The two most popular psychedelics come head to head. Which is the best choice for you?

Shrooms (psychedelic mushrooms) and acid (LSD) are two of the most popular psychedelics available for a host of reasons. While they’re both popular choices, which one is going to be the best choice for you? What are the differences in effects?

If you compare shrooms and acid, you’ll realize that there are quite a few differences between the two psychedelics. This article will help you understand the differences between the two. 

Quick Summary

Magic mushrooms and acid are the two most popular psychedelics out there. Because of their popularity, there’s a lot of information available out there about the two.

Your experiences with shrooms and acid are going to be different in terms of your experience and potential side-effects. You need to decide for yourself whether shrooms or acid is best for you. 

It's also important to note that so much of the experience for both drugs will be different based on the individual and context. There are no hard and fast rules, so the below is simply a generalized review of of aggregated reports from the population. 

What are the differences in visuals when you take shrooms compared to when you take acid?

The visual experiences you go through are going to be different if you take shrooms or acid.

The visuals you experience when taking shrooms are usually described as earthy or organic and everything moves gently and smoothly. This means that the things you see morph and distort smoothly around you. The visuals can be pretty intense with your eyes closed. Visuals can vary depending on the strain of shroom, as explained here. 

Meanwhile, the visuals you experience when taking acid are usually crisp, clean and noticeably detailed. Everything around you shifts rapidly and the visuals you experience will feel less intense with your eyes closed. Many users report acid visuals to be stronger than magic mushroom visuals but a few report the opposite. 

What are the differences between shrooms and acid in terms of headspace when you take them?

The headspace you’re in when you take shrooms or acid is also going to be noticeably different.

When you take shrooms, you’re more likely to be in a headspace where you’re more introspective about yourself and your surroundings. You’ll also be harder to control or give instructions to. It’s also possible that you’ll feel confused and disoriented on shrooms. 

On the other hand if you choose to go with acid, you’ll be in a more lucid headspace but you’ll (usually) be chill and more sociable. Normally, you’ll also be easier to control and take care of. 

What are the differences between physical effects when taking shrooms and acid?

A big difference between shrooms and LSD are the physical effects of taking them. Shrooms have many physical effects that are considered to be… undesirable. LSD has noticeably fewer. 

The potential physical side-effects of taking shrooms are nauseousness, vomiting, stomach problems, lethargy and sluggishness. Many users also report the feeling or sensation of their bodies feeling heavier. 

Meanwhile, taking acid has been reported to cause increased stimulation and higher amounts of energy. You’ll also probably feel restless because of this. There’s usually also less feeling of body load and more of a feeling of a body high if you take acid.

What are the differences between the emotional changes that taking shrooms and acid produce?

Taking shrooms and acid both affect your emotional state. However, they affect them in different ways.

Taking shrooms will either make you feel more positive or negative and it can go either way. You’ll also likely feel more emotionally volatile. Your experience is going to vary pretty wildly even between your own trips.

Taking acid will usually make you feel more positive. It also usually makes you feel and be more in control of your emotions. 

It should be noted that your mood and emotions going into your psychedelic trip can affect your emotions whether you take either shrooms or acid. Remember this.

The set and setting, as Timothy Leary coined them, are the most fundamental elements to consider when planning a mushroom journey.

Set refers to one's mindset going into the experience, while setting refers to the physical environment. Creating a positive set and setting, free from distractions or anything that could cause anxiety or distress, is crucial for having a positive experience on either substance. 

Shrooms VS Acid: Advantages VS Disadvantages

Now that you know the individual differences between shrooms and acid, let's compare their advantages and disadvantages. Hopefully the advantages and disadvantages we highlight here will help make your decision making easier.

What are the advantages of taking shrooms?

A big advantage of shrooms and magic mushrooms is that they’re legal in a lot of places which means there are a lot of places like legal retreats where you can go on a trip safely. Another thing that makes it safer is that shrooms give you a shorter trip which means you’ll come down faster if you experience a bad trip.

Taking shrooms is (generally) a better choice if you want to feel more connected and in-tune with nature. Another thing that helps with the experience is that you can forage for the mushrooms you want to use in nature.

It's also much either to know the purity of mushrooms, a natural plant, Vs a batch of LSD which is a synthetic drug. You know what you taking when you much on a fresh mushroom, but not necessarily when you put a blotter on your tongue. 

