Prepare For Liftoff: Your Magic Mushroom Prep Guide

Taking the proper time and precautions before embarking on a magic mushroom adventure allows a deeper surrender to fun 🥳 exploration 🧭 and healing 🧡

and

Jun 11, 2024

Magic mushrooms aren’t just about eating fungi and “tripping out.” It’s about how you cultivate and respond to the magic. Whether vibing with friends or digging deep with psychedelic-assisted therapy, mushrooms require great respect.

For magic mushrooms, in particular, there is a certain level of unpredictability. There is a bit of trickster energy to mushrooms, and despite our most meaningful and poetic intentions, sometimes shrooms have their own agenda.

Preparation ensures you get the most out of psychedelic experiences, no matter if they’re challenging or beautiful.

So, how does one prepare for navigating the unknown? What info should you have before taking magic mushrooms?

Let’s start with Tripsitter’s responsible tripping checklist…

Tripsitter’s Responsible Tripping Checklist

🐍 I understand why psychedelics should be treated with respect.
⚖️ I’m familiar with the laws in my area involving the substance I’m using.
🍄 I’m familiar with and confident in the dose I’m taking.
🧪 I’ve tested a sample of the substance I’m using with a testing kit.
💊 I’m not mixing any medications or other substances with my psychedelics.
🏔️ I’m in a safe & comfortable environment with people I trust.
🐺 One of the members of my group is responsible and sober (AKA a trip sitter).
⏰ I have nothing important scheduled for after the trip.
🧠 I’m in a sound & healthy state of mind.
❤️ I don’t have any underlying health issues that contraindicate magic mushrooms.

The 4 Pillars of Safe Tripping

These 4 principles are universally accepted as being the basis of any responsible psychedelic use:

1. Set (Mindset)

We can think of mindset in a few different ways. Our minds are often in many places at once. It’s one of the reasons it’s so tough to dial in our intentions or predict where a psychedelic experience will go. We aren’t always the most aware of our actions, patterns, and habits — and part of the mushroom’s magic is revealing what we may have missed.

Mushrooms may “amplify” parts of ourselves, so we must do our best to honestly examine how we are (not how we would like to appear) — this is key to having the experience you need. A bit of nervousness and excitement are normal. Pretending not to feel sad, terrified, or unsafe in a difficult period of life won’t help. Instead, acknowledging these feelings will let you and others prepare well.

This isn’t to say that people going through a tough time can’t take mushrooms — but it’s true that psychedelics can be dangerous for folks with schizophrenia, psychosis, bipolar, and other mental health conditions. Always consult with a doctor if there’s any uncertainty before you take shrooms.

However, with the right circumstances and guidance, psilocybin has the potential to be a beneficial shift. The point here is to be safe, supported, and realistic based on an authentic understanding of where you are at.

How to Prepare the Mind for Magic Mushrooms

Taking psychedelics, in a sense, is an exploration of our minds. Yet this trip can be undertaken at any time. Knowing our patterns, desires, and fears helps us form intentions, find a suitable setting, and provide clues to what mushrooms may reveal.

We might cultivate awareness by journaling or chatting with friends, coaches, therapists, or in groups. Practicing mindfulness is also a potent tool for prepping the mind to handle the ontological shock magic mushrooms tend to deliver first-timers.

Some questions to ponder when in conversation or journaling:

What’s on my mind? — Consider if something has constantly been on your mind. Why? What brought it there?
How am I feeling? — Mushrooms aren’t an intellectual exercise. Be ready for emotions to be very loud. If you aren’t much of a “feeler,” consider what part of your emotional world might not get much attention.
What do I want? — While we don’t always think about it, we often want something. The emotions and motivations behind these are rich areas to consider.
What don’t I want? — If finding what you want is hard, maybe go in this direction. What have I been trying to avoid, would like to change, or perhaps accept? Again, don’t make this an intention, but be open to the perspective it offers.

Cultivating Mindset

Mindset, just like our environment, is something we can shift. However, simply “changing your mindset” or “just letting go” isn’t always easy, particularly when the peak of those 4 grams is coming in hot!

