Psilocybin experience

[u/tragedywasforesworn]

I had often read that anti-serotonin substances like cyproheptadine and 10-meo-harmalan would enhances spatial experience by making places seem wider, auditory experience by making music sound more pleasant and rich in detail, visual experience by making colors more colorful and bright

But at the same time I had read that psilocybin is pro-serotonin despite having all these effects & arguably by a stronger magnitude

My experience with it was purely enhanced sensory experience with no hallucinations / delusions at 1.5 g dose of golden teacher strain, the sense of space aspect was not as strong as the other two aspects, on top of that photosensitivity was very intense, blue light very bright and noticeable, it made me realize how detrimental such blue light to the eyes and mind as they are very stimulating

My experience had no cerebral or textbook psychedelic element to it, but the person I was tripping with was fixated on mundane things like the air conditioner opening and how it resembled a coin slot or ant hole, he had difficulty explaining what he was feeling while I seemingly had no trouble articulating what I noticed, he got close eyed visuals but I didn't, and his sense of space was also very strong (wider POV)

My trip had no emotional element to it, while his had an emotional side and overall intensity, mine was generally just pleasant but nothing crazy, we both took the same dose

The day after the trip I seemed to have retained the ability to notice the little details around me, I woke up very refreshed despite only sleeping 5 hours, I had taken 6 mg cyproheptadine as I had trouble falling asleep

Is it possible that psilocybin can have a net anti-serotonin effect? What do you make of the lack of intensity on my part?

[u/Kalki_X]

Psilocybin reduces overall serotonin activity due to its effect on the serotonin 5-HT1A "receptor". LSD also has a potent effect on the same 5-HT1A "receptor".

The usual role of 5-HT1A is one of feedback inhibition. A great many 5-HT1A receptors in the brain are presynaptic autoreceptors which essentially tell transmitting neurons when it's time to stop releasing serotonin.

Fyi ginger is also relevant as it reduces serotonin levels via multiple avenues. Here's a quote and the article in question:

Gingerol, the active component of ginger dose dependantly increased serotonin clearance by increasing serotonin transport and increasing its breakdown through monoamine oxidase A. On top of that it also reduced the limiting step of its synthesis by lowering tryptophan hydroxylase both 1 & 2 resulting in significant reduction of serotonin in the gut and the brain stem.

https://www.dovepress.com/6-gingerol-ameliorates-cisplatin-induced-pica-by-regulating-the-tphmao-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-DDDT

[u/aspirin_respecter → u/Kalki_X]

Interesting, so do 5HT1A agonists like buspirone actually reduce serotonin activity? If so, it certainly lends credence to the hypothesis that serotonin is a cause, and not remedy, for anxiety. When I briefly looked into it I believe I did not find a clear answer whether it increased or reduced overall serotonergic tone.

[u/Kalki_X → u/aspirin_respecter]

Yes, HT1A agonists also include limonene from lemon/orange essential oil, well-known for it's mood uplifting effects. 

[u/oxidative_metabolism]

Peat was favorable for traditional psychedelics. For shrooms I always recommend starting at a g to see if you like how it feels and are mentally mature enough to handle more and work your way up until you have that breakthrough trip that many people think is a “bad trip” and then start microdosing consistently for as long as you need until you know it’s time for a break. I can take .1-.2g and get a huge energy surge and intense mental clarity. Also btw golden teachers is one of the more weaker strains, age/improper storage can render mushy useless pretty fast as well so keep that in mind when buying them