Mushroom Drug Produces Mystical Experience

[AllyCat]

NEW YORK - People who took an illegal drug made from mushrooms reported profound mystical experiences that led to behavior changes lasting for weeks — all part of an experiment that recalls the psychedelic '60s.

Many of the 36 volunteers rated their reaction to a single dose of the drug, called psilocybin, as one of the most meaningful or spiritually significant experiences of their lives. Some compared it to the birth of a child or the death of a parent.

Such comments "just seemed unbelievable," said Roland Griffiths of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, the study's lead author.

But don't try this at home, he warned. "Absolutely don't."


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060711/ap_on_sc/psychedelic_research;_ylt=Al5pzcCWyFCRjQEwH9qFUMUPLBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--

[The Magistrate]

1. The Hell He Says, Ma'am

What a terrific and awful surprise....

[benburch]

4. Yeah...

...like they needed to STUDY this?

All they would have had to do would have been to crack open some books from the 50s and 60s when all of this was researched the first time out.

[Zhade]

27. Awful? Didn't they volunteer?

I've done shrooms - it is amazing.

Was this far more powerful than the usual dose?

[The Magistrate]

31. Who Knows, Sir?

But the promotor of the study seemed awfully surprised by the result....

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

37. I'm in the wrong line of work. n/t

[AllyCat]

33. I suppose they had the pure drug

Mushrooms come in many forms that are frequently "altered" by the seller. I've heard of them dipped in LSD and DOT. The REAL ones could be tough to distinguish from the others.

My college had "fly day" every spring which was supposed to be a college spring fling before the end of the school year. But it turned into hallucinogenic substance day with just about half the attendees on 'shrooms. In their efforts to curb the use of the drug, they administration brought in a different lecturer every year who was supposed to give us the "facts" about drugs.

And they did. Alcohol and nicotine are bad for you. Cocaine does awful things to your central nervous system. Marijauna is smoked which causes problems with the respiratory tract. But when they got to the part about mushrooms, every guest to a one said that if a person were to take a mood altering substance, mushrooms were the thing. They had no long term effects, caused no toxicity to the average user, and were untraceable in almost any urine drug screen in about 36 hours (this was in the mid '80s). One would have to consume a pound of them to get any "overdose" effects and most of those were temporary.

A popular mix in my day: M/Xing. One dose of mushrooms with a dose of ecstasy (still legal then). Most M/Xers agreed the 'shrooms basically pulled the user front and center and completely overpowered the meth.

[Toots]

50. It all depends on the mushrooms you ingest

There are many different types and all have different experiences. Try eating the mushrooms from lower Mexico. There is No comparison The little Liberty caps and such you find in the USA are just garbage in comparison. About the same difference as Aspirin and Opium

[MissB]

56. It is like they are reinventing the wheel.

Oh, the marvels of mushrooms. Who would've guessed!

[NVMojo]

2. Send it to the White House. There are some folks around there who

need a mystical experience.

[MetaTrope]

45. Timothy Leary claimed to have provided LSD to JFK via his mistress

and look what happened there...

[wordpix2]

87. LOL, good fodder for a SNL script

[Blue_In_AK]

3. "Don't try this at home"???

Too late. :hippie:

[Old and In the Way]

28. 35 years too late in my case.

You betcha' it was a religious experience. :-)

[Blue_In_AK]

60. I think it's been about that long for me, too.

LSD and peyote earlier, but the psilocybin is by far the best. Definitely life-changing.

[wordpix2]

88. yeah, me, too

[laylah]

36. .

:rofl: My first thought, also.

Jenn

[MADem]

5. They need to put these on the White House menu

Viewed by some as a landmark, the study is one of the few rigorous looks in the past 40 years at a hallucinogen's effects. The researchers suggest the drug someday may help drug addicts kick their habit or aid terminally ill patients struggling with anxiety and depression.

It may also provide a way to study what happens in the brain during intense spiritual experiences, the scientists said.

Funded in part by the federal government, the research was published online Tuesday by the journal Psychopharmacology.

Psilocybin has been used for centuries in religious practices, and its ability to produce a mystical experience is no surprise. But the new work demonstrates it more clearly than before, Griffiths said.

Even two months after taking the drug, pronounced SILL-oh-SY-bin, most of the volunteers said the experience had changed them in beneficial ways, such as making them more compassionate, loving, optimistic and patient. Family members and friends said they noticed a difference, too....

All that funding, they just should have gone out looking for some pushing towards/just passed sixty-ish old hippies.

Everything old is new again!!!

[alfredo]

10. I guess all those years crawling around

the cow pasture was good for something.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psilocybin

[madrchsod]

6. psilocybin is the drug of the gods

the most intensive mystical experiences i have ever had...those were the days, my friend,those were the days

[Old and In the Way]

29. Sometimes I wonder if the past 6 years have been the bummer part

of the long strange trip. Mystical indeed.

[Digit]

7. shrooms!

duh!

