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own cause of death and disease, bloated stomachs and insanity. Beliefs such as these have survived to the present day. They persist, for example,,, as figures of speech, s u c h as the slick Austrian description of a societal misfit as someone "who ate those madness-inducing mushrooms." But, there is another, very different, magic mushroom legacy as well. Flesh of the Gods for Devil Worshippers The Old World. Mycenaean civilization began with a mushroom trip -Mushrooms were an ingredient in the ambrosia of Dionysus. Porphyrius, the fourth century Latin poet and contemporary of Emperor Konstantin, knew that magic mushrooms were the children of the gods. WHO WAS THE FIRST MAGICIAN? A quasi-cannibalistic ritual, the act of eating the children of the gods unlocked one's power to experience the truly divine. But not all mushrooms enable human beings to enter the realm of divine consciousness. This magic power resides in only those fungi known as "fool's mushrooms", which were considered poisonous and believed to be the spawn of the Devil throughout the late Middle Ages and well into modern times. The New World: The Aztecs in Mexico referred to a number of small, inconspicuous mushrooms as teonartacatl, or "flesh of the Gods." These sacred mushrooms were eaten during the course of rituals intended to contact the Gods in order to learn about the world and the realm of the divine. These magic mushroom rituals thoroughly spooked the Catholic Spaniards. The mushroom eaters, commonly thought of as Devil worshippers, were hounded by the Inquisition. Still, all good things survive the tests of time, so the cult of magic mushroom eaters did not become extinct. Like mycelia underground, the cult continued to flourish, and at the proper time in recorded history, in 1957, the fruit of the fully grown mushroom re-surfaced to draw widespread public attention. Valentine and Gordon Wasson became the heroes of the modern neo-mycophilic movement. Back to the Old World: The revelations and insights gained from the use of psychoactive mushrooms were so magically wonderful, that our native European "fool's mushrooms" - which were gene ; considered inedible - had to be recognized as closely related to the magic mushrooms of Mexico, the flesh of the Aztec Gods. The souls of magic mushrooms in Mexico and Germany are essentially made from the same substance: psilocybin. Jochen Gartz has made an extraordinary contribution to the field of mycology by embracing Germany's magic mushrooms and the scientific study and testing of these fungi. The research efforts upon which this book is based require nothing less than a fearless, brave and courageous consciousness, free of prejudice and mycophobia. I am convinced that a researcher's consciousness infused by the spirit of the magic mushroom is capable of far deeper scientific insights than we can ever expect from the usual ivory tower academics, isolated from reality

Most recreational users of Psilocybe cubensis (when grown in vitro) require a dosage of 1 to 2 gm of dried mushrooms to produce an altered state of consciousness; a clinical dosage for Psilocybe cubensis, on the other hand, had previously been reported as ranging from 3 to 5 gm of UK PSYCHOACTIVE GROWING GROWING dried material. This dosage would be comparable to the amount of fungal material consumed for religious purposes in a Mazatec Indian healing and curing ceremony. In 1982, one research team "found that the level of psilocybin and psilocin varies over a factor of Red Capped Mushrooms In Illinois 4 among various in vitro cultures of Psilocybe cubensis, while specimens from outdoors varied tenfold." A fresh dosage Of Shrooms Of of Psilocybe cubensis in Australia would be approximately from 1 to 2 large mushrooms weighing up to as much as one fresh ounce, or as many as from 25 to 50 small mushrooms equaling the same weight amount. Ethnopharmacologist Jonathan Ott (1976, 1993) noted that he has observed "the ingestion of from 0.5 gm to 5.9 gm dried weight (10 gm to 40 gm fresh)", Psilocybe cyanescens france of various species of Psilocybe.
Dosage for Psilocybe subcubensis would be the same as for Psilocybe cubensis. Both of these latter two species are macroscopically alike.
The usual dosage for Copelandia cyanescens required to induce psychedelic visual effects ranges from 1 to 3 large specimens (cap diameter c. 5 mm), or as many as 5 to l0 medium-sized mushrooms (cap diameter c. 2.5 mm); however, personal tolerance to this species may occur with continued use, and some who consume large amounts of this Psilocybe Semilanceata leipzig mushroom have reportedly ingested as many as 50 to 200 fresh specimens of various sizes.

