Subject Psilocybe

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. 

They obtained the teonanactl plant from Mexicans whose trust they had won over enough to allow them to participate in a sacred mushroom ceremony. Roger Herr identified the teonanactl mushroom as Psilocybe Mexicana, and he asked Hofmann to do the biochemical analysis. Unable to establish a bioassay for the extracts he made from the mushrooms, Hofmann took the psilocin and psilocybin extracts himself and reported vivid subjective experiences that were similar to those of LSD. LSD, psilocin, and psilocybin were all similar to serotonin in their molecular structure. 

While we are on the subject of botanical identities, we might mention the later work of Singer and Guzman, who in 1957 found several additional species of Psilocybe used. As noted before, Wasson disputes Puharich s assertion that Amanita muscaria is used at all by the Mexicans. It will be recalled that Panaeolus sphinctrinus was identified as one of the teonanacatl mushrooms by Schultes in 1938. Hallucinogenic activity was reported for a related species, Panaeolus papilionaceous, found in Oxford County, Maine. A note in Science reported that unsuspecting ingestion of this mushroom by two persons resulted in visual and hallucinatory effects comparable to hashish, opium, and "mescal." The mushroom was said to be "common on cultivated land."20 More... 

As part of his investigation of the Psilocybe genus, Guzman noted a common trait among the hallucinogenic species, in addition to the bluing reaction a flour-like smell or taste. Apart from the inherent subjective nature of our sense of smell and taste, a common odor is a trait that definitely does not apply to the European species (also see Chapter 3.2). 

Due to the widespread distribution of this Psilocybe species across England, particularly Scotland and Wales, Psilocybe semilanceata appears to be more popular in England than in any other European country, with the possible exception of Norway. This is an opinion echoed in numerous scientific and medical articles published on the subject in Great Britain. In my opinion, these publications contain the most detailed descriptions of casual use of psilocybincontaining mushrooms species by la q)ersons anywhere in the world. 

Just as primitive man learned quickly to determine which natural substances around him were beneficial and which were harmful, these are among the subjects he sought to depict in early art. There has been some speculation that rock paintings in the Sahara Desert dating back as many as 7000-9000 years ago are representations of hallucinogenic mushrooms, perhaps Psilocybe and Amanita. Some of these scenes show such mushrooms arrayed around dancers in ecstatic states. 

Earlier findings published in 1961 [107] suggested that psilocybin is finally been synthesize from tryptophan. The hypothesis was based on the results obtained from still cultures of Psilocybe semperviva. Subsequent studies on the subject carried out using Psilocybe cubensis under submerged cultural condition also supported this hypothesis that psilocybin may biosynthetically derive from tryptophan and tryptamine [108]. More details were then published to clarify the sequence of events which leads from tryptophan to psilocybin by incorporating and C " - labeled hypothetical intermediates (such as DL-Tryptophan- H, Tryptamine- V,... 

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