[asthmaticeog]

8. Doesn't it have to be something we didn't know to count as "news?"

There's a reason I and zillions of others 'shroomed our asses off in college... Johns Hopkins is maybe a little late to the party here.

[Fenris]

20. But they have medical credentials!

They're research physicians! Like those doctors who discovered that women have a pleasant experience when inseminated! This is useful science!

Next study: does the Grateful Dead stop sucking if you smoke enough pot?

[Patchuli]

22. Now now

be nice for them: "Next study: does the Grateful Dead stop sucking if you smoke enough pot?" is fighting words!

[sofa king]

68. Next study answer: yes.

I believe I proved that beyond a shadow of a doubt in 1987, on the "Touch of Grey" tour. But the mushrooms helped, too.

[Cybergata]

111. Ha Ha Ha

The Greatful Dead NEVER SUCK!

[Eikon]

9. Such comments "just seemed unbelievable,"

Unbelievable? Who is this guy? Native peoples have been using such entheogens for thousands of years, as noted by the statue of Xochipilli.

http://www.erowid.org/entheogens/xochi/xochi.shtml

If we spent more time as a people delving into our personal spirituality with the aide of such substances, the world would be a much better place.

I am of firm belief that any natural drug should be legal.

For those looking for a legal alternative, research the Amanita Muscaria mushroom. Not nearly as potent, but a viable resort none the less.

[XemaSab]

86. You can poison yourself with the Amanita Muscaria

aka Fly Agaric.

It's a totally different fungus in a totally different group with different compounds.

Why take the chance when shrooms grow wild everywhere? :shrug:

[Eikon]

108. Re

Psilocybin shrooms don't grow wild everywhere. And companies are putting a chemical in the feed that stops cow dung from producing the most common cubensis.

Having taken Red Flys, I can safely say there is no chance of getting poisoned unless you were to take a large dose, well over a high level dose of 10-15 grams, or were to take an unusally potent shroom. This is why you should always start with a small dose and work your way up. Flys from even the same group can vary greatly in their content of active chemicals, so I will admit you need to be cautious.

I am also aware that ibotenic acid and muscimol do not place them in the same class as "magic" mushrooms, but they are a viable alternative and you should not be scared away by poison warnings.

From Amanita FAQ:

A. Muscaria and S. Cubensis are known safe, even with repeated use. A. Muscaria is typically listed as a poison, but some "poison" this is -- at the end of the descriptions of this poison, it gradually dawns on us that this is merely a "temporary poison", with no lasting harmful effects. Just the unfortunate and undesirable effects of "nausea and delirium/hallucinations"

[eleny]

11. getting off the bus….

autumn fell over our feet
soft waves of crisp leaves and scent
lifting over
again to again...


:evilgrin:

[al bupp]

12. Re: Trying it at home, think "Set & Setting"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Set_and_setting

Home, may in fact be one of the best settings for a halucinogenic experience. It's a safe, well known environment, actually a very good place to start a mystical voyage, IHMO.

[expatriot]

13. Elves came out of the paneling of my friend's trailer and told me a secret

a secret that sent me into a hellish agony as if I was confronted by all the legions of hell. It was bitterly cold outside but I did not notice since I was in the midst of hell, bitterly cold and snowy it was outside but outside is where the battle sent me - flailing against all those legions of Hell. Oh, and I won, I tell you, oh I won alright...

on edit: No, not Elvis... Elves... as in plural elfs. oh wait, is it elfs or elves?

[Patchuli]

21. Did your friend have lawn gnomes? heheheee

Sorry...could not resist. Hey, I was skeered of a toothless dog! Yup, it's true!

[Algorem]

25. are elfs the same little bastards that live under mushrooms?well sure they

will torment you for eating their house.

[Bridget Burke]

41. Nope, those are gnomes...

And the mushroom with a white-spotted red cap is the Amanita muscaria. Somewhat hallucinogenic & somewhat toxic, this may have been "inspired" the berserkers--wild Viking warriors. (This article claims that all Vikings were berserkers--not true.)

http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/dec99.html

The gentle psilocybin mushroom is definitely preferable.

[Lance_Boyle]

59. Those are smurfs.

Break their legs, and if they turn blue, you can catch a buzz off 'em. ;-)

[mithnanthy]

43. expatriot...

During my first experience 40 years ago with pot, I saw lepricans coming out of the wall, while I was seated at a dining room table. Years later, a friend said his brother tried pot once and saw lepricans! I never saw them again, however, just the first time I tried pot. WTF is THAT all about? Also, as a 5 year child, I hallucinated on a drug administered for an ear ache. The drug was given to me by my Dad, who was a doctor. I clearly remember my amazment when I sat up in bed and looked out the upstairs window.(the shade was up). The sky was totally bright RED and also the roof outside my bedroom window was bright red. On the roof were dancing ELVES....RED ELVES! I've never forgotten it.

[wordpix2]

89. I never saw elves but was struck by the hand of God once at the National

Cathedral. Literally ended up on the floor of the Cathedral toward the end of an antiwar service on the eve of a Vietnam War protest. Definitely, God was on the antiwar side...