e creek on wood chips of Carpinus, Alnus and Salix, on raw compost mixtures of Picea, Pinus and Larix needles, as Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Figure 21 - Fruiting curve of Psilocybe cyanescens based on observations at several locations in the former Czechoslovakia. The mycelia make use of different kinds of plant debris and even grow on wet cardboard, where they develop into rhizomorphs just like they would in nature. Rhizomorphs are thick strands of mycelia that serve to transport nutrients and water. They also develop intense blue stains (see Figure 22).
Figure 23 Distribution pattern of Psilocybe cyanescens in Germany and adjacent areas (according to Krieglsteiner). Locations are indicated by black dots. Figure 22 Psilocybe bohemica rhizomorphs growing on wet cardboard. Figure 24 - Psilocybe cyanescens at a natural location (USA). Figure 25 - Psilocybe bohemica on twigs and leaves.
Impressive Experiences Psilocybe bohemica is a very psychoactive species. Its effects are vividly documented in the following account of one natural scientist's experience as part of controlled clinical trials in Prague: About 30 mg of psilocybin in mushroom tissue was prepared in hot water, with effects already noticeable ten minutes after ingestion.
I grew increasingly quiet. At first, my legs began to tingle, then my underarms as well. Aside from a deeper breathing rhythm, few other somatic effects were noted. Initially there were fits of laughter caused by unusual cognitive associations; this laughter also affected the two "sober" guides. A growing hyperacuity interfered with the ability to listen to music, so that Vivaldi's "Springtime" caused painful stabs inside the brain. I compared the pain to that caused by a "sawing knife". The experimenters appeared bloated and yellow... Existing bodily characteristics, such as thinning hair stimulated a person's illusionary transformation into a monk with tonsure. Their voices also appeared reverent and, from a somewhat paranoid point of view, these gentlemen at times seemed to be working a switching station that, for some reasons, was my enemy.
At the same time, I found both of them to be quite likeable. During this time period, the other female subject perceived fantastic images of moving colors and saw visions of her whole life unfolding behind closed eyes. During this period, I had the distinct impression that an electrical current was flowing through my body, which was not an uncomfortable sensation. About three hours later, the gentlemen retired to the kitchen and the nature of the experience changed quite drastically. At first I felt as if my legs were increasingly merging into the wall, a very comfortable experience. In a state of utter clarity of consciousness, I finally felt as if I had no Legal body at all.
I said. "The most descriptive expression is the experience of a pure soul". Using words as triggers, we were able to induce shared experiences o
Of History History align="left"> Most recreational users of Psilocybe cubensis (when grown in vitro) require History 3d 3d History 3d 3d History a dosage of

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There are more Mushrooms Net than 1 dozen species of Shrooms Psilocybe Semilanceata Shrooms Psilocybe Semilanceata Test Psilocybe Semilanceata Drug "magic shayanashop review mushrooms" in Australia and New INTRODUCTION Mind-altering (psilocybine containing) mushrooms have been traditionally used in religious healing and curing ceremonies by native peoples in Mesoamerica for more than 3,000 years. Today, the recreational use of hallucinogenic fungi by Westerners is widespread, especially in various regions of the United States, Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, Great Britain, Europe (especially in the Netherlands), Scandinavia, South America, Southeast Asia, India, Bali, Samoa; Australia and New Zealand. The modern, non-traditional use of hallucinogenic mushrooms has been stimulated, by media reports in newspapers, magazines, word-of-mouth communication, the World Wide Web and Internet, and also by the scholarly and popular journal publications of the renown ethnomycologist R. Gordon Wasson, (Harvard psychologist Timothy Leary, traveler Jeremy Sanford, health guru Andrew Weil, and others (see Allen , Merlin &Jansen, 1991).This field guide reviews the history of both the accidental and purposeful use of psychoactive mushrooms in Australia and New Zealand. Information in this guide has been gathered from personal experiences in Australia by the author and from reports in the scientific literature, news items appearing in the popular press, and personal communications with Australian and New Zealand (NZ) professionals (Unsigned 1970; O'Neill, 1986). . For that reason, freeze-dried samples for biochemical analysis are stored at -10°C prior to alkaloid extractions or chromatography testing. In addition to the reports from Finland, investigators in North America have noted that psilocybin's decay rate is slowest in Psilocybe semilanceata, compared to other species. (1) R = H2P03 (2) R = H Figure 19 - Structural formulas for psilocybin (1) and psilocin (2). CH3 CH3 Psilocybe semilanceata Figure 20 - Distribution pattern of Psilocybe semilanceata in Germany and adjacent areas.
