Psilocybe eucalypta Guzmán
. 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 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. 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 Life Sciences Bacteriology Danger Of Shrooms 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 physiology of Psilocybe cyanescens still expanding into new
locations.
Figure 7 (p. 14) displays locations in
Europe and North Africa physiology of Psilocybe cyanescens 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
a have been reported from
the following countries: Finland, Norway,
Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland,
Austria, The Netherlands, Belgium, France,
Russia, Poland, the former Czechoslovakia,
Hungary, Romania, Scotland, England, Wales,
Italy and Spain.
Unfortunately, there are no comprehensive
maps detailing the species's
distribution pattern. Traditionally, mycologists
have often neglected relatively tiny species, such
as Psilocybe semilanceata, that tend to share their
habitats with other, more prominent species. The
sarcastic phrase "The mushrooms occur in
abundance wherever mycologists abound" is
particularly pertinent in reference to the Psilocybe
species. Prior to the discovery of psilocybin, the
Psilocybe genus languished in the literature,
shrouded in obscurity. To this day, few
189. Psilocybe semilanceata Fr. Worthless]
The cap is uniformly conic to bell-shaped, with a pointy or obtuse center forming
an almost wart-like protrusion; initially, caps are often taller than they are wide, margins
are bent and curved inward; later on, width of cap is 1.5-4 cm. Hygrophanous; coloration
is a dirtyish olive-brown when wet, with translucent striate margins; at the center,
coloration is ocher or greenish-yellow against an overall shade of smudgy pale yellow and
oftentimes some greenish stains; only the margins are banded by a darkcolored, watery
stripe around the edge. No stripes or banding evident when mushrooms are completely
dried. Lacking a veil, caps are thin-fleshed, bald, with an easily separable pellicle that
remains gelatinous-sticky for a long time, turning shiny when dry.
Gills are olive brown to blackish purple brown in color, with the edges often
remaining white, gill spacing is quite crowded; gill attachment is either roughly linear or
mostly adnexed; up to 3.5 mm wide; attached at the stem only, fully detached later on.
Spores are elongated to ellipitical in shape, smooth and large, measuring 12-16 u
by 6-8,u. Color of spore dust is blackish purple brown.
Stem is very slender, almost uniformly thin and always twisted, 6-12 cm long and
1.25-2 mm thick, yellowish or whitish in color; areas subjected to pressure develop bluishgreen
stains. Stems are silky smooth and roughly at the center, cortinate fibrils appear like
remnants of a veil, which is brittle and lined with a white fibrous cord of wool-like
texture.
When dry, the flesh of the cap is colored pale yellow, while the stem's flesh is
ocher brown in color, especially towards the bottom. It is odorless and its flavor is mild.
The mushroom grows from August to October, frequently in gregarious clusters, and can
be found in pastures and along roadways, growing on dung that has undergone complete
decomposition. It is not a particularly rare species.
Figure 11(above) This excellent description of Psilocybe semilanceata by Michael & Schulz
(1927) is shown here as originally published in German, with an English translation.
Mycologists sp as well. Below are
some excerpts from his research protocols:
J.H. (a 24-year-old male) ingested four
cooked mushrooms at night, after a meal (!), and
then ate another three fresh mushrooms 30 minutes
later. This was followed by regurgitation, and 45
minutes later, he started to sweat profusely all over
his head and body. His pulse rate and breathing
were accelerated, but slowed down later on. He
laid down and experienced visual
hallucinations, which caused him to panic and to
run a distance of about 1,200 ft. to consult the
nearest doctor. The physician noted widely dilated
pupils, and proceeded to have the patient's
stomach pumped and then prescribed laxatives.
Three hours later, the abnormal state had largely
subsided; by the next morning, there was no
evidence of any other side effects.
M.K. (a 22-year-old male) ate just one
fresh mushroom, which had no effects at all.