What are the disadvantages of taking shrooms?

There are some disadvantages that you need to be aware of when taking magic mushrooms. For one, there’s a chance of you feeling physical discomfort when on a shroom trip. There’s also a pretty good chance you’re going to feel blur and have a bit of brain fog during or after a shroom experience.

Magic mushroom trips also last a shorter amount of time than acid which can be a disadvantage depending on what you want. Also, you may be in less control of your trip if you choose to use magic mushrooms, however theres always a chance of that whichever one you choose. 

What are the advantages of taking acid?

Acid is a great choice if you want to be in a clearer headspace and have a more sociable psychedelic trip. You’ll (likely) be a bit more chill and feel like your body is lighter.  

Other advantages are that you’re going to feel and be in more control of yourself when you’re on your psychedelic trip. You’ll also have a longer trip if you choose to take acid.

What are the disadvantages of taking acid?

The main disadvantage of acid and LSD are the legal issues of getting and taking it. LSD is illegal almost everywhere, which obviously comes with some risks. 

The other problem is that since acid is illegal in a lot of places, theres always. a chance that a dealer mixes in whatever extra substances they want with it with no regulation. Dealers might mix in toxic substances with your acid to make their profit margins bigger. This is obviously dangerous. 

Lastly, acid might not be the best choice for you if you’re looking for a shorter trip. Acid trips can last upwards of 12 hours which is a pretty long time to be out of it. 

FAQs

• What are shrooms?

Shrooms are also known as magic mushrooms,  contain psilocybin  (4-phosphoryloxy-N, N-dimethyltryptamine)  which turns into psilocin upon ingestion. When ingested in sufficient quantity, these natural compounds make you trip.

• How much magic mushrooms or shrooms should you take?

Check out our free dosage guide here. 

Depends on the experience you want and  factors such as the species of mushroom you’re taking, whether they’re dried or processed differently and your own personal tolerance.

Microdose: .1g - .35g

Low Or Mini-Dose: .35g - .5g

Moderate Dose: 1.25g - 2.5g

Macrodose: 3g - 5g

High Dose / Heroic Dose: 5+G

• How long does a shroom trip last?

We wrote a detailed breakdown on this here. 

There are a handful of factors that influence the length of a shroom trip. Typically, a trip lasts between four to eight hours. Your psychedelic experience, tolerance, body composition, mushroom species, set, setting, and dose all play sizable roles. However, maybe the most important variable that impacts a magic mushroom experience is the consumption method. Other considerations are your diet, how much you’re sleeping, what your relationship to exercising is, the environment you’ll be tripping in.

• What’s acid?

Acid is LSD which is a semi-synthetic psychedelic substance. This means it’s not a natural psychedelic like shrooms since it’s man-made. 

• How much acid should you take?

Depends on what you want.  The threshold dose for acid is about 20mcg. The typical dose of acid can be anywhere from 75 to 300mcg. Are you looking for a microdose or a full trip?

• 20 ug - a microdose
• 25 ug to 75 ug.  A threshold/mild experience.  A mild mood altering experience, with mild euphoria.
• 75 ug to 200 ug.  A substantial or full experience.
• 500 ug + a heroic or very intense trip.

• How long does an acid trip last? 

We wrote a detailed breakdown on this here. 

It usually takes 20 to 90 minutes for one tab of acid to have any effect on you. After you start feeling the effects of the tab of acid, your acid trip can last anywhere from 6 to 15 hours. After that, you’re probably going to feel the afterglow of your acid trip for about another 6 hours. All in all, the acid trip and the comedown from the acid trip should take about 24 hours.This is noticeably longer than a magic mushroom trip which lasts about 6 hours. 

• Which is easier to get, shrooms or acid?

Magic mushrooms are usually easier and safer for you to get your hands on than acid.

In Canada, it's pretty easy to get either from places like psychedelia.io

Final Thoughts

You’re probably thinking of getting your feet wet and going on a psychedelic journey if you’re reading this article. Be mindful of the fact that psychedelic trips are going to be… a trip and prepare accordingly.

Make sure you do your research, be mindful of your set and setting, and it's always recommended to have a guide or sober sitter who can look after you. 

Whether it’s shrooms or acid, you need to be prepared and informed to make sure that you have the safest, best trip possible.