Locations are indicated by black dots. CHAPTER 3.2 PSILOCYBE CYANESCENS - POTENT MUSHROOMS GROWING ON WOOD DEBRIS At Shrooms And Drug Test least one other Psilocybe species in addition to Psilocybe semilanceata is known to exist in Europe. At this point, I must emphasize that the differentiation of single species within the Psilocybe genus is subject to considerable controversy among eminent taxonomists. For example, there are different methods of distinguishing the Hypholoma Legal genus from the Stropharia genus.
The Widespread Distribution of Psilocybe cyanescens While Psilocybe semilanceata is a species that has long been clearly defined and is well known by this name, there are, according to Krieglsteiner, other strongly bluing mushrooms that can be described as belonging to the "Psilocybe cyanescens complex".
These are all mushrooms that grow on raw compost and plant debris. In accordance with current states of knowledge, the following names in the literature are merely synonyms for Psilocybe cyanescens Wakefield emend. Krieglsteiner: different herbariums.
However, the microscopic data pertaining to the Psilocybe species are poorly delineated and oftentimes overlap. It is therefore imperative that additional mycological studies of Psilocybe cyanescens be performed. To this end, fresh mushroom samples from various European locations should be used, and biochemical methods must be included in the investigation. Guzman's division of Psilocybe cyanescens by geographic area, however, definitely turned out to be inaccurate.
According to his system, -North Africa was home to Psilocybe mairei, while Psilocybe cyanescens were found in England and Holland and Psilocybe serbica supposedly grew in Serbia and Bohemia.
The geographic distribution of the entire species seems to cover a vast area, with variations along climate and terrain at locations where samples were collected. Such disparate morphologies are to be expected when dealing with "young" species, that is, species that have not yet firmly established themselves and are still expanding into new locations. Figure 7 (p. 14) displays locations in Europe and North Africa where samples of Psilocybe cyanescens have been found. - Hypholoma cyanescens R. Maire - Hypholoma coprinifacies (Rolland ss. Herink) Pouzar - Geophila cyanescens (R. Maire) Kuhner & Romagnesi - Psilocybe serbica Moser & Horak - Psilocybe mairei Singer - Psilocyb The Mazatec Indians, who have a long tradition of using the mushrooms, inhabit a range of mountains called the Sierra Mazateca in the northeastern corner of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. The shamans in this essay are all natives of the town of Huautla de Jimenez. Properly speaking they are Huautecans; but since the language they speak has been called Mazatec and they have been referred to in the previous anthropological literature as Mazatecs, I have retained that name, though strictly speaking, Mazatecs are the inhabitants of the village of Mazatlan in the same mountains. In addition, many early users of "magic mushrooms" in Australia may have first become aware of their mind-altering and visionary effects by reading the published literature or the many news items appearing in the popular Australian press during the late l960's and early l970's. These news items often described both accidental and deliberate intoxication's which resulted from the ingestion of several varieties of "magic mushrooms". For example, in 1972, one local newspaper report provided an account regarding the use of these mushrooms by young teenagers at a local high school in Brisbane: "...children at a suburban school are getting high on mushrooms called 'Gold Tops.' The mushrooms are common along the Brisbane River near Toowing High School, and children in search of `kicks' have been experimenting with them (Unsigned, 1972)." It would be very obvious to anyone who read this above mentioned news item, when it appeared in print, that those searching for hallucinogenic mushrooms would be able to find them if they so desired. There is yet another factor that may have played a significant role in promoting interest in the use of psychoactive mushrooms in Australia and NZ. Some drug users or mycophillic individuals may have read or heard of R. Gordon Wasson's personal account of his adventurous rediscovery of an hallucinogenic mushroom cult among the Mazatec Indians of Southern Mexico. Dr. Wasson reported the ceremonial use of certain mushrooms as divinatory substances among the Mazatecs and other native peoples in Oaxaca, Mexico (see Wasson, 1957). This journalistic report of Wasson's research expedition appeared in an