Truffles and mushrooms come from the same kind of fungus: truffles (sclerotia) grow underground, mushrooms are the part that grows above ground. The main truffles vs mushrooms difference in the Netherlands is legal: mushrooms are on List II of the Opium Act and have been banned since 2008, fresh as well as dried, while truffles are not named in that law and are legal. Stars Frequencies guides truffle ceremonies in Amsterdam with legal truffles only, in a small group of up to 8 people (€295 per person) or private (€495).
People who come to a ceremony for the first time often ask whether truffles and mushrooms are the same thing. Biologically they are close relatives. In daily language they are often mixed up. Legally, in the Netherlands, they are two different things, and that difference matters for you as a participant.
| Truffles | Mushrooms | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Sclerotia: a compact part of the fungus that forms underground | The fruiting body of the fungus |
| Where it grows | Below the surface | Above the surface |
| What it looks like | Small, firm, irregular lumps | A stem with a cap |
| Dutch law | Not named in the Opium Act, so legal | On List II of the Opium Act, so banned |
| Since 2008 | Still legal | Banned, fresh as well as dried |
| Name in Dutch | Truffels | Paddo's |
| At Stars Frequencies | The only thing Rosa works with | Never used |
The table shows the facts. What it does not show is what those facts mean for you, and that is what the rest of this page is about.
Truffles, also called sclerotia, are a compact part of certain fungi that forms underground. The fungus stores nutrients in them. They look like small, firm lumps and have nothing to do with the truffles you know from a restaurant menu, apart from the name.
Truffles and the related mushrooms both contain psilocybin, which is why the two are so often compared. What differs is the form, the way they grow and, in the Netherlands, their legal status. Mushrooms are the part you can see above the ground. Truffles stay below it.
More background is on the page about what truffles are.
In the Netherlands, mushrooms are on List II of the Opium Act, the list of so-called soft drugs. Since 2008, selling mushrooms has been banned, fresh as well as dried. The ban followed a number of incidents involving tourists.
Truffles are not named in the Opium Act. That is why they are legal in the Netherlands. The Trimbos Institute explains this on its information site DRUGSinfo, in Dutch. You can find the links under sources at the bottom of this page.
In practice this means that a legal truffle ceremony in the Netherlands works with truffles, not with mushrooms. Stars Frequencies works only with legal truffles. For more on this, read whether a truffle ceremony is legal.
One more thing, because it is easy to mix up: legal does not mean without risk, and it does not mean suitable for everyone. Legal status says something about the law. It says nothing about whether a ceremony is right for you.
If you are someone who wants to keep control, the legal question is often the first thing you check. That makes sense. You want to know that you are not doing anything illegal, and that the person guiding you works within the rules.
At Stars Frequencies you do not have to worry about that part. Rosa works only with legal truffles. What deserves your attention is everything else: whether the timing is right, whether your health and medication allow it, and whether you feel safe with the person guiding you. Those questions are what the free intro call of 30 minutes is for.
A ceremony is not suitable if you or a first-degree relative has had a psychosis or schizophrenia, with bipolar disorder type I, during an acute crisis, with lithium or MAO inhibitors, with serious heart or vascular disease, unstable raised blood pressure or epilepsy, or during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Other medication is always discussed in the intro call. It also helps to know how to recognise a trustworthy provider.
A ceremony is not a replacement for medical or psychological care. Read more about safety
A truffle ceremony at Stars Frequencies is a guided day of about 7 hours in Amsterdam, with a meal, in a small group of up to 8 people or private. Meditation and sound healing are a fixed part of every ceremony. They give your head something to follow and help your body come to rest. Rosa is in the room the whole ceremony, and there is an emergency protocol.
The amount is never a standard number. We tune the amount to you together in the intro call. About half of the participants are doing it for the first time. No experience needed. You do not have to let go before you are ready. Letting go is not a condition. It is a consequence.
Write to Rosa to ask whether a ceremony in English is possible for you.
We do not compare strength in numbers, because the answer differs per product and per person. What matters more is that the amount fits you. We tune the amount to you together in the intro call.
Because the Opium Act names mushrooms and not truffles. Mushrooms are on List II of the Opium Act, and since 2008 selling them is banned, fresh as well as dried. Truffles are not named in the law, so they remain legal in the Netherlands.
No, although they come from the same kind of fungus. A truffle is the compact part that forms underground, a mushroom is the fruiting body above ground. In the Netherlands they are legally different as well.
No. Mushrooms are banned in the Netherlands, fresh as well as dried, and Stars Frequencies works only with legal truffles. What you need to bring for the day, you hear in the intro call.
Yes, several kinds of truffles are grown, and they differ slightly in look and taste. Which truffles Rosa works with, and why, you can ask her in the intro call.
Truffles are legal in the Netherlands, but this website does not give advice about using them on your own. Stars Frequencies guides ceremonies, with screening beforehand and Rosa in the room the whole day. For independent information, the Trimbos Institute and Jellinek are reliable sources.
No. Legal says something about the law, not about whether a ceremony suits you. A ceremony is not suitable with, for example, a history of psychosis in yourself or a first-degree relative, bipolar disorder type I, lithium or MAO inhibitors, or during pregnancy. That is why every ceremony starts with a free intro call and screening.
In a free 30-minute intro call you talk with Rosa about where you are now and whether a ceremony fits. You only pay once it is clear in that call that it fits.
