The Mushroom/LSD Experience

Explained & Explored

Anyone that has tried a psychedelic drug know that it’s impossible to fully explain the
experience to someone who hasn’t tried one. The entertainment industry completely
misrepresents these experiences with dragons flying out of people’s faces and walls melting
into nothing, which never occur even with strong doses. So, here is my best attempt at
explaining the psychedelic experience.

I’d like to start this off with an anecdote from Ram Dass, who was talking about working
with a member of the anti-drug coalition on a book about LSD. In choosing pictures for the
book, they agreed on only one:

“It was a picture of a guy on the floor, looking at some spilled Coca-Cola. And he liked that
because it showed the people under drugs became so trivial, and their minds became so
caught in nothing. And I liked it because it showed this person was seeing that in
everything there is everything. That in the spilled drop of Coca-Cola is the entire universe.”

The General Sensation

While tripping, you realize that Shakespeare’s idea that “All the world’s a stage” was
excitingly true. Everyone else is still acting in this play, taking their characters very
seriously. But you are backstage, watching it all play out with you mask off for once. Your
beliefs, which you now realize are oh-so human and tied to your subjective sense of self,
have come off with that mask. You are now able to look at the world through a truly
differerent lens for the very first time. Without the filters of ‘sobriety’, the nature and innate
truths of the world become clear.

Furthermore, your appreciation for absolutely everything is exponentially magnified. That

filter in your brain that says “I’ve seen that flower a thousand times before, so it’s not that
cool anymore” is turned off. Even the most insignificant objects are seen as though it is the
first time you’ve ever encountered them. You are temporarily reborn with a child’s eyes for
4-6 hours.
The Visuals
For the most part, you do not see things that are not actually there. You see things that ARE
physically there move around and warp into amazingly intricate patterns, but you will not
see a colorful dragon-fly through your bedroom. All surfaces begin slowly undulating in
tiny waves as if all matter has come alive. Not to the extent that you’ll think the world is
melting or reality is breaking apart; just enough to let you know that ‘solid’ is more
subjective than you thought.

However you will see some INSANE visuals when your eyes are closed (or in darkness,
since the experience is the same), like a super-imagination that is much less under your
control than usual. Imagine seeing an endless chain of vivid scenery seamlessly warping
from one image to the next. The bizarreness of these images knows no bounds.

Perception
One of the coolest insights can come from the power of your perspective while tripping.
The best example of this is when you look in the mirror. You will see your face morph back
and forth between looking the most beautiful way you view yourself and the ugliest way
you view yourself. If that’s hard to understand, think of someone with a horrible case of
anorexia. Even when they are compared side-by-side to people they think are skinny, they
still see themselves as fat. You can see this extreme, and the opposite extreme without any
effort on your while you are tripping. But of course, you one see your own extremes… so
you won’t see yourself look anorexic unless you are capable of thinking you look like that
while sober.

This also holds true for any object you look at. You can look at a chair and consciously
fluctuate between seeing it as a supremely evil, horrible, ugly chair, and seeing it as the
most wondrous, angelic object you have ever seen. This is why having a ‘bad trip’ is
possible because people can get stuck at the negative end of this spectrum if they have
emotional issues or something traumatic happens during the trip.
In summation, the influence of your perception on reality is infinitely magnified on
shrooms/lsd. While this is happening to you, you will see that this is also true while sober,
but it occurs less immediately. Very cool stuff.

Rules for Tripping

1) Know your dealer & drugs. As with anything you ingest into your body, make sure
you know what you’re buying. This includes amounts and strengths as not all mushrooms
and tabs are created equal.

2) Trip where you feel extremely comfortable, especially with relation to temperature.
You do NOT need to be outside to have a fantastic trip (my best trip ever was inside a small
room), but nature is pretty sweet! You can clearly see the difference between dead and
living ‘objects’ through the lens of mushrooms and LSD.

3) Trip only with people who you trust and enjoy completely while sober. Just one
person can put a bad spin on your trip. This is a big event so don’t be afraid to be picky!