international edition of Life Magazine in the late l950's, providing many drug users and others with the incentive to seek out, find, and eventually experiment with these mushrooms. More than half of Australia's beef cattle can be found in the coastal areas of Queensland and New South Wales; and the 20 to 30 inch (500-750mm) rainfall belt of Queensland, New South Wales and Northern Victoria, generally provide adequate climatic environments for the growth of psilocybian mushrooms, especially after heavy rains. It has been suggested that "Psilocybe cubensis was introduced into Australia accidentally by early settlers along with their livestock." This same spore dispersal mechanism also probably applies to Copelandia cyanescens, Panaeolus subbalteatus and several additional species known to occur in or around the dung of other ruminants. This includes Psilocybe semilanceata and the non-hallucinogenic "haymaker's" mushroom Panaeolina foenisecii. While cattle are raised in all Australian states, as well as in the central lowlands, recreational users have been known to export these psychoptic species to various areas in Australia from areas where they were collected. In the case of New Zealand, hereafter referred to as NZ, cattle are the primary source for Copelandia cyanescens, but the "liberty cap" mushroom Psilocybe semilanceata only grows in the manured soil of four-legged ruminants and not directly from manure (Jansen, Pers. Comm., 1988). The identification section of this guide documents reported locations for more than 1 dozen species of psilocybian mushrooms in Australia and NZ which most likely have been used at one time or another for recreational purposes. by A. Hofmann, Sandoz Pharmaceuticals manufactured about 2 kg (ca. 4.4lbs) of pure psilocybin for scientific research purposes. The results of pharmacological testing soon revealed psilocybin as an alkaloid that was perfectly safe for human subjects under controlled experimental conditions. Despite this evidence, the anti-drug legislative framework of the mid1960s firmly established an "official mycophobia", a misguided, yet entrenched policy that still prevails today and effectively prevents the scientific investigation of promising potential applications for psilocybin and other alkaloids. At the same time, mycological and biochemical research studies have shown that psilocybincontaining mushrooms thrive all over the world and can be found on all continents. These mushrooms are no different from any other mycoflora and must not be excluded from scientific investigation because of their alkaloid content. In addition to overall variations in value systems across cultures, individuals tend to develop their own personal attitudes towards mushrooms in general. Oftentimes, the evolution of specific opinions about mushrooms can be traced back to childhood events, even though such early experiences seldom account for the development of prevailing biases and value systems later in life. I recall an incident from my own childhood, which occurred when I was about five years old. I was playing in a grassy meadow, when a girl pointed to a brown mushroom and earnestly explained that it was inedible and poisonous. While I have never forgotten this encounter, I did grow up to become a devoted mushroom enthusiast. On the other hand, a different childhood event has left me with the vivid memory of discovering a landfill virtually covered with vast numbers of gilled bluing mushrooms and the sense of awe I experienced contemplating this sight. In general, the unusual characteristics of these mushrooms are most likely responsible for strong impressions formed early in life, which then may develop into various attitudes or beliefs later on. An enduring personal interest in psychotropic mushroom species can serve to amplify or diminish mycophobic as well as mycophilic dispositions, depending on the influence of other factors. After all, judgments about the benefit or folly of deliberately altering one's state of consciousness are also colored by individual preferences, biases and opinions. The following chapters are meant to illustrate this diversity of attitudes towards psychotropic mushrooms. Descriptions of planned and involuntary experiments with specific mushroom species offer convincing evidence that the effects of psychoactive mushrooms are open to many possible interpretations. CHAPTER 3 THE CURRENT STATE OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT EUROPEAN SPECIES Figure 7 - Distribution pattern of Psilocybe cyanescens across Europe and North Africa (according to Krieglsteiner). Black dots indicate approximate locatio