[NoodleyAppendage]

14. Been there, done that. Nice experience...lots of uncontrollable laughter.

Actually, they didn't taste bad either...put them on a pizza. No visual hallucinations or delusional thoughts like those of LSD. More of a sense of well-being and joyous laughter.

And, no they are NOT going to make you think you can fly resulting in a death from a building leap (i.e., afterschool special demonization).

j

[alfredo]

19. Never tried it.

Every year a guy would walk down our alley. He'd call us out and we'd come running. He would be carrying a grocery bag full of peyote buttons. He gave them away free. He'd just walk through the Cass Corridor neighborhood, spreading so much happiness. I used to chop up the buttons and smoke them. it would be immediate but short lived. Perfect for a nice afternoon.

Also
Riding a camping gear ladened bicycle up a mountain while tripping on Peyote is something worth experiencing. (From Boulder to Nederland Colorado)

[Eikon]

15. One of my experiences...

The first time I tripped with friends, we all shared a similar and eye opening experience. As we looked up at the moon, the entire sky appeared as the ocean, with waves all working their way inward and upward towards the moon. It was the single most beautiful thing I had ever seen at that point in my life.

It's interesting to note that at least five people all witnessed the exact same thing, which begs the question of alternate reality/dimensions. How could we all perceive such a constant if it did not "exist" at all times? I think we were just tuned to the proper wavelength.

[CoffeeCat]

17. Kewl....

I want that!!!

I had some very intense spiritual experiences, while going through some therapy for PTSD. It was during a time in my life where I was at peace with the fact that "this was it" and most of religion was bunk. I had some amazing and eye-opening experiences that blew me away. I gained the sense that there is a part of everyone that is connected. That part often gets buried under years of living. Maybe mushrooms tap into that universal part that connects us all. Maybe all of you were "tapped" at the same time and something really cool happened.

Thanks for sharing that.

[Laotra]

30. Shared "hallucinations"

We too... :)

What other proof than this kind of "telepathy" does one need that mind is not (just) an epiphenomenon of the brain, the individual consciouss experience is just restricted 4D-localized phenomenon of the non-local mind(s), outside time and at all times.

World is our collective creation ("hallucination"), there is no subjective and objective except in the (English) language.

[Joanne98]

38. They used to call that a "contact high". Happened all the time.

[RawMaterials]

44. So basicly you experanced starry nights

[RamblingRose]

47. Same thing here - we'd go outside and lay in the yard and watch the sky

It was incredible! It had a profound impact on my life. I have always wondered why we all saw the same things, like stars moving. And every once in a while we'd catch a shooting star which was awesome.

P.S. I never understood the Grateful Dead until LSD

[Delphinus]

53. Beautiful!

And I love your conclusion, about tuning into the proper wavelength. You've got the answer right there, my friend.

I've never had the pleasure of mushrooms, but I've had mystical experiences through other native plants. I'd love to try the mushrooms - I really, really would. Not sure where to find them, but I think I'll bookmark a couple of these wiki pages and see what I can find. Sounds like a perfect way to spend an afternoon sometime.

[KurtNYC]

58. With 2 friends - went to Mexico

near Ensenada, ate about 1-1/2 grams then rented horses to ride on the beach. Within 30 minutes I was just totally at peace, saw and sensed the connections between everything. Patterns and rythms. When we turned back toward the corral, the horses started to run (common because they get fed after the ride) and it was like a haunted magic carpet ride. My horse jumped a stream that was about 15 feet wide and I thought we wouldnt make it but he cleared it easily. After that I just let it happen, let the horse do what he wanted. I felt one with the strength and energy of the animal, like a Minataur.

When the horse ride ended, we were frying hard and went to a tall flat rock that was out in the breaking surf of the Pacific. You had to run out between waves then climb up. Once we got up there our experience started to kind of synchronize. I think it is a hypnotic thing, the power of suggestion is strong. I started talking about how the sets of larger waves are always 3 waves. And then we looked out toward the west horizon and saw set after set of waves, all in 3s. The rythms of life seemed to overlap into one epic symphony: heartbeats, waves, seagulls, the ribs on seashells. Creation,life and death all in one unending cycle. Then my friend says "there are no straight lines in nature" and suddenly every curve is beautiful and amazing. We think of strong structures as being built of right angles and yet there are none in nature. It went on like that.

Eventually we went to an orphanage back near TJ and the border to give away clothes and other items to the poor but the kidsin the orphanage told us they weren't at all poor compared to the kids who live on the garbage dumps. Still blazing, we drove out to this huge garbage dump, parts of which were on fire so you would pass through little curtains of white smoke. And there are kids running around gathering up different things. One kid gets all the green glass, one gets wire, etc. We fed as many as had food for. And they offered us stuff (!?) - orange soda (which we declined). It was profound. Right there in front of you: the all-too-human struggle to survive and yet with their dignity intact. The reciprocation of kindness. I have never doubted the unseen connections between all living things since then.