Attraction to psychedelics can be to “change our minds,” but it’s essential to understand that psychedelics are probably better at showing you what’s already there. That awareness might be the boost you need to start the real work.

Preparation, navigation, and integration all benefit when we find the individual skills and tools that we can keep using after the effects have worn off. These are life skills and habits that sustain change. Like any skill, they get better with practice.

Here are some classic skills for psychonauts:

Mindfulness — This is perhaps the most obvious choice here. Awareness of the tangled patterns in our minds creates a foundation we can build on.
Meditation — Meditation comes in many shapes and sizes. From zen master’s “just sitting” to guided yoga nidra and manifestation exercises, we encourage you to find what works for you. And let’s be real; meditation can be freaking hard! So be gentle, play your strengths, and find good teachers.
Breath — Breath is an incredible tool. Many people find this far more accessible than sitting meditation. Exploration of pranayama and breathwork journeys are great, but the power of simple, deep breathing into our belly is probably the single most valuable tool. Try YouTube or books like James Nestor’s “Breath” to go deeper.
Movement — Perhaps you have heard of the mind and body connection! Our nervous system expands throughout our entire body, and we have access to it through breath, body scans, massage, and movement. Find something you like and get to know your physical form.

2. Setting

The setting is the environment you trip in. It’s the physical things around you, like people, objects, buildings, or natural environments. The setting is also something a little harder to nail down but still extremely important — stimulation like music (the "hidden therapist”), the atmosphere like lighting, and what is often described as “vibes.”

On shrooms, anything and everything can become incredibly meaningful and significant. Do you feel more comfortable in a cozy nest with your lover, on a comfy couch in your friend's basement, in a therapist’s office, alone in the forest, or at a packed concert?

Consider carefully because it can be tricky to switch environments once things get rolling.

For example, being at a house party when the mushrooms decide to show you your darkest shadows isn’t ideal. Likewise, a therapist’s office isn’t the right environment for connecting with nature and the community.

Use your intentions to help you figure out where you want your journey to happen. The higher the dose, the more contained and carefully curated a space should be.

Some considerations for finding an optimal setting:

A) Safety

Be in a safe and secure location with people you trust implicitly. Avoid interruptions, strangers, and surprises like a sudden thunderstorm without shelter. Worrying about your mental or physical health can be distracting.

B) Privacy

Shrooms can get weird or silly. Choose a place and people where it feels like it’s ok to be yourself. Trying to “be cool” in a strange place will be a barrier to diving deep into the mushroom experience.

C) Comfort

A mushroom trip is also a pretty big time commitment. They last for hours, so choose a location that supports rest, movement, going to the bathroom, expressing yourself, listening to music, and creativity.

D) Nourishment

Fruit, water, tea, and maybe some salty, crunchy things can be fun and necessary supplements to a journey. Having access to people or objects that are meaningful or supportive to you is worth planning. Comfortable clothes, getting warm or cooling down, experiencing nature, or taking shelter from it are also considerations.

3. Substance

Before you take any substance, even magic mushrooms, make sure to do your research:

Understand the species of mushroom you’re using.
Understand the correct dose for that species.
Review the potential risks & contraindications (when not to use the substance).
Understand how long the trip could last.

Magic Mushroom Species

With magic mushrooms, it’s important you understand what type of mushrooms you’re taking — there are many different species of mushrooms, each with different levels of potency. The most common is Psilocybe cubensis, but there are many others. Psilocybe tampanensis (truffles) are popular in Europe, and wild Psilocybe semilanceata (Liberty Caps) are the most common species found in the wild.

The potencies of different mushroom species should be considered when determining the dose.

The strongest psilocybin-containing shroom is Psilocybe azurescens (2.51%), followed by Psilocybe semilanceata (2.06%%), Psilocybe baeocystis (1.54%), Psilocybe bohemica (1.47%), Psilocybe samuiensis (1.30%), Psilocybe zapotecorum (1.30%), Psilocybe cyanescens (1.24%), Psilocybe tampanensis (1.00%), and Psilocybe cubensis (0.90%).

