Psilocybe mushroom

The two principal hallucinogenic constituents of psilocybe mushrooms (and related genera) are psilocybin and psilocin (Schultes and Hofman 1980,1992) (figure 9.4). They are very similar, having a dimethyltryptamine structure and differing only by a phosphoric acid molecule. Psilocybin may be called 4-phosphoryl-DMT and psilocin may be called 4-hydroxy DMT. They are both approximately 1/200 as potent as LSD. Absorption is adequate through the oral route, making this a common form of consumption. 

Psilocybe intoxication is very similar to other monoamine hallucinogens in terms of the subjective and hallucinogenic effects. Similar to other monoamine hallucinogens, psilocybe mushroom intoxication produces sympathomimetic features of tachycardia, hypertension, and hyperreflexia (Peden et al. 1982). Many experience nausea and vomiting. Perceptual distortions are primarily visual, but paresthesia and feelings of depersonalization also occur. The acute effects of psilocybe intoxication are shorter-lived than LSD, typically lasting 4-6 hours and completely clearing by 12 hours. 

Plants containing indoleamines include Psilocybe mushrooms, morning glory and Virola. Plants containing tropane alkaloids such as the muscarinic antagonists scopolamine and atropine are found in some members of the Solanaceae plant family—including datura, mandrake, henbane and... 

Kent has seen the elves in his DMT experiences (and on Psilocybe mushrooms as well), and did indeed perceive them as externalized disincarnate beings, even managing to carry on rudimentary conversations. However, the more he experimented with DMT, the more he felt that the elves were mere machinations of his mind. While under the influence, he found he could think them into existence, and then think them right out of existence at will. 

Gordon and Valentine Wasson made the discovery of the psilocybe mushroom, from which Hofmann later isolated psilocin and psilocybin. 

The story of the Psilocybe mushrooms, the teonanacatl, or "God s Flesh," of the Aztecs, is one of the most dramatic episodes in modern anthropology. When the Spaniards arrived in Mexico, their clerics immediately labeled the mushrooms (and the other hallucinogens in use—peyotl and 0/0-liuhqui) as products of the devil and did their best to stamp out this "idolatry." Brother Toribio de Benavente, a Spanish monk better known as Motolinia, in a work on pagan rites and idolatries, described their "vice" as follows ... 

An excellent description of encounters with Salvia divinorum can be found in a tape by Bret Blosser. While on a cave hunting expedition in the Sierra Mazateca in the late 70 s, Blosser quite accidentally came upon Mazatecs who use this plant, and was able to participate in several sessions with native shamans. He had the opportunity to receive instruction and learn about the plant s use over a span of several years, during which he periodically revisited the area. In his tape, Blosser discusses the uses for Salvia divinorum within the Mazatec culture, which includes medicinally - to treat both physical and "psychic" illnesses, and in divining - the future, the cause or cure for an illness, and information about friends, family, and enemies. He provides insightful descriptions of his journeys, and of the preparation and guidance of his sessions. The curandero who administered Blosser s journeys works with psilocybe mushrooms more frequently than Salvia divinorum, and indicated that Salvia divinorum is "too fast" for most people. 

Psilocybin and Psilocybe mushrooms are made illegal in United States. 

To combat psilocybin use, a DNA test is devised to help identify Psilocybe mushrooms. 

OFFICIAL NAMES Psilocybin, Psilocybe mushrooms STREET NAMES Magic mushrooms, shrooms, boomers, caps, cubes (Psilocybe cubensis), fungus, liberty caps, Mexican mushrooms, mushies, mushrooms, psychedelic mushrooms, psilocydes, purple passion, sillies, silly putty, simple Simon DRUG CLASSIFICATIONS Schedule I, hallucinogen... 

Most people in Europe and in the United States were not aware of Psilocybe mushrooms until 1957. 

That year, R. Gordon Wasson, an enthnomycologist, published an article about Psilocybe mushrooms in Life magazine. This article brought the mushrooms to the attention of the general public for the first time. As a result of the article, thousands of people flocked to Mexico in search of the mind-altering mushroom. About that same time, the psychoactive chemical psilocybin was isolated and synthesized by Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann, who also discovered LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide). 

While psilocybin use slowed in the 1980s, its renewed popularity since the mid-1990s is causing concern. In 2002, Psilocybe mushrooms are becoming more common at raves, college campuses, and clubs in the United States and several other countries. Psilocybe mushrooms are advertised as a natural hallucinogen that is safer and gentler than LSD. 

Psilocybin can be isolated and crystallized or synthesized to nearly 100% purity. Research indicates that Psilocybe mushrooms produce a bitter alkaloid as an insecticide to protect itself from predators. In humans, psilocybin is a neurotoxin that can cause hallucinations. 

