what time of year do Gymnopilus grow in northern us
, 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 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 Where Does Gymnopilus Sp Grow 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 frequency.
As part of my analytical work dedicated
to the identification of naturally occurring
chemicals, I had the good fortune to be part of a
research team that studied alkaloids found in 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 pertaining to the history and
study of the Me As they say, ʼTis the season to be pickingʼ, but make
This dosage assumes that the consumption of 1 to 3 gm of dried material would be too low if the mushroom specimen came from a wild source. This low potency for Psilocybe cubensis has been confirmed by research scientists Margot & Watling, (1981), who were surprised by the comparatively small amounts of psilocybin and psilocin which they extracted from wild specimens collected from five different locations in Australia.
This suggests that a much larger dose would be required to produce significant hallucinations. It is possible that the chemicals most likely degenerated between the time that they were harvested and the time of analysis. However, it should be noted that a strain of Psilocybe cubensis producing different flushes (harvests) will vary somewhat in potency between flushes. The question of dosage is often confused by the variation in the source of the hallucinogenic mushroom species which is consumed.
Psilocybe Cyanescens Mushroom Spores
, 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 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 Cow Shit Shrooms the
first in a series of newly discovered species. Since
then, psychoactive mushrooms from other genera
have been reported with increasing frequency.
As part of my analytical work dedicated
to the identification of naturally occurring
chemicals, I had the good fortune to be part of a
research team that studied alkaloids found in 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 pertaining to the history and
study of the Me
2).
Mycophile or Mycophobe? There are reports from the Western United States about people with expert knowledge of Psilocybe semilanceata - devoted mushroom hunters who can identify the species with drill and accuracy. At the same time, however, these experts cannot identify easily spotted common table mushrooms, nor are they able to differentiate the Agaricus species (champignons) from other mushrooms, even when these species grow on the same pasture. Such individuals, then, are not interested in species other than Psilocybe semilanceata. In my opinion, this attitude reflects a rare combination of mycophilia and mycophobia. A mushroom's spore dust provides important information needed to determine identity. A spore print is left by the gills when the cap is placed on black or white paper (depending on spore color). Where Does Gymnopilus Sp. Grow As the process takes several hours, a glass vessel must be placed over the cap to prevent drying. While useful, information obtained from spore analyses has its limitations, For instance, spores derived from mushrooms belonging to different genera may have the same color, but reveal basic differences under the microscope. There is also a high degree of similarity among spores from different Psilocybe species. Thus, the only way to prevent grave errors and potentially deadly intoxications is to rely on experienced experts for mushroom identification, a process that must include analysis of available ecological data. CHAPTER 5 THE BLUING PHENOMENON AND METOL TESTING: REALITY VS. WISHFUL THINKING As previously discussed in Chapters 3.1 and 3.7, the bluing reaction is characteristic of species that produce psilocybin.
Still, for unknown reasons, some species or samples belonging to a genus that usually turns blue may not always change color, regardless of psilocybin content. Among the species that I have examined, Psilocybe bohemica displayed the most impressive bluing reaction. The caps of this species stain very quickly SHROOMS OF OF in reaction to pressure.
Other species, such as Psilocybe cubensis (Earle) Sing.
