My Experience Taking the World’s Most Potent Magic Mushrooms

I have an affinity for magic mushrooms, which compels me to take them and share my experiences. However, because of my respect for fungi, I also feel like I can never do the experience justice in my writing.

Writing about them feels like a love letter to someone where you can never truly explain how they make you feel. So, with that in mind, this is a personal story of my first encounter with psilocybe azurescens, also known as Azzies.

How did I get lucky enough to try them?

A friend handpicked the magic mushrooms in Oregon where they grow naturally. Each year during a small window of time, people from all over come to explore and pick their very own azzies. I was lucky enough to have a beautiful friend who wanted to share, and I was able to try six small ones that he dried for me.

What was the set up?

While I usually choose to trip alone, I have found a lot of joy in sharing the experience with others. In this case, my partner and friend decided to dive into their supplies as we all set ourselves up for a day without responsibility or worry. We huddled into the living room with our friend’s dog, Charlie, that soon felt like our guide to wonderland.

I had a banana and coffee earlier in the day to keep my stomach empty and give the mushrooms plenty of time and space to shine. I tried to hydrate beforehand as drinking water or eating food can sometimes feel like a challenge when tripping.

How long did it take to kick in?

While many of my trips often take close to an hour to start, the Azzies became front and center in record time. I had never had a trip start so quickly after ingesting them. Within roughly 20 minutes, I knew I was in for a ride.

I had almost no pain in my stomach when digesting, but a fair amount of shaking where my body felt like it was surging with high amounts of energy. My body started to feel light and I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. The walls were breathing with life and Charlie was being enveloped by a glowing light that made him appear angelic and wise beyond his dog years.

Familiar patterns like the flower of life were populating the ceiling and the faces of those around me. I felt like I was being welcomed by an old friend who took up the entirety of the living room. Love, joy, peace, limitless, open, and safe are some of the words I would use to describe how it felt.

Was it as crazy as you thought it would be?

While the beginning was already feeling like I was coasting high above the clouds, the experience soon hit outer space as my surroundings took on a life of their own. Everything shifted to another dimension and light was moving all around me. Bright, neon lights with no visible source would jump around the room occasionally. Patterns in the room would make new homes on other surfaces. Everyone was commingling and fluid to a point where everything was becoming one.

I felt innately connected to everything and supplied with unlimited energy, power, and love. I had small moments where I was slightly overwhelmed with everything interacting with my senses. My brain was also making new, creative connections without any sign of stopping.

It was a lot. Yet, I did not feel scared or nervous. There is a strong sense of peace that was rooting me, along with Charlie’s calming presence. It’s the biggest trip I’ve ever had with such a minor amount of mushrooms. The azzies pack a punch and certainly match the research I had done beforehand about their potency.

What do you get out of tripping?

Magic mushrooms feel more like remembering than they do learning something new. It feels like they lift away the cobwebs in my mind and detox the brain for connections that reflect who I am or want to be.

Fear melts away to make room for more love.

It’s cheesy, but the azzies felt like a complete clearing and reminder of what no longer served me. It feels easy to let go of my worries, self-doubt, and negativity. I was overcome with gratitude and a sense of luck that my life even existed. I could feel the entirety of the universe inside of me.

What is it like afterwards? Or, the next day?

As the peak of the trip came to an end, I was at ease. I notice that magic mushrooms give me a “glow” that lets me feel grateful and peaceful well beyond the initial trip. I felt like I had spent a day on the mountain skiing or playing at the beach and needed to head to bed early. Colors seemed a little richer, and my mind was more cleared out then it was before the azzies.

I had high energy levels the next day along with a firm understanding of what felt important in my life and what didn’t. Mushrooms makes it harder to put second things first. Two days later and I am experiencing a strong state of balance within myself and with the world.

I hope that I can someday join the annual azzie adventure of searching for these potent mushrooms in Oregon. Magic mushrooms continue to amaze me as I uncover more about myself and the world with love at the forefront.

I’m not a doctor or specialist and am not condoning the consumption of magic mushrooms. They still remain widely untested and studied and remains an illegal substance in the United States.