Penis Envy Mushrooms

From a scientific standpoint, Penis Envy mushrooms belong to the fungus family of Hymenogastraceae, with previous affiliations with Stropharia Cubensis. This particular mushroom is collected and grown as an entheogen and recreational drug, despite its difference in legality within many countries. 

Admired mycologist, Paul Stamets, calls these mushrooms “the most majestic” because of their beautiful color and transformative properties. They have an easy-to-recognize size and golden color and are characterized by their mutant penis-like appearance. Hence the appropriate name.

The shroom color depends on its hydration level and turns a bluish color when handled due to oxidizing (oxygen exposure). 

Penis Envy doesn’t only differ from its relatives in potency but also in appearance. The shrooms are notably larger and thicker, with wider caps as the fungi mature. With true genetics, their bulbous cap sometimes separates from their stem, as observed. 

The Penis Envy is a significantly potent mushroom strain known for its effects. These mushrooms have a vast and somewhat limited known history, so the Penis Envy origin is still up for debate. 

Amongst mushroom enthusiasts, Penis Envy is an absolute winner for most. Interestingly enough, shrooms are the most popular among people ages 34 and younger. 

Those who’ve tried shrooms and have experienced Penis Envy Mushroom effects have reported:

• Hypnagogic Experiences: Greater intensity of emotional experiences, increased introspection, and altered psychological functioning.
• Perceptual Shifts: Changes in perceptual shifts like illusions, synaesthesia, and mixing sensory modalities.
• Visual Perception: Possible changes to visual perception like halos around lights and objects or geometric patterns with closed eyes.
• Personal Perspective: Thoughts and emotions could start to change.
• Emotional Shifts: Stronger emotions ranging from good to bad. Many recommend not resisting these emotions in either direction. Rather let them run their course. Many who report strong negative emotions experience a simultaneous sense of calm and acceptance. They find themselves detached from these emotions, especially if they remind themselves that the emotions are temporary.

For most, the Penis Envy mushroom effects are a long-lasting experience. 

A report from data collected in the 2010 NSDUH study shows that, compared to other drugs, hallucinogens—which, according to the NSDUH, include LSD, PCP, peyote, mescaline, mushrooms, and MDMA (ecstasy)—were used by about 1.2% of the population of people 12 years of age and older within the last month. 

The appropriate dosage of shrooms varies depending on the intended purpose. Like other psychedelics, Penis Envy often evokes conscious awareness of subconscious thoughts and feelings. This includes repressed memories, feelings about life circumstances, fantasies, or deep fears. 

While we don’t recommend the consumption of these compounds, we understand people are curious. That said, for someone interested in finding out for themselves what it’s like, it’s essential that they be ready to deal with unusual or challenging thoughts, images, and feelings in an open and thoughtful manner. It’s also best to use Penis Envy (or any shrooms) with a trusted individual who isn’t under the influence. This person will act as a “guide,” preventing the user from engaging in dangerous activities. 

While mushrooms are considered active at doses around 3–4 mg, a common dose used in clinical research settings ranges from 14–30 mg. 

Listed below are a selection of shroom dosages used in clinical trials and the associated medical condition the dosage was aimed at treating:

• 0.314 mg (oral, per kg of body weight): Mushrooms produce substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial, Griffiths et al., Journal of Psychopharmacology, 2016.
• 0.286-0.429 mg (oral, per kg of body weight): Pilot Study of the 5-HT2AR Agonist Mushrooms in the Treatment of Tobacco Addiction, Johnson, et al., Journal of Psychopharmacology, 2014.
• 0.3-0.4 mg (oral, per kg of body weight): Mushroom-assisted treatment for alcohol dependence: A proof-of-concept study, Bogenschutz et al., Journal of Psychopharmacology, 2015.
• 10-25 mg (oral, not proportional to body weight): 1) Shrooms with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: an open-label feasibility study, Carhart-Harris et al., The Lancet, 2016, 2) Shrooms with psychological support improves emotional face recognition in treatment-resistant depression, Stroud et al., Psychopharmacology, 2018, 3) Effects of mushroom therapy on personality structure, Erritzoe, et al., Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 2018.
• 2 mg (intravenous, not proportional to body weight): Implications for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy: functional magnetic resonance imaging study with mushrooms, Carhart-Harris et al., British Journal of Psychiatry, 2012.

Penis Envy mushrooms effects are usually felt when taken orally either by eating dried caps and stems or steeped as a tea. The most common dose is around 1–2.5 grams. 

They usually have a bitter taste, so many prefer them as brewed tea or prepared with a food item to mask the taste. A common preference is to use sweetness to counteract the bitterness, like covering them with chocolate. 

Amid this upswell of research, the old caricatures of mushrooms seem to be changing quickly. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently designated shrooms a “breakthrough therapy” for depression. 

A major study in late 2019 found “no serious adverse effects” in 89 healthy volunteers and no negative effects on cognitive or emotional functioning. 

The U.S. cities of Denver and Oakland both decriminalized shrooms in 2019, and similar efforts are now underway elsewhere, including some at the state level. Oregon recently legalized all drugs in its state, giving residents access to Penis Envy mushrooms without fear of criminalization.

Penis Envy effects are highly variable and depend on the user’s mindset and environment (set and setting) during their experience. 

In the early 1960s, Timothy Leary and colleagues at Harvard University investigated the role of set and setting on the effects of shrooms. Leary and his colleagues administered the fungi to 175 volunteers from various backgrounds in a controlled environment mimicking a comfortable living room. Ninety-eight of the subjects were given questionnaires to assess their experiences and the contribution of background and situational factors.

Individuals who had prior experience with shrooms, like Penis Envy mushrooms, reported more positive experiences than their counterparts. 

Group size, dosage, preparation, and expectancy were important determinants of the drug response. In general, those placed in groups of more than eight individuals felt that the groups were less supportive and their experiences weren’t as pleasant. Smaller groups (fewer than six individuals) were seen as more supportive and had more positive reactions. 

Leary and his colleagues proposed that shrooms heighten suggestibility, making an individual more receptive to interpersonal interactions and environmental stimuli. In a review by Josten Berge (1999), he confirmed that dosage, set, and setting is essential to the experience, experimenting with the effects on artists’ creativity.

It’s natural to feel skeptical and have fears of having a “bad trip”. Negative Penis Envy Mushroom effects, when used improperly, could include hallucinations, paranoia, and reckless behaviors. Bad trips are certainly possible, but the risks can be minimized by taking Penis Envy mushrooms responsibly and with an open mind. 

Being prepared and knowing the motivations before embarking on a psychedelic experience can help manage the risks. 

The Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances assigns shrooms a relatively high therapeutic index of 641 (higher values correspond to a better safety profile). For comparison, the therapeutic indices of aspirin and nicotine are 199 and 21, respectively.

The risk of fatal overdose is virtually nonexistent with Penis Envy mushrooms, however, risky behaviors sometimes occur while under the influence. With the risk of consuming things growing in nature, the potential of accidentally ingesting poisonous mushrooms is a risk.