Psilocybin (magic mushrooms)

Dried psilocybin mushrooms

Last published: July 19, 2021

What are magic mushrooms?

Psilocybin or magic mushrooms are naturally occurring and are consumed for their hallucinogenic effects. They belong to a group of drugs known as psychedelics, which trigger changes in perception, mood and thought. 

The key ingredient in magic mushrooms is psilocybin. When psilocybin is taken, it’s converted in the body to psilocin, which is the chemical with the psychoactive properties.1

What do they look like?

Magic mushrooms look much like ordinary mushrooms. 

There are many different types of magic mushrooms. The most common ones in Australia are called golden tops, blue meanies and liberty caps.2 Magic mushrooms look similar to poisonous mushrooms that can cause a person to become very sick and can result in death.

They can also come as dried material in capsules. Synthetic psilocybin appears as a white crystalline powder that can be processed into tablets or capsules or dissolved in water.3

How are they used?

Magic mushrooms are eaten fresh, cooked or brewed into a tea. The dried version is sometimes smoked, mixed with cannabis or tobacco.

Other names

Shrooms, mushies, blue meanies, golden tops, liberty caps.

Other types of psychedelics

Effects of magic mushrooms

There is no safe level of drug use. Use of any drug always carries some risk. It’s important to be careful when taking any type of drug.

Magic mushrooms can affect everyone differently, based on:

  • size, weight and health
  • whether the person is used to taking it
  • whether other drugs are taken around the same time
  • the amount taken
  • the strength of the mushroom (varies depending on the type of mushroom)

The effects of magic mushrooms usually begin in 30 minutes when eaten, or within 5–10 minutes when taken as a soup or tea and can last approximately four to six hours.2

During this time, the person may experience:

  • euphoria and wellbeing
  • change in consciousness, mood, thought and perception (commonly called a trip)
  • dilation of pupils
  • perceptual changes, such as visual and auditory hallucinations.
  • stomach discomfort and nausea
  • headaches
  • fast or irregular heartbeat
  • increased body temperature
  • breathing quickly
  • vomiting
  • facial flushes, sweating and chills1,2

Overdose

The use of magic mushrooms rarely results in any life-threatening symptoms. If a large amount or a strong batch of mushrooms is consumed, the person may experience:

  • agitation
  • vomiting
  • diarrhoea
  • muscle weakness 
  • panic or paranoia
  • psychosis
  • seizures
  • coma.3,4

Bad trips

Sometimes a person may experience the negative effects of magic mushrooms and have what is called a bad trip involving the following:

  • unpleasant or intense hallucinations
  • anxiety
  • paranoia
  • panic or fear1,3

Coming down

After taking magic mushrooms, delayed headaches can happen which usually do not last longer than a day.5 A person who has consumed mushrooms may experience feelings of:

  • exhaustion
  • depression
  • anxiety.2

Long-term effects

Some people who regularly use magic mushrooms may experience flashbacks involving a previous magic mushroom experience. They are usually visual distortions that involve perceptual or emotional changes. Flashbacks can occur weeks, months or even years after the drug was last taken. This can be disturbing, especially if a frightening experience or hallucination is recalled. Flashbacks can be brought on by using other drugs, stress, tiredness or exercise and usually last a minute or two.2,3

Using mushrooms with other drugs

The effects of taking magic mushrooms with other drugs − including over-the-counter or prescribed medications − can be unpredictable and dangerous, and could cause:

Magic mushrooms + ice, speed or ecstasy: Can increase the chances of a bad trip and can also lead to panic.4

Magic mushrooms + some psychiatric medications: Mushrooms should not be taken by people on psychiatric medications as a relapse or worsening of the condition could occur.1

‘Polydrug use’ is a term for the use of more than one drug or type of drug at the same time or one after another. Polydrug use can involve both illicit drugs and legal substances, such as alcohol and medications. Find out more about polydrug use.

Tolerance and dependence

Tolerance develops rapidly with continued use, resulting in the drug having little to no effect over time. Discontinuing use for a week or so will return people to their normal tolerance level.2

Health and safety

The main risk of taking magic mushrooms is that some look very similar to certain types of poisonous mushrooms. So, it’s important to know what you’re taking – if in doubt, do not take them.2

If you believe you or someone else may have eaten a poisonous mushroom, do not wait for symptoms to occur. Contact the Victorian Poisons Information Centre (Tel 13 11 26).

If the person has collapsed, stopped breathing, is having a fit or is suffering an anaphylactic reaction, immediately ring triple zero (000) for an ambulance. Ambulance officers don’t need to involve the police.

For more information on poisonous fungi, including their identification and symptoms please visit the Better Health Channel.

Withdrawal

Taking mushrooms regularly does not appear to result in physical dependence, and therefore it’s unlikely a person will experience difficulty in stopping use.3 There are not many known withdrawal effects, however someone withdrawing from magic mushrooms may experience some psychological effects or fatigue.2

Read more about withdrawal

Psilocybin

Fact sheet

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Getting help

If your use of psilocybin is affecting your health, family, relationships, work, school, financial or other life situations, you can find help and support.

Call 1300 85 85 84 to speak to a real person and get answers to your questions as well as advice on practical ‘next steps’.

You can also search our list of Support Services for services in your local area:

Federal and state laws provide penalties for possessing, using or selling magic mushrooms, or driving under their influence.

See also, drugs and the law.

A 2014 Australian survey found that 1% of participants selected ‘magic mushrooms’ as their drug of choice and that use was most common in Victoria and Queensland. Participants also stated that use was sporadic, and the majority of people who had used mushrooms recently, used them less than monthly.6

  1. Drug science. (2012). Psilocybin mushrooms / ‘Magic mushrooms’.
  2. Campbell, A. (2000). The Australian illicit drug guide. Melbourne: Black Inc.
  3. Brands, B., Sproule, B., & Marshman, J. (eds). (1998). Drugs and drug abuse (3rd ed.). Ontario: Addiction Research Foundation.
  4.   Berger, K. J., & Guss, D. A. (2005). Mycotoxins revisited: Part II. Journal of Emergency Medicine, (2). 175.
  5. Johnson, M. W., Sewell, R. A., & Griffiths, R. R. (2012). Psilocybin dose-dependently causes delayed, transient headaches in healthy volunteers. Drug And Alcohol Dependence, 123(1-3), 132-140.
  6. Sindicich, N. & Burns, L. (2015). Australian Trends in Ecstasy and related Drug Markets 2014. Findings from the Ecstasy and Related Drugs Reporting System (EDRS). Australian Drug Trends Series No. 136. Sydney, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Australia.

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Effects

breathing quickly, change in consciousness, change in perception, chills, dilated pupils, euphoria, facial flushes, fast heart rate, feelings of wellbeing, hallucination, headache, higher body temperature, increased sweating, irregular heart beat, nausea, vomiting

AKA

blue meanies, golden tops, liberty caps, magic mushrooms, mushies, mushrooms, shrooms

Last updated: 19 Jul 2021