​

Many factors contribute to the psilocybin experience, including dose, mindset, setting, and your body’s personal chemistry. With that in mind, each individual journey will be unique to the person, time, and place, and there’s no way to predict exactly what will happen. But understanding the common experiences and effects of psilocybin will help you prepare for your journey.

​

A typical trip on a moderate dose of psilocybin mushrooms (1-2.5g) includes an increased intensity of emotional experiences, increased introspection, and altered psychological functioning in the form of “hypnagogic experiences,” which is the transitory state between wakefulness and sleep. Brain imaging studies show that a psilocybin trip is neurologically similar to dreaming, which gives you a good idea of the mindset you’re entering when undertaking a psychedelic experience.

​

During a psilocybin experience, you can expect to experience perceptual changes, synesthesia, emotional shifts, and a distorted sense of time.[1] Perceptual changes can include visuals such as halos around lights and objects as well as geometric patterns when your eyes are closed. You may also experience vivid colours, tracers, distorted vision, and a sense of the world breathing around you.

Thoughts and emotions can change, too. It’s not uncommon to have a sense of openness to thoughts and feelings that you avoid in your everyday life, as well as a sense of wonder and delight with the world around you, the people in your life, and your own mind. You may also feel a sense of peace and connection with the world.

​

Strong emotions, both enjoyable and challenging, are common during a journey. When undesirable feelings do arise, it’s best not to resist but rather let the feelings run their course. Many people who have reported the presence of strong negative emotions also report feeling a simultaneous sense of calm acceptance and detachment, especially if they don’t resist and remind themselves that the emotions are temporary. Resisting the emotions can lead to a “bad trip.” (See “Bad trips” for more details.)

Physical side effects vary from person to person, but they can include a change in heart rate (up or down), change in blood pressure (up or down), nausea, increased tendon reflexes, tremors, dilated pupils, restlessness or arousal, and trouble with coordinated movement. Some also report feeling deeply relaxed and calm.

​

​

Effects by Dose.

 

NOTE: The effects listed below aren’t meant to be comprehensive, particularly at the lower dose ranges. They may be subject to change as more reliable, widely representative data become available.

​

​

Microdose (0.05-0.25 g)

A microdose is a sub-perceptual (unnoticeable) dose, which many people incorporate into their weekly routines. The idea behind this is to enhance levels of creativity, energy, and focus, and decrease levels of stress, anxiety, and emotional instability. Find out more in our microdosing guide. Common effects include:

​

• Mood enhancement

• Decreased stress

• Emotional stability

• Mindfulness, presence, and peace

• Openness and self-forgiveness

• Conversational fluidity

• Alleviation of persistent conditions such as depression, anxiety, ADD/ADHD, and PTSD

• Increased motivation (e.g. to make positive lifestyle changes)

• Increased flow states

• Clearer, more connected thinking

• Improved memory

• Increased creativity

• Easier meditation

• Enhanced athletic endurance

• Increased energy overall (without anxiety or a subsequent crash)

• Slight amplification of mood, positive or negative

• Possible manic states

• Potentially increased neuroticism

​

​

Mini-dose (0.25-0.75 g)

While a proper microdose shouldn’t be felt, a mini-dose of psilocybin takes you just above the perceptual threshold—but it’s not a full-blown trip. As one of our community members put it, a mini-dose gives you “that total expansion of being, total freeflow feeling” without losing touch with your surroundings. Common effects include:

​

• Mood enhancement, mild euphoria or excitement

• Mindfulness, presence, and peace

• Openness and self-forgiveness

• Introspective insights

• Alleviation of persistent conditions such as depression, anxiety, ADD/ADHD, and PTSD

• Increased motivation (e.g. to make positive lifestyle changes)

• Increased flow states

• Clearer, more connected thinking

• Enhanced senses

• Easier meditation

• Increased enjoyment of physical activity and everyday tasks

• Preference for introspection over socializing

• Increased sensitivity to light

• Very mild visuals, if any

​

​

Museum dose (0.5-1.5 g)

The effects of psilocybin are more apparent with a museum dose than with a mini-dose, but a museum dose still won’t give you a full psychedelic experience. The name “museum dose,” coined by the biochemist and pharmacologist Dr. Alexander Shulgin, refers to the fact that on this dose, you can still participate in public activities (such as viewing paintings in a museum) without attracting attention. Common effects include:

​

• Mood enhancement, euphoria or excitement

• Mild to moderate visuals (e.g. “breathing” environments)

• Increased empathy

• Conversational fluidity

• Introspection

• Increased flow states

• Enhanced senses

• Enhanced appreciation for music, art, etc.

• Increased creativity

• Amplification of mood, positive or negative

• Altered perception of sound

• Time dilation or contraction (time passing more slowly or quickly)

• Increased sensitivity to light

• Pupil dilation

• Difficulty focusing or thought loops

• Difficulty or discomfort socializing

• Frustration at dosage (the “no man’s land”)

​

​

Moderate dose (2-3 g)

This is where the full psychedelic experience begins. You’ll likely see visual hallucinations, including patterns and fractals, and things like time and depth perception will be distorted. But with this dose, you’re still able to grasp your surroundings—they’ll just be highly altered. Common effects include:

​

• Life-changing introspective or philosophical insights

• Increased flow of ideas

• Enhanced appreciation for music, art, etc.

• Finding otherwise mundane things funny or interesting

• Clear come-up, peak, and come-down

• Amplification of emotions, whether good or bad

• Open- and closed-eye visuals (e.g. patterns, auras)

• Synesthesia

• Sensitivity to light

• Compulsive yawning

• Disorientation

• Fear and anxiety (“bad trip” experiences)

• Difficulty with cognitive tasks

• Dizziness

• Nausea

​

​

Megadose (5+ g)

A megadose brings on a total loss of connection with reality. This is where you’ll experience intense hallucinations, as well as ego death, mystical experiences, and deep introspection. Common effects include:

​

• Mystical experience and intense feelings of wonder

• Life-changing introspective or philosophical insights

• Ego death

• Very strong open- and closed-eye visions (e.g. memories coming to life)

• Synesthesia

• Time becoming meaningless

• Disorientation

• Compromised motor functions (sitter recommended!)

• Strong fear and anxiety (extreme “bad trip” experiences)

• Extreme difficulty with cognitive tasks

• Dizziness

• Nausea