominal cramps and diarrhea
- muscle weakness
- uncoordinated movement
5. Psychological Side Effects
Often, the hallucinogenic effects of mushrooms go beyond your level of thinking. Overdose kills your basic understanding between reality and fantasy, keeping your kind under delusion and making you do things that you would never do normally.
Can You Smoke Mushrooms Safely?
When it comes to smoking or substance use, everything comes under scrutiny, and nothing is safe. However, if you still want to smoke mushrooms, certain measures can be taken to keep the side effects minimum.
1. Avoid smoking: It is dangerous to health, irrespective of how frequently you do it. Also, the chances of toxic spores’ inhalation increase. Instead, try consuming mushrooms in a different way, such as seeping in water or tea, etc.
2. Be mindful of dose: For beginners, it is advised to start with a low dose and work up gradually. Taking higher doses is bad not only for beginners but regular users too.
3. Do not hold the inhale: If smoking is your last resort, make sure you do not keep the inhale for long. It exposes the lungs to toxins for a longer time, giving more adverse effects.
4. Consume at the right time: Do not smoke mushrooms when you are alone. Firstly, have a sober supporter by your side who can deal with your hallucinogen effects and stop you from doing something harmful. Secondly, do shrooms only when you are in a positive head space.
5. Stay hydrated: Shrooms are known to raise the body temperature and dry out your mouth. Therefore, it is advised to drink plenty of water and keep the body well-hydrated.
6. Eat: To prevent gastrointestinal discomfort that usually comes with mushroom ingestion, eating a small amount after regular intervals, especially before smoking mushrooms, is recommended.
When to Seek Help?
It is essential to seek medical help if you are having any of these issues after shroom intake-
- trouble breathing
- irregular heartbeat
- agitation
- aggression
- seizures
Conclusion
Inhaling any type of smoke is bad for health. Therefore, if you question whether you smoke mushrooms, the first answer should always be a big NO. However, if you are adamant about trying it, keep the safety measures handy and be prepared for any adverse effects.
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