What is the Strongest Magic Mushroom?

There are hundreds of magic mushrooms, with many yet to be discovered. Psilocybin mushrooms vary in potency, with ​​Psilocybe Azurescens or “flying saucers” generally regarded as the strongest magic mushroom in the world. Although, as mushroom growers experiment with varieties like Penis Envy, what is the strongest magic mushroom might change.

But, azurescens aren’t available everywhere, along with many other of the strongest magic mushroom strains. It’s also true that the best shrooms aren’t necessarily the most potent ones. However, knowing how strong your shrooms are is essential if you want to take a mushroom journey.

What Affects Mushroom Potency?

The potency of magic mushrooms is based on four main components:

• Species or subspecies of magic mushrooms and how they are grown
• Individual body and brain chemistry 
• Dosage
• Storage

What species of mushroom you have matters. There are hundreds of psilocybe mushrooms in the world, each with different amounts of active compounds like psilocybin. But it’s not that simple – growing conditions and when a mushroom is harvested also affect how strong a batch of mushrooms will be.

Also, not everyone reacts the same way to shrooms. Your friends might be travelling hyperspace while you feel nothing. How strong a trip will be can be hard to predict, and understanding how you respond to shrooms comes from experience. Working with a trained professional also helps when finding your individual threshold.

How shrooms have been stored determines how strong a trip will be. Factors like how old the mushies are, if the shrooms are fresh vs dry and the environment they are kept in will affect potency. So, once you have found some shrooms, it is a good idea to learn how to ​​properly store magic mushrooms, so they don’t degrade.

What Are the Best Magic Mushrooms?

There are a ton of species to choose from, but the best magic mushrooms are not necessarily the strongest! The best shrooms come from a trusted source that knows how they were grown, what strain they are, and who can give a rough idea of how strong they are.

A good rule of thumb when learning how to gauge mushroom potency is to “start low and go slow.” This is particularly important when trying a new batch of mushrooms, and remember you can always take more, but not less. If you are not sure what mushrooms you have, check out our psilocybin mushroom species guide.

Another reality is that taking mushrooms is also highly dependent on set and setting – meaning your mindset and the environment you are in. If you are in a dark place mentally even, the “best” mushrooms can be unpleasant. Likewise, the right environment can amplify a small dose into an incredible experience.

How Many Flying Saucers Should You Take – Magic Mushroom Strength Scale

It’s hard to tell someone how many shrooms they should take in a blog post, especially ones as strong as Psilocybe azurescens, because magic mushrooms affect everyone diffrently. However, there is a general magic mushroom strength scale for taking mushrooms.

The amounts listed here assume psilocybe cubensis. If you are taking a strain like Penis Envy or Flying Saucers, take much less. Likewise, if you happen to find some azurescens, take very little, as Paul Stamets (who discovered them) has mentioned that “Azzies” can cause temporary paralysis.

• For a few rare people, doses as small as 0.25 of a gram produce full-blown effects associated with high doses. Although, for most people, this would be considered a “microdose.”
• 0.25–1 gram is a mild effect for most
• 1–2.5 grams usually is a moderate effect, also known as “Musem Dose, ” a term popularized by Sasha Shulgin.
• 2.5 grams and higher typically produce strong effects. For most people, 3.5 dried grams (1/8 oz) would be considered a high dose and an intense experience. This is, however, typically considered a standard dose among recreational users.
• For many individuals, doses above three grams can be overwhelming and are known as the “Heroic Dose,” a term popularized by Terence Mckenna.

How the Magic Mushroom Strength Scale Works

In the quest to understand what is the strongest magic mushroom, labs generally focus on four compounds. Inside most psychedelic mushrooms, you can find:

• Psilocybin: The legendary psychoactive compound of magic mushrooms, but it’s not what makes you trip! When you eat shrooms, your body changes psilocybin into psilocin, the compound that creates a psychedelic effect.
• Psilocin: Psilocin is present in mushrooms but in tiny amounts. Psilocin is why magic mushrooms turn blue when chopped up or bruised. When psilocin comes in contact with oxygen, it turns bluish or black.

Two other compounds in magic mushrooms are being studied as they might affect the strength of a trip. They are known as Baeocystin and Norbaeocystin, although how big a part they play in magic mushroom’s actual potency is unknown. The average amounts of these compounds vary and can only be measured with laboratory equipment. The amounts depend on the species, growing conditions, and will change depending on storage conditions.

Historic Magic Mushroom Strength Scale

Legendary mycologist Paul Stamets started measuring mushroom strength and published his findings in “Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World: An Identification Guide.” His measurements are generally accepted throughout the mycology world as a good magic mushroom strength scale.

SPECIES	% PSILOCYBIN	% PSILOCIN	% BAEOCYSTIN
P. azurenscens	1.78	.38	.35
P. bohemica	1.34	.11	.02
P. semilanceata	.98	.02	.36
P. baeocystis	.85	.59	.10
P. cyanescens	.85	.36	.03
P. tampanensis	.68	.32	n/a
P. cubensis	.63	.60	.025
P. weilii	.61	.27	.05
P. hoogshagenii	.60	.10	n/a
P. stuntzii	.36	.12	.02
P. cyanofibrillosa	.21	.04	n/a
P. liniformans	.16	n/d	.005

Most magic mushroom users are familiar with Psilocybe Cubensis, but you can see they are not on the top of the list. Some species are much stronger, with triple the amount of psilocybin a more common cubensis might contain.

A Modern Magic Mushroom Strength Scale from The Psilocybin Cup

While there is a smattering of older scientific works, The Psilocybin Cup, organized by Oakland Hyphae, is updating collective appreciation and understanding of magic mushroom potency. In this competition, similar to The Cannabis Cup, cultivators from around the world submitted psilocybin-containing mushrooms for laboratory testing and analysis. 

Hyphae Labs analyzed mushroom samples from over 50 growers and announced the test results. As you can see from the table below, the amount of psilocybin and psilocin are higher than previously reported. 

Many of the powerful entrants are related to Penis Envy, which genetically is a psilocybe cubensis species. However, you can see the numbers are creeping up past what Stamets originally published. The title of strongest magic mushroom could change as growers breed new varieties and optimize their techniques for growing.

The Search for the Strongest Magic Mushroom

The most potent magic mushrooms could still exist in the wild and might not even be discovered yet. Psilocybe Azurescens were a fluke discovery by boy scouts. Perhaps the most powerful mushroom will be bred by the exploding mycology industry. Penis Envy was also a chance mutation of cultivated mushrooms. Maybe you will grow them yourself.

For now, the best shrooms to take yourself are ones you have sourced responsibility, so you know what you are getting. In this modern age, many of the strongest species have been analyzed in labs to determine their potency. You can go deeper in understanding and measuring magic mushroom potency, which includes a magic mushrooms list with the strongest species around.

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