When done correctly — the right dosage, good vibes, etc — a magic mushroom experience can be everything you dreamed of. Insightful, surreal, transcendent, revelatory, sometimes hilarious. But for the perfectionists/high achievers/spiritual space-people there are always ways to push the experience that little bit further. In this article we will explore the ways you can get the most out of your psychedelic trip. They’re pretty easy tips that anyone can follow, and including them in your trip prep can also make you more mindful of the journey overall. Pretty cool, huh?

So, let’s start with the basics…

Dosage and Potency of Magic Mushrooms

It goes without saying that you can easily ‘enhance’ your magic mushroom experience by increasing your dosage. However, it’s not quite that simple. We’re looking for the best experience you can have, and for many people that is definitely not the highest dose possible. If you’re a beginner to the shroomiverse you can ensure your best experience by being careful with your dosage and not overdoing it on your first go-round. This will give you space to enjoy experimenting with higher doses on subsequent trips. If you are more experienced, maybe increasing your dose is a way to maximize your experience, if higher intensity is what you crave. Check out our Ultimate Dosage Chart here.

Alternatively, rather than simply upping your dose, you could try your usual dose (or less) with a more potent strain of mushroom. Each mushroom strain has slightly different characteristics — some more visual, some more introspective — for example, although this can vary for each individual. Taking the time to decide what shroom (or truffle) strain to take based on what you want from your trip, can maximize the elements of the psychedelic experience that you most enjoy. 

Additionally, how you store your shrooms will also affect how much you get out of them. Ideally they are fresh — freshly harvested, freshly dried, or freshly released from their package if we’re talking truffles. However, if they are not, make sure you have followed our exhaustive guide on how to store your psychedelic fungi, so everything is in tip-top condition. 

Using ‘Synergistic Substances’ 

Another way to maximize your magic mushroom experience is by combining them with other substances that can work with, or enhance, their effects. These are called ‘synergistic substances’. 

The most well-known of these combos is Lemon Tek. This much-loved method involves mixing ground mushrooms or truffles with lemon juice and letting it steep. This can make the effects of your shrooms come on faster and more intensely. It can also make the duration of your trip shorter too. Learn how to Lemon Tek here.

Some people like to combine their magic mushrooms with other types of non-psychedelic fungi or plants that have beneficial effects. Popular in this category are the nootropics Lion’s Mane Mushroom and Asian Ginseng. These enhance brain function and boost energy, among other things, which can help to amplify the effects of psilocybin. 

Another popular combination has a sacred lineage. Well, if the Aztecs reckoned psilocybin and cacao were a cool combo, who are we to argue? In fact, the Aztec called the magic mushrooms Teonanacátl — which means ‘flesh of the gods.’ Cacao, or Theobroma, meant ‘food of the gods’. A spiritual combination indeed! Cacao is known to stimulate the production of feel-good hormones like serotonin, which psilocybin itself mimics. Combine the two and you could be in for a very joyous trip. 

Combining cannabis with psychedelic mushrooms can intensify the effects of both substances, potentially leading to a more profound and visually vibrant trip. However, this heightened intensity can also increase the risk of experiencing anxiety, paranoia, or confusion during the trip, especially if you are prone to those effects from cannabis use alone. While some users find the combination enjoyable and spiritually enlightening, it’s crucial to approach it with moderation and be aware of the potential for unpredictable reactions. Always ensure you are in a safe environment when experimenting with any combination of substances.

When and What You Eat

The general wisdom goes that if you want to milk everything you can from your shrooms, it’s best to consume them on an empty stomach. This means that the body is able to metabolize the psilocybin more efficiently and the onset of the effects will appear faster. However, although this works well for some people, for others it’s good to have something in your stomach to line it in preparation for your magic mushrooms or truffles. Nothing big, just something to stabilize your guts before the onset of your adventure. Equally, eating a lot before taking shrooms will dull a trip, so you want to get the balance just right. 

Additionally, what you eat in the lead-up to your trip can work to enhance the experience too. In the days before it is best to avoid foods high in saturated fats as they can interfere with the absorption of psilocybin as they slow digestion. Nutrient-rich lighter meals can get you trip ready. Foods that contain tryptophans are also popular with the perfectionist tripper. This amino acid is vital and acts as a precursor to serotonin, which psilocybin binds to. Foods high in tryptophans include peanut butter, turkey, eggs, some dairy products, salmon, and seeds. Eating these in the lead up to your trip could maximize the effects. 

Fasting

Intermittent fasting has become a popular health trend in recent years, with many touting the benefits of a more spaced apart eating schedule. While its always important to be safe and make sure you have enough calories to maintain your body and keep up energy levels, taking a break from your regular eating schedule and replacing some unhealthier food habits with things like organic fruit juices and fresh vegetables can really help to clear toxins out of the body and improve digestive function, as well as overall health. You should always be careful and avoid “extreme” dieting habits, but a “cleanse” of sorts from regular eating patterns can have a huge impact on the potency of a trip. When your digestive system is healthy and cleared of toxins, it can process the mushrooms or truffles with maximum efficiency, and with the added health benefits of improved circulation and hormone regulation that come with proper fasting and cleansing protocols, the entire experience can become much more pleasant, often devoid of the usual uncomfortable bodily sensations that can accompany tripping, especially on higher doses.

Mindfulness and Meditation

Mindfulness and meditation practices can enhance your psychedelic experience by bringing a self-awareness and attention to it that can feed into personal growth before, during, and after the trip. Meditation or mindfulness practices before a trip can work to prepare your mind and help achieve a calm and receptive state. Additionally, these practices can enhance one’s ability to perceive thoughts and emotions without judgment or attachment, which can be ideal for getting deeply introspective during a trip.

Different cultures around the world have been using these substances for thousands of years, and each have their own traditions and practices around them. Familiarizing yourself with the different beliefs and philosophies developed by these cultures is a key aspect of getting the most out of your psychedelic experiences. Find one that excites or intrigues you and delve into the ideas and views that the culture developed, using these substances in traditional settings.

Grounding exercises, like focused breathing or engaging with each of your senses, can offer an anchor and point of stability during a trip. The ability to practice mindfulness can help you to be present in each moment. Accessing a higher plane of consciousness will come easier if your consciousness is already primed and warmed-up.  

Additionally, your ‘set’ (mindset) and ‘setting’ (environment) will also affect how able you are to fully give yourself over to the psychedelic experience. Learn everything there is to know about Set and Setting here. 

Maximizing Your Magic Mushrooms: The Takeaway

To maximize your magic mushroom or truffle experience it is essential to use them safely and responsibly. It is a holistic process that covers everything from dosage, diet, mindfulness, meditation, intention, and synergistic substances. To maximize your mushroom experience does not necessarily mean to ‘go big or go home’ as it were. Rather it means how you can have the most fun, the most insight, the most out-of-this-world, life-changing experience possible. 

This can be done by:

  • Measuring out and taking the appropriate dosage for your level of experience and desired intensity of trip.
  • Choosing the right strain in terms of potency and characteristic effects. 
  • Using synergistic substances to enhance your trip. These can range from lemon juice to natural nootropics. 
  • Fasting for a few hours beforehand, or just eating a light meal to line your stomach, can intensify the onset and strength of a trip as your body is able to metabolize the psilocybin faster. 
  • Eating certain foods and drinks can enhance the effects of psilocybin in the lead up to your trip. 
  • Mindfulness and meditation practices can help you to both be open to a higher level of consciousness and anchor yourself during your trip.  
  • Integrating and analyzing your trip after the fact can help you to improve your mushroom method for next time.

Be safe, take it easy… but take it!