The Best Mushroom Strain For Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy

You’ve probably heard of psilocybin mushrooms, sometimes called “magic mushrooms” or “shrooms.” But did you know that there are over 180 species of psilocybin mushrooms that could take your mind on a trip through space and time?

Some of these species may be easier to find than others, but they all have their unique spirit of hallucinogen ascent that can be seen. It’s worth knowing the unique qualities of some of the most popular mushroom strains on the market – their shapes, gill structures, and, most importantly, how they make you feel when you eat them. Of course, before we go into the best mushroom strains, we must learn what psilocybin is.

What Is Psilocybin?

Psilocybin and psilocin are psychoactive substances harvested from dried or fresh hallucinogenic mushrooms native to North and South America. Some of these chemicals resemble the structure of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD).

Psilocybin and psilocin can be found in approximately 180 different species of mushrooms. Hallucinogenic mushrooms, like peyote, have a long history of ceremonial use in indigenous cultures. It’s also possible to synthesize both psilocybin and psilocin in a lab.

Psilocybin is often taken orally and can be obtained in dried or fresh mushrooms and powdered capsules. It’s also a popular ingredient in herbal teas. Common dosages vary from 10 to 50 milligrams, with effects beginning within 1 to 2 hours and frequently lasting for about 6 hours. 

This corresponds to 20 to 30 grams of fresh mushrooms or 1 to 2.5 grams of dry powder. Psilocybin concentrations, however, can vary greatly depending on the mushroom genus, potency, and preparation (fresh or dried).

For thousands of years, indigenous peoples in Mexico and Central America have used mushrooms in their religious ceremonies. The slight euphoria, tingling bodily feelings, heightened sensitivity to music, and enhanced visual sensations they provide are all sought after by recreational users today. 

When compared to more potent chemical hallucinogens like ketamine or LSD, they are often seen as a more mild or more natural form of this phenomenon.

What is Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy?

Researchers are exploring psilocybin therapy as a potential method for treating mental health issues. Psilocybin is a psychoactive chemical, and this method merges the pharmaceutical effects of the drug with counselling.

Psilocybin, when combined with psychological assistance from professionally qualified therapists, has shown encouraging results in early research undertaken at pioneering academic centers for treating depression, anxiety, addiction, and other mental health disorders.

Thus far, clinical studies have shown that it is safe and effective, even for supposedly “treatment-resistant” illnesses. That’s why researchers in medicine, psychology, and the like are starting to pay more attention to them.

It should be noted that ketamine is also viewed as an innovative treatment for neurological mood disorders; nonetheless, it is linked to long-term perceptual, cognitive, and neurological impairment, making psilocybin-assisted therapy the preferable choice. Psilocybin’s lesser potential for addiction and less harmful effects make it an attractive alternative to ketamine.

Why Choosing the Right Mushroom Strain is Important for Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy

Psilocybin-assisted therapy can be successful and safe if the right mushroom strain is used. However, the efficacy and safety of the therapy are affected by several variables, one of which is the type of mushroom used.

Factors to Consider in Choosing the Right Mushroom Strain

• Psilocybin Content

Psilocybin content is among the most important factors when choosing the optimal strain for magic mushrooms. Different strains of mushrooms contain varying amounts of psilocybin; a larger quantity of psilocybin may provide more potent and longer-lasting effects. To guarantee safe dosing and reduce side effects, it is best to select a strain whose psilocybin concentration is well-documented and consistent.

• Potency

The therapeutic potential of a mushroom strain is another important consideration. A strain’s potency determines how intense its effects will be, and a particularly potent strain could result in a terrible trip or other negative consequences. Yet, magic mushrooms with weak strains could not have therapeutic value.

• Duration of Effects

It’s also crucial to consider how long the strain’s effect will last. The timing and intensity of therapy sessions may need to be adjusted based on the strain’s length of effects. If the effects wore off faster, treatment sessions could be spaced out more often, while if they lasted longer, patients would have more time for introspection and processing.

• Adverse Effects

The potential for harmful side effects is a major concern in psilocybin-assisted therapy. However, this issue can be lessened by carefully selecting the mushroom strain. Nausea, vomiting, and anxiety are all possible side effects, and they may be more severe in some strains than in others. Hence, selecting a strain known for having fewer adverse effects is best to lessen the patient’s vulnerability.

What are the Best Mushroom Strains for Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy?

