|
The first time I saw the word "psychedelic," I could figure out from context that it meant bright and colorful. I didn't ponder on the origin of the word, but recently I found out. I finally looked it up in the dictionary. This is pretty much what it said: "(of a mind-influencing drug) causing strange and powerful sensations of happiness, understanding, hopelessness, etc." and "(of a form of art) using colors and patterns that imitate the effects of psychedelic drugs." That's when I realized that my mom's interior design magazine was comparing a room to the effects of a drug. Hallucinogens, to be exact. One kind is psilocybin, and since they are fairly accessible and the consequences don't seem too bad, it is one of the most popular hallucinogens. People have been using mushrooms from as far back as 5000 BC. Central and American tribes such as the Mixtecs and the Aztecs ate small black hallucinogenic mushrooms for religious rituals. They believed that the visions were given to them by the gods. They called the mushrooms "flesh of the gods." They even had mushroom god statues, with the god having a mushroom head. The Europeans brought along Psilocybe Cubensis, the most commonly used species of hallucinogenic mushrooms, when they immigrated to North America. No one knew the name of the active ingredient in them that gave them the hallucinatory traits until 1956, when Roger Heim and a Swiss company called Sandoz Pharmaceuticals found psilocybin and psilocin. The next year, Time Magazine published an article by R. Gordon Wasson about his experiences when he took part in a religious ceremony in a Mexican tribe. In the article, he described the effects of the mushrooms in a positive way. From then on, mushrooms became very popular and were consumed for a variety of uses. However, the US banned psilocybin in 1968. People still used it for fun, though. Most people get psilocybin mushrooms from simple growing kits. It�fs the easiest way. However, some people go mushroom hunting in the wild. That can be hard, but more importantly dangerous. The edible mushrooms containing psilocybin look very much like another species of very poisonous mushrooms, and people make mistakes between the two tan colored fungi. The way to tell the difference between the two is that the edible kind bruises a blue color when touched. They are eaten fresh or dried. The dried mushrooms have a more concentrated amount of psilocybin by grams, so it takes about ten times less grams than fresh mushrooms to get the same effect. The usual dosage is from one to five grams, dried, and it depends on the exact type of mushroom. These have a very unpleasant taste. Wild mushrooms often grow on cow patties, so sometimes there's a hint of that in the taste. That's why people like to cover up the bitterness (and no doubt the identity) by making sesame mushroom balls, chocolate covered mushrooms, peanut butter and mushroom sandwiches, mushroom pizzas, and other creative guises. The psilocybin is absorbed from the lining of the mouth and the stomach. After that, it is turned into psilocin, and then affects the brain. The effects of psilocybin is much like LSD, but a lot less strong. A low dose lasts for thirty to sixty minutes, and is called the threshold effects. The user feels a bit cold, a bit nauseous or gassy, jittery or nervous, and lights may seem brighter and prettier and have a starry shine. He could also see some movement in the corners of his vision. He feels more sensitive and emotional. The medium dose effects last for four to six hours. He feels even colder, and the nausea gets worse. His pupils dilate. Lights grow brighter and seem beautiful to the user, and rainbows seem to float around them. He can visualize and see blobs and patterns with his eyes closed clearly and easily. Detailed visions appear in his eyes randomly. Time moves much slower. It becomes easier for him to remember and dwell on a painful memory or feeling. He notices small details that are usually taken for granted. Emotions are stronger. The high dose effects last for up to twelve hours and includes all of the medium dose effects, but with a more uncomfortable beginning. The nausea is even worse, and he may vomit. There can be feelings of fear about what is happening, but that's usually for someone not very experienced with the drug. Then, the visualizations start but more detailed and clearer. There can be very spiritual feelings. He can practically walk through memories. Seconds seem like minutes. A high dosage can be very positive, or very unpleasant. There are some dangers to psilocybin mushrooms. Some people are more sensitive to the drug than others, so he could easily consume too much. Emotionally frail people using mushrooms can have very bad trips, and sometimes get violent. My sister had a friend whose old friend had used mushrooms, and while he was seeing visions, killed himself. That is the scary thing about mushrooms -- sometimes you don�ft have any control over yourself, and you can be unpredictable. There don't seem to be any long term effects. Psilocybin is very rarely addictive. However, people do build up a tolerance to it, but that only lasts for a few days. If people space the trips five or seven days apart, they don't have to raise the dosage. There has always been a big taboo against psilocybin mushrooms, but really, it�fs not as bad as other drugs such as LSD or heroin. The percentage of teenagers using psilocybin is steadily growing, and while I don't have much opinion about that because personally I know I won't try it, I think everyone should learn the one big danger of "shrooms." If you're going through an emotional upheaval, and you take it, you will have a bad trip and maybe commit suicide. It's a bit ironic that you shouldn't take this drug when you�fre unhappy, but it gives the best results when you are happy. Too bad for depressed druggies seeking to make it all better, because mushrooms won't do it for them. |