Fly Agaric

Lunch with a

opponent so hard that he ended up on the floor outside the ropes. The intoxicated fighter never even broke a sweat and was not breathing at anything above normal levels when his opponent was counted out.

Toxicologist

EFFECTS OF FLY-AGARIC

 A brief introdruction to the fly-agaric mushroom By Ross heaven

The distinctive red and white Fly Agaric (amanita muscaria), so called because pieces of the fungus soaked in milk were found to attract and stupefy flies

 A few years ago, I was called as an this that had helped them leave the expert witness in a criminal case field victorious, he claimed. involving trance and possession. Obviously, Obviously, the TV company could The circumstances of the case are not stage another war to test this not important to this article, but theory, but what they could do - and through it, I got to have lunch with did - was to get two martial arts another expert witness, a experts into a ring to fight it out for  toxicologist from one of the UK’s the cameras. In the first part of this leading teaching hospitals, who had experiment, the combatants met a keen interest in mycology and equally and fought a few rounds planned to publish a book on the together. Neither emerged as a sacred use of fly-agaric (amanita  clear winner in this carefully matched contest. In the second muscaria ) in spiritual healing and ancient warriorship practices. part, however, one of the fighters  As a result of his studies, he had  was given five strips of fly-agaric to recently worked with a TV consume. He was allowed to rest production company who had made  while it took effect, and then both a documentary with him to test one fighters met again. of his personal pet theories: that the Except they didn’t... exactly, exactly, as Zulu War was fought by the according to the expert I was indigenous people under intoxication speaking to (interestingly, over a from the sacred mushroom. This had lunch of mushroom paella), the given them, not only superhuman fighter who had taken fly-agaric strength and imperviousness to pain, simply flew across the ring as soon but a sense of fearlessness and their  as the bell rang, hardly even own divine purpose in battle. It was touching the ground, and threw his

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In the modern West, we have lost most of our ancient ceremonial practices and no longer believe in a ‘spirit world’. Consequently, flyagaric (if it is considered at all) is regarded only as a dangerous and potentially poisonous ‘drug’, rather  than a route to the divine. In his book, ‘Ploughing The Clouds’, however, Peter Lamborn Wilson argues convincingly that flyagaric is not only the sacred Soma referred to in the Rg Veda, but that it was used in many European countries and was also central to the Irish Keltic tradition of shamanism, which still continues in its basic form, today. The mushrooms themselves, bright red with white spots, are gathered for ritual use during the hottest months of the year - July and August - when they are most infused with the element of fire and the breath of the Sky Father. The most powerful mushrooms, in fact, are said to dry themselves, ready to be picked for their  communion with man. These are considered far ‘stronger’ than those picked early and dried artificially. Smaller mushrooms are also said to have much greater  power than larger ones, and it seems likely, from modern experimentation, that their narcotic effects are certainly more intense during the early growing phase. For prescribed ritual usage several mushrooms are normally consumed, usually in a set, or sets, of three. ‘The Rg Veda always speaks of Soma in sets of three cups and, in Siberia today, three amanitas are still considered the proper ritual dose’, says Wilson.  An elaborate ceremony will often accompany the ritual consumption of ‘magic mushrooms’. This may take the form of a ‘hunt’ for the mushroom, followed by the ‘killing’ of its spirit by symbolically attacking it with spears, clubs, or arrows, so it is ‘made safe’ for human ingestion. It is then prepared in a timehonoured way which is designed at all stages to honour its power, avoid its wrath and, at the same time, gain control of its spiritual force.

Only then is the mushroom eaten, under highly contained, sacred conditions, and in a holy space defended by the shaman, who will lead the ritual throughout. Once ingested, what we would call the ‘narcotic’ effects of flyagaric begin after about 30 minutes. Outwardly, Outwardly, the intoxication may appear as involuntary muscle spasms, followed by a sense of the fluidity of reality and sensory disorientation. Occasionally, Occasionally, there is vomiting, during which whole mushrooms may be regurgitated. Paradoxically, Paradoxically, however, this often serves to intensify the otherworldly sensations of flight and entry to a ‘non-ordinary’ space. Inwardly, the shaman, and those who partake of this sacrament, are now in communion with the gods.  According to one description the impact of fly-agaric is that ‘the nerves are highly stimulated and the slightest effort of will produces very powerful effects. If one wishes to step over a small stick, he steps and  jumps as if the obstacles were tree trunks. If a man is ordinarily talkative, his speech is now constant, and he involuntarily involuntarily blurts out secrets, fully conscious of his actions and aware of his secret, but unable to hold himself in check. A man who is fond of dancing dances, and a music-lover sings incessantly. Others run or walk quite involuntarily,  without any intention of moving’. Two of the most interesting aspects of fly-agaric are that it retains its effectiveness almost permanently, and that its effects are easily transmitted to others, notably through ingestion of urine from the first person to eat the mushrooms. The same effect can be transmitted to a third, fourth or fifth person in exactly the same way. In the shamanic traditions of Siberia, some shamans would ingest fly-agaric in order to journey to the Sky Father and bring back gifts of knowledge and power for the community. Dressed in a ritual costume, with a thick belt hung with bells, the shaman would make his  journey at nightfall to consult with these otherworldly spirits. In the hours that followed, the shaman  would need to urinate and might  walk into the woods to do so. Reindeers would then eat the urinecovered snow as part of their normal grazing and also become intoxicated. But Amanita has not always had such a peaceful reputation, the

