Amanita muscaria is quite the fascinating and unique mushroom genus with a rich history and unique effects. Notably its appearance, Amanita muscaria is exactly this:🍄! Its unique look of red with white spots sets it apart from any other mushroom, and it’s incredibly easy to identify. Some variations include other colours instead of red such as yellow or albino forms depending on location. Unlike psilocybin mushrooms, Amanita muscaria is legal in many places and brings a completely different experience to the table. So let’s explore what exactly makes Amanita muscaria so special, go over its effects and story, as well as some cautionary things and best practices to make note of.
What Exactly is Amanita Muscaria?
Amanita muscaria–also known as Fly agaric–is a psychoactive mushroom found most notably in Northern/Eastern Europe, Siberia, and Japan, but also spotted in North America and other regions. Not to be confused as a strain of magic mushroom, Amanita mushrooms work a bit differently. Amanita contains the psychoactive compounds muscimol and ibotenic acid which interact with your body a lot differently compared to psilocybin. Amanita has been used for centuries in many different cultures for its variety of wide range and unpredictable effects for spiritual purposes. As well as having a variety of art and folklore presence in fairy tales and imagery.
What’s its Story?
Amanita muscaria has some very interesting history. Such as in Europe with mystery cults in Greece or Rome but more notably its use in Siberia. Siberian cultures and societies have used Amanita muscaria for ceremonial and religious purposes for millennia. It was the only inebriant in Siberia before Slavic traders brought alcohol. Religious practices by shamans often used a combination of instrumental folk music with the mushrooms. A by-product of this use has brought light to some very interesting folklore around its use. Such as: “an important part of both ibotenic acid and muscimol is excreted almost intact in urine; therefore, the tradition of drinking the urine of the shaman or of a reindeer who consumed fly agarics in order to get a second-hand stimulus was observed in some Siberian tribes.” (Carboué et al., 2021) Thankfully as of modern times we have much more pleasant ways of consuming these mushrooms that don’t involve urine.
Beyond Siberia, there are many myths and folklore around Amanita muscaria in Europe. Some theories link the mighty Amanita muscaria mushroom to Viking berserkers. Given the delirious properties of the unprepared mushroom it is said that it may have been used to fuel the frenzies of Viking berserkers in states of delirium. Other theories bring to light some interesting ideas surrounding Amanita muscaria’s relations to the holiday of Christmas with the possibility that the imagery of Santa Claus–red and white clothes, flying reindeer etc–might have traced back some possible origins to Siberian shamanic rituals with Amanita muscaria. But this is a highly debated theory, none the less still an interesting thought. With this rich tradition, Amanita muscaria has had a long lasting impact on history, art and culture.
What Are its Effects?
Amanita muscaria has some unique effects compared to magic mushrooms or other psychedelics. Firstly it works on the GABA-A receptor in your brain meaning it interacts with your brain more similar to alcohol or benzodiazepines. Given its similarity in effects it has also been reported as a great way to help curve the use of alcohol or benzodiazepines and help withdrawal. It can also be used as a sleep aid given its sometimes more sedating nature when properly detoxified. At lower doses Amanita often also can induce mild euphoria, boost mood, and possible spiritual or introspective effects. It is also a psychostimulant which can boost alertness.
Higher doses can risk delirium or delirious-like states in some individuals. But if it is not properly detoxified, the effects are much more unpleasant and can include nausea, vomiting, confusion, disorientation, and psychotic-like symptoms. (Carboué et al., 2021) The effects vary highly by dose and the individual so there are no certainties to what you will experience when taking Amanita muscaria. Like other psychoactive mushrooms, it is important to take Amanita in a safe and comfortable environment to enhance introspective and pleasant qualities. Start with lower doses and become more comfortable with it first before moving into higher doses. Taking uncomfortable doses in an unsafe or uncomfortable environment risks the most unpleasant effects. With its interesting effects, mythology and tradition, Amanita remains a mushroom of lasting intrigue.
What to Be Cautious Of
It is careful to note that the process to make Amanita muscaria safe to consume requires some precision. The ibotenic acid in Amanita is a potent neuro toxin so it is important to take the measures to render it into muscimol–the compound responsible for the desirable effects–in order for it to be safe to consume. Methods like parboiling the mushrooms can detoxify them making them safe to consume. Other methods include drying the mushrooms and converting some ibotenic acid into muscimol but there is still a potential for unsafe amounts remaining. The best method to keep things safe is by boiling the mushrooms for at least 2-2.5 hours. Once doing so you can safely consume the mushrooms and enjoy the unique experience Amanita has to offer.
Conclusion
Amanita muscaria is a unique “magic” mushroom with rich history from Europe to Siberia. As well as its legal status in most areas and accessibility due to its unique and easily distinguishable appearance and that it is common in many regions. This makes it quite the fascinating psychedelic in both lore and experience. As long as it is prepared correctly it makes a choice for whether you just need a sleep aid, or wanting a unique psychedelic experience. In recent times it has also been rediscovered by many psychonauts for its effects and experience that differ from normal magic mushrooms. If you want an easy and reliable source for dried Amanita muscaria, you can look at our own highly reviewed Amanita here.
Sources
Carboué Q, Lopez M. Amanita muscaria: Ecology, Chemistry, Myths. Encyclopedia. 2021; 1(3):905-914. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia1030069
