You might not expect it, but there is a surprisingly large number of ways to take magic mushrooms, with some methods lending themselves to softer experiences, and others making for more potent and intense highs. In this article, we outline these different methods of consumption, highlighting their differences and offering directions for each one.

Does it matter how you consume magic mushrooms?

The experience of consuming magic mushrooms can vary significantly depending on the method of ingestion. Certain methods have a distinct character, leading to a distinct experience. Whether you choose to eat them whole, brew them into a tea, or explore other methods—each has unique effects on how quickly and intensely the psilocybin will be absorbed by your body, which in turn changes the characteristics of the high.

For example, consuming mushrooms on an empty stomach can significantly speed up the onset of the effects and greatly intensify the experience, as the active compounds will be absorbed more quickly into the bloodstream. This can lead to a more profound and immediate psychedelic experience but may also increase the intensity beyond what some users find comfortable. Consuming shrooms soon after eating, on the other hand, will lead to a milder high that will also come on slower and recede faster, potentially being more desirable for novice shroomers.

If you combine shrooms with lemon juice (or any other acid for that matter), then the psilocybin in the shrooms converts into psilocin outside of the body (when eaten, stomach acid catalyses this conversion), which causes them to have stronger, faster effects.

So in short—yes, it does matter how you consume magic mushrooms, very much so indeed.

A quick word on dosing psilocybin mushrooms

Proper dosing is critical when it comes to consuming magic mushrooms safely and enjoyably. You can’t really undo a high once it’s upon you, and you can’t really redose either, as your serotonin 5-HT2A receptors will downregulate very rapidly in the presence of psilocin, meaning you kind of have one shot at getting the high right.

Therefore, it's essential to get a clear understanding of how much psilocybin is right for you as a first step, considering factors like your body weight, your experience with psychedelics, and the desired strength and length of the effects—all of this is quite individual. Tools such as our Magic Mushroom Dosage Calculator can help you determine an appropriate dose. Also, resources like our article on how to weigh and dose psychedelics provide valuable guidance on measuring and preparing your mushrooms to ensure a safe and controlled experience. Check them out!

For a quick and very general look at dosing, the following table should give you some insight. But bear in mind that the doses below assume you use cubensis shrooms, and will be inaccurate if you have shrooms that are either stronger or weaker. Also, dosing is a very individual matter—your body, experience level, and whether or not you've eaten recently can all influence your ideal dose.

Average mushroom doses and potency:

• 1 gram: low to moderate high
• 2 grams: moderate to strong high
• 3 grams: strong high
• 4+ grams: very strong high

5 ways to consume magic mushrooms

Exploring different methods of consuming magic mushrooms can help you find the approach that best suits your preferences and comfort level. Here's a closer look at some of the most popular methods, each with its own set of advantages and considerations. Some methods are simple, while others require a little more work—but all are viable.

Chewing and swallowing magic mushrooms

This is the easiest, or most straightforward, way to consume shrooms. Simply chew them up and swallow them, and let your body do the rest. If you’re at a party, or out picking in the forest, then this might be the only method available to you. Or maybe you just don’t mind the taste and want to go for the easiest option?

With this method, the psilocybin converts (dephosphorylates) into psilocin in the stomach, then passes through the liver before entering the bloodstream. As such, the onset is slower than some other methods, with more moderate effects but a marginally longer-lasting high.

Directions

For this method to work well, you should thoroughly chew your shrooms. Really pulverise them into a lovely mush before you swallow them. It might be a bit gross, but this will increase the surface area to volume ratio of each particle of mushroom and greatly increase the speed at which they can be processed by your body. Well-chewed shrooms can take effect in as little as 10 minutes in cases where the user also has an empty stomach.

Drinking magic mushroom tea

Mushroom tea is a favourite—and for good reason. This method allows the user to improve the taste and bypass the need to ingest chitin, a compound in the cell walls that gives the mushroom structure and stability. While chitin is essential for shrooms to grow, it can cause nausea and stomach upset, which isn’t great while you're tripping. If this happens to you, then consider tea as the solution to your problem. It might be slightly more tasty, too.

You can also add lemon juice to a mushroom tea to convert the psilocybin into psilocin faster, making it more potent while avoiding the intensity of a pure lemon tek (more on this later).

