What happens if you bite into a piece of Montana mushroom. In the kingdom of harmful mushrooms

Mushrooms containing psilocybin can cause serious consequences for those who regularly consume them. The substances that are produced in them throughout the entire period of development are very dangerous for humans. The Psilocybe species is represented by 20 different genera, one of which is Montana. The psilocybe species entered history thanks to the Indians, who used them in rituals.

Detailed description

The described mushroom Psilocybemontana, or as it is also called mountain psilocybe, belongs to the Strophariaceae family. The psychoactive substances it contains make it one of the most poisonous and toxic mushrooms. Therefore, to prevent it from accidentally ending up in your basket, it is important to imagine what it looks like:

The mushroom cap is small in diameter. It reaches only 2.5 cm. Its thin, fleshy cap has radial notches on the edges, reaching half its radius. The color range depends on humidity. So, in sunny weather without precipitation, the mushroom is yellow-brown. And after heavy rain it turns dark brown. Only in a newly grown mushroom a flattening of its semicircular shape is observed somewhat later. In the center of the cap of a ripe mushroom, it is rare to find a mastoid tubercle.

The thin flesh of Montana is brown in color.

On back side caps can be seen as mushroom plates. As the mushroom matures further, these plates begin to darken.

The length of the leg reaches 7 cm, and its diameter is 3 mm. The minimum length of the mushroom is about 2.5 cm. The curved stem of the mushroom is very smooth, and at its base you can see a small thickening. Its shade is light brown - lighter than that of the cap.

Where is the mushroom found and its fruiting?

Very often, Psilocybe montana grows in sandy soil hidden by dense thickets of ferns. Near it, areas with lichens and mosses are also found. The mushroom can also be found in the mountains, which are abundantly covered with dense forests.

Psilocybe montana bears fruit twice a year. The first period of its fruiting occurs at the end of May and until the beginning of July. The second is from August to October. Sometimes you can find this mushroom in December. It all depends on the climate in which it lives. The psychotropic effect of the mushroom on humans leads to a strict ban on its circulation in most countries. The long fruiting time only complicates the fight against illegal trafficking.

The effect of a hallucinogen on the human body

During the development process of the toxic mushroom, it produces psilocybin. As is well known, this substance is a strong psychedelic. Penetrating inside the body, psilocybin is converted into another substance - psilocin. And the effect of this substance is similar to the effect of the influence on the central nervous system LSD and mescaline. To show up brightly following signs, it is enough to consume only 10 grams of psilocybin:

1. Normal perception of space and time is disrupted. It becomes far from reality.
2. Poor sensitivity of your body.
3. The appearance of various sound and visual hallucinations (the appearance of someone else’s “speech” in the head; a series of rapidly replacing bright images and images).
4. Mood instability. Quick jumps from pleasure to panic attacks.
5. Convulsive muscle contraction.
6. Increased sweating.
7. Interruptions in the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
8. Physical exhaustion.
9. I often feel dizzy.
10. Disorders in the gastrointestinal tract.

In the history of mushrooms with psychotropic effects, there are cases of overdose. People with heart problems often die with it.

Natural consequences of taking such mushrooms

Instead of the desired relaxation, constant use of psilocybin will lead to severe chronic addiction. One should not assume that such dependence does not pose any danger. If there is a constant craving for psilocybin, this already indicates drug addiction with its serious consequences:

• Critical decrease in intellectual and physical indicators.
• Constant depression.
• Suicidal tendencies.
• Problems with the law appear.

In the end, the person who was looking for a way to break away will suffer complete degradation, the end of which, most likely, will be his death. After all, psilocybe montana belongs to the class of hallucinogenic mushrooms. They can become a source of severe addiction for anyone who dares to try them.

“Liberty hats,” as hallucinogenic or psilocybin mushrooms are called, to which Psilocybe montana belongs, actually enslave the one who is addicted to them. And for many for a long time“amazing journeys” practiced with the help of psilocybin mushrooms turn into a trip with a very sad outcome. Let's try to figure out why.

