First Shroom Trip? Some Do’s and Don’ts to Enjoy the Best Trip!

Are you considering a shroom, but unsure how to go about it? Could shrooms be dangerous? How can you have the best trip possible? Are there ways to prepare for a trip to make sure it’s safe and enjoyable?

We have the answers to those and other questions right here.

Before you trip, check your overall mood

First of all, one important factor to keep in mind is the following: In general, psychedelics intensify your mood. It’s not advisable to indulge in a shroom trip if you are sad, depressed, anxious, or in a bad mood. Whenever you plan a trip, remember this as those negative feelings can be intensified on a shroom trip.

Secondly, keep in mind that psychoactive substances have different effects on different people, so the rules for safe use are very general. Experienced users recommend that you start out with a small dose of a gram or less and judge the experience for yourself. This will help you figure out how much you can handle and how you like the effects. 

Thirdly, the minimum age for a person to use magic mushrooms is 18 years, but it is generally recommended that a person should be at least 21 years old when they try it for the first time. 

Your first shroom trip could be an unforgettable life-enhancing experience, or it could be an utterly horrifying experience that you wish you never had. The difference between the two lies in proper preparation and respect for shrooms.

Prepare for your shroom trip

It’s important not to take a mushroom trip on the spur of the moment. It’s a mind-altering experience that requires proper mental and physical preparation.

Mental preparation – as mentioned earlier, don’t take shrooms if you are not in a good mental space. Days before the trip, do things that fill you with positive energy. Read uplifting and inspiring material or watch uplifting movies and documentaries. Do exercise, play sports. Go for long walks in nature, spend time with people you like, indulge in creative activities.

Physical preparation – make sure that you are in good physical health, with no bacterial or viral infections. Eat a balanced diet and get enough sleep. Also, keep in mind that the ingestion of shrooms can elevate your blood pressure, so you might want to take precautions if you suffer from high blood pressure.

Find a trip sitter. That is a person who is experienced in taking magic mushrooms, but will stay sober during your trip in order to help you through your psychedelic experience if need be.

Part of your planning is to make sure you do the trip with people you know and trust. The ideal is to have a small intimate group of people who all know and trust each other. Don’t do a trip, especially your first one, with strangers.

On the day of the trip

• Don’t eat anything for three to four hours before you take the mushrooms.
• Don’t use mushrooms if you are alone.
• Make sure there’s plenty of drinking water.
• Have sweetened drinks available. This is in case of a bad trip – the sugar lessens the effects.
• Keep your phone turned off – you won’t be able to have a rational conversation while on the trip and for some hours afterward, you might just want to reflect on your trip.
• Don’t make appointments within 24 hours of your trip – it might play on your mind and make you anxious. Keep your diary open so you can relax and not worry that you have to be somewhere at a certain time.
• Choose a quiet environment for your trip – at home or somewhere in nature is a good choice.
• If you are indoors, it’s best to turn off all lights.
• Wear comfortable clothes that you can sleep in.

Important precautions

Don’t take shrooms in combination with other drugs.

Have the number of the local emergency services available in case someone has a very bad trip or other emergency. 

During the trip

Make sure to drink plenty of water during your shroom trip. The active ingredients in magic mushrooms are toxic to your body and your body needs water to get rid of the toxins. Don’t drink alcohol in the place of water – alcohol has a dehydrating effect which will add to the dehydrating effect of the shrooms.

Shroom dosage

If you are tripping for the first time, you need to decide whether you want to begin with a microdose or a low dose. A microdose experience is low-key and is often recommended for people who have never used psychedelics. The effects of the mushrooms are barely noticeable.

However, many people start with a low dose because they want to feel safe, but have a real psychedelic experience. The doses below are give a general idea of dose strength. To start with, go with a low or micro dose. A low dose will give you a real shroom trip, but it won’t be so intense you lose touch with reality.

Shroom dosages for dried Psilocybe cubensis

• Micro dose: 0.1 – 0.5 grams
• Low Dose: 0.5 – 1 grams
• Medium Dose: 1 – 2 grams
• Strong Dose: 2 – 3.5 grams
• Epic Dose: 3.5 – 5 grams and above

How to handle the trip

The onset of psychedelic effects takes about 30 minutes, The effects will peak about 90 minutes to two hours after you ingested the shrooms. The entire trip lasts around six hours, which is the time it takes for your body to metabolize psilocibin—at least enough of it to stop feeling high. Your body takes around 15 hours to eliminate all the psilocibin.

You might be overwhelmed with crazy visuals, a distorted perception of reality, racing thoughts, you might hear strange noises you aren’t sure are real, and experience other strange stuff.

Do not panic. 

Be aware that all this is natural and harmless and enjoy it. One good reason to mentally prepare for a trip is to avoid feeling scared of what you experience. By mentally preparing yourself for the trip, you’ll be able to deal with the experience because you’ll know that hallucinations and bad feelings can’t actually hurt you. It’s also good to have a bit of a plan or goal during your trip so that you don’t feel to idle and listless. If you start to feel any anxiety or bad thoughts or feelings, remind yourself to keep breathing and that what you are experiencing is not real and will pass soon.

Never attempt a first trip without a sitter who will look out for you. Just knowing that there’s an experienced person around should make the trip feel more enjoyable because you know you’re in good hands.

If you take all the suggestions above and don’t go into your shroom trip with emotional baggage or a negative frame of mind, your trip should be a great time.