have stems that develop very intensely blue stains, while their caps do not exhibit the bluing reaction. By contrast, Psilocybe 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 . For that reason, freeze-dried samples for biochemical analysis are stored at -10°C prior to alkaloid extractions or chromatography testing. In addition to the reports from Finland, investigators in North America have noted that psilocybin's decay rate is slowest in Psilocybe semilanceata, compared to other species. (1) R = H2P03 (2) R = H Figure 19 - Structural formulas for psilocybin (1) and psilocin (2). CH3 CH3 Psilocybe semilanceata Figure 20 - Distribution pattern of Psilocybe semilanceata in Germany and adjacent areas. Locations are indicated by black dots. CHAPTER 3.2 PSILOCYBE CYANESCENS - POTENT MUSHROOMS GROWING ON WOOD DEBRIS At least one other Psilocybe species in addition to Psilocybe semilanceata is known to exist in Europe. At this point, I must emphasize that the differentiation of single species within the Psilocybe genus is subject to considerable controversy among eminent taxonomists. For example, there are different methods of distinguishing the Hypholoma genus from the Stropharia genus. The Widespread Distribution of Psilocybe cyanescens While Psilocybe semilanceata is a species that has long been clearly defined and is well known by this name, there are, according to Krieglsteiner, other strongly bluing mushrooms that can be described as belonging to the "Psilocybe cyanescens complex". These are all mushrooms that grow on raw compost and plant debris. In accordance with current states of knowledge, the following names in the literature are merely synonyms for Psilocybe cyanescens Wakefield emend. Krieglsteiner: different herbariums. However, the microscopic data pertaining to the Psilocybe species are poorly delineated and oftentimes overlap. It is therefore imperative that additional mycological studies of Psilocybe cyanescens be performed. To this end, fresh mushroom samples from various European locations should be used, and biochemical methods must be included in the investigation. Guzman's division of Psilocybe cyanescens by geographic area, however, definitely turned out to be inaccurate. According to his system, -North Africa was home to Psilocybe mairei, while Psilocybe cyanescens were found in England and Holland and Psilocybe serbica supposedly grew in Serbia and Bohemia. The geographic distribution of the entire species seems to cover a vast area, with variations along climate and terrain at locations where samples were collected. Such disparate morphologies are to be expected when dealing with "young" species, that is, species that have not yet firmly established themselves and are still expanding into new locations. Figure 7 (p. 14) displays locations in Europe and North Africa where samples of Psilocybe cyanescens have been found. - Hypholoma cyanescens R. Maire - Hypholoma coprinifacies (Rolland ss. Herink) Pouzar - Geophila cyanescens (R. Maire) Kuhner & Romagnesi - Psilocybe serbica Moser & Horak - Psilocybe mairei Singer - Psilocyb as well. Below are some excerpts from his research protocols: J.H. (a 24-year-old male) ingested four cooked mushrooms at night, after a meal (!), and then ate another three fresh mushrooms 30 minutes later. This was followed by regurgitation, and 45 minutes later, he started to sweat profusely all over his head and body. His pulse rate and breathing were accelerated, but slowed down later on. He laid down and experienced visual hallucinations, which caused him to panic and to run a distance of about 1,200 ft. to consult the nearest doctor. The physician noted widely dilated pupils, and proceeded to have the patient's stomach pumped and then prescribed laxatives. Three hours later, the abnormal state had largely subsided; by the next morning, there was no evidence of any other side effects. M.K. (a 22-year-old male) ate just one fresh mushroom, which had no effects at all. K .Y. (a 31-year-old male) ate five mushrooms. Regurgitation occurred 30 minutes after ingestion, followed by sweating around the head and body; his extremities appeared to be slightly paralyzed. This paralysis persisted for another three hours. During this time, the subject had great difficulties handling a pen for writing, his mood was depressed and he experienced hallucinations, such as colorful lights flooding down from the sky. By the following morning, all of these effects had dissipated. The fresh fruiting bodies were bitter, a taste that disappeared after the mushrooms had been cooked in water. The above experiments are rather amateurish, and the descriptions of results are heavily influenced by a simplistic perspective which assumes that the mushrooms's pharmacological effects proceed along a single, narrow track. Still, these accounts demonstrate that comparable dosages of Japanese mushroom species have psychotropic effects similar to those caused by Psilocybe species found on other continents. Much work still remains to be done in the areas of phytochemistry and taxonomy before the body of knowledge about psychotropic mushroom species in Japan can grow to become adequate. The geographic distribution and ingredients of the Japanese Panaeolus species must also be studied further. For instance, Panaeolus subbalteatus is one of the species that are growing on several Japanese islands today. CHAPTER 7.6 INTOXICATIONS AND THE OLDEST KNOWN MUSHROOM CULT IN AFRICA So far, the mycoflora of the African continent has been studied only peripherally and remains largely unknown. During the late 1980s, Italian mycologist G. Samorini and Terence McKenna, working independently, found evidence for the oldest known mushroom cult in Africa. Their discoveries were not just sensational, but most surprising as well. On the other hand, it really shouldn't come as a surprise that the oldest traces of human contact with mushrooms were found on the very continent known as the cradle of humanity. 10,000 Years Old From 9,000 to
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
ulinary
mushroom bears no
resemblance, either in size or form, to Inocybe
aeruginascens. Overall, however, these
unfortunate cases have also contributed to our
understanding of mushroom biochemistry.
In this context, I want to Fruiting Indoors Indoors emphasize
once more that the hallucinogenic varieties
among the Inocybes can easily be mistaken for
those muscarine-producing Inocybe species
that are extremely poisonous.
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).
Mycophile or Mycophobe?