Psilocybe montana, or mountain Psilocybe, is a member of the Strophariaceae family. The mushroom is poisonous as it contains psychoactive substances. To avoid errors in definition, it is useful to know what it looks like:

• The mushroom cap is small, with a diameter of 0.6 to 2.5 cm, thinly fleshy, with radial notches from the edge to the semi-radius. Yellowish-brown in dry weather, and brown to dark brown in dry weather. high humidity. In young specimens, the semicircular shape becomes prostrate during the development of the fungus, sometimes retaining the mastoid tubercle in the center;
• the flesh of the mushroom is brown in color, thin;
• the plates are widely spaced, adherent to the stem of the mushroom, at first light brown, later darken and become brownish-brown;
• mushroom stem from 2.5 to 7 cm in height and about 0.3 cm in diameter with a smooth surface, curved, with a slight thickening at the base, light brown, slightly lighter than the cap.

Spreading and fruiting

Psilocybe montana lives in forests covering mountain ranges. The mushroom can most often be found on sandy soils, among thickets of ferns, in areas covered with mosses and lichens. Psilocybe montana first bears fruit from late May to early July, then from August to October. In some climatic zones, this mushroom can be seen even in early December. With such a long period of fruiting, psilocybe montana is not only not an object of collection and procurement: in many countries, the circulation of psilocybin mushrooms is prohibited by law due to its psychotropic qualities.

Effect of hallucinogen

During its life, Montana produces the psychedelic compound psilocybin. Entering the body by consuming psilocybin mushrooms, it turns into psilocin, the effect of which is similar to the effects of mescaline or LSD on consciousness, sensory organs, and functional systems of the body. 10 g of psilocybin is enough for the following symptoms to clearly appear:

• distorted senses of time and space;
• impaired perception of one's own body;
• auditory and visual hallucinations (“voices”, bright, rapidly changing colors and images);
• sudden transitions of states from bliss to panic;
• convulsions;
• profuse sweating;
• interruptions in heart function;
• physical exhaustion;
• dizziness;
• gastrointestinal disorders.

Among people suffering from cardiovascular diseases, there have been cases of death due to an overdose of psilocybin mushrooms.

Harmful effects from use

Systematic intentional use of psilocybin contained in mushrooms, instead of the expected bright “psychedelic adventure,” sooner or later leads to chronic psilocybin addiction. It is a mistake to think that addiction to psilocybin mushrooms does not pose any threat. In fact, the established mental need for psilocybin means drug addiction with all its consequences:

• decrease mental abilities and indicators of physical health;
• depressive behavior;
• mental illness;
• suicidal tendencies;
• all kinds of violations of the law.

Abuse of psilocybin mushrooms - dangerous game, in the finale of which, instead of spiritual improvement, a complete collapse of the personality occurs.

“Is nature cruel to its children?”

Harmful mushrooms are divided into poisonous, poisonous-hallucinogenic and predominantly hallucinogenic:

Ⅰ POISONOUS

Deadly poisonous species:

Galerina marginata, poisonous cap, pine russula (galerina marginata) - the flesh of the stem is brownish, the cap is yellowish, with a powdery odor.

Umbrellas (Lepiota ) - strongly and inexplicably poisonous. Silverfish (Lepiota cristata) - pulp thin, white, when broken and reddened when touched, with an unpleasant taste and a pungent rare odor.

Poisonous entoloma (Rhodophyllus sinuatus) - the flesh is white, thick, dense. Does not change color when broken. The taste is described as indistinct or unpleasant; the smell is mealy or rancid. Eating large amounts of mushrooms can result in death.

Morel(Gyromitra)- Raw stitches contain gyromitrins - strong toxins, often with fatal. By the nature of its effect on the body, gyromitrin resembles the toadstool toxin.

Orange-red web spider (Cortinarius orellanus) - pulp yellowish or brownish, with a rare odor, tasteless. Contains poisonous substance orellanin, which causes pathological changes in the kidneys. Signs of poisoning appear 3-14 days after ingesting the mushroom and can be fatal.

Beautiful web spider (Cortinarius speciosissimus) - pulp orange-ochre, tasteless, with or without a rare odor. Its effect on the body is the same as the orange-red cobweb.

Stitch, paddle (Helvella) - All representatives of the genus contain the toxin gyromitrin in their fruiting bodies, which causes fatal poisoning.

Fungi of this genus are saprophytes on the soil; they develop abundantly in the spring. Gyromitrin has now been found in the common line and the giant line (Gyromitra gigas), as well as in the apothecia of some Helvel.

