Hippie Flipping – What Is It, How to Do It, And Is It Safe?
Hippie flipping is the combination of MDMA and magic mushrooms. It is a popular drug combination, due to the potential to reap the positive effects of both substances.
However, despite MDMA lending itself to euphoria and anxiety reduction, this doesn’t necessarily mean the hippie flipping experience will always be an enjoyable one. It all depends on how you go about it.
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If considering this combination, there are some important harm reduction techniques you should follow. These will help protect your physical safety and psychological well-being during the experience. Before describing these strategies, however, we should examine in greater depth what hippie flipping involves and what the experience is like.
The Basics Of Hippie Flipping
Hippie flipping is when you take both MDMA (either in powder/crystal form or as pills) and psilocybin mushrooms (of which there are many different species and strains).
Hippie flipping doesn’t necessarily mean you dose both these drugs at the same time, although many users will do that. If you do this, you will reach the peak effects of the compounds at around the same time. Some people might take the shrooms first, wait until the effects appear, and then take the MDMA, or vice versa.
Another way to do it is to wait until the peak of one drug has passed, then take the other. The timing of the combination can change the effects and overall intensity of the experience somewhat. We will get into the timing aspect in relation to harm reduction later in this guide.
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How to Hippie Flip
There are a few schools of thought when it comes to the sequencing (or timing) of consuming the MDMA and psilocybin.
Option 1: Synchronized Flipping – This is when you take the two substances at the same time. A common approach, tried and tested. Works well. Only downside is that the MDMA wears off before the mushrooms and the end of the trip can feel uncomfortable.
| Synchronized Flipping Dosage Size | Initial Dose | One-Hour Mark Dose |
| Lower Dose | 120mg MDMA, 1-2g mushrooms | 80mg MDMA |
| Larger Dose | 120mg MDMA, 3-5g mushroms | 80mg MDMA |
Option 2: MDMA Delay – Take the mushrooms first. Settle into the mushroom experience, get comfortable. When you’re feeling calm, then take the MDMA. The MDMA should enhance the mushroom trip. The MDMA should outlast the mushrooms, leaving you calm and happy.
| MDMA Delay Dosage Size | Initial Dose | One-Hour Mark Dose | 2-3 Hour Mark Dose |
| Lower Dose | 1-2g mushrooms | 120mg MDMA | 80mg MDMA |
| Large Dose | 3-5g mushrooms | 120mg MDMA | 80mg MDMA |
Option 3: Re-up the MDMA – Take the MDMA and the mushrooms at the same time, then re-up the MDMA two or three hours in. This allows the MDMA to actually last longer than the psilocybin, and so you always have that support of the MDMA.
| Re-up the MDMA Dosage Size | Initial Dose | One-Hour Mark Dose | 3-4 Hour Mark Dose |
| Lower Dose | 1-2g mushrooms, 100mg MDMA | 50mg MDMA | 50mg MDMA |
| Larger Dose | 3-5g mushrooms, 100mg MDMA | 50mg MDMA | 50mg MDMA |
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The Good Parts of Hippie Flipping
“Flipping” is a term that refers to using MDMA in combination with other substances, typically psychedelics. In addition to hippie flipping, there exists candy flipping (MDMA and LSD), kitty flipping (MDMA and ketamine), and nexus flipping (MDMA and 2CB).
Many psychedelic users are attracted to hippie flipping because they enjoy the effects of both drugs alone, so they want the best of both worlds.
When hippie flipping, the effects of a mushroom trip experience may include the following.
- Visual effects (enhancement of colors, objects morphing, seeing geometric patterns with eyes open or closed)
- Laughter
- An increased sense of humor
- Introspection and insights
Meanwhile, the positive effects of MDMA that someone might want from the experience could include the below.
- Euphoria (both mental and physical)
- Empathy
- Love
- Connection to others
- Enhanced appreciation of music
The Effects Of Hippie Flipping
The effects of hippie flipping depend on several factors.
- The order in which you take the shrooms and MDMA
- How long you wait in between dosing
- The dose of each
- Whether the MDMA is, in fact, MDMA and not something else
- The purity of the MDMA and whether it’s adulterated with any other substances
- Environment
- Unique biological and psychological factors
Due to the wide variety of factors that can influence the experience, it’s no wonder that the subjective effects of hippie flipping can vary widely from person to person, as well as differ each time a person does it.
When hippie flipping, you’ll likely experience different emotions and sensations: some empathogenic effects (from the MDMA) and some psychedelic effects (from the mushrooms). There may be highs and lows, as with any psychedelic experience.
There is no standard hippie flipping experience, nor any guarantee that the trip will be a smooth and easy one thanks to the MDMA.
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Nonetheless, reports of hippie flipping commonly include the following experiences.
- Euphoria
- Social bonding
- Strong visual effects. Objects can appear to “breathe” or “grow”, while moving objects may appear to trail off or blur
- Elevated senses. Lights, music, color, and touch may all grab your attention, becoming a source of fascination and enjoyment
- Confusion. While MDMA can make you feel more sociable, due to the presence of magic mushrooms, it may be difficult to interpret social cues
- Intense emotional experiences. Taking MDMA along with magic mushrooms does not mean you’ll have a purely pleasant experience. You should be prepared for the possibility of emotional challenges and a confrontation with certain aspects of yourself
How Long Does Hippie Flipping Last?
