All You Need To Know About The Magic Mushrooms

The mushroom is a kind of fungi and not a plant. It grows from a spore in the dirt or on decaying plant material. Some varieties of mushroom contain nutrients and vitamins, while some mushrooms are used to give a meaty texture to pizza and risotto. 

While some are used to give flavor, some are more famous for their taste. Popularly referred to as magic mushrooms or shrooms or Psilocybin mushrooms, they cause a change in behavior and perception. At first glance, these mushrooms don’t look specifically magical. The scientific name to the fungi which is little brown and white translates to ‘bald head’. These kinds of mushrooms have been used in religious rites and ceremonies. They are even represented in Stone Age Rock Art in Africa and Europe. (18.1)

Know more about its appearance, effects and other specifics below.

History of Magic Mushrooms

Source = Medicalnewstoday

To be honest, no one exactly knows when humanly discovered magic mushrooms. But there is a proof that magic mushrooms were used in religious rituals; so it suggests that they are more than thousand years old.  

In the Sahara Desert, rock art feature even earlier portrayals of magic mushrooms. The rock art showcases human dancers holding the mushroom-like object. This is not real evidence but researchers see it as the hints of people using mind-altering mushrooms.

(18.2)

What are Magic Mushrooms?

Source = Imgix

Magic Mushrooms or Psilocybin are basically consumed for their hallucinogenic effects. The key ingredient found in magic mushrooms is psilocybin. When it is taken, it gets converted to psilocin which is a chemical with the psychoactive properties. Psilocybin shows great interaction with the region of the brain which ultimately combines sensory experiences. 

Magic mushrooms are often dried out and stored. Some people even use it to make tea. Drying of mushrooms reduces its weight but not their potency.

The Appearance of Magical Mushrooms

Source = Highsnobiety

As said, magical mushrooms do not look particularly magical. Instead, they look more like ordinary mushrooms. They are usually noticed in Australia with golden tops, liberty caps and blue meanies. It resembles with poisonous mushrooms and can make a person sick. Synthetic psilocybin appears like a white powder that can be transformed into capsules and can be dissolved in water.

The Effects of Magic Mushrooms

Source = Thenypost

Magic mushrooms sometimes make you feel confident or can give you a bad trip. Actually, you won’t know what will happen until you consume it. Intake of magical mushrooms can distort sounds and objects. For instance, you can see sound and can hear the colors, you can feel more emotional and enlightened. 

Psilocybin can also slow down or increase your sense of time and movement. It can even make you like dreaming when you are awake. An overdose of magical mushrooms may result in diarrhoea, loss of muscle control, vomiting or psychosis.

The Risks of Magic Mushrooms

Source = Mnn

There are more than 200 species of mushrooms existing on the Earth. Some are poisonous, some are fly agaric. This clearly means that the biggest risk to your health is when you take poisonous mushroom by mistake instead of magical mushroom. It can affect you the long term basis. People who regularly consume magic mushroom may experience hallucinations that may occur for months, weeks or even for years. It adversely affect lifestyle and cause social problems. 

If a person has stopped breathing or is suffering from an anaphylactic reaction, immediately call the doctor.

Its Connection With Santa

Source = Theconversation

Rush claims that Siberian shamans used to bring presents of hallucinogenic mushrooms to households in winter. Reindeer were the spirit animals and as they ingested mushrooms, it might just convince people that those animals could fly. Moreover, Santa’s red and white colored suit looks like colors of the mushroom species called Amanita muscaria which grows under evergreen trees.

Magic Mushrooms (Psilocybin) and the Laws Defined

Source = Inquirer

Though magical mushrooms resemble normal mushrooms, buying one is not so easy. There are certain rules governed for the purchase of Psilocybin mushrooms. 

The 2005 Drugs Act amended the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 to clarify that dried and stewed magic mushrooms included as psilocybin belong to class A drugs. It is illegal to have magic mushrooms for yourself. Supplying to someone else can cost you unlimited fine or even life imprisonment.

What if You Are Caught With Magic Mushrooms?

Source = Cloudfront

Intake of magic mushroom or finding them anywhere around you can be risky. In case police catches you with magic mushroom, they will take some action. This could be an arrest, warning or prosecution. Police can even stop you from visiting different countries. 

So we can say that magic mushrooms are both beneficial and risky. They can give you a good trip by making you feel more relaxed or give a scary trip by slowing down the sense of movement.