Poisonous and poisonous:

Satanic mushroom ( boletus satanas) — in its raw form, the mushroom is highly poisonous. They say that even a piece of pulp weighing no more than 1 gram can cause severe upset of the digestive system.

Tiger rower (Iricholoma pardinum), dark and sulfur yellow (Tricholoma sulphureum) - pulp whitish, grayish under the skin of the cap, taste and smell of flour. After eating, 1.5-4 hours later it causes gastrointestinal upset and vomiting.

Sulphur-yellow honey fungus (Hypholoma fasciculare) - pulp light yellow or whitish, very bitter, with unpleasant smell. When consumed after 1-6 hours, nausea, vomiting, sweating appear, and the person loses consciousness.

Thin pig, dunka (Paxillus involutus) - pulp yellowish, soft, friable, without much smell or taste.

Champignon (Agaricus xanthoderma) - pulp not very thick, white, yellowing when broken, unpleasant taste, smell of carbolic acid. The mushroom is poisonous, with an unknown nature of the poison. If consumed, it can cause poisoning, although not life-threatening. It differs from other champignons in its specific smell.

Ⅱ POISONOUS-HALLUCINOGENIC

Mushrooms , included in this group (mainly manita , Inocybe and сlitocybe), contain as active substances ibotenic acid, mucimol, muscazone and hyoscyamine, psilocin, psilocybin and muscarine. Effective dose for ibotenic acid: 70 mg for an adult (1 mg/kg), for muskimol 7.5 mg for an adult (1 mg/kg). Muscimol and ibotenic acid can cause neuronal death and destruction of brain tissue. Symptoms of poisoning by fly agarics (red, panther, royal, etc.) begin to appear after 0.5-4 hours. The effect on the nervous system manifests itself in the form of psychomimetic symptoms, sometimes accompanied by hallucinations. As you fall asleep, your dreams may intensify. Many types of fiber contain significant amounts of muscarine, and 7 types also contain psilocybin. The risk of death in most species is very high.

Pale grebe (Amanita phalloides) - pulpwhite, thin, odorless and tasteless (What is most interesting is how information about taste was obtained). Signs of poisoning appear 8-12, sometimes 20-40 hours after eating.

Royal fly agaric ( Amanita regalis) - belongs to a number of hallucinogens.

White, spring fly agaric (Amanita verna), stinking fly agaric (Amanita virosa) - pulp white, with an unpleasant taste and odor. More poisonous than usual.

Red fly agaric (Amanita muscaria) - pulp white, yellowish under the skin, soft, odorless. Symptoms of poisoning appear within 20 minutes and are accompanied by hallucinations for up to 2 hours after eating (look, who hasn’t seen the old Mexican film “Mushroom Man”, that’s exactly what it’s about).

Panther fly agaric (Amanita pantherina) - pulp white, with an unpleasant odor, does not turn red when broken. Its symptoms resemble acute alcohol intoxication, which then turns into deep sleep, but can result in death.

Amanita toadstool (Amanita citrina) - pulp white, yellowish under the skin, unpleasant smell and taste, contains, among others, psychotropic substances of the tryptamine series - bufotenine, DMT and 5-MeO-DMT.

Gray, porphyry fly agaric (Amanita porphyria) - pulp white, with a pungent unpleasant odor. Weakly poisonous, but highly hallucinogenic, like the paganoid.

Patouillard plant (Inocybe patouillardii) - pulp first white, then reddish, with an alcoholic odor and unpleasant taste. It contains 20 times more muscarine poison than the red fly agaric. Affects the autonomic nervous system. Symptoms of poisoning appear 20-25 minutes after eating. Lethal dose fresh mushroom 10—80 g.

Waxy talker (Clitocybe serussata) - pulp white, dense, pleasant smell and taste. The signs of poisoning are the same as for Patouillard fiber poisoning.

Fiberglass torn (Inocybe lacera) - pulp The caps are white, the flesh of the stem is reddish, the smell is very weak, the taste is first sweetish, then bitter. Symptoms of poisoning, as when consuming Patouillard fibre.

Fiberwort (Inocybe fastigiata) - pulp white, with an unpleasant odor, tasteless. Symptoms of poisoning are the same as when consuming Patouillard fiber.