The effects of magic mushrooms last 4-6 hours, while those of MDMA last between 3-6 hours. So, if you took both of them at the same time, you can expect the experience to last up to six hours.
However, hippie flipping will lead to a longer experience if you take one drug then wait a while until taking the other. Depending on your timing, the effects could last 10+ hours.
After the subjective effects have subsided, it’s possible that you will experience some side effects, such as lethargy, gloominess, or headaches the following day or two. A lot of these side effects are attributable to the MDMA and the depletion of serotonin it causes.
These side effects are known as an MDMA hangover or comedown, also referred to by some as “blue Mondays” or alternatively “suicide Tuesdays” or “Tuesday blues” (due to the delayed crash that people experience after a weekend of raving).
Harm Reduction Information For Hippie Flipping
If thinking about combining magic mushrooms with MDMA, you need to be aware of harm reduction information that relates to each of these drugs alone, as well as their combination.
How To Take Magic Mushrooms Safely
Mixing in MDMA with your shrooms doesn’t mean you can ignore harm reduction tips for tripping. You will still experience psychedelic effects, which may be powerful, perhaps even overwhelming.
When looking to minimize the risks of a “bad trip” while hippie flipping, follow the below as a guide.
- Be prepared to have a psychedelic experience, including altered perceptions and thoughts, as well as intense emotional states
- Have the experience when you feel rested and in a positive, stress-free frame of mind. Taking psychedelics when you feel particularly low or stressed can magnify these states
- If taking these substances with others, make sure you’re close with those people and you can trust them. You want the people you’re with to look out for your welfare
- Be careful about the environment you have the experience in. It is true that MDMA may be suited to a club, party, or rave setting, but the powerful altered state created by the shrooms might make these environments feel overstimulating and overwhelming. You ideally want to have the experience somewhere safe and comfortable.
Magic mushrooms aren’t likely to be adulterated with any harmful substances. However, you should make sure that the shrooms you have aren’t, in fact, a toxic species that looks like a psilocybin-containing one. This will be the greatest danger when it comes to taking shrooms.
The other important point to emphasize is that psilocybin mushrooms don’t mix well with certain mental health issues, such as psychotic disorders.
How To Take MDMA Safely
Harm reduction tips for taking MDMA are different compared to mushrooms. They relate more to considerations of physical safety.
Here are some points to keep in mind before buying or taking MDMA.
- If you source MDMA from the illicit market, it could contain unknown or potentially dangerous compounds and adulterants. Ecstasy pills might contain amphetamine (speed), caffeine, 2CB, ketamine, piperazines, PMA, and PMMA. Both PMA and PMMA are hazardous and have been implicated in a number of deaths. MDMA crystals, meanwhile, are more commonly adulterated with procaine and methamphetamine. Also, DanceSafe found that about half of the alleged MDMA it tested between 2011 and 2013 contained no MDMA at all. This is why it’s crucial to test your drugs, using an MDMA testing kit (like one provided by DanceSafe)
- MDMA can interact negatively with antidepressants such as monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
- Heart rate and blood pressure can increase with MDMA, which may pose an extra risk to you if you have a heart condition
- Unlike shrooms, MDMA often brings an increased risk of seizure, heatstroke, and hyperthermia
- When taking MDMA, you want to ensure you stay hydrated to avoid complications. But don’t drink too much water, as this will pose its own risks
How To Take Both Shrooms And MDMA Safely
Since hippie flipping involves the combination of two drugs, combining shrooms and MDMA could lead to a more intense experience than using either on its own. For this reason, we recommend you start with a low dose of each.
This will lessen the chances of you becoming overwhelmed. A low dose of shrooms is 0.5-2g while for MDMA, this dosage level is 40-75mg.
Make sure to avoid just guessing the dosage, as this won’t be accurate and could lead you to take more than intended. Instead, use high-quality digital scales to accurately weigh out your doses. This is easier when using MDMA powder/crystals, rather than ecstasy pills — which must be split apart.
Splitting pills can be tricky if the dose is high or contain an awkward amount of MDMA. This would make it difficult to break the pill apart into thirds or quarters.
When it comes to your shrooms dosage, be sure to factor in the types of mushrooms you’re using.
Liberty Caps and Penis Envy mushrooms are more potent than standard Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms and cubensis varieties like Golden Teachers. If you have a potent species or strain on your hands, 2g probably won’t feel like a low dose for you.
Regarding the timing, many people find it’s best to take the shrooms first, wait one or two hours, then take the MDMA. This is because MDMA is often brings a more unpleasant comedown. So you might not want to take the MDMA first and shrooms later, as you might then be tripping during the comedown stage of the MDMA. This could make for an uncomfortable or challenging experience.
Hippie flipping can certainly be safe if you follow the above precautions. When done safely, it can lead to beneficial (and often therapeutic) experiences for people.
Disclaimer: We do not endorse the illicit use of Schedule 1 psychedelic compounds in a non-therapeutic setting. We do, however, hope the regulations look at the research to understand how these drugs can used in powerfully positive ways.
