Psilocybin – The “Magic” in the Mushroom

 Alright folks, seeing as mushie season is fast-approaching this article aims to shed a little light on these fascinating fungi. Magic Mushrooms are something that is often talked about in a joking manner yet they are arguably one of the more important discoveries made by mankind that you have never heard of. Psilocybin is the naturally-occurring psychedelic compound in the mushrooms and has received very little attention since the mushrooms were rediscovered by Western science in 1957. This indole alkaloid has many interesting properties, the ramifications of which are only now starting to be explored in the fields of evolutionary biology, anthropology and medicine.

 

Honestly, have you ever considered that magic mushrooms helped in the evolutionary process that led us to start drawing on cave walls, develop religions and map out the stars? Have you considered that 1 dose of this substance could cure one of the most painful afflictions known to man? If so then you probably have done your homework........ or more than likely, you are tripping absolute balls right now.

 

Remember some of this is solid science and some is theory but to anyone who has not had direct experience with psychedelics

or the research done around them this will all sound like nonsense. This is perfectly normal; we went through the same thing.  “Cognitive Dissonance” is a term in psychology that essentially means that the mind will often reject new information that is not in line with previously held beliefs. This happens automatically and involuntarily. When reading this article I fully expect many people to say “is this lad feckin serious??”....so please don’t take my word for it research this shit for yourself.....its fuckin mental. We highly recommend a book called “Food of the Gods” by Terrance McKenna, an enthnobotanist and multidisciplinary academic with extensive knowledge of vision plants and their use amoung tribal people...........this lad really knows his shit and he has an seemingly infinite amount of recorded lectures and talks about a wide variety of subjects that can be watched on YouTube. He is up there with Morgan Freeman and David Attenborough as the people that you most like to hear talking. (He is also a massive fan of James Joyce).

The following documentary is from the National Geographic Channel’s show “Drugs Inc” and it details the use of the major hallucinogens from a number of angles. It is very informative and will help you understand how they are becoming a new frontier in medicine.

 

*Watch for the bit where an undercover cop accidentally takes 1,000 doses of LSD.

 

Psilocybin - What is it?

Psilocybin is present in varying concentrations in over 200 species of Basidiomycota mushrooms. Psilocybin is converted to psilocin in the body and is the active tryptamine indole in magic mushrooms that causes you to hallucinate or “trip”. A tryptamine is a monoamine alkaloid found in plants, fungi and animals. It is closely related to the other infamous tryptamine and ultimate psychedelic, dimethyltryptamine or D.M.T. If you want sound intelligent in front of your mates you can use the actual chemical formula which is O-phosphoryl-4-hydroxy-N, N-dimethyltryptamine (or 4-PO-DMT). There are variations to this when it is chemically synthesized 4-phosphoryloxy-N,N-diethyltryptamine.... but we don’t want to melt your head…..yet.

Anyone thinking of experimenting with a hallucinogen (a substances that cause hallucinations) would be best to avoid something like LSD which is synthetic, made by a criminal and relatively new to the human experience and therefore not thoroughly tested. Tryptamines (like psilocybin or DMT) occur naturally inside the body and represent less of a threat than synthetic compounds.  Magic mushrooms grow naturally all over Ireland and the world. They have been used by shamans and druids for millennia......plus, they’re free!

 

If you don’t want to eat mushrooms but still want to blow your mind, then we suggest researching them for about a week or so and you will find that while psilocybin itself is in no way addictive, learning about it most certainly is. There is no possible way we could write enough about this substance, both in its historical significance and its therapeutic benefits. Psilocybin has recently been allowed to undergo scientific research once again and has shown incredible potential for treating people with a range of afflictions including OCD, cluster headaches and the anxiety associated with terminal illness.

Effects

The effects of psilocybin vary greatly between users depending on a number of variables including; dose, the user’s subjective expectations, set and setting. It is a hallucinogen that causes visual distortions as well as altering normal cognitive processes. This can result in a highly pleasant experience for some users, some of whom may laugh uncontrollably, while others may become extremely frightened and anxious. This can be described by users as a “good trip” or a “bad trip”.

On a good trip users report a highly ecstatic sense of connection to nature, other human beings and the universe itself. Negative emotions such as paranoia and fear can be intensified on a bad trip. Nausea is also known to be a common symptom (cannabis can help to alleviate this).

 

Potential for Harm

Before we go any further in this article it must be pointed out that while magic mushrooms represent one of the least harmful substances to people and society they can and do have a profound effect on your mind.

 

 

*This chart collaborates with British and Dutch studies that show that psilocybin is the least toxic and addictive substance out of the 19 most common recreational drugs tested.

The “Median Lethal Dose” or LD₅₀   is the test used to gauge the toxicity of a substance. The LD₅₀   of caffeine, nicotine and even aspirin is far higher than psilocybin. You would need to eat 17kg of raw or 1.7kg of dried mushrooms to reach a lethal dose. Most people would never consider eating anything over 5 dried grams, as this is the threshold for a shamanic dose. Trust me you wouldn’t want to experience anything more intense than that unless you were a well experienced psychonaut. Psilocybin is completely non-addictive and most people will only ever have a few experiences with this substance during their lifetime.

 

*IMPORTANT!! - MUSHROOMS ARE NOT FOR EVERYONE!!

Psilocybin has a powerful impact on your psyche and you will contemplate aspects of your life, your character and the world around you in ways you never thought possible. If you are an insecure person, have a history of psychological issues or you take them in an inappropriate environment you may experience a “bad trip” that can have devastating consequences for your mental health.

They will most certainly change the way you view the world and make you reassess what is really important in your life. There is a reason why people who were stock-brokers and bankers during the 1960’s became long-haired, protesting hippies after coming into contact with psilocybin and other hallucinogens. It changes your values.