K .Y. (a 31-year-old male) ate five
mushrooms. Regurgitation occurred 30 minutes
after ingestion, followed by sweating around the
head and body; his extremities appeared to be
slightly paralyzed. This paralysis persisted for
another three hours. During this time, the subject
had great difficulties handling a pen for writing,
his mood was depressed and he experienced
hallucinations, such as colorful lights flooding
down from the sky. By the following morning, all
of these effects had dissipated. The fresh fruiting
bodies were bitter, a taste that disappeared after
the mushrooms had been cooked in water.
The above experiments are rather
amateurish, and the descriptions of results are
heavily influenced by a simplistic perspective
which assumes that the mushrooms's
pharmacological effects proceed along a single,
narrow track. Still, these accounts demonstrate
that comparable dosages of Japanese mushroom
species have psychotropic effects similar to those
caused by Psilocybe species found on other
continents.
Much work still remains to be done in the
areas of phytochemistry and taxonomy before the
body of knowledge about psychotropic mushroom
species in Japan can grow to become adequate.
The geographic distribution and ingredients of the
Japanese Panaeolus species must also be studied
further. For instance, Panaeolus subbalteatus is
one of the species that are growing on several
Japanese islands today.
CHAPTER 7.6
INTOXICATIONS AND THE OLDEST KNOWN
MUSHROOM CULT IN AFRICA
So far, the mycoflora of the African
continent has been studied only peripherally and
remains largely unknown. During the late 1980s,
Italian mycologist G. Samorini and Terence
McKenna, working independently, found evidence
for the oldest known mushroom cult in Africa.
Their discoveries were not just sensational, but
most surprising as well. On the other hand, it
really shouldn't come as a surprise that the oldest
traces of human contact with mushrooms were
found on the very continent known as the cradle of
humanity.
10,000 Years Old
From 9,000 to
xican mushroom species, so that
these materials need not be repeated in this
context. However, certain aspects concerning the
more recent uses of these mushrooms as well as
their conditions of growth will receive more
detailed attention in later chapters.
The main purpose of this book is to
inspire further study of these mushrooms,
particularly basic research efforts and medical
applications of magic mushroom ingredients.
The extensive bibliography will help
scientists and other interested mycophiles to
further immerse themselves in this complex area
of study.
Jochen Gartz
Figure 6 - Bronze doors with mushroom motif entitled "Trial and
Judgment" at Hildesheim Cathedral, Germany (ca. 1020).
CHAPTER 2
REFLECTIONS ON THE HISTORY
AND SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF MAGIC MUSHROOMS
It is remarkable that cultures native to the
American continent knew about a relatively large
number Belgie Buying Psychedelic Mushroom Spores In New Zealand of natural mind-altering substances
compared to early cultures that evolved in Europe
or Asia. Botanical evidence does not support the
notion that Europe is home to fewer hallucinogenic
plants than other regions. Furthermore, the
growing number of recently discovered European
mushroom species containing psilocybin indicate a
flourishing psychotropic mycoflora in Europe
similar to those found in other countries.
It is unlikely that early European cultures
learned less about local plants and mushrooms
through usage and experience than cultures
elsewhere in the world. Most likely, early cultural
knowledge of European psychoactive plants and
mushrooms was lost or destroyed at some time in
history, probably as early as several hundred years
ago.
The discovery that the fly agaric
mushroom (Amanita muscaria) was known for its
psychoactive properties in Siberia invited the
conclusion that this mushroom was used as a
psychotropic agent in medieval Europe as well. In
fact, there is very little evidence from the Middle
Ages to indicate widespread knowledge of the
effects of specific mushrooms on human
consciousness. However, I believe that past reports
on psychoactive mushrooms were causally linked
to Amanita muscaria simply because this was the
only known psychotropic mushroom in Europe at
that time.
While the usage of Amanita muscaria
among Siberian tribes has generated reports of
spectacular hallucinations, European accounts of
fly agaric intoxications do not generally include
descriptions of such intensely hallucinatory
effects.
Accordingly, the potent hallucinogenic
effects of specific Psilocybes and related species
are likely to have Of Mushrooms Of Mushrooms had a much more significant
influence on early European cultures than the
delirium-like visions induced by Amanita
muscaria, a species that is also known to induce
unconsciousness and severe somatic side effects.