Vikings, for example, are said to have ritually ingested it in order to enter the ‘berserker’ state, ready for  battle (The Icelandic name for flyagaric actually contains the word, ‘berserk’) - just as the Zulus did, according to my toxicologist lunchmate. PROPERTIES AND CHEMISTRY

One of the first studies of fly-agaric  was made in 1863, by two German chemists who published a book on the properties of muscarine, a toxic alkaloid that they had isolated from the amanita . For almost a century, TREES AND MUSHROOMS their study (which turned out to be It seems that there is also a  wrong) was taken as gospel and symbiotic relationship between the muscarine was erroneously believed fly-agaric mushroom and the birch to be the main active ingredient of tree - the mushrooms grow in the fly-agaric mushrooms. Various shade of the tree - which could confusions followed and it was not account for the ‘sacred birch’ until 1964 that its true constituents tradition in European shamanism.  were isolated - and then almost Indeed, within shamanism, trees, simultaneously by three different per se, are held as sacred, as laboratories, in Japan, England and homes of the elementals or  Switzerland. Finally, the correct gateways to spirit, and connections compounds were identified as between different life forms (such ibotenic acid and muscimol. as the mushroom and the tree) are Muscimol is the psychoactive constituent. constituent. A tiny part of the revered since the shamanic belief is ibotenic acid is changed to muscimol that we are all - every life form connected, one to another. This  within the human system, following animistic principle of connection ingestion of the mushroom, and this  would certainly have been reinforced produces the effects for which flyfor the shaman experiencing the agaric is known. Research shows magical effects of fly-agaric, so that that ibotenic acid will create an the birch tree would become sacred hallucinogenic effect in humans, at by association. doses as small as 50mg. The onset The fly-agaric mushroom is still of these effects may be rapid or  quite slow, ranging from 30 minutes found wherever the birch is common, including the UK and the to 2-3 hours, depending on body  Americas. Distinguishable by its type, susceptibility, habituation, and bright red colouring and white spots, the circumstances of ingestion. it is best prepared for ceremonial In any case, three hours is usually enough for the full effects to use (according to some shamanic traditions, as well as the advice of be felt, which will then last for 4-8 my toxicologist lunch mate) by hours, depending on dose, and will cutting it into thin strips which are normally include muscle spasms (as then boiled in milk for 30 minutes or  if one is actually taking a ‘journey’ so. The liquor is then drunk and the of sorts), visual distortions mushroom strips eaten. An (‘visions’), altered auditory alternative is to dry the mushrooms perception (‘hearing voices’), and and add them to vodka, drinking the loss of equilibrium (changed alcohol-amanita mixture when the perspective on ‘normal reality’). liquid turns orangey-red.  A considerable amount of Naturally, Naturally, in ritual usage, flyibotenic acid is excreted quickly agaric must always be taken in a after fly-agaric is consumed, and sacred way with the intention of remains unaltered in urine. In this revealing true spiritual knowledge,  way, a 50-100mg dose of ibotenic and with full reverence for its power. acid could produce 10-15mg To do otherwise is simply to engage doses of muscimol for up to 10 in ‘drug-taking’, with all the inherent users drinking the urine of the first dangers of misuse and the person to had consume it, so one consequences of superhuman, intake of mushrooms would certainly be effective across four or  Zulu-like, strength which we mere mortals and Western suburbanites five generations of animal or  may then have to deal with. human ingestion.

Ross Heaven is a therapist, workshop leader, and the author  of several books on shamanism and healing, including ‘Darkness Visible’, the best-selling ‘Plant Spirit Shamanism’, and ‘Love’s Simple Truths’  www.thefourgates.com LEGAL STATUS:  Amanita muscaria 

(as well as all other  amanita species) is uncontrolled federally in the United States. This means all parts of the plant and its extracts are legal to cultivate, buy, possess, and distribute. In 2005 a UK law came into force making any fungus containing psilocin a ‘Class A’ drug under  the Misuse of Drugs  Act. However as amanita muscaria 

does not contain psilocin it is exempt from the law and is thus legal, although some websites (including offical ones) report that possesion can result in upto seven years imprisonment and-or  an unlimited fine. HEALTH WARNING Overdoses of fly-agaric are rarely fatal, but deaths have occured due to heart failer. Other effects include sweating, nausea, reduced heart rate, hallucinations and aggressive mood changes.

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