What Is the Difference Between Psilocybin and LSD?

Both magic mushrooms and LSD belong to the class of substances known as hallucinogens. Some hallucinogens are effective treatments for anxiety and PTSD. Others will cause you to stumble. But the two most common are psilocybe cubensis (mushrooms) and acid (lysergic acid diethylamide).

People wonder, in light of the legalization of marijuana for adults in numerous U.S. states, whether psychedelics will follow suit. Few compounds within the class of psychedelic drugs are as well-known as “magic” mushrooms and LSD (acid). 

It’s important to know the significant differences between shrooms and LSD so that you can better comprehend the variations between their adverse effects. Psilocybin mushrooms and acid may have comparable effects, but they are distinct enough that prospective users should weigh their options carefully. 

LSD vs. Mushrooms: What Are They?

LSD, or lysergic acid diethylamide, is a chemical that people use for fun. It is also called “acid.” LSD is made by people from a chemical that comes from ergot, a fungus that grows on rye. LSD is a psychedelic, which is a type of drug.

Acid can cause mild changes in how you see, think, and feel when consumed in small amounts. Larger doses of LSD may produce more intense side effects and interferences, such as visual hallucinations and exaggerations in the perception of space and time.

In its purest form, LSD is a white, odorless, crystalline substance that looks like a rock. The substance is so strong that a dose that works is so small that it’s almost impossible to see. Because of this, acid is often dissolved or mixed with other things to make the drug denser.

This is an additional way that drug dealers can make more money from the same amount of drugs. LSD is usually sold as dried drops on gelatin sheets, bits of blotting paper, or sugar cubes, which are all taken by mouth. Acid can also be made into liquids, in addition to tablets and capsules.

On the other hand, magic mushrooms, which are also called “shrooms,” are wild mushrooms that contain psilocybin, which is a naturally occurring hallucinogen. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) says that psilocybin is a Schedule I drug, which means that it is very likely to be abused and has no accepted medical application in the United States.

Some cultures have used hallucinogenic mushrooms for hundreds of years, but it wasn’t until 1938 that Dr. Albert Hofmann, who also discovered LSD, found psilocybin on its own. Most of the time, dried mushrooms are eaten alone or mixed with other foods or drinks.

As hallucinogens, magic mushrooms could make people hear, feel, and see things that don’t exist but seem real. These are called hallucinations. People try to get high on shrooms because they make them feel calm, but these drugs can also cause bad effects like anxiety, confusion, paranoia, scary hallucinations, and confusion in certain people. “Bad trips” are what people call these kinds of episodes, and they can happen at any time with mushroom and LSD trips.

Since it is almost impossible to know how much psilocybin is in mushrooms, it is also impossible to know how an individual will react to the psychoactive substance. Depending on the amount taken and how familiar the person is with the drug, the psychedelic effects can range from being nice to being scary and unpleasant.

Psilocybin and LSD: Differences

Psilocybin and LSD: Natural or Man-made?

The biggest distinction between LSD and mushrooms is that LSD is a synthetic drug produced from ergot, while mushrooms are naturally occurring fungi that have the psychedelic compound psilocybin. Both mushrooms and LSD can cause “trips” and other equivalent side effects, but there are some differences between the two.

LSD was made in 1938, while mushrooms are found in South America, Mexico, and the United States, and they have the psychedelic compound psilocybin in them. There may be more than 200 kinds of psychedelic mushrooms. People take the drugs the same way they would take other natural foods, by making tea out of the mushrooms or eating them fresh or dried.

Albert Hoffman, a Swiss scientist, made LSD. He is famous for taking the drug himself and going for a bicycle ride on April 19, 1934. The drug is created from lysergic acid, which is discovered in a fungus that usually grows on grains. It is clear, has no smell, and has no taste. 

So, even though it’s made in a lab, the way it works is like the way the fungus it came from works in the body. This makes LSD’s structure comparable to psilocybin, which is also found in fungi. This drug is usually taken as a pill, a liquid, or a piece of paper (called a “tab”) that has been soaked in the drug.

