Taking magic mushrooms or truffles alone: what you need to know

Is solo tripping safe?

Yes and no. Of all classical psychedelics, mushrooms and truffles are the best suited for a solo journey because the experience is relatively predictable and the duration is fairly short. Research shows that oral psilocybin kicks in within 20 to 40 minutes, peaks after 60 to 90 minutes, and is usually over within 4 to 6 hours [1]. That’s a manageable window to get through on your own.

At the same time, large survey studies are clear: people who go into a trip unprepared or alone report severe anxiety more often and longer-lasting aftereffects. In one study of nearly 2,000 people with a difficult psilocybin experience, being alone was associated with more prolonged discomfort; 2.6% sought medical help, 7.6% reported psychological complaints lasting over a year [2]. Another prospective study found that preparation, clear intention, and a supportive setting consistently make the experience more positive [3].

The takeaway: solo isn’t inherently more dangerous than guided, but set and setting do far more work than most people think. I’ve underestimated that myself. More than once.

Four questions to answer honestly before going solo

1. What’s your intention? Why do you actually want to go alone? If the answer is “because my friends aren’t up for it” or “because I can’t afford a facilitator”, don’t do it. That’s not an intention, that’s a missing option.

An intention is a question you want to explore, an emotion you want to meet, or a pattern you want to look at. Write it down. If you can’t get it into one sentence, it’s not ripe enough for a trip — solo or in company. The rest of this section is about when solo specifically isn’t right for you; having an intention itself belongs to any psychedelic experience.

2. How’s your mental health? Mushrooms amplify what’s already there. If you’re in the middle of an anxious, depressive, or unstable period, that will carry into the trip. In that case, it’s wiser to wait until you have ground under your feet again, or to work with a therapist who’s familiar with psychedelics. The Trimbos Institute publishes factsheets on psilocybin that are useful as a second opinion; Jellinek offers targeted harm-reduction advice.

3. How much experience do you have? As a guideline: around ten previous trips before you consider going solo. For one person that’s tight, for another it’s plenty — it varies. If anything, err on the side of more rather than fewer. You only learn how your body responds to the intensity once you’ve been through it several times, you need reference points for what a peak feels like, and you need to be able to gauge which dose suits you. It’s the difference between understanding something and knowing it. Build up first in the company of someone experienced and sober.

4. How did you behave on previous trips? Have you experienced panic before, loss of control, or the feeling that your body “shut down”? Then solo isn’t for you, at least not now. An experienced friend or a professional facilitator is the safer route.

SSRIs and MAO inhibitors: a separate question, not a solo question

Whether you’re on SSRIs or MAO inhibitors isn’t part of the solo question — it’s a general question for whether you should consider psilocybin at all. SSRIs and MAO inhibitors behave very differently in combination with mushrooms or truffles.

SSRIs dampen the effects of psilocybin because chronic use downregulates 5-HT2A receptors [4]. Acute toxicity isn’t the concern here; your trip is more likely to feel flat or muted than expected. Whether you’d consider psilocybin while on SSRIs at all, and how it fits with your treatment, is a conversation with your prescriber.

MAO inhibitors slow the breakdown of psilocin. The effect becomes stronger and longer-lasting — the same mechanism that makes ayahuasca work. The combination is discouraged, primarily because of unpredictability and lack of research; the classical-serotonin-syndrome concern is more clearly described for ayahuasca’s components (DMT with harmaline/harmine) than for oral psilocybin on its own [5]. Combining with an MAO inhibitor remains a medical question, not something to figure out on your own.

Tapering or staying on psychiatric medication is something you arrange with your prescriber, never on your own for a trip.

Determine your dose: conservative, weighed, familiar

A solo trip typically feels more intense than the same dose in company. So go lower than you’re used to. For your first solo session: roughly half your usual dose, with a type of mushroom or truffle you already know. You can always build up; you can’t go back.

Weigh your dose on a digital scale accurate to 0.01 grams. Eyeballing is not dosing, it’s gambling. Keep in mind that concentrations vary by species and by batch. Dried Psilocybe cubensis typically contains several times the active compound per gram compared to fresh truffles, simply because truffles are mostly water [6]. So don’t rely on one fixed number you read somewhere.

Start low. Give it time. Wait at least 90 minutes before considering a top-up; a peak sometimes comes later than expected, and redosing during the onset often leads to an unnecessarily intense peak.