I recommend a similar set-up for their next study. Certainly worked for me.

[wordpix2]

91. thank you, Kurt, reminds me to send money to one of those orgs that helps

kids. Thanks.

[Nevernose]

94. "Never Take Hallucinogens in Mexico" is Rule #1

I can't believe you broke rule number one. Actually, it's rule number two, after "If you're in jail on Sunday afternoon or Monday evening, do not -- FOR THE LOVE OF GOD -- interrupt in any way the foorball game on TV."

Everything else is up for grabs.

I learned these two rules the hard way. The poverty and the beggars and the orphans in Mexico were just too much for me. I can get a little hypersensitive watching that stuff stone cold sober on TV at home -- but on ten hits of Krusty the Klown acid and in person? Well, let's just say that a Tijuana slum isn't usually the best place to have a minor emotional breakdown. And if going back through customs while experiencing a temporary break in reality doesn't make you drop dead from fright and shock, then I'm pretty sure nothing will.

Then again, I just hate cities. Crowded, stinky, and noisy. I've never been particularly adept at handling them.

But there are places in the Mojave not far from Vegas, badlands of sheer-walled cliffs and canyons, and small, rugged mountains. Beautiful, exotic cacti of every description hang on to life, even thrive, against all odds in the most remarkable places and ways. You can climb some of these cliff walls and view 1,000 year old pteroglyphs depicting all the events of human life -- love, war, friendship, "the hunt." The bats flutter around your head while the coyotes sing to each other, and if you're very quiet and very still and happen to be near a watering hole, the wild horses will walk right up to you. It's hard to put into words: it simulatneously demostrates that you are insgnificantly small, and yet although miniscule, you are still an integral part of an lmost infinite whole.

BTW: I still give money, clothes, and food to a Mexican orphanage, probably to assuage my guilt at being fat and comfortable and sitting in an air-conditioned house while there are children not too far from here who are literally eating rats and selling garbage to survive (and we wonder why we have an illegal immigration issue :eyes:). Some experiences, even bad ones, you just don't forget.

[IndianaGreen]

16. God is a mushroom

and Carlos Castaneda and his shaman Don Juan were prophets!

Who needs church when we can commune with the Deity in our own living rooms?

[CoffeeCat]

18. I think God left most of the churches, long ago...

Most religions are so fake and corrupt.

Churches are filled with the worst of society, hiding behind their "I attend church every Sunday" baloney.

Yes, there ARE sincere, peace-loving, cool people who attend church---not all are bad. However, it seems like the charlatans have taken over religion, for the most part.

[Patchuli]

24. Yep, and do attend weekly mostly

but my pastor will come looking if I miss much more than a service or two. I rather like that.

Upon edit: I should add that while I had interesting wild experiences in my youth, I behave now. Except for my smart mouth, that is.

[Old and In the Way]

32. It ought to be a sacrament.

I never experienced anything near the mind expandiing capabilities of psycho-active drugs. I agree, modern churches do their damndest to make sure you don't truely have an altered state of consciousness. If you did, you'd have a hard time justifying the repetitive social rituals of attending church.

[wordpix2]

92. it IS a sacrament to some Native Americans

[Algorem]

23. just made the room seem kind of mushy for me,maybe i got a bad batch

[banana republican]

26. Tried it once in the '60s

And God told me that the Antichrist would become known in the year 2000.

Who would have thought....

[Up2Late]

34. "...Funded in part by the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT!!!" WTF?

"...Funded in part by the federal government, the research was published online Tuesday by the journal Psychopharmacology...." :wtf:

<http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060711/ap_on_sc/psychedelic_research>

SO, Is THIS what they are doing with the money that should be going to stem-cell research!?!?

Why is this news? This is written like the writer never heard of psilocybin mushrooms before. In the 1980's they were called "Magic Mushrooms!"

You get the psychedelic effect because you are POISONING YOUR BRAIN! Just like Alcohol, only worst. A Drug like this has never had any legitimate usage, and they are wasting Federal Tax Dollars on this!?!?

[w4rma]

46. This is useful research, actually. The effects are largely unstudied.

And there are quite a few misconceptions, also. This chemical could be used in various medical treatments, among other things.

[Sivafae]

48. I am really hoping that you are being sarcastic

Because this study is really important.
Shamans have been using a variety of hallucinogenic drugs to aid them in their journeys to the center of the Earth for thousands of years. In fact, there is a theory from Terrance Mc Kenna that the reason for the rapid enlargement of the brain in early hominids was in fact due to ingestion of mushrooms. I haven't researched his proof for his theory, but I find it rather interesting none the less.
For many years recently American scientists have been unable to obtain hallucinogenic drugs to even test them. I remember a study that was done in the late 80's where scientists were studying the effects of LSD on alcoholics and found very positive results. Then the scientists couldn't get the permission to obtain LSD to further their research.
My point is that the hysteria that surrounds illicit drugs, especially hallucinogens, is due to a lot of distortions of what these drugs are really meant for. The effects of hallucinogens have not been extensively studied enough in a controlled setting to even be able to see if these drugs do in fact have positive effects. Of course you could just a multitude of people who have tried the drug and they will tell you. Though it is my firm belief that some people should not take hallucinogens. But the only way to tell that is if you are a wise woman or man. We simply do not have a place for those kinds of people in our society to assist us in understanding the more hidden aspects of our brains.
Here, have a look at this site, and properly educate yourself on the drugs that are listed as dangerous by our government.
http://www.erowid.org/
Remember people hysteria gets us nowhere.