This hypothesis is corroborated by data from
comprehensive field studies conducted in Mexico.
I believe that historic accounts including those
described below - indicate a knowledge of
magic mushroom pictures
Cow Mushroom "PSILOCYBE AZURESCENS SPORES" CANADA There are Magic Mushroom Kit more than 1 dozen species
"PSILOCYBE AZURESCENS SPORES" CANADA
of "magic mushrooms" in Australia
Hunting Stuffed Hunting Stuffed Recipe and New
a have been reported from
the following countries: Finland, Norway,
Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland,
Austria, The Netherlands, Belgium, France,
Russia, Poland, the former Czechoslovakia,
Hungary, Romania, Scotland, England, Wales,
Italy and Spain.
Unfortunately, there are no comprehensive
maps detailing the species's
distribution pattern. Traditionally, mycologists
have often neglected relatively tiny species, such
as Psilocybe semilanceata, that tend to share their
habitats with other, more prominent species. The
sarcastic phrase "The mushrooms occur in
abundance wherever mycologists abound" is
particularly pertinent in reference to the Psilocybe
species.
Prior to the discovery of psilocybin, the
Psilocybe genus languished in the literature,
shrouded in obscurity. To this day, few
189. Psilocybe semilanceata Fr. Worthless]
The cap is uniformly conic to bell-shaped, with a pointy or obtuse center forming
an almost wart-like protrusion; initially, caps are often taller than they are wide, margins
are bent and curved inward; later on, width of cap is 1.5-4 cm. Hygrophanous; coloration
is a dirtyish olive-brown when wet, with translucent striate margins; at the center,
coloration is ocher or greenish-yellow against an overall shade of smudgy pale yellow and
oftentimes some greenish stains; only the margins are banded by a darkcolored, watery
stripe around the edge. No stripes or banding evident when mushrooms are completely
dried. Lacking a veil, caps are thin-fleshed, bald, with an easily separable pellicle that
remains gelatinous-sticky for a long time, turning shiny when dry.
Gills are olive brown to blackish purple brown in color, with the edges often
remaining white, gill spacing is quite crowded; gill attachment is either roughly linear or
mostly adnexed; up to 3.5 mm wide; attached at the stem only, fully detached later on.
Spores are elongated to ellipitical in shape, smooth and large, measuring 12-16 u
by 6-8,u. Color of spore dust is blackish purple brown.
Stem is very slender, almost uniformly thin and always twisted, 6-12 cm long and
1.25-2 mm thick, yellowish or whitish in color; areas subjected to pressure develop bluishgreen
stains. Stems are silky smooth and roughly at the center, cortinate fibrils appear like
remnants of a veil, which is brittle and lined with a white fibrous cord of wool-like
texture.
When dry, the flesh of the cap is colored pale yellow, while the stem's flesh is
ocher brown in color, especially towards the bottom.
It is odorless and its flavor is mild.
The mushroom grows from August to October, frequently in gregarious clusters, and can
be found in pastures and along roadways, growing on dung that has undergone complete
decomposition.
It is not a particularly rare species.
Figure 11(above) This excellent description of Psilocybe semilanceata by Michael & Schulz
(1927) is shown here as originally published in German, with an English translation.
Mycologists spa have been reported from
the following countries: Finland, Norway,
Sweden, Denmark, kits magic mushroom Germany, Switzerland,
Austria, The Netherlands, Belgium, France,
Russia, Poland, the former Czechoslovakia,
Hungary, Romania, Scotland, England, Wales,
Italy and Spain.
