Magic mushrooms are remarkably safe. They present no physical dangers but there is a degree of psychological risk which can be minimised through proper preparation of oneself. It must be noted, however, that they are not for recreational use and must be respected.
[top]Addiction and dependence
The active compounds in mushrooms - like most psychedelics - are not psychologically or physically addictive. Tolerance builds rapidly and users must wait at least several days between doses to experience the full effect. Additionally, the experience is typically quite taxing on the mind and body, thus regular use is rarely desirable. Psilocin is cross-tolerant with other serotonergic agonists such as LSD, mescaline and 2C-B, although when taken simultaneously they may produce synergistic effects. Cessation of regular use will not produce withdrawal symptoms.
[top]Lethal overdose
The therapeutic index of psilocybin is 641. [19] This is the ratio between the LD50 (lethal dose in 50% of subjects) and the ED50 (effective or therapeutic dose in 50% of subjects), meaning that the LD50 is 641 times higher than the ED50.
Deaths caused by acute poisoning by magic mushrooms have not been reported in medical literature. The intravenous LD50 of psilocybin in rats is 260mg/kg [20] [21] (milligrams per kilogram body weight). While this does not translate directly to humans and the lethal dose of psilocybin in humans is not known (also, humans will typically ingest mushrooms orally instead of intravenously injecting psilocybin), this indicates that psilocybin is of a very low toxicity and that a lethal overdose of magic mushrooms is unimaginable.
[28]
The infamous "bad trip" is simply an experience with a hallucinogen that the person perceives to be unpleasant or negative. They are commonly characterised as being disturbing in nature, however a bad trip can be as simple as the one having the experience feeling down or sad. Bad trips are entirely subjective - one person may find the patterns on a carpet morphing into one another to be hilarious whereas someone else may find it frightening. Susceptibility to a negative experience depends entirely on the personality and frame of mind of the one having the experience. Bad trips can sometimes be traumatising and on occasion can cause hidden mental disorders to emerge in those who were already susceptible. Common results of a bad trip include paranoia, fear, panic attacks, depression and inability to sleep following the experience. The risk of a bad trip can be reduced by having the correct set and setting. Some have theorised that bad trips are internal conflicts within the user's psyche which emerge, forcing the person to deal with the problem and to engage in a self-healing process. There are cases, however, when attempting to help someone out of a difficult experience is absolutely necessary.
It must be noted, however, that bad trips are not necessarily confined to use of hallucinogens - substances such as alcohol are also known to cause profoundly negative psychological experiences.
Methods of making a trip pleasant again or easing the negative effects include reassuring the tripper that they are safe, that the effects will soon wear off, changing the environment to something soothing and sedation through the use of benzodiazepines such as lorazepam.
[top]Psychological damage
Psychological damage is the most significant danger from ingesting magic mushrooms. Hallucinogens can occasionally trigger latent and underlying mental disorders such as psychosis. As such, they should only be taken if the user is mentally healthy (no history of schizophrenia or psychosis) and in a safe environment. If these precautions are taken, the risk is minimised, but still significant to warrant solely responsible use and caution. (See: indirect deaths).
[top]Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD)
[29] [30]
HPPD, also known as "flashbacks", comprises visual distortions reminiscent of a psychedelic experience, such as "trails", colours, lights appearing more radiant and so on. Prevalence of HPPD among psychedelic users is unknown, but can be estimated to be around 4%.
[top]Accidental poisoning
While hunting for mushrooms in the wild, great care must be taken to not confuse poisonous mushrooms for psychoactive ones. Accidental poisonings by inexperienced foragers are common and some mushroom poisonings can cause a slow, agonising death.
Hypholoma fasciculare or
Sulphur Tuft is a common poisonous mushroom which grows abundantly in temperate woodland regions such as northern Europe and North America. It is yellow-brown, has a brown spore print and grows on dead organic matter like many
Psilocybe species. Poisoning can result in diarrhoea, vomiting and seizures.
[16]
[top]Indirect deaths
There have been several deaths reported following consumption of magic mushrooms. The link between mushrooms and some of these deaths has been hotly contested.
United Kingdom
Brian McCracken, 31, leapt through a window in his flat to his death in 2005 after consuming magic mushrooms and allegedly becoming panicky. [24]
Ireland
Colm Hodkinson's death resulted in the immediate prohibition of psilocybin mushrooms in Ireland in 2006, which were previously available for sale in their raw, unprocessed form. [25] This followed the UK's 2005 ban. Colm jumped from a balcony in Dún Laoghaire after consuming three mushrooms. He was reported to have been consuming alcohol and cannabis also.
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The Netherlands
Calls for a re-evaluation of the law on psilocybin mushrooms grew after Gaelle Caroff, a seventeen-year-old French girl who had previously been suffering psychological problems, jumped from a building after eating magic mushrooms during a school trip to Amsterdam. The Dutch parliament subsequently voted to ban fresh magic mushrooms. Dried mushrooms were previously illegal. [26][27]
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An eighteen-year-old man jumped from a window on August 1st 2008 after misuse of magic mushrooms. He was badly injured and later died as a result in hospital.
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