Psilocin vs. Psilocybe
Everyone reading about ‘what is psilocin’ vs mushrooms spores, especially regular readers of the Quality Spores blog, will have undoubtedly heard of psilocybe, the psychoactive compound found in mushrooms. There is a considerable volume of psilocin research on psilocin uses and on psilocin molecules. What is psilocin? What is psilocin found in?
What isn’t discussed nearly as often as psilocybe and the differences in psilocin vs. psilocybe, however, is cubensis’s related compound psilocin.
Psilocybe Legality As A Schedule 1 Substance
Like psilocybe, psilocin is a Schedule I substance under the controlled substances act in the United States and is illegal in many other jurisdictions as well.
Are Psilocybe Cubensis Spores Legal?
Are psilocybe cubensis spores legal in my state? And why does psilocybe get all the attention? What is psilocin, exactly? Is psilocin euphoric? Is psilocin legal in the US?
Hallucinogens Such As Psilocin, DMT, LSD, and Mescaline
All these questions and more will be answered throughout today’s post, where you’ll learn everything you need to know about psilocin, its relationship to psilocybe, and how this compound is directly responsible for the special experience one undergoes under the influence of mushroom, or mushrooms as one of the important hallucinogens compared to other specials such as DMT, LSD, and Mescaline.
What is Psilocin in Mushrooms?
Cubensis mushrooms, or mushrooms, contain psilocybe (O-phosphoryl-4-hydroxy-N) and psilocin (4-hydroxy-N,N-dimethyl-tryptamine).
In the fungi itself, psilocybe is available in far greater quantities, although psilocin is present too. When consumed by a human, the body breaks down psilocybe into psilocin through a process of psilocin synthesis of the psilocin molecule. We’ll discuss this process more in the following section, but a very basic takeaway would be that psilocin “comes from” psilocybe.
Psilocybe and Psilocin Interacting
When a mushroom is bruised, it displays a blue coloration. This is the psilocybe and psilocin interacting with oxygen and degrading. Psilocin is more susceptible to these changes, and thus the blue bruising so common to mushrooms is, in fact, often caused primarily by psilocin enabling the psilocin extraction from mycelium process to begin.
Psilocin Effects – Psilocin vs. Psilocybe Effects
Interestingly, bruised mushrooms—despite the oxygen-caused degradation—aren’t measurably less potent in terms of their psychoactive effects on humans. This is because of the high psilocybe content of the mushroom, which is more resilient than psilocin. In fact, this is why in lab environments and clinical trials the compound researchers work with is indeed psilocybe; it’s simply more stable and, as we’ll learn below, is ultimately responsible for the production of psilocin and thus the special experience in humans.
How Psilocybe is Broken Down Into Psilocin by the Body Before Reaching the Brain For Special Mushroom Strains
When a mushroom is taken by a human, it reaches the stomach and digestive tract like anything else. However, while in the gastrointestinal tract, psilocybe is broken down by an enzyme we have called alkaline phosphate. This is one of the ways special mushroom strains work in the body.
Psilocin Effects
During this “attack” by natural bodily enzymes, psilocybe is broken down in to psilocin (this is achieved through the enzymatic stripping of psilocybe’s phosphate group on a molecular level, though the details of this process are beyond the scope of this post). After being broken down into psilocin and distributed throughout the bloodstream, and ultimately the brain. There are numerous effects considering both psilocin and serotonin receptors on the brain.
Eventually, even psilocin is broken down through another enzymatic process (mono-amino oxidase). The substances are then excreted from the body as normal, and the special experience ends.
How Psilocin Works in the Brain During a Mushroom Trip
On a molecular level, psilocin is very similar to serotonin, a naturally produced compound in the brain which is responsible for mood, cognition, sleep cycles, and many other functions. The brain has both psilocin and serotonin receptors, permeable channels which mediate neurotransmission. Since psilocin is so similar to serotonin, it’s capable of binding to serotonin receptors and being transmitted in the same manner.
What’s the mushroom trip effects on the brain?
Once psilocin reaches the brain and binds to a serotonin receptor, the neural pathway is “activated” in the same way that it would be if it were receiving a large amount of serotonin. This can explain the elevated mood and other perceptual changes people experience during a mushroom “trip”.
One of the most interesting ways that psilocybe (and thus psilocin) interacts with the brain’s chemistry is that it’s capable of forging new neural pathways. This can lead to “ah-ha” moments; in other words, mushrooms can literally make one think differently about a given subject or situation.
Mushroom Kit For Growing Mushroom Spores
One of the ways to experience psilocybe effects is through a mushroom kit which includes mushroom spores for growing.
Why Researchers are Looking to Psilocybe and Psilocin to Treat A Variety of Mood Disorders
It’s for the aforementioned reason that researchers believe psilocybe is so effective at helping patients with previously treatment-resistant forms of depression, anxiety, and even PTSD. In this context, treatment-resistant simply means that the treatments they’ve tried haven’t been effective so far.
Pilocybin Spores That Grow Psilocybe Mushrooms
In many cases, psilocybe spores that grow mushrooms can be shown to help patients in those situations, and researchers think it’s because the compound is capable of forming these new neural pathways. It may work like this: a person with trauma has “trained” their brain to operate using certain neural pathways (likely through no fault of their own, of course). When psilocybe, and subsequently psilocin, is introduced to the brain and begins formulating new neural pathways, the mode of thinking therefore must change.
This is why most if not all psilocybe mushroom advocates insist that mushrooms shouldn’t be viewed as a recreational or “party” drug—psilocybe therapy, administered by a licensed professional, has been shown to provide patients with life-changing positive effects. This is likely because of the intention behind the activity; one might easily wager a guess that the benefits gained from an intentional, meditative special experience would far outweigh those gained by simple pleasure-seeking.
Mushroom Research Spores for Amateur Microscopy
If you’d like to learn more about psilocybe, psilocin, and their fungal spore origins, you’ve come to the right place. Here at Quality Spores, we offer a huge variety of different mushroom spores. Since mushroom spores or psilocybe cubensis spores contain no psilocybe or psilocin, they’re legal in most states. Those compounds only become present in the fungi at later stages of development.