|Certain types of naturally occurring mushrooms contain hallucinogenic chemicals -- psilocybin and psilocin. These mushrooms are generally grown in Mexico and Central America and have been used in native rituals for thousands of years.
Dried mushrooms contain about 0.4% psilocybin and only trace amounts of psilocin. Hallucinogenic effects can be obtained by ingesting 4-8 milligrams of the active hallucinogenic chemicals or about 2 grams of the dried mushrooms. The mild hallucinogenic effects of mushrooms last about six hours.
Mushrooms, which have a strong bitter taste, can be eaten or brewed into a tea. The effects of mushrooms are unpredictable each time they are used due to varying potency, the amount ingested, and the user's expectations, mood, surroundings, and frame of mind.
Once ingested, mushrooms generally cause feelings of nausea and other physical symptoms before the desired mental effects appear. The high from using mushrooms is mild and consists of distorted perceptions. Effects may include different perceptions of stimuli like touch, sight, sound and taste. The effects are similar to LSD but milder.
Some users order kits with the spores and grow their own in a closet or basement. Others look for naturally growing mushrooms, running the danger of mistakenly selecting poisonous mushrooms, which can cause death or permanent liver damage within hours of ingestion. Some dealers sell regular grocery store mushrooms laced with LSD or PCP as magic mushrooms.
-increased blood pressure