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own cause of death and disease, bloated stomachs and insanity. Beliefs such as these have survived to the present day. They persist, for example,,, as figures of speech, s u c h as the slick Austrian description of a societal misfit as someone "who ate those madness-inducing mushrooms." But, there is another, very different, magic mushroom legacy as well. Flesh of the Gods for Devil Worshippers The Old World. Mycenaean civilization began with a mushroom trip -Mushrooms were an ingredient in the ambrosia of Dionysus. Porphyrius, the fourth century Latin poet and contemporary of Emperor Konstantin, knew that magic mushrooms were the children of the gods. WHO WAS THE FIRST MAGICIAN? A quasi-cannibalistic ritual, the act of eating the children of the gods unlocked one's power to experience the truly divine. But not all mushrooms enable human beings to enter the realm of divine consciousness. This magic power resides in only those fungi known as "fool's mushrooms", which were considered poisonous and believed to be the spawn of the Devil throughout the late Middle Ages and well into modern times. The New World: The Aztecs in Mexico referred to a number of small, inconspicuous mushrooms as teonartacatl, or "flesh of the Gods." These sacred mushrooms were eaten during the course of rituals intended to contact the Gods in order to learn about the world and the realm of the divine. These magic mushroom rituals thoroughly spooked the Catholic Spaniards. The mushroom eaters, commonly thought of as Devil worshippers, were hounded by the Inquisition. Still, all good things survive the tests of time, so the cult of magic mushroom eaters did not become extinct. Like mycelia underground, the cult continued to flourish, and at the proper time in recorded history, in 1957, the fruit of the fully grown mushroom re-surfaced to draw widespread public attention. Valentine and Gordon Wasson became the heroes of the modern neo-mycophilic movement. Back to the Old World: The revelations and insights gained from the use of psychoactive mushrooms were so magically wonderful, that our native European "fool's mushrooms" - which were gene ; considered inedible - had to be recognized as closely related to the magic mushrooms of Mexico, the flesh of the Aztec Gods. The souls of magic mushrooms in Mexico and Germany are essentially made from the same substance: psilocybin. Jochen Gartz has made an extraordinary contribution to the field of mycology by embracing Germany's magic mushrooms and the scientific study and testing of these fungi. The research efforts upon which this book is based require nothing less than a fearless, brave and courageous consciousness, free of prejudice and mycophobia. I am convinced that a researcher's consciousness infused by the spirit of the magic mushroom is capable of far deeper scientific insights than we can ever expect from the usual ivory tower academics, isolated from reality The majority of adverse physical effects or negative psychological reactions produced by "magic mushrooms" generally result from inappropriate set and expectation, or because of improper dosage, which may vary considerably among consumers, different mushroom species, or even within an individual species. The question of dosage is often confused by the variation in the source of the hallucinogenic mushroom species which is consumed. For example, Psilocybe cubensis, when picked and eaten from its natural dung (manure) habitat, produces a relatively mild mindaltering experience, which is evident from the large amounts of fresh specimens needed to achieve a threshold experience. However when grown in vitro (indoor laboratory cultivation and/or illicit cultivation), Psilocybe cubensis apparently can produce a more potent strain capable of inducing a very intense visual, sometimes quite disturbing, experience. This dosage assumes that the consumption of 1 to 3 gm of dried material would be too low if the mushroom specimen came from a wild source. This low potency for Psilocybe cubensis has been confirmed by research scientists Margot & Watling, (1981), who were surprised by the comparatively small amounts of psilocybin and psilocin which they extracted from wild specimens collected from five different locations in Australia. This suggests that a much larger dose would be required to produce significant hallucinations. It is possible that the chemicals most likely degenerated between the time that they were harvested and the time of analysis. However, it should be noted that a strain of Psilocybe cubensis producing different flushes (harvests) will vary somewhat in potency between flushes.

