Frequently Asked Questions
Prefer to watch an introduction to psychedelics?
Here’s a link to Oprah’s podcast interview with Michael Pollan from March 4, 2025. Can Psychedelics Heal Mental Trauma?
Are psychedelics legal?
Psilocybin mushrooms (sometimes called “magic mushrooms”) are legal in controlled settings in Oregon and, starting in January 2025, Colorado. Psilocybin mushrooms in Oregon can only be consumed in a licensed service center, in the presence of a trained licensed psilocybin facilitator, using mushrooms grown by a licensed grower.
Currently, MDMA (also known as molly or ecstasy) and LSD are not legal in the United States.
Why are legal psilocybin services so expensive?
There are a number of factors that push the fees for psilocybin services quite high.
Because psilocybin is not legal federally, banks that cross state lines or use federal protections are not permitted to loan to psilocybin businesses, just like cannabis businesses. This is particularly difficult for service centers and growers who cannot, therefore, get bank loans for premises, etc.
In addition, the law to make psilocybin legal in Oregon hoped to make the program self-sustaining by charging facilitators, service centers, and growers very high licensing fees (thousands of dollars a year). Naturally, this cost gets passed down to participants.
What will I feel while taking psilocybin?
This one is very hard to answer. You are a unique individual with a unique background. Each “journey” is different. And psilocybin makes us very suggestible.
You may have heard that “set and setting” are vital to a good experience. As we work together beforehand, we will try to uncover the types of things that might arise for you and determine your mind”set”. We will also administer the mushrooms in a safe and controlled “setting” at a service center. While we cannot control the things that will arise for you, there are some things we can do, for instance, to help you feel more in control, safer, or more grounded.
Your facilitator is there to keep your body safe so that you can let your mind go where it will. Providing your mind with “flight instructions” helps, too. “If you see a door, go through it. If you see stairs, climb them. If you encounter a monster, instead of fleeing from it, turn and ask it what it has to teach you.”
What is psilocybin?
Psilocybin is the primary chemical in magic mushrooms that gives the psychedelic effect. Our bodies turn psilocybin into psilocin (and mushrooms have some naturally occurring psilocin) to make the effect. Oregon mushroom growers measure the amount of psilocybin and psilocin in their products to determine the strength of the mushrooms.
How does psilocybin work in the body?
Currently, we understand that psilocin (metabolized psilocybin) triggers the serotonin 5HT-2A receptors in the neurons (nerve cells). There are many of these receptors in the more recently evolved parts of the human brain. For comparison, many antidepressants trigger the serotonin 5HT-1A receptor. (Here is a scientific article about the 5HT-2A receptor and the signaling pathways for hallucinogens.)
How do I prepare for my administration session?
One of the most important steps is preparing for your administration session is exploring your mindset. Psychedelics are amplifiers so if you are ruminating about how bad the world is, you may have an experience that confirms that view. If you have major trauma in your past, it is good to be aware that it may arise to be felt during the session. Many therapists believe that past hurts must be felt in order to be healed but you may have spent many years avoiding that feeling! You will discuss your background, your hopes and fears, your intentions with your facilitator. This will help to develop a rapport between you or help you see that this facilitator is not the one for you. There are others out there! It is best to find someone you feel completely safe and comfortable with.
Here is a great podcast covering the basics: Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers: How to prepare for, navigate, and integrate a psychedelic experience.
Do I have to stop taking my antidepressants before doing psilocybin?
Not necessarily! We can discuss what meds you are taking during our initial sessions. We are finding that many SSRIs and medications for anxiety can be continued during the administration session. We may need to increase the dose of mushrooms to accommodate for the blunting effect these medications tend to have on psilocybin. MAOIs and lithium, however, are strongly contraindicated with psilocybin.
What does an administration day look like?
Before an administration session, we will have two hours of intake, one for paperwork (the joys of legal!) and one for intention setting. Then you decide on your day at the service center. We arrive about 9:30am and settle into the room you have chosen. There is a bathroom and common eating area. You purchase your mushrooms (cash only). When you are ready, you take the amount we agreed upon beforehand. You can take them in a tea, with lemon, with applesauce, or other options. Then we settle in, perhaps talking or drawing or journaling. If you haven’t started feeling the effects of your dose within an hour, you have the option of a booster dose that you have purchased ahead of time. And then you journey! I will be with you the entire time. If you need the restroom, I will escort you there. If I need to step out for some reason, another person from the service center will stand outside the door in case you call. You will need to stay a certain number of hours, currently up to 6 hours, depending on how much mushroom you have taken. When you are ready to leave, I will escort you to your pre-determined transportation. We will meet again for an integration session within a few days, preferably while you are still feeling some mushroom effects.
What happens if we do one or two prep sessions but decide that we aren’t a good fit for an administration session?
I will provide you with names of other facilitators who might be a better fit. I will ask you to pay for the time used (one or two hours) and refund your remaining money. I will ask for feedback on how we might have worked together better.