Psilocybe Azurescens: Everything You Need To Know

Psilocybe Azurescens is a psychedelic mushroom that contains the psychoactive chemicals psilocybin and psilocin, which can cause hallucinatory symptoms when consumed. This species has also been referred to as “flying saucers” and “blue angels.”

This strong species is recognized for its high levels of psilocybin and psilocin, which can result in a profoundly transformational psychedelic experience. However, Psilocybe azurescens is more than only its effects.

We’ll look at the intriguing history of Psilocybe azurescens, from its discovery in the Pacific Northwest to its current popularity. We’ll look into the possible advantages of these mushrooms, such as their usage in therapeutic settings and their capacity to inspire creativity and introspection.

Most significantly, we’ll go into the psychedelic experience with Psilocybe azurescens. What should you expect from an encounter with these “flying saucers” or “blue angels”? How do they compare to other hallucinogenic mushroom species? What can you do to be ready for and integrate your experience?

This book will give essential insights about Psilocybe azurescens and its potential for personal growth and transformation, whether you’re a seasoned psychonaut or simply interested about the world of psychedelics.

What Are Psilocybe Azurescens Mushrooms?

Psilocybe azurescens mushrooms are a kind of psychedelic mushroom that can cause hallucinatory effects owing to high psilocybin and psilocin concentrations.

This plant is native to North America’s Pacific Northwest area, notably the coasts of Oregon and Washington, although it has also been cultivated in other regions of the world, including Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, British Columbia, and the United Kingdom.

P. azurescens mushrooms require deciduous wood chips or sandy soils with plenty of woody debris, especially on coastal dunes . They usually grow in clusters, although they can sometimes be found alone. These mushrooms’ mycelial network is rich and wide, allowing them to securely attach onto their substrate, the substance where their “roots” develop.

Are Psilocybe azurescens Mushrooms Psychedelic?

The potency of Psilocybe azurescens mushrooms is what sets them apart. They are regarded one of the most potent hallucinogenic mushroom species, with psilocybin levels greater than several other species, including Psilocybe cubensis.

Indeed, their potency is what has earned them the moniker “blue angels.” By dry weight, Psilocybe azurescens can contain up to 1.8% psilocybin, 0.5% psilocin, and 0.4% baeocystin, but Psilocybe cubens normally has 0.14-0.42% psilocybin.

If you’re thinking about taking Psilocybe azurescens mushrooms, bear in mind that their high potency implies they can cause a more powerful and perhaps overpowering psychedelic experience than other species. To guarantee a safe and enjoyable trip, do your homework and take the necessary measures.

What Do Flying Saucer Mushrooms Look Like?

The caramel-colored caps, large umbo, and white stems of Psilocybe azurescens are distinguishing features. What distinguishes them is their distinctive “nipple-like shaped” umbo, which is located in the center of the cap. Apart from its distinctive form, Psilocybe azurescens has the following characteristics:

Their cap is typically 3 to 10 cm in diameter and is convex or bell-shaped, becoming flat as the mushroom matures.
The cap’s color ranges from caramel to rusty brown, with tiny hairs covering it.
The cap is hygrophanous, which means it changes color when it dries, often to a brownish or yellow shade.
The gills, or lamellae, of the mushroom are dark purplish-brown, while the stem is thick and white, typically around 5 to 10 cm long.
Psilocybe azurescens spore prints are dark purple-brown.

One of these mushrooms’ distinguishing characteristics is their blue staining. They become blue when plucked, bruised, or damaged owing to psilocybin oxidation .

It might be difficult to distinguish Psilocybe azurescens from other Psilocybe species since they typically look identical and grow in the same environment. They are classified as tiny brown mushrooms (LBMs) by mushroom identifiers because they are little, brown, and difficult to distinguish.

