McKennaii Mushrooms (Psilocybe Cubensis)

McKennaii are a strain of Psilocybe cubensis magic mushrooms.

The McKennaii mushrooms are thought to be quite potent, whilst others claims they're the same as other cubensis strains.  Check this list for a list of the most potent shrooms.

McKennaii mushrooms get their name from the legendary psychonaut, lecturer, author, and entheogen enthusiast Terence McKenna.

His novels The Invisible Landscape (1975), Real Hallucinations (1989), The Archaic Revival (1991), and Food of the Gods all delved into various facets of psilocybin mushrooms as well as his own experiences with and interpretations of them. 

He came up with the Stoned Ape Theory - the idea that our hunter-gather ancestors would have followed herds and then stumbled upon and eaten the shit-coated shrooms left behind the herd as a pleasant light bite since Psilocybe cubensis typically grows under cow poop.

It's appropriate that a strong kind of magic mushroom bears McKenna's name as he was known to advicate high dosage psilocybin experiences - what he called a 'heroic dose'.

Because to its potency, McKennaii mushrooms are highly sought after.

How to Recognize McKennaii Mushrooms

McKennaii mushrooms resemble standard Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms in appearance. Both of these mushrooms have bigger caps than those of other shroom species.

McKennaii mushrooms have a deep brown (for young ones) to light brown (for mature ones) coloured cap and a particular dark brown tint in the middle of the cap.

Psilocybe cubensis and McKennaii mushrooms both have stems that are very robust and solid (stipe), as opposed to the thinner stems of, say, Psilocybe semilanceata (liberty caps).

Unlike Psilocybe cubensis, McKennaii mushrooms don't grow in the wild - they are the result of artificial breeding. 

So if you come across mushrooms in the wild that resemble Psilocybe cubensis, they are likely not McKennaii mushrooms. 

If you want to try these mushrooms, you'll likely have to find a supplier or grow some yourself. 

If you want to grow them, make sure get Psilocybe cubensis McKennaii spores from a reliable, high-quality supplier. One vendor we like and recommend is Spore Labs.

How to Grow McKennaii Mushrooms

The procedure for cultivating McKennaii mushrooms is the same as for growing other Psilocybe cubensis species.

For comprehensive instructions, please see our article on how to cultivate psychedelic mushrooms at home. 

Potency of McKennaii mushrooms

McKennaii mushrooms are reported to be more potent than Psilocybe cubensis, which is a medium potency magic mushroom. 

That being said, potency is determined by genetics and loads of other factors like growing conditions, the stage they're harvested at, how quickly they're dried, etc.

You'll hear a lot of shroom aficionados say "a cube is a cube" IE a cubensis is the same as any other cubensis, often with the exception of varieties like penis envy which are definitely more potent.  But again, this is a hot area of debate in the community. 

So how powerful are McKennaii mushrooms? Well, we don't know exactly - very little research exists. But anecdotally, people who have tried them report that they are quite strong. 

Some discussion of this strain on reddit and shroomery..

"My trips on Mckennai (did them twice) were absolutely beautiful, very strong visuals and euphoria."

"They are definitely not for beginners. Took 3,5 grams once, went into the forest to my favourite spot and let them fload my mind. It was definitely the most intense trip i've ever had so far. I felt the beautiful futility of life in a very very strange way with thoughts i'm sure you can only have on shrooms."

"Took 2.5g of my first flush mckennaii grow this friday and holy fuck. You could consider i had a bad trip as i had huge anxiety and i couldn’t get out of my head for 2h. Strongest so far for such a low dosage. Visuals were great but the feeling i had was painful. (Didnt help that i didnt tell my wife i was going to trip in the dark and i was scared that she would wake up and scare the fuck out of me lol) but it was fun nevertheless, it was raining and i was in the balcony naked soaking up that beautiful rain. Be careful, hit me like a truck for such a low dosage"

"First time had mckennai, 5 big wet blue beasts, the experience was 10 hours of many mixed experiences, some euphoric and some insane, time slows down drastically as your hyper aware of your surroundings, amazing but prepare well and have a good mental state. It really is a trip!"

"The visuals are beyond what I have experienced with shrooms before. Opened eyed visuals are pretty heavy like looking up through the eye of a hurricane. Lots of peripheral morphing with central visuals waving. Yes music sounds better. Yes music and closed eyed imagery are amazing... but... this is not where it is at. I turned off my music, opened my eyes, dimmed the lights and laid myself back. That is where it is at... all five hours of it. McKennaii will exhaust you. I purged what needed purging. A few good solid purges. Towards the end of the trip I was walking around extremely slowly like I had just been to the gym and done squats, bench presses and dead lifts. Every part of my mind and brain was thoroughly washed out. Hearing a pin drop could break me. At this point the trip told me to go watch all of “The Fountain” by Aranovsky, which I did. I followed that up with “Cave of Forgotten Dreams” by Herzog. Maybe have a little bit of chocolate ready later after you have fully purged. Milk to line the stomach if you can take it. A little chocolate for the mind and calmly drifted off to sleep soon after.'

Dosage for McKennaii mushrooms

You should generally assume that McKennaii mushrooms are more potent than Psilcoybe cubensis and modify your dosage appropriately.

IE air on the side of caution and take less than you usually with with cubensis mushrooms. 

As always, the general rule is to "start low, go slow," especially for individuals with no prior psychedelic exposure.

A general dosage guide is as follows: 

• Microdose: .1g - .35g
• Microdosing Low Or Mini-Dose: .35g - .5g
• Museum Dose: .5g - 1g
• Moderate Dose: 1.25g - 2.5g
• Macrodose: 3g - 5g
• High Dose / Heroic Dose: 5+G

For McKennaii mushrooms you may want to go a slitghluy lower.

If you're planning a trip and want some guidance on what the ideal dose is, check out our shroom dosage calculator and this handy guide. 

Each person will have a different experience with magic mushrooms. In addition to the set and environment, your own body chemistry will have an influence on the experience.

Effects of McKennaii Mushrooms

Similar to other Psilocybe mushrooms, McKennaii mushrooms contain psilocybin, the main hallucinogenic ingredient in magic mushrooms. The human body converts psilocybin into psilocin, which is responsible for the a psychedelic trip which other magic mushrooms produce.

With McKennaii mushrooms , users report intense visuals and incredible euphoria. The high is reported to be very uplifting and energetic. 

You may experience a variety of perceptual, emotional, physical, and spiritual responses after consuming McKennaii mushrooms. Also, they change based on your environment, your set, and the amount of mushrooms you consume.

As with all magic mushroom varieties, the experience may be accompanied by nausea, anxiety and discomfort—things that are exacerbated by unpleasant surroundings / poor set and setting.

Final Thoughts

McKennaii mushrooms are popular among mycologists and consumers alike due to their potency and distinctive morphological qualities.

Be aware of the potency of McKennaii mushrooms and respect these shrooms if you ever decide to use them for an experience.

As with other magic mushrooms, be cautious and respectful - do your research and prepare accordingly. 

As always, the recommendation is to start with a low dose and make sure you have a proper set and setting.

If you're interested in reading more about other types of magic mushroom, we built this strain library in partnership with some of the top grey market suppliers and mycologists in the country. It’s the result of hundreds of hours of labor, years of experience and the generosity of many many experts in the field. Continuously evolving and 100% free to use.

If you're planning a trip and want some guidance on what the ideal dose is, check out our shroom dosage calculator and this handy guide.