There are reports from the Western
United States about people with expert
knowledge of Psilocybe semilanceata -
devoted mushroom hunters who can identify
the species with drill and accuracy. At the
same time, however, these experts Psilocybesemilanceatainromania cannot
identify easily spotted common table
mushrooms, nor are they able to differentiate
the Agaricus species (champignons) from other
mushrooms, even when these species grow on
the same pasture.
Such individuals, then, are
not interested in species other than Psilocybe
semilanceata. In my opinion, this attitude
reflects a rare combination of mycophilia and
mycophobia.
A mushroom's spore dust provides
important information needed to determine
identity. A spore print is left by the gills when
the cap is placed on black or white paper
(depending on spore color).
As the process
takes several hours, a glass vessel must be
placed over the cap to prevent drying. While
useful, information obtained from spore
analyses has its limitations, For instance,
spores derived from mushrooms belonging to
different genera may have the same color, but
reveal basic differences under the microscope.
There is also a high degree of similarity among
spores from different Psilocybe species.
Thus,
the
where does Gymnopilus sp. grow only way to prevent grave errors and
potentially deadly intoxications is to rely on
experienced experts for mushroom
identification, a process that must include
analysis of available ecological data.
CHAPTER 5
THE BLUING PHENOMENON AND METOL
TESTING: REALITY VS. WISHFUL THINKING
As previously discussed in Chapters 3.1
and 3.7, the bluing reaction is characteristic
of species that produce psilocybin. Still, for
unknown reasons, some species or samples
belonging to a genus that usually turns blue
may not always change color, regardless of
psilocybin content. Among the species that I
have examined, Psilocybe bohemica
displayed the most impressive bluing
reaction. The caps of this species stain very
quickly in reaction to pressure. Other species,
such as Psilocybe cubensis (Earle) Sing.
have stems that develop very intensely blue
stains, while their caps do not exhibit the
bluing reaction. By contrast, Psilocybe
Gymnopilusspfindingidentifying This document provides Where Did Weilii Come From complete directions for cultivating psilocybin
went in waves.
Increasingly, all colors in her
immediate surroundings coalesced into shades of
green. The hallucinations were fearsome; the heads
of monsters became visible and a wall opened up
into an abyss. There was a succession of human
figure with animal heads. The next day, everything
was back to normal. The oldest child (age 14) also
saw her parents' hair color turn green, had dilated
pupils and watched geometric shapes appear on the
wall. The youngest child
(age 11) experienced cramps and lost
consciousness.
In 1960, Singer and Guzman suggested
that Panaeolus cyanescens might contain
psilocybin, because of the intense blue staining
they had observed. It wasn't until after the
intoxications in Menton had been publicized, that
a research team working with A. Hofmann
detected 0.2% of psilocybin in the mushrooms.
Considering the powerful effects, however, this
concentration appears to be too low to cause such
impressive reactions. Later on, Sandoz
Laboratories reported the level of psilocybin in
dried samples as 0.8%, along with 1.2% psilocin.
The level of psilocin, however, may have been
falsely elevated by the presence of serotonin and
its derivates in the mushroom sample that was
being tested.
According to Stijve, a mushroom sample
collected by J.W. Allen in Thailand contained
0.
4% - 1.05% of psilocin, with only trace
amounts of psilocybin; serotonin was present in
large amounts, comparable to concentrations
found in all Panaeolus species.
Apparently, Panaeolus cyanescens
produces more psilocin than psilocybin. Still, I
was able to detect 0.4% of psilocybin in mycelia
cultivated on malt agar, with no other indole
compounds present.
Discussion of the Panaeolus species
would remain incomplete without pointing out
that those subjectively terrifying psychoses
reported in 1965 cannot be attributed to a specific
mushroom ingredient, but were likely
precipitated by the circumstances (set and setting)
surrounding the incident.
The effects described by J.
Allen in Hawaii after eating 20 specimens paint a
different picture altogether:
With radio music playing softly in the
dark, euphoria began to come on in Growing waves. After
20 minutes, visions became so intense that I tried
to close my eyes. Whenever 1 did close my eyes,
my eyelids felt as if they were being sprayed from
the outside. Colors were sharp and clear, but
I always quickly opened my eyes again. Colors
were dancing like laser beams to the rhythm of
the music. The stars in the sky assembled in
clusters that reached all the way into my soul. I
was a little scared at the idea that the ocean
water might rush up all the way into our hut.
Other than that, feelings of euphoria were
overwhelming. At times, I was overcome by fits of
laughter. That night, I slept like "a prince ". The
following morning I gathered up my belongings
and had to walk Psilocybecyanescensearlyseptember back across the pasture where I
had collected the mushrooms the day before.
I
noticed a lot o