Psilocybin mushroom, aka magic mushroom, is probably the oldest psychedelic known to man. Terence McKenna, a legendary American ethnobotanist, even developed the so called “Stoned Ape Theory” stating that a community of proto-humans might have consumed the magic mushrooms they found in the wild, such as in animal’s excrement when they tracked the animal for hunting. That act could have profoundly changed their brains and evolved to modern humans. This is because psilocybin in the mushroom is known to promote neurogenesis, which could help increase the brain size that is capable of complex tasks such as language, storytelling and beliefs. Recent research has shown that psilocybin can profoundly change the brain structure out of its default mode network and allow the person to think and see things very differently than before, after only a few sessions. This is why psilocybin mushrooms are effective in treating depression, anxiety, PTSD and addiction.

Harmala (Peganum harmala) or Syrian rue is a well-known folk medicine in Middle Eastern and north African for treating several common illnesses. It contains monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOi), similar to those in Ayahuasca, which is not only a natural anti-depressant, but also help prevent several psycho-active alkaloids, such as DMT and psilocybin, from being broken down by enzymes in the stomach. As a result, when the mushroom is ingested, there will be more psilocybin available for the body to absorb, enhancing the effects of the mushroom, typically by 2-3 times. This combination of the harmala and psilocybin mushrooms is sometimes called “Psilohuasca” or “Shroomahuasca”, because of its effects that are between the mushrooms and Ayahuasca but without much of the body discomfort commonly experienced in Ayahuasca.

The experience in Psilohuasca ceremony is generally quite visual and more “open” than that of pure mushroom. The onset is typically less than 15 minutes after taking the mushroom (the harmala is taken 30-40 minutes before the mushroom). The first few hours are usually the most intense. Many people experience more of a releasing of residual energy in the person’s psyche during this period. After that the experience will become lighter and more open, allowing the person to experience a wide range of feelings and information. The entire ceremony lasts about 6-8 hours. With higher doses, the person might still feel the effects until the next day, hence a day off after the ceremony is recommended.

Due to the increased effects of the medicine combination, it is extremely important to take it under the supervision of experienced personnel. It is not recommended for anyone to take this combination alone.

It’s more practical for the harmala to be taken in capsule form, due to its unpleasant taste and texture. One large capsule can contain about 0.5 g of harmala and should be taken about 30-40 minutes before taking the mushrooms. From our experience, the dosage can be categorized as follows, noted the dried mushrooms used is of the Golden Teacher strain. Other strains should be adjusted according to their strength.

Low dose: 0.5 g (1 capsule) of harmala + 1 g of mushroom
Medium dose: 1 g (2 capsules) of harmala + 2 g of mushroom
Full dose: 1.5 g (3 capsules) of harmala + 3 g of mushroom
High dose: 2 g (4 capsules) of harmala + 4 g of mushroom

The body weight of the person should also be taken into account, i.e., the heavier the person, the more medicine is needed to achieve the same degree of effects in a lighter person.

Usually if the mushroom is taken alone, there would be no problems with people who are taking pharmaceutical anti-depressant, especially the SSRI class. They would simply experience a lesser degree of effects and would need more mushrooms than those who haven’t taken the SSRI. But with the combination with harmala, the SSRI drugs must be stopped at least 7 days before taking the harmala, due to the conflict between MAOi and SSRI, otherwise the person might experience serotonin syndrome, which can be deadly. Here is the recommended preparation for the Psilohuasca ceremony,