Effects - Mushroom Potentiation Myths

[FriedBrains]

Okay, so SWIM is semi-experienced, bought some shrooms for himself and a buddy, but was cheap. Now SWIM is odd, but his buddy, total first timer, SWIM knows he only needs a little bit, but SWIM seems to be hit or miss with doses, sometimes 2.5g is enough, sometimes he needs up to 5g. That's another question in itself, anyone have any idea why?

As for myth busting, SWIM went intarwebz searchin' for ways to intensify a trip, read everything from taking Vit. C, to drinking orange juice, to eating dark chocolate, and blending shrooms up with OJ, but would rather take the advice of the folks here at this here community, as they've been rather accurate and more helpful. :P Any ideas on intensifying the shroom trip?

SWIM has also been curious about getting mildly drunk and then ingesting.. Comments and advice appreciated!

-FB.

[TMM]

The variation in effects is probably due to mushrooms of greatly difference potency. This isn't particularly out of the ordinary. Either that, or SWIM had them too close together, and tolerance was still built up. It is advisable to wait at least 3-4 for days between doses.

I think that orange juice does increase the potency a little, due to it helping the alkaloids be absorbed more efficiently. I think. However, it doesn't help with issues of nausea, and it's one of the most unpleasant things to throw up (acidic goodness). What will definitely intensify it is taking the mushrooms on an empty stomach.

Being drunk will only add to the confusion and nausea, making it more unpleasant.

[Stephenwolf]

well if Swiy has a MAOI on hand that'd be effective. Though potentially dangerous if diet didn't fit properly. Vitamin C , I know people who would swear on it, but Swim doesn't really believe that it would, and swim hasn't had it do so. 3 grams Syrian rue a half hour before would help for sure,being an maoi, as would a large amount of passionflower extract, but to a lesser degree. other than that nothing really would intensify. Pot seems to be a good intensifier for SWIM.

[FriedBrains]

Well, pot's a no brainer, and SWIM can't take MAOI's, due to being on Celexa.. He always goes for an empty stomache, though, usually smokes pot, and shrooms do not give him nausea, period, so the alcohol would not bother him much, SWIM has never vomited while on any drug, or felt sick.. Stomache of steel, but really, the alcohol has no value? You'd think it would intensify the trip.

No comments on dark sugar free chocolate?

FriedBrains added 1 Minutes and 38 Seconds later...

Can't edit, forgot to add, the shrooms SWIM gets are always the same species and strain, so unless the same species and strain can vary in potency from purchase to purchase, he doesn't see how this could effect how much he needs to eat.

[eastwood]

Swim says all cubensis are good an potent.Certain strains are more potent an certain strains are less..Swim says the other factor is the flush of the fruit.Sometimes the 4th flush isn't going to be as potent as the first flush..


Swim recommends orange juice an mj ( a gotta have when eating shrooms) if even thinking of eating cubensis or any other active...

[FriedBrains]

That's exactly what SWIM has, cubensis, unsure of the strain though, are pictures allowed? He sent me one.

[Nature Boy]

I don't buy into the orange juice or dark chocolate myths because there's no scientific certainty behind their effectiveness. Now MAOIs, of course, can greatly intensify a trip but their use is virtually a minefield of potential danger unless one has great experience using them. A better choice may be smoking some marijuana during the trip. Although SWIM's never been a huge believer in its ability to completely intensify a trip, he knows many who swear by it.

[cra$h]

a hit or 2 of any kind of marijuana is a boost for just about every drug

[Shampoo]

Marijuana is not an actual potentiator of psilocybin. It may have synergistic effects with certain states of altered consciousness induced by psilocybin, but the pathways of activity and even the behavioral manifestations of that activity are unique and unrelated. Swiy says they cannot ingest MAOI based plants or medications, so actually potentiating the psilocybin is more-or-less out of the question however, due to its extensive first pass metabolism, the ingestion of grapefruit juice might increase bioavailability, but even this is more conjecture than anything. ( http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/loc...d=346&catid=65 )

Im not sure why vitamin C would increase bioavailability, and it has been shown by most empirical tests to have little or no effect on the efficacy of oral ingestion. Also, what exactly is the logic behind an empty stomach? Most psychoactives are lipophillic and require a lipid bond to pass through cellular membranes. Perhaps eating a small amount of fatty foods would actually increase bioavailability in a similar manner to its catalyzing oral THC uptake? Swim almost always eats a full meal an hour prior to ingestion of psychoactives and has never noticed a marked decrease in potency of effects, leading him to widely disregard the supposed rule-of-thumb for eating psychedelics on an empty stomach. If anything, it is a good idea to ingest some nutrients for storage, as many psychedelics are, to some extent, anorectics.

Regarding potency, it can vary greatly between and within strains, batches, and even between two mushrooms growing right next to eachother, so there is no absolute in measuring potency.

Alcohol has been rejected pretty much across the board by mushroom users as potentiating negativity and confusion, and even producing states of delirium.

[cra$h]

on a scientific level the weed wont help, but swim has found that even though they are unique, it still seems to boost the dominant high

[Shampoo]

Originally Posted by cra$h

on a scientific level the weed wont help, but swim has found that even though they are unique, it still seems to boost the dominant high

Is it cannabis enhancing the experience of psilocybin, or is the experience of a cannabinoid intoxication under the magnifying glass of a tryptamine the subject being potentiated? Any activity, from walking, eating, to sleep and sex are wildly magnified under the tryptamine scope, so why shouldn't a cannabinoid intoxication? or most any intoxication for that matter? these substances are symbiotic, thats for sure, but there is not direct potentiation of chemical effects occurring.

[cra$h]

Originally Posted by Shampoo

Is it cannabis enhancing the experience of psilocybin, or is the experience of a cannabinoid intoxication under the magnifying glass of a tryptamine the subject being potentiated? Any activity, from walking, eating, to sleep and sex are wildly magnified under the tryptamine scope, so why shouldn't a cannabinoid intoxication? or most any intoxication for that matter? these substances are symbiotic, thats for sure, but there is not direct potentiation of chemical effects occurring.

exactly. it doenst need to be all chemical compounds and enzymes in the liver and all that bullshit. somethings happen just for the sake of what the mind is to believe. but swim has found that marijuana doesn't boost opium all that much, unlike percocet (as odd as swim has found it)

[stinky_plant]

Wouldn't vitamin C do something to the pH in the stomach and help with digestion?

[Pretty_Diamonds]

Potency varies a lot...

Species.
Substrate.
Drying.
Storing.

[Potter]

I beg to differ on account of chocolate. The stimulating effects of potent chocolate will certainly have a synergistic effect on mushrooms. A bar or two of 70%+ is a good start, getting cacao nibs or even whole beans and preparing them with chili, corn, honey, spices and mushrooms, will produce marked results. The methylated xanthienes, phenelethyamine, ananamide, and tryptophan contained in chocolate aren't just going to pass through your body without doing something. There's some short acting MAOI-Bs that are certainly going to play a part in the metabolic path of psilocyban.

Make sure you are getting quality chocolate, Hershys, no matter how fancy they claim their new stuff is, is crap. Consider how much some other things you may have bought cost, and you won't feel bad spending $5-$7 on a bar of chocolate, or a bag of nibs (closer to the raw seeds, they have not been ground and separated).

I'll be posting an article on the history of cacao, and the current work I am doing with traditional means of preparing chocolate on the ethnobotany board some time over the weekend.