[Vidar]

51. I'd vouch for this based on my own limited experience. I'm guessing

this is newsworthy because positive hallucinogenic research has been forbidden for 35 years??

[alcibiades_mystery]

49. You couldn't be more wrong

The scheduling of psilocybin is one of the most ridiculous gestures of policy run amok in the late 20th century. Psilocybin does not "poison your brain," and I defy you to provide any legitimate research to that effect. The plain fact is that you don't know a damn thing about psilocybin, its history, or the existing research into it. You're plain old making shit up from your silly little prejudices, and it's embarrassing.

[Up2Late]

62. From CPCS: What symptoms do poisonous mushrooms cause?

Oh, You got me, I've never experimented with any drugs whatsoever, so I must not know shit.:sarcasm: :eyes:

You "defy" me "...to provide any legitimate research..." Boy that sounds like another day well spent, doing your research for you. No, I've wasted enough time trying to convince people who "defy" me "...to provide any legitimate research..." in the past.

I tell you what, why don't call the California Poison Control System at 1-800-876-4766 and "defy" them to "...to provide any legitimate research..." to why they have this on their website:

<http://www.calpoison.org/public/mushrooms.html>

...What symptoms do poisonous mushrooms cause?

There are a variety of mushrooms, divided into categories or groups. Each category causes different symptoms.

Group 1. CYCLOPEPTIDES: The first signs and symptoms may not develop for six to 24 hours, usually 10-14 hours after the ingestion. Symptoms begin with sharp abdominal pains, followed by violent vomiting and persistent diarrhea, often containing blood and mucous. In three to four days, the patient begins to worsen with symptoms of kidney and liver failure. Death is very possible.

Group 1A. ORELLANINE: Symptoms begin 36 hours to 11 days after ingestion. They include nausea, lack of appetite, headache and, most importantly, a severe burning thirst and kidney failure.

Group 2. IBOTENIC ACID-MUSCIMOL: A state resembling alcohol intoxication develops 30 to 60 minutes after ingestion. Confusion, muscle spasms, delirium and visual disturbances, which last for about four hours, develop following the intoxicated state. Vomiting usually does not occur. Drowsiness and sleep follow and recovery is usually rapid.

Group 3. MONOMETHYLHYDRAZINE: After six to eight hours, the patient experiences a feeling of fullness in the stomach followed by vomiting and watery diarrhea. Headache, fatigue, cramps and intense pain in the liver and stomach regions occur, followed by jaundice. Seizures occur in severe cases.

Group 4. MUSCARINE-HISTAMINE: Within 30 minutes to two hours after ingestion, symptoms include sweating, drooling, diarrhea, watery eyes, blurred vision, pinpoint pupils, decreased heart rate and blood pressure, and asthmatic breathing. (The sweating, drooling, diarrhea and watery eyes do NOT occur with other types of mushroom poisonings.)

Group 5. COPRINE: Symptoms will occur if this mushroom is eaten by a person who drinks alcohol within the next 5 days. Flushing of the face and neck, a metallic taste in the mouth, numbness of the hands and feet, palpitations, and an increased heart rate are the symptoms.

Group 6. PSILOCYBIN-PSILOCYN: These are the hallucinogenic mushrooms that alter consciousness. An intoxicated or hallucinogenic condition begins between 30 and 60 minutes after ingestion. The mood may be apprehensive (anxious) or pleasant. The person may experience compulsive movements and uncontrolled laughter. In children, a high temperature (102-106½ F) with seizures may develop.

Group 7. GASTROINTESTINAL: Within 30 to 90 minutes of ingestion, sudden severe vomiting and mild to severe diarrhea with abdominal cramps occurs. Symptoms generally last six hours. In children, this may lead to dehydration severe enough to require hospital treatment.

(more at link to California Poison Control System) <http://www.calpoison.org/public/mushrooms.html>

Sorry Dude, I've only done non-legitimate research on a bunch of different drugs, and I didn't publish any of it on the internet.

Nobody who is trying to sell Magic Mushrooms or LSD or Alcohol is going to tell you that they are all poisons, so lets begin with, What does Poison mean.

<http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary>

Main Entry: 1poi·son
Pronunciation: 'poi-zun
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French poisun drink, potion, poison, from Latin potion-, potio drink -- more at POTION
1 a : a substance that through its chemical action usually kills, injures, or impairs an organism b (1) : something destructive or harmful (2) : an object of aversion or abhorrence
2 : a substance that inhibits the activity of another substance or the course of a reaction or process <a catalyst poison>

First, not all poison is deadly, PSILOCYBIN-PSILOCYN, like Alcohol, only "...injures, or impairs an organism..." unless you eat or drink them in excess.

