What is the difference between shrooms and acid? LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) and psilocybin mushrooms are widely used hallucinogenic substances. These substances have profound effects on perception, awareness, and consciousness. They act similarly in inducing altered states of reality, but lsd and mushrooms differ significantly in chemical composition, physiological effects, and subjective experiences.
Across the web, there are plenty of anecdotal accounts from people who used mushrooms vs LSD and lived to tell their experiences. The consensus is that taking them together increases the intensity of each, which isn’t necessarily a good thing. Doing so can also increase your risk for serotonin syndrome. Here are the major differences between psilocybin vs lsd.
Shrooms vs acid definition
There are many differences between mushrooms and acid. Acid or LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) is a synthetic chemical used recreationally. LSD is made from lysergic acid. The latter is a compound found in ergot, a fungus that grows on rye. Just like psilocybin. LSD is so potent that its dosage is in the micrograms (mcg) range. Its effects can be stimulating, pleasurable, and mind-altering but this is not so different from what users experience with shrooms.
When taken in small doses, acid produces changes in perception, behavior, and mood. Larger doses of LSD mushrooms can lead to intense side effects and disturbances. These include visual hallucinations and distortions in the perception of space and time.
Magic mushrooms, or shrooms, are wild mushrooms that contain psilocybin. The latter is a naturally occurring psychoactive and hallucinogenic compound. Are shrooms lsd? The answer is no. Shrooms are naturally occurring while LSD is manufactured. Both acid and mushrooms are classified as Schedule I drugs.
LSD vs shrooms impact on your brain
The major difference between acid and mushroom is in the mode of action. When you ingest it, LSD interacts with your brain’s serotonin receptors causing mood changes. Shrooms impact serotonin receptors too. The main difference between lsd and mushrooms is in dosage. Shrooms are effective in small doses.
In natural form, shrooms have long stems, small caps and black gills underneath. Once you digest shrooms, the psilocybin in the magic mushrooms is transformed into psilocin. When in the brain, this compound impacts your serotonin receptors to cause stress relieving, psychedelic effects. Are shrooms acid? No. Unlike acid, shrooms need to be digested before you can experience the trip. Another difference between shrooms and acid is that if you take them in large amounts, shrooms can cause anxiety and fear but lsd can cause powerful hallucinations.
A study on lsd vs mushrooms was conducted in 1959 by Harris Isbell. Isbell’s work, commissioned by CIA, was mostly tested on prisoners in jail for narcotic offences mushrooms vs acid. Interestingly, this lsd vs psilocybin study showed that the two drugs generate similar effects.
But are shrooms and acid the same today? A new study on the difference between shrooms and acid shows that the effects of lsd and shrooms are slightly different. Psilocybin seems to increase arterial blood pressure. LSD results in elevated heart rate. Overall, however, the researchers indicate these differences were somewhat negligible. So, is acid worse than shrooms? The answer depends on dosage.
Difference between acid and mushrooms dosage
Is acid shrooms? A study compared the acute effects of acid and shrooms in healthy participants and found that answer is no. A 200 μg LSD dose causes high anxiety and ego-dissolution. This can also cause cognition impairments, but reducing the dose to 100 μg LSD dose leads to desirable effects. 20 μg shrooms dose causes the same effects as 100 μg LSD, and 30 mg psilocybin produces the same effects as 150 μg LSD.
Shrooms vs lsd for depression
In lab studies, shrooms and acid seem to produce powerful mystical experiences. Because of that lsd mushrooms could help treat conditions like anxiety, depression and addiction.
But the research on the difference between lsd and mushrooms is still very preliminary. The very few studies that have been done on lsd and shrooms have limitations. Sample sizes tend to be so small. It will require much more research to answer questions such as is acid like shrooms?
Is LSD stronger than shrooms? No. Shrooms are more effective in smaller doses. But both drugs can enhance emotion and sense of perception and, at higher doses, induce auditory and visual disturbances.
Psilocybin vs lsd for sexual healing
Many people who take pharmaceutical drugs for depression experience low libido as a side effect of the medications. Shrooms and LSD may be helpful here. In a study, researchers studied people after they took LSD vs psilocybin for recreation or as part of a psychedelic ceremony.
261 people were part of the analysis, and responses revealed that overall, they reported improvements in sexual functions for almost half a year after the trip. There were improvements in sexual pleasure, satisfaction with personal appearance, and communication with partners, as well using sex for spiritual awareness.
Accessibility and use difference between mushrooms and lsd
Are shrooms and acid the same? According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 7.4 million Americans ages use hallucinogens, including shrooms and acid. Adults aged 18–25 were the most frequent users. Shrooms have been used various cultures and locations across the world. LSD has a much more recent history. In our current times, psilocybin and lsd use may be recreational at parties or by people seeking a deep spiritual experience.
Are shrooms and acid the same? The history of acid in the public started in the ‘60s. Acid or LSD played an important role in the awakened psychedelic movement. People began using LSD for pleasure and spiritual purposes. Just like shrooms at the time, concerns regarding its psychiatric negative effects prompted the U.S. to ban its use in 1967. Currently, shrooms and acid are only permitted for research purposes.
Today, acid and shrooms are categorized as Schedule I drugs. This classification under the Controlled Substances Act, means that lsd and shrooms have little medical use and a high risk for abuse. Just like shrooms acid has generated a lot of interest. A report shows that 8.8 million people used hallucinogens such as LSD in 2023.
Shrooms and LSD risks and dangers
One real risk is taking the wrong mushroom. Several species look like mushrooms in appearance but they can poison you and cause serious illness or even death. Magic mushrooms can cause stomach problems like sickness, diarrhea or nausea.
During a bad LSD trip, the user feels stuck and frustrated for about 12 hours until it wears off. As mentioned, this can take up to 12 hours. If you take either mushrooms or LSD without the guidance of a mental health practitioner, you may end up having delusions and sadness.
You may experience even more severe effects of anxiety and depression because with these substances, the magic is the doses. The right dose can do wonders for your mental health but a slight deviation from the right dose can wreak havoc on how you feel and behave.
Should I take shrooms or LSD?
As with any drug, it is simply dangerous to use any hallucinogen without the supervision of a health practitioner. You can have no idea of what kind of thing you are truly buying or using. While there are a lot more risks, some of those are related to how psychedelic drugs affect the mind or body. Consult a healthy practitioner before taking mushrooms LSD for mental health needs.
