The effects of Golden Teacher are the effects of psilocybin and psilocin, the same compounds every Psilocybe cubensis contains. According to the Dutch Trimbos Institute, effects of psychedelic mushrooms start 20 to 60 minutes after eating them and last about three to four hours, and you are not sober for some time after that. No study has compared the experience of Golden Teacher with other cultivars, so descriptions of it as gentle or insightful come from shops and users.
5.1Timeline
The timings below come from the Trimbos Institute's drug information service (drugsinfo.nl). They apply to psilocybin mushrooms in general; individual sessions vary.
| Phase | When | What is described |
|---|---|---|
| Onset | 20 to 60 minutes after eating | first physical changes, then changes in perception |
| Main effects | the following three to four hours | visual and auditory changes, altered thinking and mood |
| Afterwards | for some time after | main effects gone, but not yet sober |
Because the onset can take up to an hour, a mistake that recurs in published reports is taking more because nothing seems to happen. Both portions then arrive at the same time.
5.2What people describe
The Trimbos Institute lists the effects that users report. Perception changes: walls can seem to move in waves and sounds become more intense. Thoughts are experienced differently, and some people describe feeling at one with nature. Published experience reports add laughter and strong emotions that are hard to predict, sometimes in the same afternoon.
The body takes part too. Muscle relaxation, large pupils, headache and nausea are listed as physical effects.
5.3Is Golden Teacher different?
Shops say it is. One Dutch-Smart page describes Golden Teacher effects as "mild to moderately intense", with "warm visuals, a euphoric feeling, and spiritual insights". Another page from the same shop calls it more intense than two other cultivars. Both are shop descriptions.
What the research allows us to say is limited. The one measurement involving Golden Teacher, discussed in lesson 4, put a cross with Golden Teacher in the middle of 14 strains for content. Content per gram varies widely between mushrooms and flushes. Expectations and surroundings also shape the experience, and no study has compared the experience of named cultivars directly.
5.4Difficult experiences
A difficult experience, often called a bad trip, can include anxiety, panic, confusion and the feeling of losing control. The Trimbos Institute stresses that strength is hard to judge with mushrooms, which makes it easy to take too much. It also states that people with psychological problems have a much greater chance of running into the risks, and that someone who is not feeling well can better not use mushrooms or truffles at all.
What raises the chance of a difficult experience, according to the patterns that recur in published reports: a large or second portion, a crowded or unfamiliar place, being alone or with people who are also under the influence, and a setting that is hard to leave.
5.5Combinations to avoid
Two medicines stand out in the research on psychedelic mushrooms.
- Lithium. In an analysis of 62 online reports of lithium combined with a classic psychedelic, 47 percent described a seizure and 39 percent involved medical attention (Nayak et al., 2021).
- SSRI and SNRI antidepressants. In a survey, people who took mushrooms while on these medicines often reported weaker effects than expected, with a chance of 0.47 for SSRIs and 0.55 for SNRIs, and the dampening could last up to three months after stopping (Gukasyan et al., 2023). Weaker effects are a reason to wait, never to take more. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own to use mushrooms.
Combining mushrooms with alcohol or other drugs makes the effects harder to predict.
5.6Practical safety
- Have a sober person with you who knows what you took.
- Do not drive or cycle in traffic. In the Netherlands, driving under the influence of any substance that impairs driving is prohibited (Road Traffic Act, article 8).
- Wait at least two hours before even considering more. Many difficult reports involve a second portion.
- In the Netherlands, the Drugs Infolijn of the Trimbos Institute answers questions on 0900 1995. In an emergency, call 112.
The reader shows how these points play out in two composite accounts.
?Review questions
Answer for yourself first, then open the answer.
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How long does it take before effects begin, and how long do the main effects last?
Answer About 20 to 60 minutes; the main effects last three to four hours, and you are not sober for some time after.
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Why is taking a second portion after 45 minutes a common mistake?
Answer The first portion may not have started yet, so both arrive together and the experience becomes much stronger than planned.
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Which medicine is linked to seizures when combined with psychedelics?
Answer Lithium. In 62 reports, 47 percent described a seizure.
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Is there evidence that Golden Teacher feels milder than other cultivars?
Answer No published study has compared them. The mild reputation comes from shops and users.