As for sleighs, the point isn’t the exact getrocknete fliegenpilze kaufen mode of travel, but that the “trip” involves transportation to a different, celestial realm, Rush said. Ornaments shaped like Amanita mushrooms and other depictions of the fungi are also prevalent in Christmas decorations throughout the world, particularly in Scandinavia and northern Europe, Pfister points out. That said, Pfister made it clear that the connection between modern-day Christmas and the ancestral practice of eating mushrooms is a coincidence, and he doesn’t know about any direct link. Reindeer are common in Siberia, and seek out these hallucinogenic fungi, as the area’s human inhabitants have been known to do. Donald Pfister, a biologist who studies fungi at Harvard University, suggests that Siberian tribesmen who ingested fly agaric may have hallucinated into thinking that reindeer were flying.

Sámi People

Possession of Amanita muscaria or muscimol is legal in every state except Louisiana as of this writing. Dried muscaria is also sold in Wiccan and alternative religion stores across the United States every year, and dispensaries in New York. Some people claim Viking berserkers would eat or Amanita pantherina before going into battle to induce their legendary berserker rage.

Amanita Muscaria Spreads Throughout The World

The Amanita muscaria remains a symbol of the unknown, a reminder of the fine line between the beneficial and the dangerous in the world of mushrooms. Shamans ventured into birch forests to gather fly agaric and used it in their rituals and curative practices to achieve altered states of consciousness. A remarkable practice involved the ingestion of urine from reindeer under the effects of fly agaric to experience the effects of the mushroom. The cycle continued as shamanic initiates consumed the urine of the shamans, given that the compounds were still active. In terms of official taxonomy, we’re talking about Amanita muscaria, a species of poisonous fungi, which is sometimes confused for a psychedelic mushroom. While they are both hallucinogens, unlike psychedelic mushrooms, Amanita mushrooms have a different mode of action that centers on the neurotransmitter GABA, rather than serotonin.

But despite the mushroom’s fame and intrigue, attempts to intentionally cultivate A muscaria remain largely uncharted territory Many claim it cannot be successfully grown like other mushrooms. However, some mycologists and pioneers persist in trying to unlock the secrets of propagating this unusual species. There is a fair bit of reading to do to give yourself a balanced view and you should give consideration to both the following articles before you decide if eating fly agaric is for you. Generally, people with higher body weight may require larger Amanita doses to achieve the same effects as those with lower body weight. This variation occurs because a larger body mass can dilute the concentration of the substance. When embarking on a mushroom foraging expedition, it’s essential to prioritize safety and responsible foraging practices.

Growing On Living Trees

Its median lethal dose (LD50, or the dose lethal for 50% of tested subjects) is 22 mg/kg in mice (oral administration), 45 mg/kg in rats (oral administration), and 10 mg/kg in rabbits (intravenous administration). There is currently no available toxicology data for agarin alone in humans. Reports of mushroom intoxication linked to fly agaric have been reported in humans, however, this is infrequent due to the distinct appearance of Amanita muscaria, which sets it apart from other edible mushrooms. The distinct reddish hue of the fly agaric cap (though it can also be yellow or orange) is the result of a complex mixture of pigments. Some of these pigments degrade swiftly, complicating their study. To date, chromatography experiments have fractionated the mixture into at least ten compounds.

Since history based on written records only goes back approximately 5,000 years, it is difficult to say when humans first used Amanita muscaria. According to phylogenetic analysis, the mushroom’s evolutionary origins are in Beringia. There is little debate about the consumption of mushrooms by Arctic and Siberian tribes’ people and shamans, but the connection to Christmas traditions is more tenuous, or “mysterious,” as Ruck put it. The first cyclic intermediate is most probably tricholomic acid (6, Figure  1 A), which is likely desaturated to ibotenic acid by the cytochrome P450 IboC (A1CFL5, A1CFL6,27 A0A286LF02,20 27–30 %). Small doses of benzodiazepines like diazepam or lorazepam work to control aggressive behavior, agitation, muscular overactivity, and seizures. In severe cases of poisoning, when patients have lost consciousness or entered a coma stage, intubation, and artificial ventilation are used to revive them.

In Siberian civilizations, the fly agaric was prepared for religious and recreational purposes for centuries, as it was one of the only intoxication possibilities in this region at that time. They had a very interesting way of limiting some of the adverse effects, too. The active components of muscimol and ibotenic acid are excreted intact in urine, while negating some of the adverse side effects. In some Siberian tribes, like the Koryaks, reindeer were fed fly agaric mushrooms, and their pee was collected for drinking. This gave a second-hand stimulant effect that was much preferred, even if it meant drinking pee.