What happens if you consume these very quickly in large amounts? Hopefully, your body will violently react, by trying to vomit it all out. If that fails to happen, your body and eventually your brain will shut down, sometimes leading to death.

Why would you body react like that? Because they are poisons. People have simply learned that if you control how much and how quickly humans can handle them and the body will eventually rid itself of these poisons.

If they want to do some legitimate research, they should do research on how much damage this poison did to the brains of their human Guinea Pigs.

[alcibiades_mystery]

65. LOL

Like I said, you don't know shit about it. Hell, by your definitions, too many fucking hot dogs are poisonous. :rofl:

Why is it on the California Poison Control web site? Er, politics to satisfy "drug-control" morons. I won't mention who among us is thus satisfied...

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

66. So you're saying we should outlaw religion?

Are you saying that religion poisons your brain?

[Up2Late]

69. No, I'm not saying that.

What I'm saying is federal Tax money shouldn't be going to fund research that the Mega-Corp Drug corporations can afford to pay for themselves if they want to do this sort of research.

I really hope they aren't using "volunteer Army troops" again, like they did with the LSD trials in the 1960's.

Do you NOT believe in the separation of Church and State?

[alcibiades_mystery]

76. These are scientific studies

And have zero to do with the separation of church and state. Jeez, you'll come up with anything.

[Up2Late]

80. Did you even read the post subject I was responding to?

I guess not.:spank:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

82. It was a John Hopkins study.

It was academic. Not industrial.

Do you really believe the government shouldn't fund scientific research?

[Up2Late]

84. What is the practical purpose of this drug research?

Are you hoping it will be for recreational or spiritual purposes?

Do you actually think that the Federal Government is going to approve a hallucinogenic for drug spiritual purposes? They won't even approve pharmacy grade Pot, a drug that has legitimate medical uses.

PLUS, this story is being way over hyped by the media.
I found the original, here's the link:

<http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00213-006-0457-5>

Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance

R. R. Griffiths1, 2 Contact Information, W. A. Richards3, 4, U. McCann1 and R. Jesse4

Received: 20 January 2006 Accepted: 27 May 2006 Published online: 7 July 2006
Abstract
Rationale Although psilocybin has been used for centuries for religious purposes, little is known scientifically about its acute and persisting effects.
Objectives This double-blind study evaluated the acute and longer-term psychological effects of a high dose of psilocybin relative to a comparison compound administered under comfortable, supportive conditions.
Materials and methods The participants were hallucinogen-naïve adults reporting regular participation in religious or spiritual activities. Two or three sessions were conducted at 2-month intervals. Thirty volunteers received orally administered psilocybin (30 mg/70 kg) and methylphenidate hydrochloride (40 mg/70 kg) in counterbalanced order. To obscure the study design, six additional volunteers received methylphenidate in the first two sessions and unblinded psilocybin in a third session. The 8-h sessions were conducted individually. Volunteers were encouraged to close their eyes and direct their attention inward. Study monitors rated volunteers’ behavior during sessions. Volunteers completed questionnaires assessing drug effects and mystical experience immediately after and 2 months after sessions. Community observers rated changes in the volunteer’s attitudes and behavior.
Results Psilocybin produced a range of acute perceptual changes, subjective experiences, and labile moods including anxiety. Psilocybin also increased measures of mystical experience. At 2 months, the volunteers rated the psilocybin experience as having substantial personal meaning and spiritual significance and attributed to the experience sustained positive changes in attitudes and behavior consistent with changes rated by community observers.
Conclusions When administered under supportive conditions, psilocybin occasioned experiences similar to spontaneously occurring mystical experiences. The ability to occasion such experiences prospectively will allow rigorous scientific investigations of their causes and consequences.
Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available for this article at <http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00213-006-0457-5> and is accessible for authorized users.

<http://www.springerlink.com/link.asp?id=v2175688r1w4862x>
<http://www.springerlink.com/link.asp?id=xa16abn41yg8>
<http://link.springer-ny.com/link/service/journals/00213/>

Here's a different version from the Washington Post:

Drug's Mystical Properties Confirmed

36 Area Adults Took Psilocybin in Study; Many Called Experience Spiritual

By David Brown
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 11, 2006; Page A08

Psilocybin, the active ingredient of "magic mushrooms," expands the mind. After a thousand years of use, that's now scientifically official....

(clip)

...The researchers say they hope the experiment opens a door to the study of a class of compounds that alter human perception and erode the boundaries of self -- at least in some users. They hope it will provide new insight into how the brain works and what neurochemical events underlie moments of mystical rapture....

