The Resource Library

Everything we know about psilocybin, in one place.

A daily-updated library of magic mushroom studies, harm-reduction guides, glossary entries, integration tools, and community signals — curated by the North Star research team.

Updated Wednesday, June 10, 2026 3–5 new entries per day

Daily Feed

Fresh psilocybin research, every single day.

We publish 3 to 5 new articles each day across magic mushroom science, strain reviews, cultivation, integration, and harm reduction. Subscribe to never miss an entry.

10

Jun 2026

5 entries

Research 7 min read

Johns Hopkins 2025 Follow-Up: Sustained Depression Remission 24 Months Post-Psilocybin Therapy.

Two-year follow-up data shows 58% of participants maintained clinical remission after a single supervised psilocybin session, with no serious adverse events reported.

Cultivation 11 min read

PF-Tek vs. Monotub: Yield, Contamination Rates, and Which Method Beginners Should Actually Pick.

We grew the same Golden Teacher genetics in both setups for six months. Here are the numbers — flush yields, contamination percentage, and total time investment.

Harm Reduction 5 min read

When Not to Take Magic Mushrooms: A Practical Contraindications Checklist.

SSRIs, lithium, certain heart conditions, and personal/family history of psychosis. A clear, sourced reference you can save and revisit before any psilocybin session.

Integration 6 min read

The Three Days After: A Structured Integration Journal Template (Free Download).

A printable PDF and Notion template designed by therapists to help you process insights from a magic mushroom experience while they're still fresh.

Culture 8 min read

María Sabina and the Mazatec Tradition: Honoring the Origins of Modern Psilocybin Therapy.

How a Oaxacan curandera quietly shaped Western psychedelic culture — and what we owe the Indigenous lineages that preserved magic mushroom medicine for centuries.

09

Jun 2026

4 entries

Research 9 min read

Default Mode Network Suppression: New fMRI Data Maps Psilocybin's Ego-Dissolution Effects.

Imperial College researchers published high-resolution scans showing precisely which brain regions disconnect during a high-dose psilocybin experience.

Microdosing 7 min read

Fadiman vs. Stamets vs. Nightcap: Comparing the Three Most Popular Microdosing Protocols.

Schedule, dose ranges, claimed benefits, and the published evidence (or lack thereof) behind each magic mushroom microdosing approach.

Glossary 3 min read

What is Psilocin? The Active Compound Your Body Actually Uses.

Psilocybin is technically a prodrug. Here's what happens in the liver, why lemon-tekking changes onset times, and why this distinction matters for dosing.

Legal 6 min read

US Psilocybin Access in 2026: Oregon Measure 109, Colorado Prop 122, and Federal Decrim Updates.

A clear breakdown of every legal pathway to psilocybin in the US this year, who qualifies, and where state-level reform efforts currently stand.

08

Jun 2026

3 entries

Strain Review 5 min read

Buddha Belly Strain Profile: The Mindful Cubensis with the Cleanest Body High.

Rooted in Southeast Asian tradition, Buddha Belly is one of the calmest, most introspective psilocybin strains. Here's why beginners keep coming back to it.

Research 12 min read

MAPS Phase 3 Update: Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Anxiety.

We summarize the new MAPS interim report, the protocol design, and what the results imply for clinical access timelines in the next 24 months.

Practical 4 min read

Building a Trip-Sitter Kit: 12 Essentials Every Psilocybin Companion Should Have on Hand.

Water, electrolytes, eye masks, journals, calming music, and a written contraindications card. A field-tested supply list for anyone supporting a magic mushroom journey.

Browse all field guide entries

Studies & Research

The peer-reviewed psilocybin canon.

A continually growing index of the most important magic mushroom research from the past decade — summarized, sourced, and linked to the original publications.

JAMA Psychiatry · 2024 RCT · Phase 2b

Single-Dose Psilocybin for Major Depressive Disorder: 6-Week Outcomes.

Raison C.L. et al. — Usona Institute, University of Wisconsin–Madison

A 104-participant double-blind randomized controlled trial. A single 25mg dose of synthetic psilocybin produced a clinically significant reduction in MADRS scores compared to niacin placebo, sustained at the 43-day endpoint.

104 Participants

25mg Active dose

−12.3 MADRS Δ

Nature Medicine · 2022 Open-label trial

Psilocybin Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression: 6-Month Follow-Up.

Carhart-Harris R. et al. — Imperial College London

Twenty-four participants with TRD received two psilocybin doses (10mg and 25mg) plus integration therapy. Significant reductions in depression severity persisted six months after the second magic mushroom session.

24 Participants

59% Response rate

6 mo Sustained

Psychopharmacology · 2023 Naturalistic survey

Microdosing Psilocybin and Self-Reported Mental Health Outcomes (n = 4,050).

Rootman J.M. et al. — University of British Columbia

Largest microdosing dataset to date. Psilocybin microdosers reported greater improvements in mood, mental health, and psychomotor performance over a 30-day window compared to non-microdosing controls.

4,050 Microdosers

30 d Tracking window

+3.5 WHO-5 Δ

Cell Reports · 2021 Preclinical

Psilocybin Promotes Neural Plasticity and Restores Function in a Murine Model.

Shao L.-X. et al. — Yale University School of Medicine

A single dose of psilocybin produced a rapid and persistent increase in dendritic spine density and size in the medial frontal cortex, lasting at least one month — supporting the neuroplasticity hypothesis of psychedelic action.

+10% Spine density

30 d Persistence

1 dose Protocol

Read deeply. Trip wisely.