Fiberweed (Inocybe geophylla) - pulpwhite, with an unpleasant earthy odor and pungent taste. Signs of poisoning are similar to Patouillard fiber poisoning.

Ⅲ PRIMARILY HALLUCINOGENIC

To date, psilocybin has been found in some mushrooms from the genera Panaeolus, Stropharia, and Anellaria. Hallucinogenic mushrooms now include about 25 species, and 75% of them are representatives of the genus Psilocybe.

Synonyms - Nize (Mazatec), pajaritos (Spanish), Quahtlananacatl, Lol-lu"um, Nios, Nanacatl (Aztec), teyhuinti-nanacatl (Aztec “intoxicating mushrooms”), pajaritos (Spanish “birds”) , angelitos (Spanish: “angels”), piule de churis, chamaquillos (Spanish: “kids, little people”).

Their use in certain doses causes pseudohallucinations and a psychopathic state, which can be accompanied by euphoria, emotional uplift, or severe conditions, sometimes with a desire for suicide, depending on the mood. The lethal dose is about 14 g, which significantly exceeds the effective dose that causes hallucinations (1-14 mg). To get fatal Psilocybe semilanceolate poisoning, you need to eat approximately 4-5 buckets (10-12 liters) of raw mushrooms.

Scaly mushrooms ( Strophariaceae ):

San Isidro, Psilocybe Cuban ( Strophariacubensis) - the pulp is very thin, creamy or light yellow in color, the taste is absent or unpleasant, the smell is weak, grassy or moldy. Psilocybin and psilocin are in fairly large quantities, about 0.2 - 0.4% of the dry weight of the mushroom.

Pointed conical bald cap, Phrygian cap, liberty cap, merry cap ( Psilocybesemilanceata) - the pulp is very thin, creamy or light yellow in color, the taste is absent or unpleasant, the smell is weak, grassy or moldy.

Psilocybe mexicanis, Teonanacatl ( Psilocybe mexicana) - among the Aztecs it was considered a particularly sacred mushroom and was used during festivals, religious ceremonies and in healing rituals.

Montana (PsilocybeMontana) - moderate hallucinogenicity.

Stropharia blue-green, verdigris troischling ( Stropharia( Psilocybe) aeruginosa) - The flesh of the mushrooms is thin, soft in the cap, bluish, dense in the stem, yellowish, with a pungent odor. The mushroom Psilocybe aeruginosa is considered edible mushroom the fourth category, although it is classified as psychotropic, and in the USA - poisonous, is used both fresh and after boiling for 15 minutes, in second courses, salted and pickled.

Semicircular troischling ( Strophariasemiglobata) - the content of psychoactive substances in it is much less than in traditional “Freedom Caps”.

Dung bald spot ( Psilocybe( Stropharia) corpophilia), Stropharia(Psilocybe)merdaria - minor psychoactive effect.

Dung beetle ( Psilocybefoenisecii), (Panaeolus foenisecii)- contains psilocybin and psilocin, but less than Psilocybe semilanceata, some other tryptamine derivatives can sometimes be found, especially serotonin, but is not toxic.

Psilocybe cyanescens (azurescens) - recognized by a chestnut-brown, banded, wavy-edged cap that quickly fades to yellow-brown or dark yellow, and a bluish fruit body. The pulp tastes bitter. There is no smell or no smell. Collecting this mushroom from the wild is a potentially dangerous practice due to its toxic appearance and appearance by members of the genera Galerina, Conocybe and Inocybe. Hallucinogenicity ranges from moderate to very high.

Philosophers' Stone (Psilocybe tampanensis) - hallucinogenicity from moderate to very high. There are almost no visual hallucinations, but very interesting sensations and thoughts appear.

Horneman's stropharia (Stropharia hornemanii) - the flesh is light, dense, and tastes pleasant. May be dangerous.

Ink mushrooms (Coprinaceae):

Bell-bellied dung beetle (Panaeolus ( Copelandia) campanulatus)contains psilocybin and psilocin, although not in the same amount as Psilocybe. Mushrooms of the Panaeolus campanulatus species rarely contain pantherin and other poisons.

Sphinx dung beetle (Panaeolus sphinctrinus) - is often identified with Panaolus campanulatus, but it differs from the latter by the striped cap, which is always turned inward.