Amanita muscaria is another species of psychoactive mushroom that has no correlation with psilocybin shrooms. These mushrooms are toxic in their raw form and need to be processed using heat in order to be safe. Do not confuse the Amanita shroom with psilocybe-containing mushrooms.

Magic Mushroom Strains

Within the greater Psilocybe cubensis group, there are hundreds of individual strains you can choose from. Ultimately, any strain is going to work more or less the same way — they all contain the same active ingredients and deliver the same experience.

Differences in potency are well-known between different strains, but there are so many other factors that can affect this it’s difficult to take these figures as absolutes. In general, the average magic mushroom strain contains between 0.6 and 0.9% total tryptamines by dried weight. 90% of mushrooms on the market will fall somewhere within this range.

For example, the Penis Envy Strain — which is often regarded as the strongest magic mushroom strain — contains an average of around 2.9% total tryptamines (a combination of psilocybin and psilocin and related compounds).

The problem is that the psychoactive tryptamine levels of mushrooms can fluctuate significantly depending on how the mushrooms are grown and stored. There are also samples of these same Penis Envy mushrooms with just 0.5% total tryptamine concentrations.

Because of this invariability, we always recommend people just go with whatever strain calls them — for any reason whatsoever. Whether it’s the name, it’s what’s available to you at the time, or you like the way it looks — just go with that. Don’t try to limit yourself to the shrooms you think are going to be the strongest, the most euphoric, or the most visual — it just doesn’t work that way with shrooms.

4. Sitter

A trip sitter is someone who remains sober throughout the journey to facilitate the psychedelic explorers on their journey. They’re in charge of maintaining the setting you’re in (answering knocks at the door, guiding the explorers on a hike, taking care of any cooking or driving, and doing the technical stuff like setting up a movie or game).

The trip sitter is also responsible for the safety of the group. They should remain vigilant to spot any signs of danger — whether it’s in the environment or with the explorers themselves.

It’s rare for psychedelics to result in serious health issues — especially when used in the right dose and tested beforehand, but if things do go wrong, you’ll need someone sober to take charge.

For some people, a bad trip can make them feel like they're dying. The sitter should be able to recognize when there's an emergency and take action. They should also be there as a rock for those going through a challenging experience to help bring them back to a more comfortable space.

The Trip Sitter Code of Ethics

I’m a “sitter” — not a guide. I won’t interfere or attempt to “join” the experience.
I'm in charge — but I should only take control when completely necessary.
I talk through challenging experiences — not down.
Everything that happens or is said remains confidential.
I pass no judgment.
I practice compassionate & active listening.
I remain alert & vigilant of my surroundings.
I have knowledge about the substances being used.
I respect the boundaries of my participants.
I’m empathetic to the needs of my participants.
My participants are my sole attention — I’m not on my phone or preoccupied in any other way.

Calculating Magic Mushroom Doses

Choosing the dose depends on your intent. We all have individual sweet spots for microdosing, being social, doing inner work, or exploring the multiverse.

Whether you have foraged your shrooms from the forest or have a ziplock bag in your closet, it’s important to know what you are consuming. Identifying what species you have when it’s dry can be tricky. Testing for shroom potency isn’t a big thing (yet), so the best thing to do is ask the source if they know the species or strain along with what dose they recommend.

While it’s tough to lock in a specific dose recommendation that works for all strains and species, there is a general framework people tend to follow when taking shrooms:

Microdose — 0.–0.5 grams
Threshold Dose — 0.5–1 gram
Standard Psychoactive Dose — 2–4 grams
Heroic Dose — 5+ grams

To be more exact, we’ve developed a dose calculator that takes into account the potency differences of several common mushroom species, as well as your weight.

Note: This calculator assumes dried cubensis mushrooms.

Magic Mushroom Dose Calculator

How to Set Intentions Before Taking Magic Mushrooms

Dedicate as much time as you can before the experience to prepare for it. Intention makes a bigger difference in the outcomes of a trip than many other factors, and you’ll reap the rewards for every minute you put into it.

The main thing to be careful of here is not to turn intentions into expectations (what we want or think should happen). Intentions should be viewed as possibilities, not a prediction of results.

