Why Do I Yawn on Psilocybin?
Psilocybin Mushroom Yawns Are Normal and Common
Do you ever wonder, “Why do I yawn on psilocybin?” I’ve pondered the question myself, as I’ve yawned after ingesting psilocybin mushrooms countless times. Don’t worry, yawning after eating mushrooms is normal. Although no one appears to know why psilocybin mushrooms make us yawn, we have a few theories to help explain the cause.
A Primer on Yawning
Even though everyone yawns. Unlike other physiological functions, we don’t know the full story behind yawning and it still remains somewhat of a mystery. To get up to speed on yawning, here’s a brief primer.
If going further down the rabbit hole interests you, read more about the mystery behind yawning. Now that we have the yawning basics out of the way, we can move onto psychedelic yawning.
Mushrooms & Yawns = Electrical Plug in Outlet
I can’t even begin to guesstimate how many times I’ve yawned on psilocybin mushrooms. Mushrooms have made me yawn, perhaps since the first time I tried them. I’m not even sure I can ingest mushrooms without yawning.
More often than not, psilocybin mushrooms provoke yawning on the come up. Depending on the mushroom quality, and how empty my stomach is, the yawning can start 15 minutes or so after ingestion. Unleashing some monster yawns half an hour, or 45 minutes, post-ingestion isn’t uncommon. The yawns curtail after this, but it’s the come up that gets me.
I always get the yawns. The yawns never fail. I can be enjoying mushrooms on a beautiful, summer afternoon, and I’ll start yawning like a baby. Sometimes, I also yawn in public, where and when, no one else is yawning. Then my face starts feeling weird.
During the come up, I get significant, somatic sensations that tend to involve feeling slapstick. My body becomes loosey goosey, in particular my face. My face feels like Silly Putty or Stretch Armstrong, and as soon as I unleash one yawn, I’m certain that I look like Jim Carrey in The Mask.
One thing is certain, mushrooms and yawns go hand in hand. Better yet, mushrooms and yawns are like an appliance and an electrical outlet. The yawns just mean you’re about to plug in.
The 4 Theories about Why Psilocybin Makes Us Yawn
There are a few good articles on the subject of psilocybin and yawning. They’re all quick reads, and are rather sciency, so if you’re into nerding out on scientific minutia and complex explanations, they’ll be right up your alley. Yawning on a come up is a good place to start. Why do we yawn on psychedelics is another solid reference, as well as “Why do magic mushrooms cause the yawns?”
If you aren’t feeling the need, don’t worry about it. Here’s a rundown of the theories about why psilocybin mushrooms make you yawn.
Yawning Fans the Brain. All that psilocin running wild in your brain increases cerebral activity that sparks a hypermetabolic brain state. Your brain has way more activity going on than normal, increasing the temperature, and it has to cool down. Yawning might provide more oxygen to the brain to fan it, like a brain cooling mechanism.
Increased Serotonin and Dopamine Levels. Most classic psychedelics interact with the brain’s serotonin receptors: the 5-HT2A, 5-HT2c and 5-HT1A receptors. Serotonin and dopamine, among other neurotransmitters, are what I call the “happy brain chemicals.” Thus, psychedelics like psilocin working on serotonergic receptors doesn’t come as a surprise. Whenever you see “5-HT…(fill in the blank)” you can bet either a happy brain chemical or psychedelic compound is involved. Yawning may be a byproduct of serotonin overstimulation. Tryptophan, the chemical in turkey that people claim makes us sleepy on Thanksgiving, is a precursor of serotonin. While turkey making us sleepy isn’t proven, there’s an undeniable tryptophan link. Tryptophan is also a precursor of 5-HTP. 5-HTP helps replenish serotonin levels. Often ravers will take 5-HTP before or after MDMA sessions to guard against serotonin depletion.
Boosts Alertness. With the default mode network turned off, and all that wild, psychedelic stuff going on inside your brain, your brain is now on active duty. With the drastic alteration of consciousness and perception, your brain demands more attention and alertness. Boosted alertness may happen via yawning. I think about how Las Vegas casinos pump in oxygen to keep you awake and keep you gambling. Yawning might achieve the same.
Metaphysical Release. The last theory proposes a metaphysical approach to psilocybin yawns. In this case, the yawning may represent pressure and energy being released in a therapeutic manner. Ayahuasca purging comes to mind. I’ll take a case of the yawns over purging, in a heartbeat.
The moment you realize the ayahuasca purge is imminent.
Psychedelic Yawns- How to Prevent, Reduce or Stop Them
Again, psychedelic and/or psilocybin yawns aren’t anything to worry about. They’re normal, and if they were anything worse, I’d have a medical condition. If a potent case of the yawns bother you, here are some ways to alleviate mushroom yawning.
Apply a Cold Compress to the Head. The idea here is that by applying cold to the head, you’ll decrease the heightened thermal activity in the brain. I have no idea if this works. Then again, I don’t carry an ice pack when I’m hiking or at a concert.
Breathe through your Nose. This seems like the best solution.
Reduce Dosage. Anecdotal evidence suggests a correlation between dosage size and yawning volume. I feel this might be true. But if someone has to reduce dosage to inhibit yawning, maybe doing psychedelics isn’t the best idea in the first place.
Lemon Tek the Mushrooms. Lemon tekking mushrooms breaks the psilocybin down into psilocin, thus accelerating uptake. With faster uptake, there’s less come up, and less yawning. I’ve never tried lemon tekking, so I don’t know if this works.
Psychedelics….YAWN.
I’ve had psilocybin yawns that made my face feel like it was contorting into a snake. Snakes dislocate their jaws to eat prey larger than their at-rest, mouth circumference. In my case, I might be eating the universe. Perhaps there’s a Quetzalcoatl/plumed serpent myth about that. I think the ancients experienced psychedelic yawning without a doubt.
Speaking of which, I don’t think I’ve had the yawns during an ayahuasca journey. Purging without a doubt, but no yawns. Ayahuasca sighs are a thing, and I’ve had many of those. I’m not sure if I’ve had yawning bouts on other psychedelics. Regardless, psychedelic yawns aren’t a cause for concern, as they indicate your consciousness is about to depart. To be honest, does anyone get tired half an hour into a good trip?