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CATTLE AS A POSSIBLE DISPERSAL MECHANISM FOR PSYCHOACTIVE DUNG FUNGI One may ask the question, "how did these mushrooms arrive in Australia and New Zealand?" Well some species may be endemic,that is, they were already there naturally. Other species such as the above described dung-inhabiting mushrooms most likelyappeared after the introduction of cattle on the subcontinent.The first livestock to arrive in Australia were brought from the Cape of Good Hope in1788, and included 2 bulls and 5 cows, along with other domesticated farm animals. Byl803, the government owned approximately 1800 cattle, most of which were importedfrom the Cape, Calcutta, and the west coast of America. It was during this period thatsome of the visionary mushrooms mentioned in this field guide probably first appeared inAustralia (Unsigned, 1973). According to Australian mycologist John Burton Cleland(1934), "fungi growing in cow or horse-dung and confined to such habitats, must in thecase of Australia, all belong to introduced species". It is believed to have been the SouthAfrican dung beetle which may have actually spread the spores. According to Englishmycologist Roy Watling of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Glasgow, Scotland, "it must beremembered that fungi can change substrate preferences and there are coprophilousfungi on kangaroo droppings etc." Some mycologists who have studied the "magicmushrooms" in Australia and NZ claim that the "use of P. cubensis as a recreational drugtends to confirm the belief that some] farmers in early times may have] added one or two basidiomes gilled mushrooms] to a mealto liven it up and still do] Margot & Watling, 1981)." 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

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own cause of death and disease, bloated stomachs and insanity. Beliefs such as these have survived Gymnopilus Sp to the present day. They persist, for example,,, as figures of speech, s u c h as the slick Austrian description of a societal misfit as someone "who ate those madness-inducing mushrooms." But, there is another, very different, magic mushroom legacy as well. Flesh of the Gods for Devil Worshippers The Old World. Mycenaean civilization began with a mushroom trip -Mushrooms were an ingredient in the ambrosia of Dionysus. Porphyrius, the fourth century Latin poet and contemporary of Emperor Konstantin, knew that magic mushrooms were the children of the gods. WHO WAS THE FIRST MAGICIAN? A quasi-cannibalistic ritual, the act of eating the children of the gods unlocked best place todo magic mushrooms around brisbane one's power to experience the truly divine. But not all mushrooms enable human beings to enter the realm of divine consciousness. This magic power resides in only those fungi known as "fool's mushrooms", which were considered poisonous and believed to be the spawn of the Devil throughout the late Middle Ages and well into modern times. The New World: The Aztecs in Mexico referred to a number of small, inconspicuous mushrooms as teonartacatl, or "flesh of the Gods." These sacred mushrooms were eaten during the course of rituals intended to contact the Gods in order to learn about the world and the realm of the divine. These magic mushroom rituals thoroughly spooked the Catholic Spaniards. The mushroom eaters, commonly thought of as Devil worshippers, were hounded by the Inquisition. Still, all good things survive the tests of time, so the cult of magic mushroom eaters did not become extinct. Like mycelia underground, the cult continued to flourish, and at the proper time in recorded history, in 1957, the fruit of the fully grown mushroom re-surfaced to draw widespread public attention. Valentine and Gordon Wasson became the heroes of the modern neo-mycophilic movement. Back to the Old World: Gymnopilus Sp The revelations and insights gained from the use of psychoactive mushrooms were so magically wonderful, that our native European "fool's mushrooms" - which were gene ; considered inedible - had to be recognized as closely related to the magic mushrooms of Mexico, the flesh of the Aztec Gods. The souls of magic mushrooms in Mexico and Germany are essentially made from the same substance: psilocybin.
Jochen Gartz has made an extraordinary contribution to the field of mycology by embracing Germany's magic mushrooms and the scientific study and psilocybin cyan habitat testing of these fungi. The research efforts upon which this book is based require nothing less than a fearless, brave and courageous consciousness, free of prejudice and mycophobia. I am convinced that a researcher's consciousness infused by the spirit of the magic mushroom is capable of far deeper scientific insights than we can ever expect from the usual ivory tower academics, isolated from reality

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.