(clip)

...Of the 36 people, 22 had a "complete" mystical experience as judged by several question-based scales used for rating such experiences. Two-thirds judged it to be among their top five life experiences, equal to the birth of a first child or death of a parent. Two months after a session, the people who had taken psilocybin reported small but significant positive changes in behavior and attitudes compared with those who had taken Ritalin.

One-third of the subjects, however, said they experienced "strong or extreme" fear at some point in the hours after they took the hallucinogen. Four people said the entire session was dominated by anxiety or psychological struggle. Nichols thinks that last finding should give people pause....

(more at link) <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/10/AR2006071001304.html>

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

99. Who said it has to be practical?

And what on earth makes you think it has anything to do with legalizing mushrooms?

The purpose of the study is to understand how the brain works.

[joeunderdog]

67. The CIA used it for the intention of mind-control.

In the end, they couldn't control the mind enough with it, so they watered down the uprising of the hippies by flooding the streets with the stuff so that "the movement" lost its focus.

[Cybergata]

112. Poisoning a brain....hum...werid way to...

say opening one's brain to a wider world of perceptions for the rest of ones life. I thought Poison killed, not open one's mind.

[Bhaisahab]

35. the one time i had magik mushies

i laughed non-stop for 45 minutes, and then cried like a baby for the next one hour. amazing.

[sendero]

39. Ever once in a while..

... I'm tempted to walk through the cow pastures in the fall.

I only tried shrooms twice, and frankly, the second batch were suspect - I think they were laced. The first time I smiled so long my face hurt the next day :) With no negative sides (like with acid) at all.

Break the stem, if it turns blue....

[AllyCat]

63. That's called "permagrin" n/t

[Warren Stupidity]

40. I had a long discussion with a gnome who lived under a rock.

He told me lots of stuff about how bad things were going to get. All of it was true but I can't remember the details.

[alcibiades_mystery]

42. This has been the argument in psilocybin communities

since Gordon Wasson introduced "magic mushrooms" into Western cultures in the mid-1950's (in an article in Life Magazine, no less, titled "Seeking the Magic Mushroom" - this is where the street name comes from). Before Wasson's "discovery" and subsequent dispersion of psilocybin, it was only really used in the Mazatec region of Mexico. There was no psilocybin in use - PERIOD - in Western cultures before 1957. Wasson and his subsequent collaborators (Hoffman, Jonathan Ott, Carl Ruck, etc.) argued for years that many historical mystical states were in fact myco-related. Of course, as everyone knows, Hoffman's discovered LSD while working on ergot-derived substances. The argument linking psilocybin with mystical states is not only NOT new, it is the very argument that most people involved in psilocybin research have been making for 50 years now.

For the original Life Magazine story, see here: http://www.imaginaria.org/wasson/life.htm
For more on Wasson, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Gordon_Wasson

[leftyladyfrommo]

52. I took that a couple of times back in 1967 or 68.

Scared me. I don't like to be out of control at all. But we did have some pretty good times on it.

[yellowcanine]

54. This is news? Why didn't they just survey some 'shroom trippers?

[go west young man]

55. A fitting story on the day that Sid Barrett passes on.

Shine On!

[psychopomp]

57. Up until around 2001 they were legal in Japan

You could buy them over the counter. Just before the law went into effect I loaded up (lol) on as much as I could afford and had a wonderful experience with my Israeli genetic-researcher friend sitting under the stars...

[Jeroen]

61. Philosopher Stones...

Highly recommended ;-)

[Marie26]

64. Are there any dangers to this?

Why is it illegal?

[AllyCat]

85. Anything that is mood-altering is illegal

Oh wait, so is alcohol...

[XemaSab]

90. A bad trip can be really lame

n/t

[Marie26]

96. Good to know

After reading people raving about mystical experiences and all, it's good to know about the potential side effects. Cause this article made me feel like trying it. I especially liked the "don't try this at home, kids" tag at the end after talking about how this is might be most profound spiritual experience of your life. Not sure how effective that'll be.

[goodhue]

104. upset stomach

no other dangers I'm aware of

[belab13]

70. Ah yes...

Frisbee Golf in the Sierras..

Par 12 holes... lots of laughter...

the Umpty Candy (mushrooms) really made the green come out in the trees.

and while it wasn't quite synesthesia.. there was a palpable vibration eminating from all the living things in the forest.

Good times

[Zhade]

71. Pretty sure these kinds of susbstances sparked religion.

Maybe even evolution.

If there were gods, this would be a gift from them.

[alcibiades_mystery]

75. Indeed

Maybe even philosophy, if Plato and company indeed were ingesting some ergot alkaloid at Eleusis, and derived their reading of forms from such visions.

[redqueen]

72. So... drugs are good!

That experience included such things as a sense of pure awareness and a merging with ultimate reality, a transcendence of time and space, a feeling of sacredness or awe, and deeply felt positive mood like joy, peace and love. People say "they can't possibly put it into words," Griffiths said.

Two months later, 24 of the participants filled out a questionnaire. Two-thirds called their reaction to psilocybin one of the five top most meaningful experiences of their lives. On another measure, one-third called it the most spiritually significant experience of their lives, with another 40 percent ranking it in the top five.

