Mushrooms, or psilocybin, isn’t a single type of mushroom. Psilocybin refers to a naturally-occurring hallucinogen found in more than two dozen different species of mushrooms.

Common Names: Magic Mushrooms, Mushies, Shrooms, Sillies, Boomers Caps or Fungus

Appearance: Nearly all of the psychoactive mushrooms are small, brown or tan mushrooms and look very similar to any number of non-psychoactive, inedible, or poisonous mushrooms growing in the wild. This makes them somewhat difficult, and potentially hazardous, to identify.

Effects: In general, the hallucinogenic experience is very similar to an LSD experience, but less intense and of shorter duration. The effects of these mushrooms can vary considerably depending on the species, but for Psilocybe mushrooms the user will typically experience effects including feelings of being out of one's body (ego loss), colorful hallucinations, and distortion in spatial perception, time, and color shift. At higher does, users may experience lightheadedness, numbness of the tongue, lips or mouth, shivering or sweating, nausea and/or vomiting, and anxiety. Like other hallucinogens, mushrooms produce vivid mental changes and rapid mood swings that users can easily feel overwhelmed by the flood of feelings and perceptions.