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, 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 weilii mushroom images 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 Growing frequency. As part of my analytical work dedicated to the identification of naturally occurring chemicals, I had the psilocybin cyan habitat good fortune to be part of a research team that studied alkaloids found in Wheredoesgymnopilusspgrow 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 Gymnopilus sp. finding identifying pertaining to the history and study of the Me

ure of Psilocybe semilanceata (with sclerotia formation). Figure 48 - Inocybe aeruginascens on grassy soil Figure 49 - Psilocybe cubensis on horse manure and rice. portions of mycelia whose texture is somewhat like wool. The kind of viruses known to appear in champignon cultures - where they have already caused a lot of damage - have so far not been found in cultures of the Psilocybe and Panaeolus species. It is safe to say that we currently know a great deal about the nutritional requirements of Psilocybe cubensis.
To a lesser extent, such information is available about other species as well. Armed with this knowledge, future researchers may well discover new insights into physiology of these species, as well as the biochemical changes that occur during fruiting. In my experiments, it has already been established that the process of differentiation whereby mycelia are transformed into sclerotia or fruiting bodies is linked to increased production of psilocybin as well as Identification Gymnopilus Sp psilocin, especially in Psilocybe cubensis. Due to the relatively complex methodology and the type of equipment needed to isolate and maintain sterile cultures, it appears unlikely that cultivation of Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms by laypersons will significantly heighten the mushroom's popularity or widen its area of distribution anytime soon. However, since the early 1980s, growing numbers of mycophiles in North America and Europe have successfully used "natural outdoor cultivation" to fruit Psilocybe cyanescens and similar species. This process involves selection of natural wood substrates striated with mycelia (rhizomorphs) that usually turn blue in response to handling. The mycelia are then transferred onto fresh wood chips or commercial mulch (not from cedar trees). After several months of growth, the mycelia fruit during the fall season. Figure 50 - Surface culture of Inocybe aeruginascens on a liquid nutrient medium. Figure 51 - Panaeolus subbalteatus on cow dung and rice. Figure 52 - Psilocybe cubensis on wet newspaper. CHAPTER 7 PSYCHOTROPIC MUSHROOM SPECIES AROUND THE WORLD Figure 53 - Psilocybe cubensis on compost. Figure 54 - Psilocybe stuntzii (grasslands variety) from British Columbia. Figure 55 - Giant mushroom sculpture from Kerala, India. There is considerable debate among experts about the significance and purpose of the sculpture. Figure 56 - Magic mushrooms & water buffalo t-shirt from Thailand, designed for the Western tourist market. CHAPTER 7.1 SPOTLIGHT ON NORTH AMERICA AND HAWAII In 1961, V.E. Tyler became the first investigator to report the detection of psilocybin in Psilocybe pelliculosa (Smith) Singer & Smith, a North American mushroom species.
One year later, two research groups, working independently, discovered psilocybin, as well as psilocin, in samples of Psilocybe baeocystis Singer & Smith from the Pacific Northwest region of North America.
Additional chemical and taxonomic findin