About 80 percent said that because of the psilocybin experience, they still had a sense of well-being or life satisfaction that was raised either "moderately" or "very much."

[BridgeTheGap]

73. Is the NSA monitoring this thread?

If so, they're getting an eyeful!!!

[alcibiades_mystery]

74. Of what?

They're not going to get a lot of blackmail on me by telling folks that I've admitting to taking psilocybin in the past, or that I'm an advocate for continued research on psilocybin, that's for sure.

Wow, we should all be terrified of surveillance by the NSA now...:eyes:

[BridgeTheGap]

77. It was a joke, though

I had a guy tell me recently that he was talking with a U.S. friend in India by phone. The friend commented that the NSA was probably listening in on the call - so the other guy said "Hey, NSA, are you listening?" and the phone went dead.

[alcibiades_mystery]

78. LOL

Excellent.

[Idioteque]

79. LOL What a great way to discourage people.

"Yeah you'll have the best trip of your life. Don't do it."

[Sivafae]

81. For some reason the skit by Bill Hicks is coming to mind

Who knew he could predict the future?

[Megahurtz]

83. Well HEY!

:party::hippie::smoke::party:

[Bacchus39]

93. I made this "discovery" 20 years ago

n/t

[Nevernose]

95. Roland Griffiths is an IDIOT wasting my tax money w/ Clockwork Orange BS

Such comments "just seemed unbelievable," said Roland Griffiths of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, the study's lead author.

Why not just ask 36 Dead Heads? Did this moron not realize that there might be a REASON for all those naked hippies at all those Rainbow Family gatherings for the last forty years?

But don't try this at home, he warned. "Absolutely don't."

Almost a third of the research participants found the drug experience frightening even in the very controlled setting. That suggests people experimenting with the illicit drug on their own could be harmed, Griffiths said.

Well, no shit, Mr. Griffiths. You forced them to lay down blindfolded on a couch for eight hours listening to classical music, gave them a drug they had never taken before which had a fifty/fifty shot of being virtaully a placebo (ritalin compared to a powerful hallucinogen) and not telling them what the effects would be, and then wonder why a third of the participants reported being frightened?



Next time let them smoke a little pot first. Sit them down in a room with a a couple of their best friends. Put the White Album on the stereo. Let them wander around in a rainstorm in a forest sommwhere (and, since it's a scientific experiment, get some orderly to follow them and keep them out of trouble).

Funded in part by the federal government...
Why? Why does the government need to know the effects? Don't they already know what the effects are? Isn't that why they made it illegal in the first place? So we don't, as a society, wake up to what bullshit government and society really are? God forbid someone have a "meaningful experience" not closely regulated by the government...

[0007]

97. UCLA medical will give you a free trip of psilocybin if you have IV cancer

I don't qualify because I'm 72 years old. Damn it to hell. That's okay cause I know what it's all about anyway.

PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH STUDY
FOR CANCER PATIENTS

The Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center is conducting a study designed to measure the effectiveness of the novel psychoactive medication psilocybin on the reduction of anxiety, depression, and physical pain.

In order to participate, you must:

* Have stage IV cancer and anxiety.
* Be between the ages of 18 - 70.
* Not have cancer that affects the central nervous system or brain function.
* Have no history of major psychiatric disorder.
* Have no kidney disease, abnormal liver functions, diabetes, epilepsy, or cardiovascular disease, including untreated hypertension.
* Not be taking insulin, oral hypoglycemic, anti-seizure, or heart medications.


If you qualify and choose to participate, you will

* Spend two nights at the hospital for medication administration.
* Receive psilocybin, a novel psychoactive medication.
* Get an MRI scan of the brain if you have not had one recently.

For further information call:
Charles S. Grob, MD or the study coordinator, Alicia,
at 310-222-3175

[corporatemedia]

98. Groovy.. n/t

[RandomKoolzip]

100. I recommend a psychedelic experience for EVERYONE at least once in

your life. Like Chuck Dukowski says, "It'll help you be less of an asshole."

[eowyn_of_rohan]

102. Some used to say

Don't trust anybody who hasn't tripped. Organics are best.

[Jeroen]

105. I have been trippin for over 15 years..

and you better not trust me

[eowyn_of_rohan]

107. That's the problem

You don't need to do it so many times. It should be used very rarely and for spiritual purposes rather than as a party tool. Good luck.

[shadowknows69]

110. I have to protest that EVERYONE.

I've been near some people that clearly never should have touched the stuff.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

101. Well DUH!

;)

[goodhue]

103. this is news?

Doesn't seem unbelievable to me

[angryxyouth]

106. "Turn on" everybody it is time for a new Peace Movement."

Drugs were instrumental in the 60's/70's to drive change. If Shrooms are the spark we need to get the fire of rebellion going, they I say Chew em up everybody. I recommend fresh with mustard, and a beer chaser.:hippie: :)

[killbotfactory]

109. Religion is the psilocybin of the masses?