The Sacred Mushroom

Wilderness Exhibit

Researched by Arthur Vyn Boennighausen

This is the most pictured, most discussed, most analyzed of all mushrooms. It is easily identified as an Amanita by its free, white gills, white spores, ring and cup. The cup of this species is not clearly defined, being only fringes of torn tissue above a swollen base. Its somewhat waxy cap may be up to a foot in diameter and is speckled with white warts, though on occasion the warts may be washed away by rain. The color ranges from a brilliant scarlet to orange, to a golden yellow, even a faded yellow if exposed to sun and moisture is excessive. Once seen, this fairytale mushroom cannot be mistaken. Its gaudy, exotic beauty has attracted attention since prehistoric time, and its toxins have given rise to bizarre mental experiences which have made it a source of interest from the dawn of history.

The Byzantines pictured it as the "Forbidden Fruit" Eve tasted in the Garden. Some think it was the "Flower of the Underworld" which Persephone picked before her wild ride into Pluto's regions of darkness. One legend tells that this mushroom grew where drops of Christ's blood fell as He walked to Calvary. Another says it grew where bloody foam flew from Woden's horse as he raced through the forest. And it is along forest trails after thunderstorms in July and August that Amanita Muscaria grows. Strange brews have been made from this plant to serve many purposes. In the Balkans it is used for fly poison - hence the name, muscaria, or "fly" - and it is used as an intoxicant by people both primitive and modern, the world over. From Witches' brew to modern chemistry the Fly Agaric has stirred interest and Imagination. Chemists have analyzed it for 200 years, and the first mushroom toxin identified, muscarine takes its name from this fungus.

Though the Sacred Mushroom is not often fatally poisonous, it should be avoided.

Toxins found in Amanita Muscaria produce the hallucinations which have made the "Sacred Mushroom" of Mexico world-famous. These drugs heighten and distort sensory perceptions to the extent that all sounds become music, all lights become rainbows and all lines and shapes become beautiful progressions of geometric patterns. They produce elation and excitement, and a feeling of floating unreality and omnipotence which may lead the consumer to believe that he can unravel the mysteries of the Universe.

Reports have been made of weird flights of fantasy into the Spiritual world and visions of occult inspiration. Controlled, scientific experiments made to evaluate these experiences have, however, produced much the same kind of material as have attempts to trap the poetry people sometimes think they have created in their dreams. Put on paper, this material proves to be only the most ordinary of Ideas expressed as repetative gibberish.

The hallucinatory drugs produce a peculiar sense of detachment from the body, and persons under the influence of these drugs have been known to attempt dangerous and foolhardy actions because their judgment was seriously impaired.

Note Beyond: The use of the Sacred Mushroom to attain heightened states of Awareness is not advocated by the author. The Tibet Buddist monks have taught us that naturally produced substances such as oxygen and adrenaline can be used to achieve heightened states of Awareness.. The monks combine breathing techniques and meditation along with physical excersise programs that can produce results far beyond the decadent use of drugs. Absorb the beauty of these mushrooms with your eyes and your camera. Get high by climbing a Mountain.