In Amsterdam the places where you can buy cannabis are called coffee shops. The places you go to buy mushrooms are called smartshops. I have experienced these powerful entheogens once before in Amsterdam. The mushrooms look very much like what are pictured below. They are not dried but moist, closed capped, and not bad tasting.
When eating "magic mushrooms" fresh instead of dried, you ingest a second psychoactive known as psilocin. Together, psilocybin and psilocin produce a much stronger effect. I have written about my experience here
I am not suggesting that anyone should do this. This information is only what I have found valuable for myself. I do not recommend taking mushrooms recreationally or for any other reason. My personal decision to do so led to the most powerful spiritual experience I have ever had. This article is just my personal opinion and experience.
If one decides to ingest this fungi, it is important that you have an environment that will allow you to be calm and relaxed. It is easily possible to create this in many places, but for myself when I laid down in my hostel bed by myself is when I experienced the most profound effects.
Acquiring Psilocybin Mushrooms in Amsterdam
The menu I saw when I purchased a "full trip" at La Canna looked very similar to this menu >>>
I ended going with the Mexicans and they did not disappoint. I later read about some experiences on errowids that sounded almost identical to mine! It is interesting how they can pretty much tell you what you experience!
That being said, experiences can vary greatly, but can also be guided to a good place by meditative like exercises like detached observation.
The description of the Hawaiians also sounded very similar to my experience eating mushrooms in Hawaii. So I think you really can get an idea of what you can experience by the descriptions you can get.
Psilocybin Mushrooms and Marijuana are both tolerated in Amsterdam and basically legal in this way, but it is important to remember that there are certain areas where smoking cannabis is acceptable and most areas it is not. With mushrooms it is good to have a private place because you could end up on a street corner talking to invisible entities like I once found myself the Netherlands! My point is that you should be careful with this powerful medicine.
Psilocybin Mushrooms can be Powerful Healing Agents
I truly believe that these mushrooms can be used as healing medicines. In todays world, we are bombarded with information and experiences that can lead us down some difficult paths. Addiction and depression are all too common. There is some evidence that mushrooms can help treat addiction and depression.
I have come across information about psilocybin mushrooms used in this healing way a few times and I felt this way about my personal experience. I found an article on Vice that talks about this topic. http://motherboard.vice.com/read/how-psychedelic-drugs-psilocybin-lsd-could-help-treat-addiction
I understand that this topic can be considered taboo so I have tried to be careful in the way that I have worded this article. I have already shared about my experience on my last trip to Amsterdam in previous posts so I will not share it again here. I only wanted to share what I have learned in my experience in hopes that it may benefit someone. I am not advocating the use mushrooms to anyone. If you have an interest of your own, I hope this was helpful. Thanks for reading