View Single Post
Old July 28th, 2005 #2
Jenab
Senior Goatly One
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Hillsboro, West Virginia
Posts: 1,302
Default

http://www.amanitashop.com/amanita-m...anitamyths.htm

The Aryan’s & Soma

To me, the most convincing evidence revealing the identity of Soma lies in the fact that the Aryan’s entered India from the North, from the area of Siberia nearly 4,000 years ago. From this entheogen cult, Hinduism is known to have evolved. The Aryan’s brought their cult to the Middle East as well, where Soma became Haoma. The Rig Veda is lush with references to Soma, and as more and more unbiased scholars look deeply into these sacred texts, they are finding more and more veiled and metaphorical references that were overlooked by translators with specific agendas and biases. None of the above points are disputed among any scholars or translators of the sacred texts; the argument and controversy arises in when the identity of Soma is debated.

Regardless of Soma's true identity, even today, the use of Amanita muscaria in ritual is still widespread amongst numerous Siberian tribes who have been using Amanitas since the dawn of time. Simply stated; they wouldn't still be using this plant if it was deadly toxic, and if it didn't serve some sort of spiritual purpose in their ritual. Whether or not this is the famed Soma, one thing is certain, is that at least for this tribe, Amanita muscaria serves as an important spiritual connector.

The Facts We DO Know

So, despite all of the above, we know that there are tribes in Siberia that have Amanita muscaria as the centerpiece of their religious ceremony to this day. We also know that they prefer to ingest 1-3 mid-size caps about the diameter of the palm of a hand for visionary purposes. We also know that this practice has been going on since before recorded history, and that similar use has been recorded in cultures across the globe, including newly discovered evidence of Native American tribal use of this sacred mushroom. We know that this mushroom grows in North America, Africa, Europe, and Australia.

We know that Ibotenic acid, a crystalline alkaloid, unstable and very fragile, partially converts to Muscimol, the active component in Fly Agaric as the Amanita dries (called decarboxylation). We know that this conversion is possibly aided when the Amanita lies out under a warm sun in nature, or is turned upside down, and placed in a wood oven at about 180 degrees Fahrenheit by humans, and that it is crucial for the juices to stay in the cap as it dries if preservation of Muscimol is the desired goal.

We also know that the human body not only converts Ibotenic acid to Muscimol, and that it also separates the Muscimol from the Ibotenic acid, excreting pure Muscimol in the urine of the person that ingested it. Ibotenic acid, which causes the uncomfortable and less desirable physical effects (sweating/nausea), is absorbed by the ingesting body, and the Muscimol, the active component that produces the visionary states, passes unadulterated through the urine.

It is also known that the uncertainty of the Amanita muscaria intoxication is a result of an unknown mixture of Ibotenic acid and Muscimol in the Amanita at the point of ingestion. There is little scientific evidence on how to best convert Ibotenic acid into Muscimol, which part of the Amanita that has the most Ibotenic acid and Muscimol, the most fertile ground for Amanitas with the highest concentration of Ibotenic acid and Muscimol, as well as the optimum time of year to harvest Amanitas to preserve the greatest quantity of Ibotenic acid and Muscimol. Any statements that claim to know the truth regarding this at the time of this writing, is speaking from pure speculation or personal experience only.

Personal experience shows that Fly Agaric from earlier in the harvest season may be more potent, but this is purely speculation. It also shows that dehydrating Amanitas is the best way to preserve the Amanitas, rather than drying them in the sun, over an open flame, or in an oven. Furthermore, it shows that Fly Agaric caps are indeed more potent than stems, but it doesn’t show that the red lining of the cap is more potent than the entire cap itself. Personal experience has also shown that boiling seems to decrease potency, and that simply re-hydrating in water and eating the re-hydrated cap, or the squeezing out of its reconstituted juices provide the most desirable results.

All that being said, the author does not encourage, endorse, or recommend the ingestion of Amanita muscaria. SPECIFICALLY, AMANITA MUSCARIA IS LISTED AS A POISON BY THE FDA. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO INGEST THIS PLANT OR INTRODUCE IT INTO THE HUMAN BODY IN ANY FORM. Equally important, though, is dispelling the rumors surrounding the toxicity of this sacred plant: Drawing from a large body of research regarding the intentional ingestion of Amanita muscaria over thousands of years; there have been only two reported deaths, and both of the recorded deaths involved old and infirm individuals who ingested a large amount of mushrooms. The ingestion of any drug, medicinal or ludible, can cause death if ingested or given at the wrong time.

The most deaths from mushroom poisonings does occur from poisonings from the Amanita genus, but it is the Amanita’s related cousins that are poisonous, NOT the Amanita muscaria or the Amanita pantherina. Mycologists often choose to err on the side of caution, and therefore have labeled the entire genus as poisonous, much to the joy of myself and countless others. The Amanita bisporigera, Amanita virosa, Amanita verna, and the infamous Amanita phalloides (Death Cap) are the most dangerous of the Amanitas, but they are easily differentiated from the Amanita muscaria, because none of them have the beautiful red cap with white spots.

Last edited by Jenab; July 28th, 2005 at 09:06 AM.