Does Taking Amanita Muscaria Mushrooms Come with Any Benefits and/or Side Effects?

Amanita muscaria is a species of mushroom renowned for its ceremonial connotations, in tribal cultures around the world.  Muscimol, its primary intoxicant, is a hallucinogen that shares some things in common with psilocybin, a compound associated with other species of psychedelic mushrooms.

With amanita muscaria being legal in the United States, it’s accessible, and more and more companies are making products like gummies, capsules, and vapes which incorporate an extract of the mushroom.  Because it’s easier to find than ever, we want to take a close look at its effects – both positive and potentially negative – to give you an idea of what you’re in for if you choose to give this mushroom a try.

Does Amanita Muscaria Have Any Benefits?

Amanita Muscaria is renowned for its psychedelic effects that offer a completely unique high that may be hallucinogenic at certain doses.  Let’s take a look at what we know about the variety of benefits it can offer through its intoxicating effects as well as its other inherent properties.

Anxiety, PTSD, and Stress

Many people have found that using the mushroom has helped them with symptoms associated with stress, anxiety, and/or PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).  Muscimol, the intoxicating agent in amanita muscaria, works directly with GABA, a hormone that affects our nervous system, and plays a major role in regulating our stress response.  Some people have profound experiences from taking a high dose, which helps them reexamine their lives in a way that allows them to let go of certain triggers.  Other people micro-dose daily in an effort to manage these symptoms in a more sustained and consistent way.

Muscimol has been shown in research to act as a GABA agonist.  GABA also serves a key regulator in inflammatory response.  What this means is that amanita muscaria may also play a role in managing inflammation, which we’ll get into more later.

Depression

There’s growing evidence that psychedelic mushrooms may offer a tangible effect on those with depressive symptoms.  These psychedelic compounds seem to play a role in restructuring the prefrontal cortex in the brain, which controls our emotions and our cognitive functions.  Many say that taking mushrooms makes them feel like their brain has been “rewired” for the better.

Creativity

The high associated with amanita muscaria can be extremely inspiring creatively, and many people have used the mushroom to come up with creative ideas when engaging in their favorite hobbies or activities.  The insight one can gain from the mushroom can cause hallucinations – mainly of a visual kind – that can lead to amazing works of art, writing, or music.

Insight and Spirituality

Amanita muscaria has been used for spiritual ceremonies for centuries, for a reason.  The psychedelic effects have historically provided people with spiritual insight, in a way that can be extremely transformative.

Epilepsy and Neuroplasticity

Muscimol has been studied by researchers for its potential anticonvulsant properties that could play a role in treating epilepsy.  This, again, stems from its relationship to GABA, as the neurotransmitter plays a larger role in overall nervous system activity, and seems to regulate neuron functions that cause seizures.

Muscimol has also been explored for its potential role in neuroplasticity, which refers to the flexibility of the brain’s neural networks.  It’s believed that neuroplasticity is the key to maintaining psychological resilience, by allowing the brain to adjust to new circumstances rather than staying “set in its ways.”

What About Side Effects?

First of all, as long as amanita muscaria is properly prepared through boiling (a process done by companies selling gummies and similar products online), it’s not poisonous or toxic to the human body.  Still, there are some side effect risks that you’ll want to be mindful of, which are largely dose-dependent.

Psychosis/Schizophrenia

If you happen to be predisposed to psychosis or schizophrenia, which you may or may not already know, the psychedelic properties of amanita muscaria could bring on symptoms of these conditions.  If you are predisposed, like, for example, if either condition runs in your family, please speak to a doctor before taking the mushroom.

Safety in Your Environment

One thing to consider is your environment when you’re high on the mushroom.  Because it can induce hallucinations, you don’t want to be driving or doing any other kind of activity that could put you or someone else in danger.  Similarly, you want to be in a generally low-risk environment where you don’t need to be vigilant of your surroundings.  That’s why we, for example, don’t recommend taking the mushroom when you’re in a dark, outdoor, and desolate area at night.

Anxiety/Paranoia

We’ve all heard about “bad trips” associated with psychedelic substances, and this usually comes from 1 of 3 things: your environment, your state of mind, or the amount you’ve taken.  If you’re surrounded by people who you don’t feel fully trusting with, you may experience feelings of paranoia when the effects kick in.  The same is true of taking the mushroom when you’re not in a good headspace – for instance, when you’re currently under enormous stress due to a life circumstance.  Then, of course, taking too much can be overwhelming to you, and cause feelings of anxiety to surface.

Kidney/Liver Damage/Seizures

You should never, ever eat these mushrooms raw, as when kept raw, they contain toxins that can cause damage to your kidneys and liver, as well as seizures and other nervous system symptoms, potentially to the point of being fatal.  These mushrooms must be boiled in a specific way to “kill off” these toxins, which is why you should only buy amanita muscaria products from trusted manufacturers who do that process for you.

The Amanita Muscaria at Elyxr

Amanita Muscaria is a fascinating and long-time highly regarded natural mushroom that is rich in properties that can improve our lives.  And, at the same time, everyone should be careful when taking it for the first-time, to avoid any potential side effects.  The good news is that when prepared properly, it’s nontoxic, although high doses can cause anxiety, paranoia, and other symptoms you probably want to avoid.

At Elxyr, we offer a variety of amanita muscaria products that can give you the potential benefits we’ve been talking about so far.  With clear dosing directions, you’ll be able to avoid taking too much and potentially ending up with some unpleasant side effects.  Our products are formulated to give you the most blissful experience possible with this exciting psychedelic mushroom.  Explore our awesome gummies today!