Peer-reviewed · Continually updated Harm reduction · Integration · Community

Glossary

The psilocybin & magic mushroom A–Z.

Plain-language definitions of every term you'll encounter when researching psilocybin — from pharmacology to ritual.

A

Afterglow: The period of elevated mood, openness, and clarity that often follows a magic mushroom journey, typically lasting from a few hours up to several weeks.
Agonist: A molecule that activates a receptor. Psilocin is a partial agonist of the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor, which is largely responsible for the psychedelic experience.

C

Cubensis /ˈkjuː.bɛn.sɪs/: Short for Psilocybe cubensis — the most widely cultivated psilocybin mushroom species. Includes strains like Golden Teacher, Penis Envy, and Tidal Waves.
Come-up: The onset phase of a psilocybin trip, typically lasting 20–60 minutes after ingestion. Often the most physically uncomfortable portion of the experience.

D

Default Mode Network (DMN): A network of interacting brain regions associated with self-referential thinking and the sense of ego. Psilocybin temporarily reduces DMN connectivity, which correlates with feelings of ego dissolution.
Dose, Macro: A full perceptual dose of psilocybin, typically 1.5g–5g of dried magic mushrooms, capable of producing visual hallucinations and significant altered states.

E

Ego Dissolution: A temporary loss of the sense of being a separate self, often described as profound interconnection with the environment and others. Common during high-dose psilocybin experiences.
Entheogen: From Greek for 'generating the divine within.' A category of psychoactive substances — including magic mushrooms — used in spiritual or religious contexts.

I

Integration: The deliberate process of making meaning from a psychedelic experience and applying its insights to daily life through journaling, therapy, art, or community.

L

Lemon Tek: A preparation method in which ground magic mushrooms are steeped in fresh lemon or lime juice for ~20 minutes. Citric acid begins converting psilocybin to psilocin, producing a faster, often more intense onset.

M

Microdose: A sub-perceptual dose of psilocybin, typically 50–250mg of dried magic mushrooms — about 1/10th to 1/20th of a recreational dose. Used for mood, focus, and creativity rather than altered states.

P

Psilocybin /ˌsɪl.əˈsaɪ.bɪn/: The primary psychoactive prodrug found in magic mushrooms. The body rapidly converts psilocybin into psilocin, which produces the psychedelic effects.
Psilocin /ˈsɪl.ə.sɪn/: The active metabolite of psilocybin. Binds to serotonin 5-HT2A receptors in the brain to produce the magic mushroom experience.

S

Set & Setting: Coined by Timothy Leary. 'Set' refers to mindset (mood, expectations, intentions); 'setting' refers to environment (people, place, sound). Both are widely accepted as the most important non-pharmacological factors in a psilocybin trip.
Stamets Stack: A microdosing protocol popularized by mycologist Paul Stamets combining psilocybin, Lion's Mane mushroom, and niacin (vitamin B3) — proposed to enhance neurogenesis.

T

Tolerance: The brain's rapid down-regulation of 5-HT2A receptors after a psilocybin dose. Effectively eliminates psychedelic effects for 5–7 days following a macro-dose, regardless of how much more is consumed.

Practical Resources

Tools, calculators, and templates.

Everything you need to plan, execute, and integrate a psilocybin experience — free, sourced, and built with practitioners.

Psilocybin Dose Calculator

Convert grams of dried magic mushrooms into mg of psilocybin based on the strain's average potency. Includes microdose, museum, moderate, and heroic-dose ranges.

Open Calculator

Microdose Schedule Builder

Generate a 30-day Fadiman, Stamets, or Nightcap protocol with built-in tolerance windows. Export to Google Calendar or download as ICS.

Curated Trip Playlists (3, 6, 8 hours)

Six therapist-approved Spotify and Apple Music playlists designed by length and intensity — from gentle ambient sets to full ceremonial journeys.

Integration Journal Template (PDF + Notion)

Structured 7-day journaling template designed by integration therapists for processing a magic mushroom experience while it's still fresh.

Drug Interaction Checker

Cross-reference psilocybin with prescription medications, supplements, and recreational substances. Sourced from peer-reviewed pharmacology data.

Trip Support Hotlines & Crisis Lines

Vetted 24/7 numbers across the US, Canada, and the UK for callers experiencing a difficult psilocybin or magic mushroom experience.

Community

Find your psychedelic people.

Daily conversation, structured integration circles, and in-person workshops across the North Star network — all moderated by humans who know the work.

Live channels

North Star Discord

Daily discussion · 24/7

r/NorthStarShrooms

Weekly AMAs with growers

Telegram Microdose Circle

Protocol check-ins · Mon/Thu

Field notes & cultivation reels

North Star on YouTube

Long-form interviews + grow logs

Upcoming events

18 Nov

Integration Circle (Online)

Zoom · 7:00 PM PT · Free

Therapist-facilitated group integration for anyone who's had a recent psilocybin experience. Open to first-timers.

24 Nov

Cultivation 101 Workshop

Vancouver · 1:00 PM · $35

Hands-on PF-Tek and monotub fundamentals with our head grower. Includes a take-home spore syringe.

02 Dec

Magic Mushrooms & Grief — Panel + Q&A

Online · 6:30 PM PT · Free

Three end-of-life clinicians discuss psilocybin-assisted therapy for grief, loss, and existential distress.

11 Dec

Microdose Office Hours

Discord voice · 5:00 PM PT

Drop-in clinic with our protocol coaches. Bring your questions about Fadiman, Stamets, or Nightcap.