Unfortunately, there are no comprehensive
maps detailing the species's
distribution pattern. Traditionally, mycologists
have often neglected relatively tiny species, such
as Psilocybe semilanceata, that tend to share their
habitats with other, more prominent species. The
sarcastic Poisonous Mushroom phrase "The mushrooms occur in
abundance wherever mycologists abound" is
particularly pertinent in reference to the Psilocybe
species. Prior to the discovery of psilocybin, the
Psilocybe genus languished in the literature,
shrouded in obscurity. To this day, few
189. Psilocybe semilanceata Fr. Worthless]
The cap is uniformly conic to bell-shaped, with a pointy or obtuse center forming
an almost wart-like protrusion; initially, caps are often taller than they are wide, margins
are bent and curved inward; later on, width of cap is 1.5-4 cm. Hygrophanous; coloration
is a dirtyish olive-brown when wet, with translucent striate margins; at the center,
coloration is ocher or greenish-yellow against an overall shade of smudgy pale yellow and
oftentimes some greenish stains; only the margins are banded by a darkcolored, watery
stripe around the edge. No stripes or banding evident when mushrooms are completely
dried. Lacking a veil, caps are thin-fleshed, bald, with an easily separable pellicle that
remains gelatinous-sticky for a long time, turning shiny when dry.
Gills are olive brown to blackish purple brown in color, with the edges often
remaining white, gill spacing is quite crowded; gill attachment is either roughly linear or
mostly adnexed; up to 3.5 mm wide; attached at the stem only, fully detached later on.
Spores are elongated to ellipitical in shape, smooth and large, measuring 12-16 u
by 6-8,u.
Color of spore dust is blackish purple brown.
Stem is very slender, almost uniformly thin and always twisted, 6-12 cm long and
1.25-2 mm thick, yellowish or whitish in color; areas subjected to pressure develop bluishgreen
stains. Stems are silky smooth and roughly at the center, cortinate fibrils appear like
remnants of a veil, which is brittle and lined with a white fibrous cord of wool-like
texture.
When dry, the flesh of the cap is colored pale yellow, while the stem's flesh is
ocher brown in color, especially towards the bottom.
It is odorless and its flavor is mild.
The mushroom grows from August to October, frequently in gregarious clusters, and can
be found in pastures and along roadways, growing on dung that has undergone complete
decomposition. It is not a particularly rare species.
Figure 11(above) This excellent description of Psilocybe semilanceata by Michael & Schulz
(1927) is shown here as originally published in German, with an English translation.
Mycologists spa have been reported from
the following countries: Finland, Norway,
Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland,
Austria, The Netherlands, Belgium, France,
Russia, Poland, the former Czechoslovakia,
Hungary, Romania, Scotland, England, Wales,
Italy and Spain.
Unfortunately, there are no comprehensive
maps detailing the species's
distribution pattern.
Traditionally, mycologists
have often neglected relatively tiny species, such
as Psilocybe semilanceata, that tend to share their
habitats with other, more prominent species. The
sarcastic phrase "The mushrooms occur in
abundance wherever mycologists abound" is
particularly pertinent in reference to the Psilocybe
species. Prior to the discovery of psilocybin, the
Psilocybe genus languished in the literature,
shrouded in obscurity. To this day, few
189. Psilocybe semilanceata Fr. [Worthless
The cap is uniformly conic to bell-shaped, with a pointy or obtuse center forming
an almost wart-like protrusion; initially, caps are often taller than they are wide, margins
are bent and curved inward; later on, width of cap is 1.5-4 cm. Hygrophanous; coloration
is a dirtyish olive-brown when wet, with translucent striate margins; at the center,
coloration is ocher or greenish-yellow against an overall shade of smudgy pale yellow and
oftentimes some greenish stains; only the margins are banded by a darkcolored, watery
stripe around the edge. No stripes or banding evident when mushrooms are completely
dried.
Lacking a veil, caps are thin-fleshed, bald, with an easily separable pellicle that
remains gelatinous-sticky for a long time, turning shiny when dry.
Gills are olive brown to blackish purple brown in color, with the edges often
remaining white, gill spacing is quite crowded; gill attachment is either roughly linear or
mostly adnexed; up to 3.5 mm wide; attached at the stem only, fully detached later on.
Spores are elongated to ellipitical in shape, smooth and large, measuring 12-16 u
by 6-8,u. Color of spore dust is blackish purple brown.
