picture courtesy of alieward.com/ologies
Nothing quite compares to listening to a heady podcast on a long road trip, in my humble opinion. Road tripping to Ologies with Alie Ward stays on repeat for my partner and I looking to be entertained in the car. The topics span from the studies of animals to ideologies but are always presented in an approachable way for the non-scientist listener. As the owners of Dank Dykes and believers in the healing powers of shrooms, we had to dive head first into the two part episode that came out in July of this year titled Psychedeliology (Hallucinogens) with Charles Grob.
A bit of history: Since the war on drugs, launched by former US president Nixon on June 17th, 1971 (the antithesis of 4/20 if you ask me), many plant medicines have lost out on receiving scientific research which leaves consumers to their own methods of research or anecdotal advice from fellow enthusiasts. If you try to Google information about these magic toadstools you’ll likely find yourself on countless forms reading other’s experiences that vary widely. Luckily, the legalization of psilocybin in Oregon (in 2020), followed by Colorado (in 2022) has allowed for more research to be conducted to put some data behind the age-old tales of their powers.
Ward sits down with Chales Grob, a seasoned Psychedeliologist, who began his studies in the early 2000s on hallucinogens like magic mushrooms, ayahuasca and MDMA. For this article, we will focus only on psilocybin aka shrooms, magic mushrooms, mushies, etc.
A common worry of a new shroom user is having a “bad trip”. Personally, this was the sole reason why I waited until my mid 20s to give shrooms a try. I always had a fear that they would change me for good and I would regret it, which now seems like a bit of an extreme fear after I have gained more experience with the fungi. During a study conducted by Grob, he found that after taking a rather large dose a test subject was heading down a negative path. He says “The most helpful thing you can do is get their attention and say ‘I know you’re having a challenging experience right now but you need to know this is time limited and you will return to your normal sense of self.” Grob also suggests that if, during a trip, you see something scary to ask it “what can I learn from encountering you?” citing that is a practice that Ralph Metzner, a revolutionary in the field of Psychedeliology and author of book The Phychedelic Expierence, would teach to patients.
Grob emphasizes the importance of a classic shroom lover saying “set and setting” referring to the internal and external work someone should do to prepare for a larger trip. Consider taking your trip in a safe, neutral space with few outside interruptions. Having a trip sitter can be a helpful tool to novice users as well, making them feel more safe if and when the not-so-enjoyable thoughts come. Another important aspect is getting into the right headspace before a trip. That can simply be writing down intentions or even meditating before ingesting your dose.
Another misconception that is debunked through research is the idea that the caps of magic shrooms are more powerful than the stems. This may be true for some strains and untrue for others. Just like these complex fungi, the answer is nuanced. “The research team found that the cap for the Golden Emperor strain was more potent than the stem but it was the inverse for the Penis Envy strain, which has a more powerful shaft, if you will,” Ward adds in an aside during her interview with Grob. Unfortunately, the consumer does not always have access to these specifics but it is a good rule of thumb to take a bit of both parts of the mushroom and be sure to understand how much you are taking. You can learn more about our dosage suggestions here.
If you are a newbie when it comes to shrooms or just someone that likes to impress your next Tinder date with fun facts, I highly suggest giving this two part podcast a listen. It may inform you on your next trip or even provide insight on a previous negative shroom experience. If you are just a curious soul like me and my partner then check out other topics covered on the Ologies series, some of my favs being Neuroendocrinology (Sex & Gender) with Daniel Pfau, and Sciuridology (Squirrels) with Karen Munroe. Happy listening!