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, and who gorge themselves on our tax dollars. I met Jochen Gartz shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall at the third symposium of the European College for the Study of Consciousness (ECSC) in Freiburg, Germany. Our encounter was my first contact with a researcher from the former East Germany. Jochen Gartz's enthusiastic lecture was a truly consciousnessexpanding event, his words breaking down traditional borders and crossing over into new territory. The magic mushrooms spoke through him - with no trace of dogma or ideology - in the tradition of true anarchy that is the hallmark of mushroom magic. What I heard was unbelievable. Jochen spoke of a "new" psychedelic mushroom and its migration. The mycelia had spread in concentric circles outward from Leipzig, jumping all political borders. Finally, when the mycelia reached West German soil, the hated Berlin Wall crumbled. Could there possibly be a connection between the evolution of the magic mushroom and the evolution of our consciousness? Could a mushroom have contributed to the resolution of our political conflicts? In the past, politicians, even popes, had their own jesters and magicians, who functioned as pressure release valves in the machinations of political power struggles. It is obvious that a country whose chancellor is being pelted with eggs, urgently needs a new breed of magician who are able to readjust reality. But today, no aspiring magician should go about this task without this book as a guide for the wondrous journey into the realm of magic mushrooms. Christian Rdtsch Figure 5 - "Anthropomorphic Beings Engaged in Mushroom Dance" 10,000-year-old rock drawing in Tassili, Sahara (Algeria) CHAPTER 1 I BELIEVE THE TIME HAS COME FOR A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF NEW FINDINGS FROM THE FIELDS OF MYCOLOGY, TAXONOMY AND NATURAL PRODUCTS CHEMISTRY When R.G. Wasson, R. Heim and A. Hofmann began their interdisciplinary research program to study the Mexican species of mushrooms and their usage in Mexican mushroom cults, their efforts culminated in a 1958 landmark report that described the isolation, molecular structure and synthesis of the mushrooms' active ingredients: psilocybin and psilocin. Several years later, these substances were also identified in a species of mushroom in Europe, Psilocybe semilanceata, which became the first in a series of newly discovered species. Since then, psychoactive mushrooms from other genera have been reported with increasing frequency. As part of my analytical work dedicated to the identification of naturally occurring chemicals, I had the good fortune to be part of a research team that studied alkaloids found in a variety of mushroom species.
Now I believe the time has come for a comprehensive review of new findings from the fields Mushrooms Net of mycology, taxonomy Legal and natural products chemistry. Wasson and his successors have already provided detailed accounts pertaining grow grow hawwian to the history and study of the Me

The Mazatec Indians, who have a long tradition of using the mushrooms, inhabit a range Do Magic Mushrooms Grown In Illinois of mountains called the Sierra Mazateca in the northeastern corner of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. The shamans in this essay are all natives of the town of Huautla de Jimenez. Properly speaking they are Huautecans; but since the language they speak has been called Mazatec and they have been referred to in the previous anthropological literature as eat Inocybe aeruginascens Mazatecs, I have retained that name, though strictly speaking, Mazatecs are the inhabitants of the village of Mazatlan in the same mountains.