Prepare your location and setting

A good setting is half the work. Concretely:

At home, safe, doors locked. Doors and windows closed, phone on silent (but reachable for your trusted contact, see below), don’t answer delivery people.

Comfortable seating and lying furniture. Cushions, a blanket, a warm sweater within reach. Your body temperature fluctuates on psilocybin.

Queue up music in advance. Pick a playlist you know that covers the entire session. Fiddling with your phone mid-trip is a reliable way to pull yourself out of the experience.

Soft lighting. Dimmed lamps, a candle, or natural light. Harsh artificial light often feels hard at peak.

An altar or anchor point. A photo, a plant, a stone, something meaningful to you. It gives your eyes a resting point when things get busy inside.

Pen and paper. For whatever wants to come out.

Water and a light snack for later. Eat light beforehand; a full stomach delays the onset and makes nausea more likely.

Ten minutes of meditation or a calm breathwork round before ingestion helps you start with a calmer nervous system.

Inform a trusted contact

Even though you’re tripping alone, you don’t have to be unreachable. Tell someone who knows what psychedelics do, who stays available, and who can be with you within thirty minutes if needed. Share what you’re taking and how much, when you’re starting, when you expect to be responsive again, and agree on a check-in message afterward.

When things get difficult during the trip

Difficult passages are part of it and usually not an emergency. A few handles: lie down, close your eyes, breathe out slowly (longer exhale than inhale, for about three minutes). Let the wave come. Change the setting: different room, different song, glass of water. Call your trusted contact.

If you think something is medically wrong (chest pain, extreme confusion that doesn’t subside, or you’re genuinely worried about your own safety), call 112 or your GP’s after-hours service. Healthcare providers are not the police and can help you better if they know.

Harm reduction: when to call for help

112 for acute medical or psychiatric emergencies.

GP after-hours service — regional number, check your own.

113 Suicide Prevention — 0800-0113, free, 24/7.

Jellinek drug info — 088-505 1220, office hours.

Brijder Drug Info Line (North and South Holland) — 088-358 4858.

After your journey: integration

Eat well before you go to sleep. Plan the next day quietly. Write down what came up, even if it seems illogical. Talking to someone you trust helps loose pieces land. Creative work (drawing, a walk with voice memos) does the same work in a different way. If you still feel down or unmoored days later, reach out to a therapist who works with psychedelics. The Trimbos Institute maintains a directory of accredited care providers.

An alternative: together alone

If the idea of truly solo tripping makes you uncomfortable, but you want the depth of your own space: trip together, each in your own room. Agree beforehand on when you do or don’t interrupt each other, who initiates check-ins, and at what point you might come together. You get the depth of solo, with the reassurance that someone is in the room next door.

Alone doesn’t have to mean lonely. That goes for the trip. And for everything after it, really.

Sources

1. Hasler F et al. (2004). Psychopharmacology 172(2): 145–156. DOI: 10.1007/s00213-003-1640-6 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-003-1640-6

2. Carbonaro TM et al. (2016). Journal of Psychopharmacology 30(12): 1268–1278. DOI: 10.1177/0269881116662634 https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881116662634

3. Haijen ECHM et al. (2018). Frontiers in Pharmacology 9: 897. DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00897 https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2018.00897

4. Bonson KR et al. (1996). Neuropsychopharmacology 14(6): 425–436. DOI: 10.1016/0893-133X(95)00145-4 https://doi.org/10.1016/0893-133X(95)00145-4

5. Sarparast A et al. (2022). Psychopharmacology 239(6): 1945–1976. DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06083-y https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-022-06083-y

6. Tsujikawa K et al. (2003). Forensic Science International 138(1–3): 85–90. DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2003.08.009 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2003.08.009

7. Halpern JH et al. (2018). Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences 36: 333–360. DOI: 10.1007/7854_2016_457 https://doi.org/10.1007/7854_2016_457

8. Johnson MW et al. (2018). Neuropharmacology 142: 143–166. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.05.012 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.05.012

Trimbos drug info (mushrooms/truffles factsheet). https://www.drugsinfo.nl/paddos-truffels/

Jellinek (truffles and mushrooms). https://www.jellinek.nl/alcohol-drugs-gedrag/truffels-en-paddos/

113 Suicide Prevention. https://www.113.nl/