Why we Got it Wrong - Fly Agaric 101: The Magical Mushroom (Amanita muscaria)

Back in 1976/77 - I researched Amanita Muscaria as part of a book report on magic mushrooms for my grade 11 English class, for which I received a B+. At that time it was believed safer to consume if all the white warts were removed first. I consumed two large caps and after a few hours of no recognizable effects, went to bed, only to wake up the next morning with the memory of having the most vivid and enlightening dreams... Psilocybin on the other hand was at times an 8 hour high and could be a scary adventure for the timid, on the other hand, an incredibly insightful journey to getting to know one's self, inside and out. I was young and reckless and still walked away with some useful insight. Corporate society does not want brave, pioneering, adventuresome, healthy citizens - they want citizens that depend on pharmaceuticals and anything else they can sell you to convince you everything is good as long as you play by their rules...

Psilocybin containing mushroom saved my life honestly from Alcohol addiction and severe depression. 6 years totally clean. Never thought I would be saying this about mushrooms.

Psilocybin mushrooms have augmented my feeling of what life is really all about, changed my perspective of living to a whole different level, seeing the beauty of nature in its abundance whilst also making me aware of what surrounds me and it's importance.

My grandmother passed on the areas in the woods where mushrooms grow to my mom who passed them on to us....my brother still remembered them and picked tons of EDIBLE mushrooms. Born and raised in Germany, many very delicious mushrooms grow there.

I am a natural born Alaskan and spent my first 11 years in my birthplace, Juneau, when we were still a territory. My Dad often took us schrooming and always for the great Shaggy Mane. As a wanderer, I was always in the woods exploring. One time while riding my bike, I saw thru some thicket a most Perfect Amanita I had ever come across. It was huge and beautiful and untouched by bugs yet. I couldn't stop myself as I plunged my skinny kid fingers into the very center of the cap and pulled out a pinky nail sized piece. I ate it. Me and my bike flew. Wasn't far, but we flew over that thick mass of sticks and twigs that made up that thicket. A place I couldn't ride my bike thru. Fast forward to now, and at age 68 I still remember and can recreate that wonderous flight in my head. I KNEW then and I KNOW now, I flew on my bike.

When a society is based on fear, a lot of knowledge that should’ve been passed down gets skewed or lost completely.

I've tried amanita tincture before bed. The effects were a subtle euphoria almost like being drunk. Then I fell into the deepest sleep of my life and had the most insane out of this world dreams I've ever experienced. I don't know how to describe them except they felt alien. I had a really hard time waking up. I remember it was like my consciousness was hovering over me and watching my body as it slept and I had to force myself back in to wake up. Really weird experience but not unpleasant it works as a sleep aid.

These were the first mushrooms that I tried. I ate 4 grams of them with orange juice. My friends and I ate them in the morning. I spent the entire day swimming through a black void. I saw neon shapes in the void that called out to me. When I swam through the shapes, I would hear philosophic teachings and what felt like really, old wisdom. It was incredibly peaceful. I came to, to realize that I had my face buried in the couch for the last 16 hours.

A couple years ago I tried amanita and it was an unbelievable experience. I felt extremely high levels of energy as never before. I read that North American Indians used them in the winter to receive their energy and were able to walk in the deep snow during long distance thanks to the amanitas.

I did amanita about a month ago. I'm in Australia, it's an introduced species. They were popping up early in the pines. I did the drying and lemon technique and enjoyed with a friend in the Autumn sunshine. It was so calming and comforting. Would recommend.

Depression haunted my life from a very young age, and I was put on a bunch of SSRIs as a child in attempt to deal with it. None worked.Psychedelic mushrooms was brought to my attention. It was the first thing that actually had real effects. They should only be used with great care and respect.

In New Zealand as a child my Dad knew how to find huge Horse Mushrooms. He told me they grew around the roots of a native pine trees. I just remembered this from your interesting article.

This is how Santa's reindeer fly!

I lived in the northwest in the early 80's for awhile and camped in the Wenatchee Forest on the moist ground during mushroom season, I would wake up early in the morning as the sun was barely peeking, amanita's would push through the soil like zombies hands, it was amazing. Elk and deer would gather and eat them, just being in the middle of this experience was like a hallucinogenic trip yet I never was high on drugs just the experience that I was experiencing seemed like a dream.

These mushies grow outside my house in suburbia (Melbourne Australia). Not every year though! I'd get one or three of them some years, other years there wouldn't be any, like this year. Last year however we had a bumper fairy circle of 13! It's our birch tree that they are in partnership with 🥰 Thank you for this informative video - I may actually harvest them when they next sprout!

There's a decent argument that many elements of our Christmas customs were based on this mushroom - the colors, and that they used to be put in a stocking and hung over the fireplace as a way to dry them out faster, just to name a couple things..

Hi. Fly agaric is very popular in Russia now. Every city has mushroomers, sellers and a consumer community. During the season there are festivals. I met this mushroom in 2018

God i fucken love fly agaric, theyre my favorite mushroom by far, as well as my favorite living thing, ever. Very very very few things make me as happy as sighting an adorable little fly agaric in the wild, I spend entire days just searching for the things.

Psychedelics and psilocybin in general are just amazing with so many health benefits. Psilocybin treatment actually saved me from mental health issues. I've also noticed clearer thinking and improved creativity. Never thought I would be saying this about mushrooms.

Excellent video, you got it all spot on . So glad people are growing an interest in this