Avoid Mistaken Mushroom Foraging

If you intend to harvest P. azurescens in the field, you must accurately identify it to prevent accidentally consuming a hazardous or poisonous lookalike. Several additional psilocybin-containing mushroom species are similar to P. azurescens and can be found in similar settings. Here are some of them, along with how to tell them apart from P. azurescens:

Psilocybe cyanescens

Psilocybe cyanescens has many characteristics with Psilocybe azurescens, including appearance, hallucinogenic effects, habitat, and growth season. They both grow on wood chip mulch and like cool temperatures, and they frequently emerge in the same areas, such as the Pacific Northwest.

The form of the cap is one method to tell the two species apart.The cap of cyanescens mushrooms is wavy, but the top of azurescens mushrooms is more convex and wide.

Learn more about Psilocybe cyanescens, including its history, culture, psychedelic effects, and advantages, in our Psilocybe cyanescens guide.

Psilocybe allenii

Another wood-loving species, Psilocybe allenii, has many characteristics with Psilocybe azurescens, such as its distribution in the Pacific Northwest. However, due to major morphological variations, these species are easily distinguished.

Psilocybe subaeruginosa

Psilocybe subaeruginosa is a hallucinogenic mushroom species native to Australia that loves woody, chilly habitats. These two mushrooms seem same, with caramel heads and white stems. They also have significant variances. P. azurescens possesses a peculiar nipple-like protrusion on the center of the cap, known as the umbo, that other mushrooms do not have.

Psilocybe weraroa

Psilocybe weraroa is a hallucinogenic species indigenous to New Zealand, whereas Psilocybe azurescens is primarily found in North America. They also have different morphologies, with various cap appearances.P. werarora also lacks the nipple-like feature on their umbo, making them simpler to differentiate from P. azurescens.

Psilocybe Semilanceata (aka. Liberty Cap)

While P. semilanceata resembles P. azurescens in appearance, P. semilanceata grows mostly on dune grass and has a pointed, conical crown. When foraging for wild mushrooms, proper identification is critical, and it’s always preferable to contact an expert identify or guidebook when in doubt.

P. Azurescens History And Cultural Significance

Psilocybin mushrooms have played an important part in many societies, from aboriginal to Mesoamerican. The Aztecs, Mayans, and other indigenous peoples employed them in sacred events, according to evidence.

When mycologist R. Gordon Wasson and his wife traveled to Mexico and participated in a mushroom ritual with the Mazatec people in the mid-twentieth century, psilocybin mushrooms acquired popularity in the West. In 1957, Wasson published an essay on magic mushrooms that led psychologist Timothy Leary to launch the Harvard Psilocybin Project, which investigated how psychoactive chemicals impact the brain.

Brief History

Mycologists Paul Stamets and Jochen Gart discovered and labeled Psilocybe azurescens as a separate species in 1979. P. azurescens was discovered as a distinct species when Stamets discovered a previously unknown species of psilocybin-containing mushroom growing at the mouth of the Columbia River in Oregon.

Psilocybe azurescens was officially identified and described by Stamets and Gartz in the scholarly journal Mycotaxon in 1995. The report highlighted the species’ physical traits, including as spore print, cap color, and stem shape, as well as its range and environment.

P. azurescens has piqued the curiosity of both scientific researchers and recreational psychedelic mushroom users since its formal identification.

Culture

Psilocybin mushrooms, particularly Psilocybe azurescens, have long been used by indigenous people all over the world. Native American tribes in North America are known to have utilised these mushrooms in their spiritual and religious traditions. Psilocybin mushrooms, especially Psilocybe azurescens, have long been used for medical and spiritual purposes by the Mazatec people of Mexico.

Psilocybin mushrooms were popular among the counterculture and hippie movements in the United States throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Psilocybin mushrooms, particularly Psilocybe azurescens, became increasingly popular for recreational usage, and they were utilized for their hallucinogenic properties. Furthermore, scientists and academics were intrigued by the possible therapeutic effects of psilocybin for a variety of mental health disorders.

However, the recreational and medicinal use of psilocybin was not without controversy, and it was rendered banned in the United States in 1986 and categorized as a Schedule I substance, which means it has no accepted medical value and a significant potential for abuse.