Psilocybin and LSD: Methods and Dosage

Another difference between LSD and magic mushrooms is that in psilocybin administration, mushrooms are usually dehydrated and eaten or made into tea. On the other hand, LSD is usually taken from a dropper or as small paper tabs that dissolve in the mouth.

Dried shrooms are great for easy consumption. Get the best experience with the dried shrooms selections from Astral Agency.

Both LSD and magic mushrooms can cause tolerance and dependence in the body, but LSD is stronger than magic mushrooms, so it takes less acid to get high and become reliant. Because of this, people who use LSD are more likely to take more than their bodies can handle. This makes it more likely that they will get too high or overdose.

Acid is more powerful than shrooms, and its effects last longer. This might be why a more bad psychedelic trip is reported with acid than with shrooms. Still, that doesn’t mean that shrooms are always safer. They just aren’t as strong.

Looking for strong shrooms, though? Astral Agency’s Penis Envy Shrooms are just the sort you’re looking for. Eating dried shrooms is not your thing? Shroom gummies may be the ideal method for you.

Psilocybin and LSD: Kind of High

Also, even though the side effects of shrooms and acid are similar, the highs or trips they give you are different. Most LSD trip happen in the cerebral part of the brain. Mushrooms, on the other hand, tend to affect the whole body. So, a user’s settings can have a big effect on the subjective effects and how safe they feel on a trip.

Sadly, a lot of people use LSD and other drugs like it in social situations like raves, clubs, and music festivals. They often forget to keep hydrated and take care of other basic needs. This makes them more likely to get dehydrated, lose consciousness, and have other bad things happen. Someone who takes mushrooms is in the same situation.

Psilocybin and LSD: Which Lasts Longer?

Chemicals in both psilocybin mushrooms and LSD bind to serotonin receptors in the brain. When someone takes LSD, it stimulates their sympathetic nervous system. This causes their blood sugar to rise, their body temperature to rise, and their pupils to get bigger. The body thinks that LSD is a serotonin and sends it to the synaptic cleft in the brain. This lets molecules of LSD attach to proteins that act as serotonin receptors. 

In April 2016, a group of British scientists found that when LSD is put into the brain, blood flow, electrical activity, and the way networks talk to each other change. When the barriers between the visual cortex and the parts of the brain that carry information are broken down, complex hallucinations can happen.

When psilocybin goes into the body, it travels through the blood to the brain, where it binds to serotonin receptors. Psilocybin turns on the receptors, which makes the visual cortex more sensitive to visual signals. However, hallucinations usually don’t start until 15 to 60 minutes after use. This is what happens when the liver dissolves psilocybin into psilocin. 

Because psilocybin induces the amygdala to “short circuit,” the brain is also less able to deal with negative stimuli when on magic mushrooms. Scientists also think that psilocybin causes the anterior cingulate cortex and fronto-insular cortex to work less well together. They think this is what leads to a feeling of “ego dissolution.”

Most of the time, a trip on mushrooms lasts between four and six hours. On the other hand, an LSD trip can last anywhere from six to twenty hours. In January, scientists found out that the reason LSD trips are so long is due to the LSD molecule making the serotonin receptor slightly bend over it like a lid. When the molecule “pops off” the receptors and breaks down in the body, the acid trip is over.

Psilocybin and LSD: Are They Future Antidepressants?

More and more scientific research shows that both substances could be used to treat addiction, OCD, anxiety, and PTSD. So far, this research has found out more about how the substances make people feel better and less about why that is. 

In a small study done in 2014, scientists found that the effect of magic mushrooms on serotonin receptors may be what makes people feel more emotional and a little less like themselves. This may be why the substance appears to help with anxiety. They say that a brain on mushrooms is similar to a brain that is dreaming.

On the other hand, a brain on LSD is more like those of a child since the different parts of the brain become very connected to each other. But no one knows for sure why taking LSD can make the signs of severe anxiety go away.

Researchers said that both LSD and psilocybin cause an elevated state of consciousness. This is the result of an experiment that gives us a peek at the brain on these drugs that have never been seen before. The more scientists look at a high brain, the better they will be able to use the power of these drugs to help us in the future.

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, as well as 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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