4) While tripping, be sure to spend time by yourself. The longer you spend alone, the
deeper you can go into the trip, and the deeper insight you will receive. Focus is paramount
while tripping. Insights and even intense visuals do not develop unless you focus your
attention or vision on something for 5+ seconds.

5) Write down your epiphanies. Psychedelics experiences are like dreams in that they’re
clear right after, but fade away quickly after. Try to write them down while you’re still
tripping otherwise some of the understand will be lost, no matter what.

Maximizing Your Trip

– Drink orange juice beforehand. The vitamin C helps you to relax physically and
mentally and the acidic nature of the juice helps the digestion of the substance.

– Change your surroundings every hour or so, even if you’re just moving to another
room. It’s difficult to describe how awesomely different a new environment can feel while
tripping.

– Wear the most comfortable clothing you own. Even if that outfit consists of footsie
pajamas and one of your mothers crazy hats. Comfort is vital.

– Plan a fun activity to do while you’re waiting to come up. It’s much more fun to all of
a sudden realize you’re tripping than to be constantly asking yourself ‘Am I up?’ for an
hour and a half. Don’t worry, you won’t miss it :p
– Listen to music. You think music is amazing on weed? Oh just you wait :)

– Remember to spend some (if not most) of your trip alone. It’s important enough to be
mentioned twice!

Other Things to Know

– These substances are perfectly safe. In fact they’re the safest drugs you can take behind
marijuana. You cannot die or cause brain damage from LSD or mushrooms without eating
hundreds of dollars worth of the stuff. It’s like alcohol — perfectly safe unless you’re
extremely stupid about it. For that matter it’s far easier to cause harm to yourself with
alcohol. Do your research online beforehand so you have more than my word to go off of!
Erowid is a good place to start.

– You’re not alone in being intrigued by experience another type of perception. According
to a site-wide poll in 2011, 47% of HEthens have tried mushrooms and 36% have tried
LSD. Woot :)

– You will feel some discomfort and possibly nausea when you’re coming up on either
magic mushrooms or LSD. Many people describe this feeling as ‘wanting to get out of your
body’. For me, the non-physical nature of the soul becomes very obvious during the trip,
so this sensation makes sense. The unpleasantness will go away when you’re all the way
up.

For further advice, read this: http://www.highexistence.com/discussions/topic/question-for-

those-who-have-done-shrooms/

A Final Note on Safety

As we repeatedly stress on HighExistence, psychedelics must be approached with reverence
and caution. We believe that in a loving context, psychedelics are powerful medicines with
tremendous potential, but there are a number of physical and psychological safety concerns
that one should consider before journeying with psychedelics. Please, please do plenty of
research, and do not take psychedelics if you have reason to believe that they will not jibe
with your personality or particular mental baggage. The Essential Psychedelic Guide on
Erowid is an exceptional free resource, and we recommend reading it, especially the section
on ‘Psychedelic Safety,’ before ever dabbling in these substances, if you feel compelled to.
Also, read this article on the dark side of psychedelics. It’s also imperative that you buy a
test kit if you aren’t absolutely certain that the substances you’ve procured are what you
believe them to be. Take care, and happy tripping. : )

Original image by James Jean

Loved This403
 by Jordan Lejuwaan

Hey, I'm the creator of HighExistence. I love inspiring others to follow their
bliss, which in turn fulfills my own. I also write on my personal blog and
run a company that sells crazy shirts and rave clothing :)

The Human Condition According to Jason Silva

The Simulation Argument: Why We Might Already Be Living in Virtual Reality

Love books? Check this amazing deal: Save 50% off Blinkist!

Unearth Your Greatness With 30 Challenges to Enlightenment

10 Healing and Empowering Spiritual Practices Learned on a Pilgrimage Through Spain

13 Crazy Facts About Wim “Iceman” Hof That Nobody Talks About

Have a comment?

or

driftune (8) May 30, 2013

 I have taken LSD a few times, although I prefer 2C-E due to the incredible visuals
they give me. Basically to the same effect as LSD, but at a much, much greater
level.