Despite its legal position, the usage of psilocybin mushrooms, especially Psilocybe azurescens, is a component of some groups’ and individuals’ cultural and spiritual activities, as well as the topic of current scientific investigation.

Taxonomy Of Psilocybe Azurescens

Here is the taxonomy of the P. azurescens species:
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Agaricales
Family: Hymenogastraceae
Genus: Psilocybe
Species: azurescens

The Effects Of Flying Saucer Mushrooms

Psilocybin and psilocin are indole alkaloids with a high affinity for serotonin receptors, particularly serotonin 5-HT2A receptors. Psilocin is the key active element that causes the fungi’s visual and hallucinogenic effects; when you consume psilocybin, your body quickly converts it to psilocin. Their direct stimulation of these receptors results in psychoactive effects such as altered perception, visuals, pattern visions, euphoria, and mystical experiences.

Read this article to find out what happens to your brain when you take psilocybin mushrooms. Many psilocybin species have certain effects in common, such as emotional, cognitive, and physiological alterations. Flying saucer mushrooms cause powerful and long-lasting psychedelic experiences that include visual and aural hallucinations, altered sense of time and space, and deep mood and emotion shifts.

The P. azurescens fungus has a high potency, which means that its psychedelic effects are robust and strong when compared to other strains, making it intriguing to many psychonauts. One user of the Psilocybe azurescens mushroom explains his experience:

What I learned on this shroom trip was that I had never had a shroom trip before. I’d had some pretty intense experiences, I’d had some very cool visuals, but never anything like this. The most bizarre part was reliving events and having time lapses. I am a little glad this was confined to my time spent in the field, because it was a little too weird for me. Azures mean business!

Cognitive Effects

Cognitive effects often begin in 30 minutes to an hour, and the overall duration of the trip can be between four and ten hours long.

Auditory hallucinations
Sensory synesthesia
Vivid visual hallucinations
Altered cognition

Emotional Effects

Positive mood
Peace, awe, and joy
Anxiety, fear, dread
Gratitude
Feeling of unity
Sacredness
Mystical experiences
Ego dissolution

Physiological Effects

Strong body high
Nausea or vomiting
Dilated pupils
Trouble with coordination
Restlessness
Dizziness

How Do You Grow Psilocybe Azurescens?

Because of its rigorous growth environment and appropriate temperature needs, cultivating Psilocybe azurescens indoors might be difficult. Many people prefer to grow these Azure mushrooms outside.

The fruiting season of flying saucer mushrooms normally begins in late September, with the first appearance of cold weather. Fruiting occurs until December and early January, indicating that this Psilocybe species enjoys the cold. They can withstand temperatures of up to -4°C.

Cultivating Flying Saucer Mushrooms

Here are some suggestions for cultivating flying saucer mushrooms:

Maintain temperatures between 2 to 8° C.
Provide long daylight exposure.
Use an appropriate substrate, such as wood chips or lignocellulosic material. Alternatively, you could use a “spawn box,” which is a container of wood chips colonized with mycelium.
Considering outdoor cultivation during the fruiting season, which typically starts in late September and continues until December or early January

If you’re interested in delving into cultivating psilocybin shrooms on your own, check out Third Wave’s Mushroom Grow Kit. Alternatively, you could read our article on how to find psychedelic mushrooms.

Harvesting Tips for Flying Saucer Mushrooms

Psilocybe azurescens can take up to 6 months to ripen, therefore cultivating them requires patience. Many gardeners also find it difficult to raise these mushrooms inside due to their special temperature and environmental needs.

If you want to learn more about growing psychedelic mushrooms, we have a detailed guide that covers everything from substrate preparation to harvesting.

We must emphasize, however, that cultivating psilocybin mushrooms for human use is illegal in many countries, and we do not encourage or condone such conduct where it is prohibited by law.

