WHAT ARE PSILOCYBIN TRUFFLES?

Tripping on magic truffles or mushrooms, most people have heard of them or have experienced them themselves. They have been used for thousands of years in different cultures - but unfortunately magic mushrooms have been banned in the Netherlands and many other countries since 2008. The magic truffles - also called psilocybin truffles - are not banned and can be bought legally in smartshops. Reason enough to take a closer look at what psilocybin truffles are.

What is psilocybin?

Psilocybin is the active substance in a specific type of mushroom, the psilocybe cubensis. Psilocybin belongs to the group of drugs better known as psychedelics. This also applies to LSD, DMT and mescaline. Psychedelics are substances found in plants or fungi that have mind-altering effects.

Your body converts psilocybin into psilocin, which has an effect on the serotonin receptors in the brain. This causes an altered physical and mental state, which puts you in a trip - depending on the dose. Such a trip can last anywhere from three to eight hours. And the higher your dose, the more intense the trip.

The effects of psilocybin

Psilocybin in mushrooms and truffles causes hallucinations and changes your experience of the space you are in at that moment. You also experience time and your thoughts differently, and you look at certain things differently. This is the experience of most psilocybin users:

• Change in senses: you start to see moving objects, geometrical patterns, and you experience colours, smells and musical tones very differently.
• Change in mood: you can become euphoric and happy or, when you are not feeling well, anxious and confused.
• Change in perception of time: users of psilocybin often experience that time lasts much longer.
• Change in thinking: you will make atypical connections and come to special insights.

Psilocybin also causes a slight increase in heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature. Your pupils will also become larger. It can also happen that you get a bit dizzy or nauseous, but these symptoms generally disappear quickly.

What are psilocybin truffles?

Psilocybin truffles are another name for magic truffles. Because magic truffles contain the substance psilocybin, they are also called psilocybin truffles. Magic truffles grow under the ground between the fungal threads and are created by the mycelium - a network of fungal threads. This network feeds, as it were, the magic mushrooms. In fact the mushrooms are the fruit of the mycelium. And in the mycelium often truffles grow. These truffles are a compact mass of hardened mycelium, in which the mushroom stores food and water to make use of when the growing conditions are not optimal.

After harvesting magic or psilocybin truffles, they consist for 20 to 50% of water. This differs per species, but it is possible that after drying about half of the weight remains.

Want to know more about magic truffles? Read our ultimate magic truffle guide.

How are psilocybin truffles used?

Both psilocybin truffles and magic mushrooms can be used in different ways. You can eat them raw, but we must admit that this is not really a pleasure for many people. Many people experience the taste as unpleasant and sometimes even nauseous. A more pleasant way of ingesting it is by making tea of it. You can let the truffles or magic mushrooms soak in your tea and add some honey to it. This usually also makes you feel less nauseous.

Read here more methods to improve the taste of your magic truffles. (link blog "taste of psychedelic truffles bad? try this > is not online yet)

Psilocybin truffles vs magic mushrooms

Psychedelic truffles and magic mushrooms are very similar. The effects of both are almost the same. It is sometimes said that truffles have lighter effects, but this is definitely not the case. Both mushrooms contain psilocybin and have the same effects. However, there is one big difference between them: the way they grow.

They are both fruits of the fungal network - also called mycelium. But the mushrooms grow above the ground and the truffles under the ground. Truffles also have an important function in providing the network with the necessary nutrients. They store a lot of water in case the mushroom gets too little.

Since 2008 it is forbidden in the Opium law to buy magic mushrooms. It is however allowed to buy grow kits for magic mushrooms. Truffles are completely legal to buy.

Checklist for the use of psilocybin truffles

Would you like to use magic truffles or magic mushrooms? Then it is useful to take into account the following points:

• Never use magic mushrooms, truffles or other psychedelics in combination with other mind-altering substances. The same goes for alcohol.
• Pay enough attention to your set and setting to prevent a bad trip. Read here
• Only use magic mushrooms or truffles when you feel well physically and mentally.
• Know what you are using and make sure you use an appropriate dose.
• Get a reliable tripsitter to protect you for dangerous situations.
• Make sure you are well rested and that you have eaten and drunk well the day before your trip. It is also handy to take the day off afterwards to process your experiences calmly.