It surprises me how sensual and affectionate LSD makes me. A few nights ago I
tripped with a close friend (at times with benefits) and at one point I was sitting on
top of him, pressing my forehead against his. I closed my eyes and could see the
cosmos, the whole entire universe in the blackness behind my eyelids. I could feel
the universe within both of us, within the space behind our foreheads, and we were
infinitely connected.

I feel my experiences on acid add to the quality of my life rather than detract from
it. I feel that they add to my wisdom as well, for they allow me to strip down my
layers and truly see the universe (as well as myself and my emotions) from
completely different perspectives. I feel like I’m escaping to the real reality rather
than escaping from it; maybe reality is really when our subjective layers are stripped
down and we can see all the beauty for what it is.

@driftune Reply

Adam Smith (113) May 11, 2012

Taking mushrooms has been one of the most important, if not THE most important
things I have ever done in my entire lifetime, hands down. LSD is pretty incredible
too, but harder to find where I live :/
Anyone who hasn’t had a psychedelic experience before though, you absolutely
need to, it’s indescribably helpful for becoming a better person.

@Adam Smith Reply

Jordan Lejuwaan (23,399)the creator of HighExistence and an enthus...A

May 11, 2012

Same here. For me, psychedelics are only rivaled by meditation in terms of
ability to change lives.

1
 @Jordan Lejuwaan Reply

Erwin Rooijakkers (22) May 14, 2012

Especially 10-day Vipassana courses where you transcend through

the roof of the meditation hall.

Meditation is tripping with balance.

Reply

Di (239) November 1, 2013

I have stumbled upon many post, here and there, about

Vipassana meditation camp. How was it for you, if you’re
wiling to share your experience?
i am considering myself of going :)

@Di Reply

Wideload (0) May 31, 2017

Hi all, I just want to askl if someone ever tried using shrooms or truffles for
medical purposes? I was reading some articles about this magic truffles and
shrooms before engaging my self for the first time. Like this one
from:https://www.trufflemagic.com/blog/how-long-do-shrooms-take-to-
kick-in/ .They say that it has a very potent effect on the brain and
hallucination. Unlike marijuana does it have any medical use? In one article
that I’ve read magic truffles or shrooms are use on reducing the symtoms of
obsessive-conpulsive disorder and anxiety. It can also help people to quit
smoking and alcohol addiction. Some studies also suggest the property of
magic shrooms/truffles can be useful for cancer patients. I would really want
to hear other insights regarding this new possible alternative meds. Thanks
 1

@Wideload Reply

yoinkie (1,498)C May 11, 2012

great insight and great guide man. I To keep a clear mind going in. If you’re having
a shitty day, your trip may reflect it. So try and stay happy and calm the day you
choose to journey.

@yoinkie Reply

Jordan Lejuwaan (23,399)the creator of HighExistence and an enthus...A

May 11, 2012

Thanks yoinkie. Yes it’s best to make sure you’re having a good time before
you start tripping. Although another fascinating thing about psychedelics is
how instantly you can change from a very dark view to an extremely
positive one. Like a light-switch. Even just from changing your facial
expression.

@Jordan Lejuwaan Reply

Conor Keeling (0) July 29, 2013

I am planning on trying shrooms for the first time soon and I’m still not sure
about a few things.

-How much should i take?

-How long does it take to reach the peak of your trip?

Any advice would be much appreciated! :)

 1

@Conor Keeling Reply

Mallory (1)whatever I want to be! I like to have fu... June 8, 2012

You just so simply put into words, what I have been trying to explain forever..props
to you! :)

@Mallory Reply

Jsalguero19 (1)I am a reader, a mystic, a musician, an ov... March 28, 2013

My entire life is changed each time I trip. Almost as if the mushrooms are a force of
nature, a catalyst for necessary change, or perhaps they help me be intimate with
myself and my fate and consequently stride in the right direction and not against the
current. Such powerful stuff.

@Jsalguero19 Reply