DOSE:

oral

Amanitas - A. muscaria

(plant material)

: i disagree strongly with the person who says these amanita muscaria
: mushrooms did nothing and were not worthwhile i have had first hand
: experience with these mushrooms and would strongly urge caution in even
: picking them, these are hardcore poisons, and serious hallucinogens. do
: not take theses mushrooms lightly as they will kill you if you do not
: know what your doing with them. this is no joke.

Nonsense! I have around 30 pounds of Amanita Muscaria sitting in my freezer right now. They were first cleaned, then dipped in brandy to preserve them. I eat some nearly every day, they have an extraordinaryly rich and subtle flavor, they taste wonderful. I usually eat about 2 tablespoons per meal, maximum around 4, and I can tolerate up to about 8 tablespoons a day. Fly Shroom is roughly as toxic (when potent) as coffee. Are you afraid to handle green coffee beans because of concerns for caffeine poisoning? Fly Mushroom has roughly the same toxicity level. You could get pretty dire effects from eating a pound of A.M. , but I daresay the effects of eating a pound of coffee are equally dire!

Fly Mushroom seems to be too harsh (in large doses) for most people to use as an entheogen, but it makes a wonderful tonic when used in small amounts. It is especially welcome in cold weather. It warms you up, energizes you, and makes you feel cheerful. I know no finer tonic for seasonal depression or Christmas blues. If you have to work hard in severe winter weather, it combines very well with red ginseng. The major precaution is that it can potentiate medications whose primary effect is on the nervous system, so don't use it if you are taking this kind of pharmaceutical. Fly Shroom amplifies mood quite a bit, if you take it in trembling and dread, this mood will be amplified and you will feel sure that it is something truly demonic. Many cases of A.M. poisoning are really nothing more than amplified hysteria.

I have given it to a lot of people under relaxed conditions in food, and I have had consistantly positive results. Even when people say they feel nothing, they become much more cheerful and talkative. Your attitude reflects thousands of years of taboos against this mushroom. You are unable to undo the conditioning you inherited from the Collective Unconscious. As for me, I think Soma is one of Gaia's greatest gifts to us.

I have a passionate fondness for this mushroom! I don't use it as a psychedelic (too harsh), but it is an absolutely superb tonic. (used in modest amounts) I collect at least a dozen different types of wild mushrooms for food use, but this is my absolute favorite. You should cautiously test your reaction (like, try a teaspoon or so) before experimenting with my ideas.

I generally slice up about 2 tablespoons of fresh ( or FlyShroom preserved by dipping in brandy and freezing--it doesn't taste good dried) and sautee it in butter or olive oil. The most you should consume at any one time is about 4 tablespoons. If you feel nausea or dizzines (or hyper and nervous) reduce the dose to what you are comfortable with. You will get far better results using several divided small doses than one big dose. The flavor is exquisite and elegant (I think only the morel really compares) and a dish prepared with FlyShroom will quickly make you feel full--I think it has potential for dieting. FlyShroom also lends itself to as a flavoring agent to fine French and Italian food. It goes really well in rich sauces and with pasta. For a harmless flavor enhancing effect, add a teaspoon or so to a salad dressing or near the end of cooking to a rich savory dish.

Fly mushroom can be taken in food up to 4 times a day (don't overcook!) for a maximum dose of about half a cup. It has a potent warming/activating effect and is best used in the cooler months. If you suffer from cold weather or winter depression, I think you will find it a marvelous tonic remedy for such conditions. You can use FlyShroom in moderation continously for many days, and it will have a wholesome, invigorating tonic effect on mind and body (especially during cold weather). If you stop taking it suddenly, the effects will wear off gently in three days with no withdrawel or 'crash' type reactions. I have not experienced craving effects so I believe the habit-forming potential is low. FlyShroom combines very well with high-quality ginseng, and such a combination can give you great endurance if you face hard conditions.

FlyShroom has the potential to exaggerate the effects of drugs with strong central-nervous system effects, so it should not be used by people who are taking such medicines, especially drugs used to treat psychiatric conditions. There is no problem with using it with moderate amounts of coffee or wine; it adds considerable brightness to the 'zing' of caffeine and mellowness and euphoria to a glass of wine. The basic effect is a cheerful energy and a subtly expanded awareness that combines with a great sense of peacefulness. You feel self-confident, cheerful and serene. It seems to act primarily on the higher brain centers and is great for meditation and contemplation. There is often a subtle sense of tension in the muscles and a desire to do something physically active. At first, you may not be aware of the effect, but people around you will notice how much more talkative and happy you are than you were before. I have used Aminita Muscaria daily for months and have not experienced any tolerance effects. It seems to be wholesome and life-enhancing when used properly.

It is a real treat to read the Soma hymns of the 9th book of the Rig Veda under the influence of FlyShroom. I am convinced that this is the true Soma and not the heavy, leaden, sickliness of Syrian Rue. As it says in the Rig Veda, Soma is a good tonic for the ill. Taken when ill or tired, FlyShroom will act as a sedative/analgesic in a way that reminds me strikingly of codeine. If you take FlyShroom for the first time in the evening, it will act as a stimulant and may interfere with sleep. If you have been taking it during the day, a final dose will make you drowzy and usually give you wonderful vivid dreams. I usually wake up feeling healthy and refreshed the next day. If you push the dose to the maximum you can comfortably tolerate over a couple of days, you will feel a very definite but pleasant sense of intoxication. Vision will be enhanced, especially at night, and you may see colorful visuals with your eyes closed, the images will look like they are encrusted with glowing gems.

Anyway, I think you can see why I am so passionately fond of the Mighty Amanita. I have shared it with a dozen people and nobody has experienced untoward or negative reactions. People who are into recreational drugs often say they feel nothing, but the change in their behavior is really striking. I have never used it in large doses, every time I tried increasing the dosage above a certain level, I get queasy and apprehensive, like the feeling you get when you are in an old house all alone and hear furtive noises. My family likes it, especially my sister and my mother. She also collects wild mushrooms, and will sometimes hide the FlyShrooms so I don't hog them all. Everybody I have given them to has treated them with respect, nobody has been tempted to OD on them.

I think you are barking up the wrong tree in obsessing with using them as a 'entheogen', if you try using them in moderation as a tonic, a whole new world will be opened to you. I think Amanita Muscaria is the positive-energy, 'heavenly' equivalent to the negative-energy, enslaving, 'inferenal' drug cocaine. Nobody thought the stuff was like LSD or 'Magic Mushrooms', but several did compare it to coke. I was concerned, and attempted to 'abuse' FlyShroom to test for signs of tolerance, craving, withdrawal symptoms and other signs of addiction potential. I am happy that neither I nor my collaborators found any! We do, though, have a great nostalgic fondness for the critter, and look forward to a good mushrooming year with gladsome anticipation.

I firmly believe that Soma (nothing else but Amanita Muscaria matches the Hymns) is one of Gaia's greatest gifts from the Northern Forests (when used with RESPECT!), I think its negative reputation results from people not using it with the imagination and respectful moderation that I have, instead trying unsuccessfully force it into being a substitute for the totally different Psilocybe mushrooms. Try my ideas and see for yourself...

Lingam Indrasya!
Yours in the Name of Sweet Mother Gaia and Life,
Eugene

Exp Year: 1997	ExpID: 370
Gender: Not Specified
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: Jun 11, 2000	Views: 28,798
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Amanitas - A. muscaria (70) : Unknown Context (20), Retrospective / Summary (11)