Description
Golden Teacher Magic Mushrooms: The Ultimate Guide
Golden teachers are one of the best-known strains of the magic mushroom species Psilocybe cubensis. They are renowned for producing huge fruits, even in suboptimal growing conditions. Therefore, they have become a favorite among cultivators and are a mainstay of spore suppliers worldwide.
Read on for our complete guide to golden teacher magic mushrooms, including their effects, potency, and potential benefits. We will also provide a brief overview of the growing process and explain why they are many mushroom lovers’ go-to strain.
What Do Golden Teachers Look Like?
As their name suggests, golden teacher mushrooms have gold to caramel-colored caps with pale, whitish gills. They are slightly conical when young, becoming convex and then flattening with age. Older mushrooms can be stained purple-black as their spores start to drop. The stems are hollow and thicker toward the base.
Golden teacher mushrooms are on the large side as far as cubensis strains go. The caps can exceed three inches in diameter, although around two inches is the average. The first flush tends to produce medium-sized fruits, while subsequent flushes can yield much larger mushrooms.
Golden teacher mushrooms do not grow in nature, and wild cubensis mushrooms tend to have smaller and darker caps. However, there are some potentially poisonous look-alikes, so we do not recommend picking these mushrooms in the wild unless you are confident in how to identify them.
So, what are golden teacher mushrooms’ effects, and how do they compare to other cubensis varieties? Let’s take a look.
Golden Teacher Effects
Like other cubensis strains, golden teachers’ primary active ingredient is psilocybin. The body breaks this chemical down into psilocin, which acts on serotonin receptors to produce its psychedelic effects. It usually takes around 30–60 minutes for the effects to begin, although they can start after as little as 10–20 minutes.
In general, these effects include alterations in mood, sensations, and perception. Some people experience visual effects, such as enhanced colors or shifting geometric patterns. However, visual effects are reported less frequently with golden teachers than with some other mushroom varieties. Most users describe an insightful and spiritual journey, which aligns with the “teacher” part of their name.
Anecdotal reports suggest that side effects such as anxiety and paranoia rarely occur with golden teachers. Furthermore, some state that the overall experience is shorter than average, sometimes lasting just 2–4 hours. For these reasons, golden teachers are sometimes considered an ideal choice for those new to the world of psychedelics.
Of course, other factors also play a crucial role, such as one’s mindset, expectations, and environment. Dosage also has a significant impact on the overall experience. Therefore, it is essential to understand golden teachers’ potency and prepare adequately before ingestion.
Golden Teacher Mushrooms Potency
Mushrooms are a natural product and can vary significantly in potency from one specimen to the next. Therefore, it isn’t easy to give an accurate figure.
However, golden teacher mushrooms’ potency is generally considered moderate compared to other cubensis strains. For example, strains like penis envy and tidal wave are known for being much stronger.
In terms of psilocybin content, a 2021 review estimated that 1 gram of dried mushrooms contains approximately 10mg of psilocybin. However, the publication did not specify whether this figure applies to Psilocybe cubensis or another species.
Golden Teacher Mushrooms Dosage
There is no standard golden teacher mushrooms dosage because everybody responds differently. Also, as we mentioned, there can be significant variations in potency from one mushroom to the next. Myriad factors can also affect the experience, with dosage being just one part of the equation.
Anyone inexperienced with psychedelics should start at the lower end of the scale to see how golden teacher mushrooms affect them before increasing the dosage.
Growing Golden Teacher Mushrooms
One of the reasons why golden teacher mushrooms have become so popular is that they are relatively easy to grow. They are one of the less fussy cubensis varieties and will thrive on various substrates and even fruit generously in suboptimal conditions.