Sulfur heads (Hyphaloma), 0.5 - 0.6% psilocybin and psilocin + large number beosictin and norbeosictin. in dry substance, several times more quantity, common to Psylocibe semilanceata. A strong hallucinogen.

Psatirella (Psathyrella) - the pulp is thin-fleshed, fragile, moderate in hallucinogenicity.

Gymnopil, fireweed ( Gymnopilus) - the pulp is whitish, yellow, or brown, with a bitter taste. A number of species have been found to contain a known hallucinogenic substance. In several more species, the presence of bis-noryangonin and hispidin, substances similar to the alpha-pyrones of the kava-kava plant (intoxicating pepper), was discovered.

Historical and medical information:

Among the Celts, their use was part of the national culture. The Scandinavians used such mushrooms to drive “berserker” warriors into a state of uncontrollable rage. In the Rig Veda, about a thousand hymns are dedicated to the sacred intoxicating drink “soma,” which, according to researchers (R. G. Wasson, 1968), was prepared from red fly agaric mushrooms. The ancient Indians believed that soma helps maintain health, prolongs life, and the person who drinks the drink merges with the deity. On Chinese stone reliefs of the Han era there are images of a mythical hare living on the moon and pounding the elixir of immortality there. The hare holds in its paws a magic zhi mushroom, which has not yet been precisely identified.

In the early Christian and medieval churches of Tunisia and Western Europe frescoes depicting “mushroom trees” entwined with snakes were discovered, which indicates the presence of the cult of mushrooms in the early Christian traditions. Indian and Siberian shamans traditionally could not conduct rituals of communication with spirits without them. The Aztecs called these mushrooms “teonanacatl” - “body of god”, and only the chosen and initiated used it.

A dose of about 1 mg causes a state of intoxication in a person within 20 - 30 minutes after administration. A dose of up to 4 mg causes a state of detachment from reality, and at higher doses (up to 12 mg), profound changes in the psyche occur and hallucinations appear. Currently, this substance is synthesized abroad and used to treat certain mental illness. The effect of psilocybin on patients suffering from memory loss is very interesting. In almost 50% of patients, memories and revival appear, fearfulness and restraint disappear. Patients remember what they had forgotten and help doctors better understand the causes of the disease. However, the substance psilocybin becomes a very dangerous hallucinogenic drug if it is not used for medicinal purposes, without medical supervision.

Mushrooms containing psilocybin and/or psilocin are considered narcotic drugs.

The fresh or dried form is eaten raw or cooked in some way. Fresh or dried forms are added to omelettes, pancakes, and stews. They can also be infused, or sometimes the dried form of the mushroom is mixed with tobacco or cannabis and smoked in hand-rolled cigarettes or pipes.

The psychedelic effects of mushrooms are also called a trip. During the first hour of action, some people sometimes experience a “transition process,” the so-called “entrance,” during which the trip itself has not yet developed in full force, but moderate sensations are felt. side effects, such as discomfort in the stomach, cold and tremors, suffocation, blurred vision, along with this, the person is seized with ecstatic delight, the pupils dilate, the body shudders in convulsions, while sexual arousal increases, requiring discharge. Apparently, this explains the uncontrollable dancing of the shaman, accompanied by inarticulate cries, laughter and singing. Subjective sensations are formed by extraordinary heightened senses: perception is distorted, the world around us quickly moves and slips away, unexpected attacks of anger arise, abuse, curses, and sometimes sobs come from the lips. Excitement quickly gives way to depression and numbness. According to the stories of shamans, it is at this moment that they leave their bodies and are transported to heaven, temporarily abandoning themselves.

After the psychedelic effects have gradually subsided, the consequences of taking the drug appear within another 6-12 hours: “a special, incomparable state of acute perception and intuition,” but, at the same time, due to a decrease in the content of serotonin in the brain tissue , possible drowsiness, worsening mood, irritability.
When taking psilocin and psilocinin more than once every 10 days, the a certain addiction. To cause the same effect, the next day you need 1.5 - 2 times more mushrooms. There are many cases where regular users of hallucinogenic mushrooms became patients psychiatric hospital. Main danger when consuming hallucinogenic mushrooms, it consists of consuming a poisonous variety.