Psychedelics: Science and Education

Tripping over Fungi

Magic mushrooms are a part of the newest wave in modern culture and often heard of globally. Ethically, no one wants their loved ones taking drugs without proper research. Logically , this has sparked an urge to learn about mushrooms using science to discover health benefits and/or consequences. I personally delved into the world of mushrooms without proper research but in search for a spiritual journey. My first few trips were the greatest days of life and my creativity spiked, as well as processing time.

However, as moderation will tell you, I began tripping too much out of the enjoyment of the hallucinogenic effects. This resulted in a ‘mental burnout’ similar to that of a CPU managing 50 browsers and the computer crashes. Tripping is a journey, as well as post tripping and reorganizing all the new and over-fired neurons. In this article I will be exhibiting: preparation and processing tips, micro-dosing and health benefits, poisonous vs non, and how it could be the next step in evolution. 

Decriminalization of psilocybin

For anyone who doesn’t see every headline that comes out, because there’s plenty of those, might not know that there is a movement across the US to decriminalize magic mushrooms. With change around the corner and the publicity of psychedelics growing, I feel as if there will be a huge increase in use. Because of this it’s only right I share my two cents that might make the change in someone’s safety. The BEST tip I can give is to know yourself, if not all then at least the important parts that make you feel good about yourself, and to know what you want out of your experience tripping. That knowledge of yourself needs to be symbolized in a physical object which will be your “rock”. Then you also travel what they call peaks, the intense hallucinogenic periods or waves, where you could experience ‘bad’ peaks/anxiety.

For me, when I kept in touch with my rock it helped ease those moments of distress. The next tip will be me doing my best to EXEMPLIFY that the environment you’re in and head space will dictate the direction of your trip. Set up your camp in a place where you’re comfortable and will be unbothered for at least 8-14 hours. I find it easier when you have a tripping buddy you trust to guide you if you create a path for your journey. I highly recommend to refrain from mixing drugs while hallucinating as shrooms are already powerful mind altering drugs and never take an amount that you aren’t comfortable or experience anything near that amount. Check Meg Hartley’s post for more professional tips and tricks. (Hartley, 2020)

Medical Benefits

The healthful implications are shining consistently through scientific research studies which is why there is a movement to decriminalize. However, with all the information I’ll provide, the research is far from over and it should be used carefully. According to freethinks, microdosing studies have shown to decrease levels of depression in patients that were unaffected to medical treatments. (Freethink, 2020) MIcrodosing takes advantage of the brain altering aspects of psilocybin by taking miniscule amounts to fire up neurons and increase brain activity. There have been measurable elevations in focus, memory, and since new synapses form there is a possibility to repair parts of the brain.

It is important to note that the affected area of the brain is where we have a sense of personal identity and ego so change has a high probability to occur. Even for those who experience bad trips or dismantling of the ego have developed an improved sense of well being after they process what they have been through. (Dolan, 2016) Psychedelics are also being used to improve the issues with older age and reduce the use of pharmaceuticals which is a plus. Scientists are also creating safer ways for older generations to absorb psilocybin like dissolvable tabs to prevent dysphoria and other swallowing complications. (Rosner, 2020) 

Doors to the Otherside 

Hallucinogens have been used all throughout history for medical practices and with the support of today’s research the next steps of evolution, or at least elevated living, can be grown right in our yards. The brain is categorized as a complex cortex but at one point we had a simple brain and considered a hominoid, so how did we go from Ape family to complex human? Makenas theory breaks into 3 stages.

The first stage being, early humans roamed the earth finding food to eat. They would follow herds of cattle eating the insects and shrooms out of the dung piles and as some developed psilocybin the undeveloped human brain then experienced a catalyst as they improved in hunting, gathering, and surviving. (Ratner, 2016) This is theory based information so I highly recommend giving the article a read and take with your own beliefs. Gaia are also huge supporters and researchers into the evolution and use of psilocybin. Check out the link for their videos https://www.gaia.com/video/psilocybin-magic-mushrooms. 