Directions

Heat water up to 70ºC—no more, otherwise you risk destroying the psychedelic compounds in the shrooms. Then, grind or chop your mushrooms up as fine as you can get them, and steep them in the hot water for around 20 minutes. Add tea or lemon juice as you see fit. For detailed, step-by-step instructions, visit our mushroom tea guide.

Taking magic mushroom capsules

If you like the effects of eating magic mushrooms, but find yourself repulsed by the flavour or texture, then capsules might be the way to go for you. They are also favoured by those who microdose, as you can really accurately control the dose, which is essential for a proper microdosing regimen.

Directions

To make magic mushroom capsules, you’ll need a coffee grinder, an accurate set of scales that measure in milligrams, and some empty capsules. Grind up your shrooms into the finest powder you can get, then weigh out each dose to whatever you fancy. With most capsules, you’ll find you can’t fit more than a gram or so into each, so you might end up taking more than one capsule at a time.

The great thing about this method is that you can easily know exactly how much you’ve consumed, making for a more reliable and safe psychedelic experience.

Eating magic mushroom edibles

Mushroom chocolate is the most well-known and popular magic mushroom edible, and its roots can be traced back to the Aztecs, who combined cacao and Psilocybe cubensis. It is believed by some that the MAOIs in cacao can inhibit the body’s ability to break down psilocin, causing it to have stronger and longer lasting effects—although it’s not known how much cacao you’d need to consume for that to occur in any meaningful way. But bear that in mind, and possibly do some research before trying this combo.

There are also other mushroom edibles out there, although, on the whole, adding shrooms to food can be problematic. There are two reasons for this. First, if you expose them to high temperatures, you run the risk of destroying the active compounds. And second, consuming shrooms alongside all but the smallest amounts of food will inevitably mitigate their effects to some degree—and this, for most people, is disappointing. Many of us have heard stories of magic mushroom pizzas, but the reality is that they’re not that great if your goal is a profound psychedelic experience. If you just want to get a little bit high and are craving a pizza—cool!

Directions

In practice, you can add shrooms to any food. The key is to ensure that you don’t heat them at over 70ºC, as this would cause the psilocybin to degrade and the effects to decrease. Check out our article featuring five of our favourite magic mushroom recipes that are light enough that they don't inhibit the high all too much—including shroom chocolate!

Taking a lemon tek shot

If you fancy an intense experience for both your palate and your mind, you can try a lemon tek! This method utilises lemon juice (or the citric acid contained in it) to convert the psilocybin into psilocin before the shroomy solution enters your body, leading to a rapid and potent uptake once you ingest it. For some, this experience can be too intense, but for others the high is more potent but also “cleaner” and more enjoyable. If you’re trying this method for the first time, start with a lower dose of shrooms so that you can get a feel for it. Trust us.

Directions

Finely grind the shrooms to increase their surface area, then cover them with the juice of a whole fresh lemon. Let it sit for around 20 minutes, then take the whole shot (shrooms and lemon juice)! You’ll likely pull a face similar to the tequila shot face, as it’s quite an intense experience. Then, get ready for the journey. For more in-depth instructions, check out our article on how to do a lemon tek.

When shouldn’t you consume magic mushrooms?

There are instances when it’s not recommended to consume magic mushrooms—and those times should be respected as such. It's impossible to identify all of the scenarios, but here are some examples of when to avoid shrooms (and other drugs, for that matter):

• If you’re just not feeling it: Ever known in advance that you didn’t want to get high, but then you did it anyway and immediately regretted it? Well, one of the best things you can do is learn to listen to your gut instinct and stay away in these moments. If you’re not feeling it, just don’t do it.
• Medical conditions: It’s not known how magic mushrooms interact with different medical conditions, especially mental health conditions, so you should be wary of taking them if you experience mental health problems.
• Wrong set and setting: If you’re in the wrong mental or physical space for a trip, then it’s best to avoid it altogether until the time and space feels right. There’s no point in tripping at the wrong moment or in the wrong place. Really.
• Medications: It’s not known whether magic mushrooms may have any dangerous interactions with medications, so you should be very careful before taking them alongside other prescribed or unprescribed substances. Check in with your physician or a healthcare professional instead of taking the risk.