Stem is very slender, almost uniformly thin and always twisted, 6-12 cm long and
1.25-2 mm thick, yellowish or whitish in color; areas subjected to pressure develop bluishgreen
stains. Stems are silky smooth and roughly at the center, cortinate fibrils appear like
remnants of a veil, which is brittle and lined with a white fibrous cord of wool-like
texture.
When dry, the flesh of the cap is colored pale yellow, while the stem's flesh is
ocher brown in color, especially towards the bottom. It is odorless and its flavor is mild.
The mushroom grows from August to October, frequently in gregarious clusters, and can
be found in pastures and along roadways, growing on dung that has undergone complete
decomposition. It is not a particularly rare species.
Figure 11(above) This excellent description of Psilocybe semilanceata by Michael & Schulz
(1927) is shown here as originally published in German, with an English translation.
Mycologists spa have been reported from
the following countries: Finland, Norway,
Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland,
Austria, The Netherlands, Belgium, France,
Russia, Poland, the former Czechoslovakia,
Hungary, Romania, Scotland, England, Wales,
Italy and Spain.
Unfortunately, there are no comprehensive
maps detailing the species's
distribution pattern. Traditionally, mycologists
have often neglected relatively tiny species, such
as Psilocybe semilanceata, that tend to share their
habitats with other, more prominent species. The
sarcastic phrase "The mushrooms occur in
abundance wherever mycologists abound" is
particularly pertinent in reference to the Psilocybe
species. Prior to the discovery of psilocybin, the
Psilocybe genus languished in the literature,
shrouded in obscurity. To this day, few
189.
Psilocybe semilanceata Fr. Worthless
The cap is uniformly conic to bell-shaped, with a pointy or obtuse center forming
an almost wart-like protrusion; initially, caps are often taller than they are wide, margins
are bent and curved inward; later on, width of cap is 1.5-4 cm. Hygrophanous; coloration
is a dirtyish olive-brown when wet, with translucent striate margins; at the center,
coloration is ocher or greenish-yellow against an overall shade of smudgy pale yellow and
oftentimes some greenish stains; only the margins are banded by a darkcolored, watery
stripe around the edge. No stripes or banding evident when mushrooms are completely
dried. Lacking a veil, caps are thin-fleshed, bald, with an easily separable pellicle that
remains gelatinous-sticky for a long time, turning shiny when dry.
Gills are olive brown to blackish purple brown in color, with the edges often
remaining white, gill spacing is quite crowded; gill attachment is either roughly linear or
mostly adnexed; up to 3.5 mm wide; attached at the stem only, fully detached later on.
Spores are elongated to ellipitical in shape, smooth and large, measuring 12-16 u
by 6-8,u.
Color of spore dust is blackish purple brown.
Stem is very slender, almost uniformly thin and always twisted, 6-12 cm long and
1.25-2 mm thick, yellowish or whitish in color; areas subjected to pressure develop bluishgreen
stains. Stems are silky smooth and roughly at the center, cortinate fibrils appear like
remnants of a veil, which is brittle and lined with a white fibrous cord of wool-like
texture.
When dry, the flesh of the cap is colored pale yellow, while the stem's flesh is
ocher brown in color, especially towards the bottom. It is odorless and its flavor is mild.
The mushroom grows from August to October, frequently in gregarious clusters, and can
be found in pastures and along roadways, growing on dung that has undergone complete
decomposition.
It is not a particularly rare species.
Figure 11(above) This excellent description of Psilocybe semilanceata by Michael & Schulz
(1927) is Life Sciences Botany shown here as originally published in German, with an English translation.
Mycologists sp
The question of dosage is often confused by the variation in the source of the hallucinogenic mushroom species which is consumed. It has been suggested by an Australian physician that the general public in Australia, as well as members of its drug using subculture, first became aware of the visionary properties of these psychoactive mushrooms by a visiting surfer(s), who came from either New Zealand or the United States (Hawaii) and most likely provided ethnomycological information to local surfers (McCarthy, 1971). This physician reported that the use of psychoactive mushrooms, as well as 21 other drugs "was well demonstrated during a survey on drug abuse that was conducted in Southern Queensland during l969." This survey relied on interviews of 51 people belonging to "the `surfer' subculture local beach resorts". In this report, the doctor believed that "although the survey involved surfers and their female friends, there is no suggestion that the use of these drugs is confined to this group, which constitutes but a proportion of our (Australian) young drug taking community." It is thus likely that word-of-mouth communication made a significant contribution to the increasing use of "magic mushrooms" in Australia and NZ. 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.
