You’ve prepared the mushroom tea, consumed the shrooms, and have a long and quiet night ahead of you. Now what?
How long must you wait for psilocybin mushrooms to take effect, and how long do those effects last once they have set in?
How Long Do Magic Mushrooms Take to Kick In?
It can take anywhere from 30 minutes to about an hour to feel the first effects of magic mushrooms. In some cases, however, the onset could begin after just ten minutes. The exact timeframe will depend on several variables, though.
These variables include:
The Set and Setting
Set and setting are very important when taking magic mushrooms.
The “set” refers to your mindset while the “setting” is a reference to your environment. Both of these things are needed to ensure the trip is as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.
If your mindset isn’t right and you’re in a setting that makes you uncomfortable, you’re more likely to have a bad trip.
It can also impact how quickly you feel the effects and how strong those effects are.
Anxious and inexperienced users in unfamiliar settings may interpret the early signs negatively. They may react with panic to the smallest of bodily changes, and this could set them on a course for a very bad trip.
The onset shouldn’t surprise you. It shouldn’t scare you or make you anxious, either.
The Method of Consumption
The mushrooms in your local grocery store are delicious and packed with protein and nutrients. Hallucinogenic mushrooms are a different story entirely. They are earthy, bitter, and generally unpleasant.
The easiest way to consume them is to eat them whole, and this may also produce the quickest effects. But it will make you nauseous if you have a sensitive stomach.
Shroom tea is one of the best ways to take magic mushrooms. Simply grind your mushrooms into a powder, steep in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes, and add honey to taste. If you’re a tea drinker in general, you can also add an actual tea bag.
Your Stomach Contents
Shrooms are consumed orally, so the onset and duration are heavily dependent on the contents of your stomach.
If you consume mushrooms on a full stomach, it may take an hour or longer for the effects to take hold. If they are eaten on an empty stomach, however, the effects should hit you much sooner.
There’s no easy way around this, as mushrooms need to be digested to deliver their psychoactive effects.
The full stomach vs empty stomach debate is common in the psychedelic community and there is no clear answer.
The effects should be quicker and stronger if taken on an empty stomach, but sensitive users are more likely to experience digestive issues. If taken on a full stomach, the onset will be slower and the effects less intense. You may experience fewer digestive issues, but having something on your stomach could also trigger vomiting.
Everyone reacts differently, but many experienced users recommend eating a light meal, giving it time to partially digest, and then dosing.
The Dose
The dose can impact how long it takes shrooms to kick in, but not as you might expect.
It has more to do with how your body processes that dose, and how quickly it takes the psychoactive compounds to do their work. It also depends largely on how tuned in you are.
If you’re taking a very small dose and are distracted, you may fail to notice the early signs. This is especially true if you’re an experienced tripper.
If, however, you’re taking a large dose, have little experience, or are paying attention to your body and environment, you’re more likely to notice the onset of psychedelic effects.
Will it Take Longer for Shrooms to Kick in If I Am an Experienced User?
Experienced trippers usually need more shrooms to feel the desired effects. However, the onset shouldn’t change.
The more you take, the more of a tolerance you develop. But this tolerance develops over time, so don’t increase your dose after just one or two experiences taken over several months.
Pay attention to your mind and your body. Be patient, and adjust your dose slightly when you feel it necessary to do so.
Should I Take More if I Don’t Feel the Effects?
As noted above, it can take an hour or so to fully feel the effects, and it may be 2 to 4 hours before they peak. In total, the magic mushroom high can last for about 6 hours. It’s slow, so you need to be patient.
Unlike cannabis or alcohol, it’s not something that you can consume gradually throughout the night. The best approach is to study the dose and effects, consider what kind of experience you’re looking for, prepare your set and setting, and then consume a carefully measured dose.
If that doesn’t deliver the desired effects, you’ll know better for next time, but we wouldn’t recommend taking more within the same period.
How Can I Speed Up the Onset of Magic Mushrooms?
Shrooms are not something that should be rushed, but if you want the effects to kick in a little sooner, you can try soaking your mushrooms in lemon juice.
It’s thought that soaking mushrooms in lemon juice for 20 minutes helps to convert the psilocybin into psilocin, a process that typically occurs in your digestive system.
The jury is still out on this, but there are enough anecdotal reports to warrant consideration. Just bear in mind that the effects may be much quicker and stronger than usual, so it’s not suitable for inexperienced users.
Can I End the Effects Early?
There is no way to “speed up” a bad trip. As soon as the shrooms kick in, you’re there for the ride and have to remain there no matter how bumpy it gets.
If you begin to experience a bad trip, try changing your setting. It’s all about staying calm and relaxed, whether that means distancing yourself from others, playing a video game, or listening to some relaxing music.
Don’t try to introduce narcotics, sedatives, or other psychedelic substances, as you’re more likely to make things worse.
Do Shrooms Appear on Most Routine Drug Tests?
All traces of mushrooms should be removed from your system after 24 hours, and in most cases, they will disappear within 15 hours. The exact timeframe will depend on the dose, your physiology, and your experience.
There are some notable exceptions, though.
For instance, a hair test can detect shrooms for up to 90 days after use and there are also urine tests designed specifically to look for mushrooms. However, these tests are expensive and rare, and a standard drug test likely won’t detect shrooms after that 24-hour window has passed.
Summary: How Long Does it Take for Shrooms to Kick In?
A magic mushroom trip can be enlightening and even life-changing, but it’s something that needs to be treated with care.
Be patient, prepare for the journey ahead, and then wait for the onset.
It can take up to an hour to notice the early effects of shrooms and those effects should gradually increase for another couple of hours. A typical shroom trip lasts for about 6 hours in total, with peak effects after 2 to 4 hours.