ure of Psilocybe semilanceata (with sclerotia formation). Figure 48 - Inocybe aeruginascens on grassy soil Figure 49 - Psilocybe cubensis on horse manure and rice. portions of mycelia whose texture is somewhat like wool. The kind of viruses known to appear in champignon cultures - where they have already caused a lot of damage - have so far not been found in cultures of the Psilocybe and Panaeolus species. It is safe to say that we currently know a great deal about the nutritional requirements of Psilocybe cubensis. To a lesser extent, such information is available about other species as well. Armed with this knowledge, future researchers may well discover new insights into physiology of these species, as well as the biochemical changes that occur during fruiting. In my experiments, it has already been established that the process of differentiation whereby mycelia are transformed into sclerotia or fruiting bodies is linked to increased production of psilocybin as well as psilocin, especially in Psilocybe cubensis. Due to the relatively complex methodology and the type of equipment needed to isolate and maintain sterile cultures, it appears unlikely that cultivation of Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms by laypersons will significantly heighten the mushroom's popularity or widen its area of distribution anytime soon. However, since the early 1980s, growing numbers of mycophiles in North America and Europe have successfully used "natural outdoor cultivation" to fruit Psilocybe cyanescens and similar species. This process involves selection of natural wood substrates striated with mycelia (rhizomorphs) that usually turn blue in response to handling. The mycelia are then transferred onto fresh wood chips or commercial mulch (not from cedar trees). After several months of growth, the mycelia fruit during the fall season. Figure 50 - Surface culture of Inocybe aeruginascens on a liquid nutrient medium. Figure 51 - Panaeolus subbalteatus on cow dung and rice. Figure 52 - Psilocybe cubensis on wet newspaper. CHAPTER 7 PSYCHOTROPIC MUSHROOM SPECIES AROUND THE WORLD Figure 53 - Psilocybe cubensis on compost. Figure 54 - Psilocybe stuntzii (grasslands variety) from British Columbia. Figure 55 - Giant mushroom sculpture from Kerala, India. There is considerable debate among experts about the significance and purpose of the sculpture. Figure 56 - Magic mushrooms & water buffalo t-shirt from Thailand, designed for the Western tourist market. CHAPTER 7.1 SPOTLIGHT ON NORTH AMERICA AND HAWAII In 1961, V.E. Tyler became the first investigator to report the detection of psilocybin in Psilocybe pelliculosa (Smith) Singer & Smith, a North American mushroom species. One year later, two research groups, working independently, discovered psilocybin, as well as psilocin, in samples of Psilocybe baeocystis Singer & Smith from the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Additional chemical and taxonomic findin In addition, many early users of "magic mushrooms" in Australia may have first become aware of their mind-altering and visionary effects by reading the published literature or the many news items appearing in the popular Australian press during the late l960's and early l970's. These news items often described both accidental and deliberate intoxication's which resulted from the ingestion of several varieties of "magic mushrooms". For example, in 1972, one local newspaper report provided an account regarding the use of these mushrooms by young teenagers at a local high school in Brisbane: "...children at a suburban school are getting high on mushrooms called 'Gold Tops.' The mushrooms are common along the Brisbane River near Toowing High School, and children in search of `kicks' have been experimenting with them (Unsigned, 1972)." It would be very obvious to anyone who read this above mentioned news item, when it appeared in print, that those searching for hallucinogenic mushrooms would be able to find them if they so desired. There is yet another factor that may have played a significant role in promoting interest in the use of psychoactive mushrooms in Australia and NZ. Some drug users or mycophillic individuals may have read or heard of R. Gordon Wasson's personal account of his adventurous rediscovery of an hallucinogenic mushroom cult among the Mazatec Indians of Southern Mexico. Dr. Wasson reported the ceremonial use of certain mushrooms as divinatory substances among the Mazatecs and other native peoples in Oaxaca, Mexico (see Wasson, 1957). This journalistic report of Wasson's research expedition appeared in an international edition of Life Magazine in the late l950's, providing many drug users and others with the incentive to seek out, find, and eventually experiment with these mushrooms.

There are more than 1 dozen species of "magic mushrooms" in Australia and New Zealand. Four of these species are dung (manure) inhabiting mushrooms. They include Psilocybe cubensis and/or Psilocybe subcubensis (known locally as "gold caps" and/or "gold tops"), Psilocybe subaeruginosa, and Copelandia cyanescens (the latter is known locally as "blue meanies"). These four species contain the mind altering alkaloids psilocybine and psilocine and are the most common hallucinogenic mushrooms in Australia. In New Zealand, the most commonly used species are Copelandia cyanescens and Psilocybe semilanceata, the latter species is recognized throughout the world as the "liberty cap"). This species only occurs in manured soil and does not grow directly from the dung of cattle, sheep or other four legged farm animals.
Psilocybe cubensis the most popular of these species, is well known throughout much of the world; however, this species is not Growing Shrooms known to occur in New Zealand. Other species described in this guide are known to occur in manured soil, in pastures, meadows, grazing lands, some lawns and in the bark mulch and woodchips of deciduous woods.

