Reindeer, Other Animals Get High On Magic Mushrooms, Scientist Claims

[Tx4obama]

Turns out the myth of flying reindeer might not be that far from the truth: According to a piece in Pharmaceutical Journal by scientist Andrew Haynes, they (along with other animals) sometimes deliberately eat hallucinogenic fungi in order to amuse themselves during long winters.

The Sun reports:

Haynes believes reindeer deliberately seek out the mushrooms to escape the monotony of dreary long winters.

Writing in the respected Pharmaceutical Journal, Mr Haynes said: "They have a desire to experience altered states of consciousness.

"For humans a common side-effect of mushrooms is the feeling of flying, so it's interesting the legend about Santa's reindeer is they can fly."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/23/reindeer-magic-mushrooms_n_801006.html

p.s. Pretty cool article to read on Christmas Eve ;)

[sakabatou]

1. I knew they flew high

[BlueJazz]

2. I wondered why those fuckers were always smiling!

:rofl:

[burrowowl]

3. I guess getting high is a

mammalian thing!

[WinkyDink]

4. Rudolph must've just been a boozer.

[me b zola]

13. Yep, the red nose was a dead give away!

[morningglory]

5. I was doing archaeology on a mound that was to be destroyed

to make way for an interstate highway. First we cleared the trees. We cut down a chinaberry tree. The berries started fermenting. There was a very old horse in a pasture next to the site. The horse would hobble over to the tree every morning, all creaky, and eat his fill of fermented berries then buck, and high-kick his good-feeling new self off to play.

[TheKentuckian]

6. Your nose is glowing Rudy, serious!

[felix_numinous]

7. I would love to know

what they are doing with their expanded consciousness....wow.

[Motown_Johnny]

9. wondering if the entire universe could fit inside an atom in another universe

what else?

[Motown_Johnny]

8. the only time I felt like I was flying on mushrooms was when I was on a plane

and it was flying


I'm not buying it. I think they will eat mushrooms in the winter because it is winter and they will eat most anything they can.



I also have trouble believing that these mushrooms grow well in the winter in any climate where caribou live.


This just does not sound credible to me on any level.

[starroute]

10. Hey, why do you think Santa dresses in red and white?

Those are the colors of Amanita muscaria, the reindeer's favorite mushroom.

[Stevenmarc]

11. Proof Reindeer love to get high

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeDEThl37kE

[marmar]

12. "Then all the reindeer loved him, as they shouted out with glee......

..... Rudolph, dude, you've got the best sh*t."

:smoke:

[BeFree]

14. And Santa?

He does take a trip every year. Think the deer told him how?