Psychedelic Mushrooms

Shrooms, boomers, magic, psychedelic or hallucinogenic mushrooms are a fungi containing substance capable of causing the user to hallucinate. These types of mushrooms have been around for many years and exist in many different species. These fungi look just like an ordinary fungi but are illegal in many countries; just like other hallucinogenic drugs. They have many different effects on the body, which is why people buy and sell these "magic mushrooms".

Hallucinogenic mushrooms are fungi that contain psychedelic substances that make the user hallucinate. The substance in these mushrooms is psilocybin, which is hallucinogenic. The mushrooms can be eaten either fresh or dried. They can also be used to make a tea(Drugs p.24). Either way will make the user hallucinate or trip. As fresh mushrooms, they are sticky, with a conical shape. Almost all have a brown or yellowish cap, which sets atop the stalk/stem, with brownish gills underneath (the bottom of the cap). The stalk is thick and whitish, covered with small, whitish fibers. This description is a Potent Psilocybin mushroom (Psilocybe Baeocystis), which can be found in the Pacific NW on wood chips, decayed wood, and moss. There are about 100 different types of hallucinogenic mushrooms (Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World: An Identification Guide p.19). They all look somewhat the same as mentioned above, but with slight color changes in some. Also, hallucinogenic mushrooms can be mistaken for fatally poisonous mushrooms if not identified right. That is why mushroom hunting is considered not safe if you don't know exactly what you are looking for.

Hallucinogenic mushrooms have many effects physically, emotionally, sensorial, and psychologically. All physical effects are related to how many mushrooms are consumed by the user. With a low dose, such as 1 to 3 grams of dried mushrooms, feelings of relaxation, heaviness or lightness, and loss of appetite are experienced by the user. Higher doses (3 to 5 grams) can cause numerous effects like a feeling of coldness, numbness of the mouth and, nausea, weakness in the limbs, which can make moving difficult. Excessive yawning usually occurs during the come-up (Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World: An Identification Guide p.34). The sensory features are usually the most dramatic in the user. Most general doses cause a noticeable enhancement of worldly colors and surfaces, that may seem to ripple or breathe. Heavy experiences cause complex open and closed eye visuals, and objects that warp, morph, or change solid colors.The user can feel a sense of melding into the environment. Natural and artificial sounds may seem to be heard more clearly, and music is perceived with increased enjoyment. Emotions can be experienced with increased sensitivity. Heavier trips carry the increased possibility of a surreal event known as ego death, where the user loses the sense of boundaries between their self and the environment, creating a sort of universal unity. Also, anxiety and paranoia are possible, and if they become severe enough they could culminate into a bad trip. However, this can be easily offset by being in a comfortable place. Mushrooms cause the mind to conduct itself in an unusual manner. Abstract thoughts develop and are often difficult to explain to others correctly. A more-thorough thought pattern becomes apparent. Complex personal issues may be taken on by more experienced users, helping them arrive at a conclusion and make an appropriate change to their lifestyle. During this process, a user may also gain a new perspective on a thought they've held for years. There can be a large increase in mental stimulation and creativity. Time dilation has been reported also, with minutes and seconds taking an unusually large amount of time to pass. There may also be some indecisiveness in deciding what to do or get (All of this info from Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World: An Identification Guide, Gale Encyclopedia of Science, and Wikipedia.org).

Hallucinogenic mushrooms have been around for many years. The earliest recording of people using these mushrooms is from 7000 B.C. rock paintings in the Sahara desert (www.magicmushrooms.net). Psychedelic mushrooms were a revered tradition in native Central American cultures at the time of the European invasion, and have been in continuous use up to the present. Named teonanÐ"ÐŽcatl ("flesh of the gods") in Nahuatl, they may have been employed for healing, divination and for intercession with spirits. Since the beginning of the Latin American colonial era, their use has been hidden due to persecution