by A. Hofmann, Sandoz Pharmaceuticals manufactured about 2 kg (ca. 4.4lbs) of pure psilocybin for scientific research purposes. The results of pharmacological testing soon revealed psilocybin as an alkaloid that was perfectly safe for human subjects under controlled experimental conditions. Despite this evidence, the anti-drug legislative framework of the mid1960s firmly established an "official mycophobia", a misguided, yet entrenched policy that still prevails today and effectively prevents the scientific investigation of promising potential applications for psilocybin and other alkaloids. At the same time, mycological and biochemical research studies have shown that psilocybincontaining mushrooms thrive all over the world and can be found on all continents. These mushrooms are no different from any other mycoflora and must not be excluded from scientific investigation because of their alkaloid content. In addition to overall variations in value systems across cultures, individuals tend to develop their own personal attitudes towards mushrooms in general. Oftentimes, the evolution of specific opinions about mushrooms can be traced back to childhood events, even though such early experiences seldom account for the development of prevailing biases and value systems later in life. I recall an incident from my own childhood, which occurred when I was about five years old. I was playing in a grassy meadow, when a girl pointed to a brown mushroom and earnestly explained that it was inedible and poisonous. While I have never forgotten this encounter, I did grow up to become a devoted mushroom enthusiast. On the other hand, a different childhood event has left me with the vivid memory of discovering a landfill virtually covered with vast numbers of gilled bluing mushrooms and the sense of awe I experienced contemplating this sight. In general, the unusual characteristics of these mushrooms are most likely responsible for strong impressions formed early in life, which then may develop into various attitudes or beliefs later on. An enduring personal interest in psychotropic mushroom species can serve to amplify or diminish mycophobic as well as mycophilic dispositions, depending on the influence of other factors. After all, judgments about the benefit or folly of deliberately altering one's state of consciousness are also colored by individual preferences, biases and opinions. The following chapters are meant to illustrate this diversity of attitudes towards psychotropic mushrooms. Descriptions of planned and involuntary experiments with specific mushroom species offer convincing evidence that the effects of psychoactive mushrooms are open to many possible interpretations. CHAPTER 3 THE CURRENT STATE OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT EUROPEAN SPECIES Figure 7 - Distribution pattern of Psilocybe cyanescens across Europe and North Africa (according to Krieglsteiner). Black dots indicate approximate locatio

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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 Dried Texas Identification Identification Psilocybin and several additional species known to Fruitingsubaeruginosaindoors occur in or around the dung Hunting Gymnopilus Sp 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, MAGIC PLACE MUSHROOMS PLACE AROUND BEST BRISBANE 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.

CATTLE AS A POSSIBLE DISPERSAL MECHANISM FOR PSYCHOACTIVE DUNG FUNGI One may ask the question, "how did these mushrooms arrive in Australia and New Zealand?" Well some species may be endemic,that is, they were already there naturally. Other species such as the above described dung-inhabiting mushrooms most likelyappeared after the introduction of cattle on the subcontinent.The first livestock to arrive in Australia were brought from the Cape of Good Hope in1788, and included 2 bulls and 5 cows, along with other domesticated farm animals. Byl803, the government owned approximately 1800 cattle, most of which were importedfrom the Cape, Calcutta, and the west coast of America. It was during this period thatsome of the visionary mushrooms mentioned in this field guide probably first appeared inAustralia (Unsigned, 1973). According to Australian mycologist John Burton Cleland(1934), "fungi growing in cow or horse-dung and confined to such habitats, must in thecase of Australia, all belong to introduced species". It is believed to have been the SouthAfrican dung beetle which may have actually spread the spores. According to Englishmycologist Roy Watling of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Glasgow, Scotland, "it must beremembered that fungi can change substrate preferences and there are coprophilousfungi on kangaroo droppings etc." Some mycologists who have studied the "magicmushrooms" in Australia and NZ claim that the "use of P. cubensis as a recreational drugtends to confirm the belief that some] farmers in early times may have] added one or two basidiomes gilled mushrooms] to a mealto liven it up and still do] Margot & Watling, 1981)."
Dosages

