Psilocybin or Magic Mushrooms?
Psilocybin is a molecule to be found in magic mushrooms and magic truffles. It is one of the psychoactive substances in these fungal organisms. In addition to psilocybin , they often also contain:
- Psilocin : A structurally similar substance that is also psychoactive and often found in the same amounts as psilocybin. Psilocybin is also converted to psilocin and is then properly psychoactive.
- Baeocystin : A psychoactive substance that occurs in small amounts and is more similar to psilocybin.
- Norbaeocystin : a substance that occurs in even smaller amounts than baeocystin.
- Aeroginacin : a substance that occurs in very small amounts.
- Norpsilocin : A substance that occurs in small amounts and is similar in structure to psilocin
If pure psilocybin is ingested then psilocybin will be converted to psilocin and mainly psilocin is responsible the psychedelic effects. When using magic mushrooms or magic truffles you take in several similar substances that all give slightly different effects. For example, Baeocystin is less visually active, but it does cause more emotions and thoughts. The other substances also have slightly different effects than if you were to take pure psilocybin.
What is better? Psilocybin, Magic Mushrooms or Truffles?
Let’s just say that in scientific research, psilocybin is more convenient. You can dose pure psilocybin precisely and with natural products such as magic mushrooms you never know exactly how many active substances they contain. For non-scientific sessions, preference is given to natural products with a mix of active substances. It may be that the different substances complement each other and make the experience better. On the other hand, almost all psychoactive substances are converted by our body into psilocin or substances similar to psilocin and the effect between psilocybin and magic mushrooms or truffles does not differ that much.
Dutch legislation
In the Netherlands, psilocybin is an illegal substance and magic mushrooms are also banned in 2008. Magic truffles, like magic mushrooms, contain the complete arsenal of psychoactive substances including psilocybin and can be used legally because they forgot to mention magic truffles in the law (on purpose?). Current providers of psilocybin therapy thus use magic truffles to comply with legislation with a more complete cocktail of psychedelic substances as a by-catch.
Interested in a psilocybin session? View the following page: