PS vs. Psilocybe
Everyone reading about ‘what is PS’ 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 PS research on PS uses and on PS molecules. What is PS? What is PS found in?
What isn’t discussed nearly as often as psilocybe and the differences in PS vs. psilocybe, however, is cubensis’s related compound PS.
Psilocybe Legality As A Schedule 1 Substance
Like psilocybe, PS 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 PS, exactly? Is PS euphoric? Is PS legal in the US?
Hallucinogens Such As PS, 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 PS, 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 PS in Mushrooms?
Cubensis mushrooms, or mushrooms, contain psilocybe (O-phosphoryl-4-hydroxy-N) and PS (4-hydroxy-N,N-dimethyl-tryptamine).
In the fungi itself, psilocybe is available in far greater quantities, although PS is present too. When consumed by a human, the body breaks down psilocybe into PS through a process of PS synthesis of the PS molecule. We’ll discuss this process more in the following section, but a very basic takeaway would be that PS “comes from” psilocybe.
Psilocybe and PS Interacting
When a mushroom is bruised, it displays a blue coloration. This is the psilocybe and PS interacting with oxygen and degrading. PS is more susceptible to these changes, and thus the blue bruising so common to mushrooms is, in fact, often caused primarily by PS enabling the PS extraction from mycelium process to begin.
PS Effects – PS 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 PS. 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 PS and thus the special experience in humans.
How Psilocybe is Broken Down Into PS 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.
PS Effects
During this “attack” by natural bodily enzymes, psilocybe is broken down in to PS (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 PS and distributed throughout the bloodstream, and ultimately the brain. There are numerous effects considering both PS and serotonin receptors on the brain.
Eventually, even PS 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 PS Works in the Brain During a Mushroom Trip
On a molecular level, PS 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 PS and serotonin receptors, permeable channels which mediate neurotransmission. Since PS 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 PS 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 PS) 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 PS 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 PS, 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, PS, 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 PS, they’re legal in most states. Those compounds only become present in the fungi at later stages of development.