First, we want to ensure you know that your psychedelic mushroom’s strain matters little. You can have a great time on any of these strains – what changes the outcome of your trip is your attitude and ability to let go. Still, knowing what strain you have could be beneficial since it will help anyone make better decisions about dosage for psilocybin treatment. 

Psilocybe Cubensis

When most people think of psychedelic mushrooms, Psilocybe cubensis usually comes to mind. Nicknamed “golden halos”, these sacred fungi are part of the Hymenogastraceae mushroom family, which are easily identified by their convex or flat, yellow-brown crowns and smooth, sticky texture.

Because of their adaptability and the ease with which they can be cultivated, “cubes” are one of the most extensively dispersed species in the tropics of Gulf Coast states. Psilocybe cubensis germinate naturally in bovine dung and can be produced indoors using substrates such as coffee or brown rice flour. These hallucinogenic mushrooms typically contain 10-12 mg of psilocybin per gram of dried mushrooms and tend to bruise blue when exposed to oxygen.

Around 60 unique strains, including Wavy Caps and Penis Envy, have been developed through selective breeding of P. cubensis, a mostly odourless species with a ringed stipe. The result is mushroom hybrids with specific desirable traits have been selectively bred to increase hallucinogenic effects (by as much as 12 times) and improve resistance to environmental stresses. Thicker stems and wider caps are telltale signs of Psilocybe cubensis, as opposed to its hybridized cousins. 

Golden Teacher

The Golden Teacher hallucinogenic is a highly sought-after mushroom strain, with wonderfully thick caps and velvety to the touch. They radiate a burnt orange colour that fades into a lighter, girthier stem. 

If you choose to go with the Golden Teachers, prepare to do a lot of soul-searching. With a potency level of 0.63% psilocybin, 0.60% psilocin, and 0.25% baeocystin and a trip duration of only 2 to 4 hours, this cultivar is ideal for the inexperienced psychonaut. These hardy little mushrooms may be small, but don’t discount their healing potential.

Golden Teachers are known for imparting a sense of ancient wisdom through comforting, heartfelt compassion and warmth. Many who have tried it say it’s the ideal combination of mind-expanding learning and pleasurable stimulation.

Albino Goodies

The two strains that makeup Albino Goodies are Golden Teacher and Albino A+ (AA+). People often think that they are one of the most potent cubensis strains. This belief comes from the idea that AA+ is biochemically similar to Panaeolus, which would clarify why their potency (0.75–2%) is highly sought after. 

This powerful combination meticulously harvests the unreserved wisdom deeply respected in Golden Teacher strains to create enlightening experiences that use the supposedly faster-acting, more intense effects of AA+.

Even though the name makes it sound like AA+ is albino, its cream-coloured fruiting body is more like that of a leucistic species with less pigmentation. When crossed with Golden Teachers, these ghostly mushrooms get a slightly more sun-kissed cap, prefer a small amount of light, and spread a focus on physical sensations, or what some people call a “body high.”

Flying Saucers

Psilocybe azurescens, also known as “Flying Saucers,” is a relict strain of P. cubensis that is thought to have been found in 1979 by a group of Boy Scouts exploring the wooded areas of Oregon state. Later, in 1996, American mycologist Paul Stamets was the first to give this strain a name and figure out what it was.

Even though the smooth, rusty-orange flesh of this strain is recognized as having 25 mg of psilocybin per dried gram, which is four times more potent than p.cubensis, the Oregon Psilocybin Advisory Board recommends avoiding these mushrooms if their source is unknown because they have been linked to cases of wood lover’s paralysis. This condition can weaken muscles for a long time and is related to P. Stuntzii, P. Alennii, and P. Cyans, which grow in decaying wood.

But many anecdotes say this strain gives a pleasant, strong psychedelic experience with no side effects. The safest way to use the most powerful strain of psilocybin mushrooms is to ensure they come from an indoor grower who uses wood chips or sandy soil as a substrate.

Knobby Tops

Also known as Psilocybe Baeocystis, Knobby Tops is the second most powerful strain of psilocybin mushrooms. With 15 mg of potency per gram of dried mushrooms, these mulch-loving fungi have a strong attachment to the bark of Douglas firs. These gelatinous mushrooms were first found in Oregon. They have a purple-brown spore print and a thin, white stem.

