DOSE:

5 - 8 g

oral

Amanitas - A. muscaria

(dried)

I'm using Amanita muscaria var. muscaria for some years now, every couple of weeks – with larger breaks in between – and want to share why I'm fond of this iconic mushroom.

In order to prepare the Amanitas, I cut the caps into stripes and dry them thoroughly in a heated food dehydrator over the course of several hours. This conveniently converts the ibotenic acid to muscimol and makes them long-term storable. When they are ready, they feel very light, break easily and can be crumbled to a powder by rubbing them between my fingers. The dried pieces are best stored in an airtight container, like a screw-on glass. In my experience they have an agreeable mushroom flavor if freshly prepared. But this tends to deteriorate over several months. Mixing them with something that hides the taste makes them more easily palatable. Curd or yoghurt works well for me.

My Amanita journey typically starts with ingesting 5 to 8 grams of dried substance and a quick glance to the clock. First noticeable effects start about 30 minutes in. Suddenly I realize a feeling of increased, alerted wakefulness and physical energy. I feel confident, even slightly euphoric, and strong. Sometimes it‘s so pronounced it sends a shiver down my spine. If that‘s what the Berserks of old were using, I can easily imagine how they felt invincible storming into battle. Feeling up to any task, I‘m motivated to move around and do all kinds of stuff. Even „projects“ that were left unattended for weeks or months or routine tasks are suddenly fun. Everything seems more easy and nothing bores me. I can write and express myself easily, the phrases are forming in real time and just flowing into my keyboard.

But the energy isn‘t continuous. Somewhat later, I might feel kind of tired. Should I just lie down during that wave trough, it is likely that sleep overcomes me and I doze away for a short nap. Sleep is not mandatory or overpowering though, I can stay awake if I want to. After that, the energetic phase starts again. This wavy pattern of alternating high energy and sleepiness phases may continue for several hours. For me it‘s best not to start too late in the day, after 4pm and I risk being wide awake at 2am.

During the wave peaks, I may experience some perception alteration. Most noticeable is a dilation of time. Everything around me seems to be very slow. I have tried playing computer games with good success. It was kind of weird how slow everyone was moving around, leaving me ample time to react. Other than that, visual effects seem to be subtle at that dosage. Looking at tiles, I may tend to see some unobtrusive movements in the background, or there is some kind of flickering in shadows. Sometimes I feel kind of dizzy, but it is not as being drunk dizzy. There‘s no nausea and no perceived impairment of balance or body coordination.The one thing I really can‘t recommend at all is being in any kind of moving vehicle. Once a friend persuaded me to drive me somewhere while effects were close to peak and I had taken a higher dosage. Didn‘t want to admit I‘m on Amanita and gave in. The stark contrast between the actual speed of the car and the comically delayed movement of the landscape felt very weird. It was impossible to judge speed and movement of oncoming traffic. The feeling was revolting and vexing my brain. Additionally, even if it just took mere minutes, with the time dilation it felt like an eternity.

After effects are noticeably subsiding, I make it a point to get a full night of sleep. What Amanita does for my dreams is spectacular. The level of detail and vividness – It‘s almost like being a protagonist in an action movie, and I usually can remember it all. The improved dream quality may actually continue the next night in diminished form, then it is back to normal.

Waking up in the morning after an Amanita day, I feel deeply refreshed and thoroughly well-rested with no hangover at all.

Emotionally, I feel very much at peace and grounded in myself. There is a distinct, noticeable "afterglow" - it's as if every fear and anxiety has been flushed from my body. I feel more comfortable and uninhibited socially, more outgoing and willing to share my thoughts and feelings. Like dreaming, I can feel this effect for another day.

I'm curious what Amanita has to offer at higher doses, and at some point I might try. In the range I have been using it mixes well with everyday life and has shown to be a friend. No adverse effects I could mention.

Therefore I remain a friend of the red cap (with white freckles).

Exp Year: 2020	ExpID: 114354
Gender: Male
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: May 14, 2020	Views: 3,733
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Amanitas - A. muscaria (70) : Glowing Experiences (4), Retrospective / Summary (11), Various (28)