Drug Psychoactive Drug Drug The question of dosage is often confused by the variation in the source of the hallucinogenic mushroom species which is consumed.
Type Of Shrooms Shrooms It has been suggested by an Australian physician that the general public in Australia, as well as members of its drug using subculture,
was
followed by a very vivid sensation of the soul in
flight, coupled with feelings of euphoria.When
looking out the window into the dark night of a
forest landscape, visions of strange patterns and
formations occurred, which were deeply impressive
and seemed to impart an inkling of eternity. At the
end of four hours, the effects had dissipated without
dysphoria or any type of somatic side effect.
A control experiment for comparison
purposes was performed using 0.8 g of dried
Psilocybe semilanceata. The onset of symptoms was
much more sudden, including a heavy flow of tears,
so that there was an initial phase of anxiety. Only in
a later phase of the experience was it possible to
perceive ornaments in the form of "underwater
streamers", and to appreciate the aesthetically
enhanced nature of these visions.
The regular pattern of. involuntary
intoxications is a good indicator for the large scope
of expansion of Inocybe aeruginascens into new
habitats during the 1980s. For example, at the time
of the initial intoxications - when the species was
still restricted to a few easily quantifiable
collections - the mushrooms had spread from
Potsdam to the location known in 1982, and from
there moved on to several other locations in the
vicinity, where more than 150 mushrooms were
found (see Figure 34).
Symbiosis With Trees
Starting in late May 1984, fruiting bodies
of the species could be found in abundance at
countless new locations across the Brandenburg
region of Germany. They tend to grow near the
roots of different deciduous trees (Populus, Tilia,
Quercus, Betula), on lawns in parks and gardens,
at the edges of trails and in the paved margin areas
of tree-lined sidewalks (where they may even
grow on bare, sandy soil) as well as amongst the
greenery of residential areas in the suburbs and
communities in and around Berlin.
Herein lies the most marked difference
between Inocybe aeruginascens and other
European psychotropic mushroom species:
Inocybe aeruginascens grows only in areas of
human development. Their prime locations are in
the middle of villages and towns, where they grow
locally much like other Inocybe species. They may
temporarily produce mass quantities of fruiting
bodies, in those locations that are typical habitats
for the edible varieties of the fairy ring mushroom.
So far, the most abundant crop of fruiting
bodies was observed in 1987, due to very wet
weather conditions, which allowed the mushrooms
to thrive. The following years were comparatively
dry and the species hardly fruited at all. It wasn't
until 1990 that a few mushrooms re-emerged at the
classic location in Potsdam. Despite 1989 having
been a bad year for mushrooms, it was the year
when Inocybe aeruginascens was found for the
first time at four locations in and around Rostock,
a city located on the Eastern German coast, which
is famous for its wet climate. Finding the
mushrooms at these locations is evidence for a
mu
how to grow magic mushrooms @ 3/11/2010 6:42:14 PM
, 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 of mycology,
taxonomy and natural products chemistry.
Wasson and his successors have already provided
detailed accounts pertaining to the history and
study of the Me , 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 of mycology,
taxonomy and natural products chemistry.