. For that reason, freeze-dried samples for biochemical analysis are stored at -10°C prior Magic Mushroom Spore Syringe to alkaloid extractions or chromatography testing. In addition to the reports from Finland, investigators in North America have noted that psilocybin's decay rate is slowest in Psilocybe semilanceata, compared to other species. (1) R = H2P03 (2) R = H Figure 19 - Structural formulas for psilocybin (1) and psilocin (2). CH3 CH3 Psilocybe semilanceata Figure 20 - Distribution pattern of Psilocybe semilanceata in Germany and adjacent areas. Locations are indicated by black dots. CHAPTER 3.2 PSILOCYBE CYANESCENS - POTENT MUSHROOMS GROWING ON WOOD DEBRIS At least one other Psilocybe species in addition to Psilocybe semilanceata is known to exist in Europe. At this point, I must emphasize that the differentiation of single species within the Psilocybe genus is subject to considerable controversy among eminent taxonomists. For example, there are different methods of distinguishing the Hypholoma genus from the Stropharia genus. The Widespread Distribution of Psilocybe cyanescens While Psilocybe semilanceata is a species that has long been clearly defined and is well known by this name, there are, according to Krieglsteiner, other strongly bluing mushrooms that can be described as belonging to the "Psilocybe cyanescens complex". These are all mushrooms that grow on raw compost and plant debris. In accordance with current states of knowledge, the following names in the literature are merely synonyms for Psilocybe cyanescens Wakefield emend. Krieglsteiner: different herbariums. However, the microscopic data pertaining to the Psilocybe species are poorly delineated and oftentimes overlap. It is therefore imperative that additional mycological studies of Psilocybe cyanescens be performed. To this end, fresh mushroom samples from various European locations should be used, and biochemical methods must be included in the investigation. In Illinois Which Grows Which In In In Guzman's division of Psilocybe cyanescens by geographic area, however, definitely

turned out to be inaccurate. According to his system, -North Africa was home to Psilocybe mairei, while Psilocybe cyanescens were found in England and Holland and Psilocybe serbica supposedly grew in Serbia and Bohemia. The geographic distribution of the entire species seems to cover a vast area, with variations along climate and terrain at locations where samples were collected. Such disparate morphologies are to be expected when dealing with "young" species, that is, species that have not yet Growing Pluteus firmly established themselves and are still expanding into new locations. Figure 7 (p. 14) displays locations in Europe and North Africa where samples of Psilocybe cyanescens have been found. - Hypholoma cyanescens R. Maire - Hypholoma coprinifacies (Rolland ss. Herink) Pouzar - Geophila cyanescens (R. Maire) Kuhner & Romagnesi - Psilocybe serbica Moser & Horak - Psilocybe mairei Singer - Psilocyb and familiarity with psychotropic mushrooms in Europe that is most likely derived from usage of Psilocybes and related species, rather than experience with Amanita muscaria. However, it is extremely difficult to reject or confirm this hypothesis, due to the lack of conclusive data available for analysis today. Bwyd Ellylon: A Feast of Fairies in Celebration of the Spirit World Tales of ritualistic mushroom usage have found their way into the realm of myths and legends. For instance, one legend describes a peculiar poisonous mushroom in Wales (British Isles) with the strange name of Bwyd Ellylon, which was considered a delicacy by fairies feasting in celebration of the spirit world. Psilocybe semilanceata is the most important psilocybincontaining mushroom in Europe and it thrives in parts of Great Britain, where the mushroom grows abundantly all across the Welsh countryside during fall season. I would like to thank G. Samorini for pointing out that the Inquisition was unusually cruel and vicious in the Alpine valleys of Valcamonica, Valtrompia and Valtellina (located in the provinces of Brescia and Sandrio in Northern Italy). Many books chronicle countless witch burnings in that region, with particular emphasis on the witches' meetings at the "Monte del Tonale", located at an altitude of 2000 m (ca. 6,000 ft). Field research has shown that plants of the nightshade family ("witching herbs") do not grow at this altitude; even the fly agaric mushroom is rarely found there. By contrast, pastures in the area abound with Psilocybe semilanceata during the fall. Given this historical context, it would seem likely that Psilocybe semilanceata played an important role as a psychotropic agent in the region (see Figure 58, Chapter 7.4). In light of medieval accounts describing the practice of witchcraft, it is interesting to note that a subjective sensation of flying or levitation is among the commonly reported effects of psilocybin intoxication. Berserk Rage of Nordic Warriors In the course of the ideological power struggle between Christianity and the remnants of pagan religions that worshipped Nature, many sources of knowledge were lost. The aggressive repression and eradication of pre-Christian customs all but destroyed the continuity of Europe's original cultural heritage, along with much historic evidence documenting early cultural practices, including the usage of plants and mushrooms for the purpose of temporary alterations of consciousness. Some authors went so far as to blame the fly agaric mushroom for proverbial fits of "berserk rage" attributed to Nordic warriors. Many accounts detailing this phenomenon allude to a "deception of the eyes" (i.e. visual hallucinations). After the Nordic legal system banished the practice of "going berserk", it disappeared quite suddenly during the 12th century. At about the same time, Saxo Grammaticus speculated that the Berserkers may have used mag The question of dosage is often confused by the variation in the source of the hallucinogenic mushroom species which is consumed.