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Magic Mushroom Fact for Psilocybe australiana habitat cyan psilocybin Guzmán & Watling, Psilocybe eucalypta Guzmán &
ed and large numbers of studies were conducted, primarily with LSD. These investigators sought to discover the receptor binding sites for hallucinogenic compounds in the brain and to understand the mechanisms underlying the genesis of psychedelic visions. Today, we still lack a sound theoretical framework able to explain the relationship between chemical compounds and the manifestation of their psychoactivity. Even though basic research is certainly important, its methods, unfortunately, are often a function of a rather one-sided pharmacological approach to investigating the effects of psilocybin, LSD and mescaline - an approach that is, in fact, too narrow to address the remarkably unusual nature of these substances and their effects. Misunderstandings between pharmacologists and toxicologists on the one hand and psychiatrists and psychologists on the other can often be traced all the way back to the 1950's, creating a legacy of disputes and arguments that have yet to be resolved. S. Grof undertook the tedious task of analyzing 5,000 experimental LSD protocols in an effort to isolate "absolute" symptoms that are reported or occur all of the time. His results were negative. According to Grof, hallucinogenic substances are non-specific triggers causing a sequence of altered states of consciousness, which do not fit the syndrome labeled "toxic psychosis". Rather, it is the individual's personality, along with the experimental setting that significantly shape the nature of the psychedelic experience. This view is shared by a majority of experts with considerable experience in conducting psychedelics-assisted psychotherapy. Even "real" somatic symptoms, such as nausea or vomiting, can often be controlled through psychological intervention techniques administered by trained professionals. A Plethora of Names The broad range of possible experiences inspired the use of labels other than "hallucinogens", with widely differing semantic connotations: entheogens, psychedelics, illusionogens, psycholytics, psychomimetics, psychodysleptica, psychoemetics and others. "Phantastica" (Lewin) is the oldest label ever used to describe this class of substances. This term successfully evokes dream-like, fanciful aspects of the experience, as well as the potential for euphoric and dysphoric emotional overtones. More recent terminology often says more about semantic biases of those who use the labels than about any factual, objective characteristics of the alkaloids they refer to. Accordingly, official antidrug propaganda since the 1960's has disparaged "psychedelics" as excessively glamorous and too positive a label, as the term was popular among Timothy Leary's fans and supporters. When used in low doses or for the first time, these substances are most likely to bring about a kind of magical transformation of surroundings, with a heightened ability to perceive subtle differences along the color spectru xican mushroom species, so that these materials need not be repeated in this context.
However, certain aspects concerning the more recent uses of

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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 of natural mind-altering substances compared to early Psilocybe Subaeruginosa Mushroom Expert cultures that evolved in Europe or Asia. Botanical evidence does not support the notion that Europe is home to fewer Psilocybin Cyan Habitat 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 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 own cause of death and disease, bloated stomachs and insanity. Beliefs such as these have survived to the present day. They persist, for example,,, as figures of speech, s u c h as the slick Austrian description of a societal misfit as someone "who ate those madness-inducing mushrooms." But, there is another, very different, magic mushroom legacy as well. Flesh of the Gods for Devil Worshippers The Old World. Mycenaean civilization began with a mushroom trip -Mushrooms were an ingredient in the ambrosia of Dionysus. Porphyrius, the fourth century Latin poet and contemporary of Emperor Konstantin, knew that magic mushrooms were the children of the gods. WHO WAS THE FIRST MAGICIAN? A quasi-cannibalistic ritual, the act of eating the children of the gods unlocked one's power to experience the truly divine. But not all mushrooms enable human beings to enter the realm of divine consciousness. This magic power resides in only those fungi known as "fool's mushrooms", which were considered poisonous and believed to be the spawn of the Devil throughout the late Middle Ages and well into modern times. The New World: The Aztecs in Mexico referred to a number of small, inconspicuous mushrooms as teonartacatl, or "flesh of the Gods." These sacred mushrooms were eaten during the course of rituals intended to contact the Gods in order to learn about the world and the realm of the divine. These magic mushroom rituals thoroughly spooked the Catholic Spaniards. The mushroom eaters, commonly thought of as Devil worshippers, were hounded by the Inquisition. Still, all good things survive the tests of time, so the cult of magic mushroom eaters did not become extinct. Like mycelia underground, the cult continued to flourish, and at the proper time in recorded history, in 1957, the fruit of the fully grown mushroom re-surfaced to draw widespread public attention. Valentine and Gordon Wasson became the heroes of the modern neo-mycophilic movement. Back to the Old World: The revelations and insights gained from the use of psychoactive mushrooms were so magically wonderful, that our native European "fool's mushrooms" - which were gene ; considered inedible - had to be recognized as closely related to the magic mushrooms of Mexico, the flesh of the Aztec Gods. The souls of magic mushrooms in Mexico and Germany are essentially made from the same substance: psilocybin. Jochen Gartz has made an extraordinary contribution to the field of mycology by embracing Germany's magic mushrooms and the scientific study and testing of these fungi. The research efforts upon which this book is based require nothing less than a fearless, brave and courageous consciousness, free of prejudice and mycophobia. I am convinced that a researcher's consciousness infused by the spirit of the magic mushroom is capable of far deeper scientific insights than we can ever expect from the usual ivory tower academics, isolated from reality

identify Gymnopilus sp. @ 9/4/2010 10:21:21 PM