Psilocybin powder is the most potent form of this hallucinogenic alkaloid. It was isolated in 1958 and can be synthesized to nearly 100% purity. The human body is very sensitive to this neurotoxin and just 0.01 g of psilocybin powder contains the equivalent psilocybin found in 30 fresh Psilocybe mushrooms. 

Psilocybin liquid comes from pulverized Psilocybe mushrooms. Archeologists in Central and South America have discovered stones, paintings, and slender tubes depicting the practice of extracting and ingesting the liquid. These paintings date back to a.d. 1. This potent liquid, free from the bulky plant material, is then either swallowed or inserted rectally as an enema. Psilocybin liquid is still consumed by both methods by Mexican... 

PSILOCYBE A genus of mushroom which produces the bitter-tasting indole alkaloid psilocybin that causes hallucinations and other side effects. Sometimes Psilocybe mushrooms are referred to as psilocybin mushrooms. 

Soaking Psilocybe mushrooms in water makes a much less potent psilocybin liquid. This liquid is often drunk as a tea. Psilocybe mushrooms and the liquid are illegal to possess in the United States. 

The most common way to access psilocybin is by eating Psilocybe mushrooms. Fresh Psilocybe mushrooms contain 0.03 to 1.3% psilocybin by weight. Dried mushrooms, which can shrink by 90-95%, contain about ten times the amount of psilocybin per weight after the... 

A growing number of young people 18-25 years old are seeking a natural hallucinogenic experience by eating Psilocybe mushrooms. Some believe that if the whole plant is eaten, the naturally occurring psilocybin will produce a safe experience. 

As abuse of these mushrooms increases worldwide, more data is available on the serious side effects. In a 2000 Swiss Toxicological Information Center (STIC) study, researchers examined 161 acute Psilocybe mushroom exposures in which people intentionally ate magic mushrooms. The median age of the person seeking medical attention was 20 years (range 14—56). According to the researchers, Reasons for hospitalization were marked hallucinations, hyperexcitability, panic attacks, coma, and convulsions. As good trips turn bad and euphoria turns to fear and panic, there is no antidote or antitoxin that can make it go away. Thirty-one percent of the people in this study experienced panic attacks severe enough to seek medical attention. 

Religious customs using the Psilocybe mushrooms are still practiced by Native Americans in Mexico, the United States, and other places around the world. However, the practice is generally reserved for rare and sacred rituals. 

Injecting Psilocybe mushroom juice intravenously is not common but it is reported. Most psilocybin users are seeking a natural experience and use of needles is not considered natural. Intravenous injection is the fastest means of getting psilocybin to the brain. In less than 16 seconds, the psilocybin is mixed with the blood, taken to the lungs, returned to the heart, and delivered to the brain. As the natural barriers and buffers of the stomach, small intestine, and liver are bypassed, the chances of overdose and adverse side effects such as coma, convulsions, and kidney failure, are greatly increased. It is even more rare for users to inject psilocybin powder, as this drug is difficult to obtain on the street. Supposed psilocybin powder bought on the street is almost always LSD, PCP, or both. 

Psilocybe mushrooms are still used by Mexican natives in divinatory psychotherapy, which is therapy... 

According to the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), Psilocybe mushroom use is on the rise. In 1997, 10.2 million Americans had tried psilo-... 

Access to Psilocybe mushrooms is increasing. They grow naturally in the Gulf States and the Pacific Northwest. In other areas across the United States, the mushrooms are cultivated in laboratories or in homes with kits purchased over the Internet. Psilocybin mushrooms in the United States often sell for 2CM0 per one-eighth ounce. 

Some Psilocybe mushroom eaters, in an effort to avoid LSD and PCP tainted varieties sold on the street, try to pick their own mushrooms. In theory, this should be easy to do. Psilocybe (species containing psilocybin) mushrooms grow naturally around the world and in the United States particularly in the Pacific Northwest and southeastern states. Mushroom hunters often seek out cow pastures, riverbanks, pine forests, and wood chips in search of over 90 known species of Psilocybe mushrooms. The problem, though, is that it is very difficult to tell the difference between Psilocybe and other poisonous mushrooms. Psilocybe and poisonous look-alikes can grow side by side. 

Overdoses of psilocybin may cause intense side effects that require medical attention. Overdoses can happen easily because there are over a dozen common species of Psilocybe mushrooms, and one mushroom of one species can have the equivalent potency of 20 mush-... 

Ingesting Psilocybe mushrooms has been known to precipitate long-term mental illness including paranoia, depression, and psychosis. It is uncertain as to whether the user would have eventually developed these conditions in the absence of psilocybin. However, there does appear to be an increased risk of developing chronic mental problems after the use of psilocybin if the user has a family history of mental illness. 

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