Psilocybe Azurescens Legality

Buying mushroom spores is not illegal, but producing them is in many countries. Except in California, Georgia, and Idaho, psilocybin mushroom spores are often sold lawfully in the United States.

It is worth mentioning that the legal status of psilocybin is fast changing in many places of the world. For example, some communities in the United States, notably Denver and Oakland, have decriminalized the use and possession of psilocybin mushrooms in recent years. Furthermore, Oregon became the first state in the United States to approve the medicinal use of psilocybin in 2020.

However, keep in mind that the legality of psilocybin and psilocybin-containing mushrooms varies greatly among jurisdictions, so do your homework and understand the rules in your region before cultivating or consuming these drugs.

It’s also worth mentioning that, while acquiring mushroom spores may be lawful in certain locations, their sale and transportation are restricted in others, so it’s critical to learn the appropriate rules and regulations.

If you want to grow psilocybin mushrooms, be aware of the possible hazards and legal ramifications, and take precautions to ensure that you do it safely and ethically.

Third Wave’s Magic Mushroom Grow Kit is an excellent resource for individuals interested in learning more about raising psilocybin mushrooms responsibly and legally.

Microdosing Psilocybe Azurescens Mushrooms

Microdosing magic mushrooms frequently implies taking one-tenth of a standard psychedelic dose to get the benefits without the visual or hallucinatory symptoms. Mood, creativity, attention, and productivity are frequently improved as a result of the impacts.

Because Psilocybe azurescens has a lot higher potency than other strains, the dose for microdosing is substantially lower. However, the feeling may be overpowering since it is difficult to precisely construct a sub-perceptual dosage.

According to anecdotal accounts, azurescens benefits users’ creativity, well-being, depressed thought patterns, and steady mood.

Benefits & Risks Of Taking Psilocybe Azurescens Mushrooms

The mushrooms Psilocybe azurescens contain high quantities of psilocybin and psilocin, which can cause dramatic alterations in consciousness. As a result, the mushrooms may have medicinal advantages but potentially pose hazards.

Benefits

Some benefits of azure shrooms are the following:

Transformational and spiritual experiences
Positive healing/therapeutic effects
Increased awareness, productivity, and creativity
Improved mood and energy
Positive emotional experiences, e.g., feeling oneness, connection, introspection

Risks

There are some risks associated with psilocybin use, both physiological and emotional. A magic mushroom experience can result in “bad trips,” especially if the golden rules of psychedelic trips are not well considered.

Bad trips often include experiences such as:

Psychosis
Fear and paranoia
Anxiety and depression
Physical changes, e.g., vomiting, nausea, tremors, abnormal heart rate and blood pressure.

The Therapeutic Potential Of Psilocybe Azurescens

A large number of research have demonstrated psilocybin’s potential therapeutic value. Current clinical research is yielding encouraging findings for the use of this drug in therapy in the future.Psilocybin has so far been shown to be beneficial for:

Depression and anxiety
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Addiction, e.g., smoking, alcohol
End-of-life psychiatric distress in cancer patients
Alleviation of mood and well-being

Final Thoughts About Psilocybe Azurescens

Psilocybe azurescens mushrooms are becoming increasingly popular because to their great potency and powerful psychedelic effects, which can result in profound and life-changing experiences.

However, because there are possible hazards linked with taking psilocybin mushrooms, its usage must be addressed with respect and prudence. Before taking psilocybin, it is critical to understand the legal consequences of producing and using it in your region, as well as to ensure that you are in a safe and supportive environment.

Third Wave’s Mushroom Grow Kit is a complete solution for anyone interested in cultivating Psilocybe azurescens for healing and wellness purposes. The kit comes with high-quality spores, thorough instructions, and continuing help from expert growers, making it simple for novices to start growing their own mushrooms at home.

Psilocybin mushroom cultivation may be a gratifying and transforming experience, opening up new avenues for healing, growth, and self-discovery. You may explore the full potential of these powerful mushrooms and start on a journey of personal inquiry and development with Third Wave’s direction and assistance.