Wasson and his successors have already provided
detailed accounts pertaining to the history and
study of the Me magic mushroom grow kit It has been Drawings Of Mushrooms suggested by an Shrooms Spore Shrooms Story Australian physician Morel Mushroom that the general public in Australia, as well as members of its Drawings Of Mushrooms drug using subculture, Most users of the psychoactive visionary mushrooms have very little knowledge of their scientific names. Instead, they have given their favorite species local epithets which are commonly used by those who collect and ingest them. Some of these popular names are also known and applied by users outside of Australia and NZ. "Magic Mushrooms" is the most common term applied to any mushroom which contains psilocybine and/or psilocine. It was invented by a Life Magazine editor in l957 ( see Wasson, l957). Psilocybe cubensis is known in Australia as "golden tops", "gold tops" or sometimes "gold caps." The Australian epithets may have been given to this species by members of a local, drugusing group of surfers which frequented the Gold Coast region of Eastern Australia; however, some of these names have apparently been used to describe several different species of Psilocybe by users in Australia (see Allen, 1997). As mentioned above, Psilocybe cubensis is not known to occur in New Zealand. Those who ingest Copelandia cyanescens, known in Australia and New Zealand as "blue meanies", also refer to this species as "Blue Legs", "golden tops" or "gold caps". The latter two nicknames, as well as "dimple tops" and "cone heads", are common terms applied to Copelandia cyanescens in the Hawaiian Islands; and some of these same popular names have also been used by visiting surfers from both New Zealand and Australia, to describe the macroscopic characteristics of Copelandia cyanescens. These same surfers visiting Hawaii's North Shore have reportedly ingested mushrooms prior to surfing, as do many of the locally based surfers in Australia and NZ. 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
n the U.S.)
contribute to the therapeutic process; they may
even be the sole source for future progress.
Under these conditions, stereo music also
significantly deepened the intensity of the
experience.
It appears that these kinds of specific
experiences may also account for the remarkable
success of treating terminal patients with LSD to
ease their fears in the face of death and to reduce
even the most severe forms of pain. In many such
cases, symptoms disappeared entirely, and relief
from pain and anxiety that continued even after the
drug's acute effects had worn off. A book by S.
Grof provides a compassionate analysis of such
successful treatments, which serves to underscore
the fact that systematic efforts to investigate these
particular
Cyanescens Of Psilocybe Cyanescens
therapeutic benefits have only just
begun.
So far, LSD has been the most widely
studied substance in terms of easing the suffering
of terminally ill patients, as well as dipropyltryptamine
(DPT), a synthetic drug structurally
similar to psilocybin that is active only when
administered by injection.
Below, a young woman from Switzerland
gives a detailed account of her second mushroom
experience. Her first experiment, with Psilocybe
cubensis, had already introduced her to the realm
of mystical experiences. For her second journey,
she used 20 Psilocybe semilanceata mushrooms as
part of a group ritual and achieved transcendence.
A remarkable feature of her
account is that the presence of an
grow mushrooms mushrooms grow
experienced
guide was needed to realize the full potential of
this visionary quest.
"1 sat down next to another participant,
seeking to connect with others in preparation for
my journey. We proceeded to eat the fresh
mushrooms.
The room grew quiet and lovely
music began to play.
Magic Mushroom Mushroom Stuffed Mushroom Mushroom Crab The mushrooms's effects
came on much faster than they did during my first
experiment. Twice I tried to establish closer
contact with my fellow participant, but he was
very nervous, and no source of reassurance for
me.
I was seeking my spiritual companion, but did
not find that person among the present group.
I
became a figure in a long, white robe, wandering
aimlessly among the columns (Greece?), still
searching.
My gaze lingered briefly on the wall next
to the door and I saw faces and figures appear
and vanish, but they did not hold my interest. It
was hopeless. I continued my aimless roaming,
and I was on the material plane, which I wanted
to leave - had to leave. Suddenly, I found myself
with one of the
Mushroom Risotto Magic Mushroom Season guides, who wanted to help me. I
stared off into the distance, longing to be free of
the material plane, but unable to do so. For a long
time, I failed to connect with the guide; our two
worlds were just too different.
Suddenly I sensed
that he wasn't able to look at me directly. The path
by which to reach me runs through my eyes,
because only they are truly alive. I asked
him to help me on my way and invited him to look
into my eyes. I felt as if all life energy was
draining from my bo
Magic Mushroom Grow Grow 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
effects of Pluteus salicinus 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;
buying kombucha mushrooms in canada 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.
Those who ingest Copelandia cyanescens, known in