The mushrooms, or life for that matter, are under no obligation to give us what we want or in the way we expect it. Intentions are more like a guiding principle when preparing, navigating, and integrating a psychedelic experience. They motivate beforehand, are something to hold onto during, and are tools for unpacking afterward.

Here are some tips for setting intentions:

Choose something meaningful — Psychedelics respond well to heartfelt, emotionally charged intent. When waves of intoxication feel overwhelming, a meaningful reminder of why you took so many shrooms helps.
Keep intentions simple — You might get pretty scrambled on shrooms, so choose something easy. Think, “Show me my purpose,” “I believe in myself,” or “What do I need to see?” Intentions like these can help reassure us or allow us to gently engage with the medicine in a direction we would like to go.
Stay Positive — The saying "Where attention goes, energy flows" fits for mushrooms. For example, if dealing with a disease, focus on healing, not destroying something. Choose intentions that guide you toward the positive, love, light, or whatever lifts you up.

When to Avoid Magic Mushrooms

Also worthy of consideration are physical health and medications. Those of us dealing with heart conditions should consult with a doctor before taking magic mushrooms.

Consider any special mobility needs you may have, as mushrooms can make movement even more difficult.

Because of the lack of research, taking medications like anti-depressants with magic mushrooms is not recommended. These interactions are still being studied.

Experts suspect that drugs affecting the serotonin system may alter the effects of magic mushrooms, but current research hasn’t confirmed this. The safety of discontinuing medication is best handled with the support of a medical professional.

While on the topic of mushrooms and other drugs, we don’t recommend mixing substances, particularly for first-time users. Even substances we’re familiar with, like cannabis or alcohol, can dramatically alter the effects of magic mushrooms — often in unexpected ways.

How to Work Through Difficult Psychedelic Experiences

To be clear — difficult is not the same as bad.

Many people who have used psychedelics will agree the most challenging experiences end up producing the greatest level of growth and improvement (but not always!).

Working through a difficult experience can be challenging, but it’s important to remember that no matter what you’re going through, it will soon pass.

Having a trusted trip sitter nearby when you’re going through a challenging experience is one of the best ways to get through an experience like this. Often, just having someone nearby whom you trust acts as an anchor, keeping you from the negative spiral a “bad trip” can result in.

The best way to get through a difficult psychedelic experience is to "let it happen."

I understand that, at the moment, this is much easier said than done — but if you can stop resisting the experience and allow it to take you wherever it's headed, the journey will be much more comfortable and challenging experiences short-lived.

As you resist negative emotions or hallucinations, you quickly start to realize you have no control over the situation — which only leads to more panic and fear. If you can learn to let go and ride the wave, you’ll get through to the other side in a much better condition.

You can also get the help of psychedelic facilitators or psychotherapists trained in the use of psychedelics.

A Note on Heroic Doses

Anything North of 5 grams of dried shrooms is considered a “heroic dose.” This dose is often regarded as the pinnacle experience of magic mushrooms — but it comes with significantly higher risk.

We DO NOT recommend this dose range for the casual shroomer. Even highly experienced psychonauts should think twice about taking heroic doses. We especially urge people to ask themselves why they want to take a heroic dose. The worst reason to do so is for bragging rights.

In the heroic dose range, you might not be able to move, speak, or have any connection with everyday consensus reality. As you might expect, this can be scary, confusing, transformative, and traumatizing.

Having a trip sitter who you deeply trust and who understands deep psychedelic experiences is essential for higher doses. They’re there to reassure you, comfort you, and keep you from injuring yourself is crucial.

Likewise, you'll need them if something unexpected does happen — a phone call, a neighbor at the door, or the many twists and turns of life. Anybody 5 grams deep into a bag of shrooms would be completely inept at handling even simple tasks or interactions.

Enjoying the Trip? 🍄

Don’t Journey Alone! Tripsitter was built by a community of psychedelic advocates — but it’s people like you that allow us to thrive.

If you found this newsletter insightful, share the love ❤️ using the link below.

You can also follow us on Twitter, Bluesky, & Mastodon