At Your Own Risk

I firmly believe that when you give someone the opportunity to do something that risks their health and wellbeing but not others then they value their life more. So researching and allowing for the decriminalization of mushrooms will halt the exhausted attempts on this aspect of the war on drugs, and gives people the availability to tap into their most spiritual selves at their own educated extent. There is still a stigma that surrounds mushrooms and for those who have had good experience and support this must speak out so people won’t have to face the process of judgement in an altered mind state. 

Finding Magic: Responsibly 

The Magic Roots

Everyone is searching for something in the world whether it may be love, adventure, friendship, religion, health, but like anything you have to take precautionary measures to protect your way of life. Unfortunately for some they have to blindly experience the mysterious world, but fortunately their stories and testimonies can help manifest a solid path of knowledge. As my desire to trip grew, I urged to search fields for mushrooms, and with as eager as I was I knew that lack of knowledge could have been critically life threatening. Today I’ll be helping you determine which mushrooms are non lethal, how to properly pick and shake spores, and correctly harness your magic. 

The Blue Pill or the Red One

Hopefully everyone has seen the matrix, if not it’s a must watch. In the film, Neo is presented with the option of taking a pill with a consequence to each. Without the proper intel, one could very well be poisonous. In the woods surrounded by shrooms, one wrong pick can lead to a world you can’t live in. It is VITAL to recognize yourself with poisonous and hallucinogenic species. Descriptions and effects can range all through the thousand species of mushrooms but to find in depth specifications check out MycoKey, which is the biggest database of mushroom knowledge. 

Structure of Fungi

The general knowledge I can dispense is what most mushrooms will be composed of:

Volva: Bulging section at the stem, can be underground and/or have a ring on it, and these are BIG indicators for poisonous shrooms.

Stem: Some mushrooms can have stems or not, but psilocybin mushrooms will have stems (until you reach the world of truffles). They can be hollow, tall, short, skinny, or fat,

Cap: Typically bowl shaped, but can grow with flat tops, deformed shapes, or easily peelable skin.

Gills: They lie underneath the cap and produce the spores. They can exhibit holes, be ribbed, or in some, have veins. 

Ring or Annulus: typically found right underneath the cap on the stem and was part of the shroom breaking through it’s “veil” (poisonous)

Health Consequences

There are key characteristics that make the deadly mushrooms distinguishable. Typically anything bright is a dead giveaway saying DONT EAT ME. If they have white gills, vovlas (which you have to dig for), or a ring then they are more than likely poisonous. The next thing you need to look at is the location of the growing area. (Deziel, 2018) Does it grow singularly, or in clusters? Is it by trees, live or dead? Is it on a farm with livestock, do they use all natural feed? A lot of farmers use pesticide killers in their grain which destroys the capabilities of mushrooms producing psilocybin in result making the mushrooms that do grow poisonous or at least non hallucinogenic. Then using all the notes, use the MycoKey guide to find the specific species. I will list off some common magic species and descriptions for each.

The Blue Goo

Before I dive into species, the biggest thing to note is that nearly all hallucinogenic mushrooms will have a blue colored ooze that can leak out of the stems and/or caps. Highly humid areas are prime locations. (Etheonation, 2018)

Psilocybe Cubensis:

“Golden Teachers” are the most commonly found species. They thrive in warm, deciduous climates all around the world. They are seen in dung piles but one must also note the type of animal feed the creatures ingest because, like I mentioned above, farmers use pesticides to prevent psilocybin growth. It is CRITICAL to not mess with the actual cow patty. 

Psilocybe semilanceata: 

They do not grow directly out of dung but are often found in meadows and pastures, especially those inhabited by sheep. Due to their large caps they have adopted the name “Liberty Caps”. Given the name, they’re ironically found throughout North American and Europe and are one of the most common magic caps. 

Check https://www.shroomery.org/8461/Which-psilocybin-mushrooms-grow-wild-in-my-area for an in-depth guide on what to find based on location. After you Identify what you think it is you’re looking at, then you must safely prepare yourself with gloves. Once prepped, you must lightly tap the top of the cap several times to knock the spores out of the gills so that they can continue producing in that location. If you do not knock the spores and pick every mushroom they will NEVER grow there afterwards. Then pinch the near bottom of the stem and tear it apart without completely uprooting everything. Make sure to bring a basket and gather as many as possible all while leaving at least one or two in each pile to ensure future growth. Now let’s begin storing the magic in jars.

