LSD vs. Mushrooms

Before you read this, I just want to include a quick disclaimer. In writing this, I am in no way condoning the use of illegal substances. This is purely meant to be educational for those who are curious and wish to expand their knowledge on the subject.

The way that LSD and mushrooms have been portrayed in pop culture has made them appear to be almost the same thing in a lot of ways. You take them both orally and then prepare to hear colors and see sound, gain kaleidoscope vision, and an understanding of everything Pink Floyd and The Beatles were saying—it’s been played out for us so many times that we feel as though we already know what the drugs feel like.

However, as is most often the case, how these things have been portrayed isn’t exactly accurate to the actual experience. There is actually quite a few differences in the two compounds, although they are still similar in some ways.

First of all, both compounds can create these feelings of unity, some visuals, and ego-death. I did some research, reading testimonials from people who have tried both and compared the two.

For those users, they noted that the biggest difference was their ability to remain functional with reality on LSD compared to their lack thereof with mushrooms. It is easier to talk to sober people and provides a more manageable experience. Many said that you realize just how much control you have over your body and your reality, giving them this sort of hyper-focus. So not only were they able to function, but they were able to do so better than ever before. Many also said it’s easier to maintain positivity on LSD, giving you a smaller chance of having a bad trip, because it seems to fill users with an amazing amount of positive energy. Users also reported that even whenever they started to have bad feelings, it was easy to manipulate the trip and take back control. It seemed to be a matter of suddenly having that ability we all want, making the decision to let go of bad feelings and be happy.

All those things considered, a lot of people lean towards mushrooms because they are more natural, which is true, and users of them say that mushrooms can teach you so much. However, because they are natural, they lack the perfected quality of LSD, which as I came to learn from my research can present a variety of issues. On mushrooms, people say that it is harder to hold on to reality because the drug gives you an experience of ego-death and a feeling of unity with the universe. Many users explained that they lost all their sense of self, saying that the mushrooms decide who or what you’re going to be. They feel more connected with nature, but notice their emotions are harder to control, which puts them feeling constantly on the fence between having a good or bad trip. They also say the come-up is more intense, which can be overwhelming for some people. Users say they lose any touch with their reality at all, and so the drug is a lot more immersive. You don’t have the functionality you experience with LSD. If you are someone who is afraid of losing control, this could be scary for you. But for a lot of users of the drug, it proved to be greatly beneficial to practice the art of letting go and enjoying the ride.

Although it sounds like LSD is better than mushrooms, I think it’s still important that mushrooms force you to let go of control. I found that pretty interesting, and would conclude by saying that LSD might be more fun, but mushrooms challenge the user in a way that a lot of us could benefit from. Therefore, maybe they even provide a greater opportunity for growth.