Mushroom lovers call this strain by many names, such as “bottle caps,” “blue bells,” and “olive caps.” Reports say that Knobby Tops’ psychoactive properties make colours more intense than usual. This makes it a good strain for the bravest, most adrenalin-seeking psychonauts.

Bohemian Psilocybe

Bohemian Psilocybe, also called Psilocybe Bohemica, has a potency of 15 mg per 1 gram of dried mushrooms. This makes it the third most powerful strain of magic mushrooms. This strong strain of magic mushrooms is native to central Europe, and every year in the fall, it shows up for the first time. Their preferred substrate includes pieces of wood, mainly from Piceae, Betula, Carpinus, and Alnus trees, and they emit a fragrance reminiscent of starchy plants.

The first time anyone heard about the mushrooms was in 1969 when Egon Horak and Meinhard Moser told the public about them. Their caps turn a sandy orange-brown colour as they age and get lighter as they dry. Like all fungi that come from P. cubensis, these turn blue when they come into contact with oxygen or are physically disturbed.

Penis Envy

With a name like “Penis Envy,” people expect these mushrooms to have a lot of inner depth, and most are happy to say that this strain does not disappoint. It has a very high amount of psilocybin and psilocin in its bulbous, underdeveloped cap and chunky stem.

These mushrooms bruise blue and look dark, but they need to grow for a long time and require much care. This makes people jealous of these notoriously hard-to-find mushrooms, which are often hard to find. But if you can get your hands on this sought-after strain, your psychedelic experience will be the same as the mushrooms, which has 50% more psychoactive chemicals.

Tripping on this strain will give you the usual feelings of synesthesia, euphoria, and skewed time, but some reports say that the effects of this strain are even stronger than those of LSD and DMT. Even so, this is something that can be argued about. So it’s best to be careful with the amount you take, starting small and working your way up.

B+ Cubensis

B+ Cubensis is a more common strain of P. cubensis. Its genetic roots may have come from a cross between P. cubensis and P. azurescens that happened at least twenty years back by an experienced Floridian grower named Mr. G. B+ has a long, yellow-white fruiting body that is big, and its hallucinogenic effects are known to make people feel warm and comfortable.

B+ has a reputation for being the best strain for first-timers because, as the name suggests, its effects aren’t as strong. Another good thing about the B+ strain is that, unlike most other strains of mushrooms, it doesn’t make people feel sick. You’ll likely get your mushrooms from a larger batch of this strain since they don’t need much care and are easy and quick to grow in large quantities.

Liberty Cap

The psilocybin strain semilanceata is also known as “Liberty Cap” or “Blue legs.” This slimy fungus with a cone-shaped cap is the fourth strongest source of psilocybin and baeocystin, an alkaloid that is similar to psilocybin (14 mg potency per 1 gram of dried material).

This magic mushroom has a distinctive pattern of thin strips running vertically all over its cap, cream-coloured gills that transform into purple-black when fully grown, and a preference for moist grassland environments. 

Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann, who is best known for making LSD, was the first person to notice the psychoactive effects of these mushrooms. Before that, the use of Psilocybe semilanceata goes back to 1799, when its hallucinogenic characteristics led to the first known psychedelic mushroom trip… just like our primitive ancestors did.

These small but hardy organisms store psilocybin and baeocystin in their gelatinous caps at 1.7% and 0.36 %, respectively. These elevated levels of psychoactivity beat those of P. cubensis by a long shot. P. cubensis has a much lower psilocybin content of 0.37–1.30% and a much lower psilocin content of 0.14–0.42%. 

It’s important to remember that you should never eat mushrooms unless you know for sure what they are. Some of the mushrooms on this list look like dangerous mushrooms that can be very bad for your health. You should get your psilocybin containing mushrooms only from a reputable grower or distributor, or grow them yourself. You can also book a consultation with knowledgeable facilitators to find out which psychedelic medicine is best for your needs and to make sure that you’re using safe cultivated mushrooms.

Astral Agency is Your Reliable Source of Quality Shrooms, DMT, and Other Psychedelics

Astral Agency is an online mail-order dispensary that provides Canadians with quality shrooms, DMT, and other psychedelics. We use a third-party testing facility and the results are posted in the photo gallery of each of our products. We use a special machine called an FTIR spectrometer to test your sample and immunoassay test strips that check for potent substances like fentanyl or benzodiazepines. Some branded products do their testing and come sealed, so we don’t test those.

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