Dry Storage

The first step for storing is creating a desiccant, which is as simple as buying epsom salt from your local pharmacy and baking it down. Mix the shrooms with your This is needed to absorb all the moisture in the mushroom causing them to dry. For an in depth chemical explanation check out “How to dry magic mushrooms.” (Zamnesia, 2020) However, you cannot just mix together the freshly picked shrooms and the desiccant. Place the shrooms on a plate and have a fan blow on them until they look shriveled and dry to the touch. You can stop here and your shrooms will last a week to two; however, for a much longer storage we must direct our focus to the kitchen and the epsom salt. Now I know the tools used may be unorthodox for the kitchen but hey we are picking mushrooms to hallucinate so it correlates. 

Kitchen Duties

You Will Need: 

• Epsom Salt 
• A Hammer
• A Baking Tray
• Air Tight Container
• Metal Mesh
• Paper towels
• Pre-Dried Shrooms
• And an Oven

Desiccant Procedure

1. Firstly, Fill Tray with 1 cm of salt across the pan
2. Then, Heat the oven to around 480 degrees Fahrenheit 
3. Next, Cook the salt for 2 hours as all the moisture should be out of the salt
4. MOST IMPORTANT, QUICKLY break up the formed rock with your hammer and store the hot rocks in your large airtight container. Desiccant is Finished!
5. After that, Place a couple layers of paper towels over the desiccant
6. Insert the metal mesh above the towels to set the shrooms so they positively will not touch the desiccant.
7. Place the mushrooms in the container and give it an airtight seal.
8. Every couple of days check to see if it is almost brittle and bone dry to the touch. 

Using Responsibly

As mentioned per the other psychedelic article, you must practice the use and process shrooms safely as harm can occur. Make sure you are confident in the decisions you make, and remember you can only have as much fun as you allow yourself. Contact us and let us know how this works for you and what we could do better. Have a safe trip and return safely! Go to Soulspeak.tv then click “Shop” to checkout our psychedelic Merchandise.

References

Rosner, A. (2020, July 10). Psychedelics For Seniors: A New Sublingual Option. Retrieved July 14, 2020, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/abbierosner/2020/07/12/psychedelics-for-seniors-a-new-sublingual-option/ 

Hackbarth, K. (2020, May 19). New Promise for Psychedelics and Depression. Retrieved July 14, 2020, from https://www.freethink.com/articles/psychedelics-and-depression 

Hartley, M. (2020, June 29). How to prepare for your first psychedelic mushroom trip. Retrieved July 14, 2020, from https://www.leafly.com/news/lifestyle/how-to-prepare-first-psychedelic-mushroom-trip 

Dolan, E. (2020, February 12). Study: ‘Bad trips’ from magic mushrooms often result in an improved sense of personal well-being. Retrieved July 14, 2020, from https://www.psypost.org/2016/08/study-bad-trips-from-magic-mushrooms-often-result-in-an-improved-sense-of-personal-well-being-44684

Ratner, P. (2019, January 22). Did psychedelic mushrooms and group sex play a role in human evolution? Retrieved July 14, 2020, from https://bigthink.com/paul-ratner/is-there-evidence-that-magic-mushrooms-played-a-role-in-human-evolution 

Zamnesia. (2020, May 21). How To Dry Magic Mushrooms. https://www.zamnesia.com/content/285-how-to-dry-and-store-magic-mushrooms

Entheonation. (2020, July 24). The Easy Guide On How To Identify Psilocybin Mushrooms. https://entheonation.com/blog/psilocybin-mushrooms-identification/

Sciencing. (2018, December 15). How to Identify Poisonous Mushrooms. https://sciencing.com/identify-poisonous-mushrooms-2057768.html

Shroomery. (1997). Shroomery – Which psilocybin mushrooms grow wild in my area? https://www.shroomery.org/8461/Which-psilocybin-mushrooms-grow-wild-in-my-area