How Long Do Shrooms Take To Kick In?
If you’re looking to take magic shrooms, or maybe you’re guiding a first timer and helping them gather intel, one of the first questions is usually, “How long does it take for shrooms to kick in?”
Though it’s a seemingly simple question, the answer is quite multilayered and difficult to give a precise answer to as it depends on a myriad of factors. Knowing how long it takes for shrooms to kick in depends on your mindset, body and metabolism, and how you take them.
Factors on How Long It Takes Shrooms to Hit
Set and Setting When Taking Shrooms
Set and setting is a well-known concept in psychedelic circles, referring to the place (setting) and mindset (set) you’re in when you decide to trip. Shrooms, or any psychedelic drug, will no doubt hit differently and on different timelines depending on your mindset and environment.
Taking shrooms in the comfort of your own home with a trusted friend or two will allow you to be calmer, more in touch with your body and in turn, feel the shrooms’ effects bloom from the beginning. Taking them in an unfamiliar environment with all manner of people around will delay the shrooms’ effects because you’re distracted by all the goings-on. It can also lead to an excess of anxiety or uncomfortable feelings on the come-up or the start of your shroom trip.
Whenever you’re considering a trip, it’s important to remember that your mental state and your surroundings will undoubtedly have an effect on how long it takes the shrooms to kick in.
Your Body
Everyone’s body is unique, so it stands to reason that everyone’s body will process an influx of shrooms differently. It will also depend on what’s in your stomach already when you take the shrooms. A full stomach can extend the time before the shrooms kick in by about an hour. When taken on an empty stomach, which isn’t recommended for beginners, shrooms can kick in after only about 10 minutes.
Your stomach contents plays such a critical factor when you’re wondering just how long it takes for shrooms to kick in because shrooms contain psilocybin that needs to be converted into psilocin and then absorbed into the body. When your body is digesting both shrooms and food, the effects take place slower as your body is digesting everything at once and can affect how long they stay in your system.
How You Take the Shrooms
Chewing Whole Shrooms
There are a multitude of ways to take shrooms, depending on your personal preference. Chewing them whole is the easiest and quickest way to ingest them. However, eating shrooms this way is one of the longest lead-ins to a trip, as your body has to break them down before you can feel anything. With this method, you could start feeling the effects as soon as 10 minutes after taking them or as long as an hour after. The general consensus is that after 30 minutes you should start to feel some effects from the shrooms.
Magic Mushroom Tea
Making shroom tea takes a bit longer than simply chomping down some mushrooms but taking them in tea can make for a more enjoyable experience and trip. If you drink the tea reasonably quickly, the effects can be felt as soon as 10–15 minutes. However, if you slowly sip the tea after a decent meal, the results could be offset for about an hour. Mushroom tea still needs to be converted to psilocin by the body, but as it’s in a liquid form, the conversion and absorption are much quicker than your body working to break down pieces of shroom, so you may feel the effects of tea faster than eating them.
Lemon Tekking
Lemon Tekking is the practice of adding lemon juice to your shrooms before taking them. The reasoning behind lemon juice, in particular, is that the lemon juice mimics our stomach acid and so starts converting the psilocybin into psilocin before the shrooms are even taken. This makes the shrooms completely ready for absorption once they’ve been ingested. Shrooms taken in this manner kick in almost immediately, and it often results in a stronger, more intense, faster trip.
So, remember the effects of shrooms are decided by your set and setting, body, and method of taking the shrooms — all in a delicate balance!
