MAGIC

No other drug fascinates me more that psilocybin magic mushrooms. They've been around as long as us humans, and we cant help but experiment. Like marijuana, psilocybin is completely natural. Unlike marijuana, this stuff will put you on your ass and make you forget what planet you're on. Mushrooms have VERY similar affects to LSD, psilocybin causes a release of serotonin in the brain and user experience intense hallucinations, states of delirium, and extreme euphoria.

People who've experimented with both mushrooms and acid often speak of how shrooms were a more natural high compared to the basement chemistry lab feeling of  "LSD". Drugs that distort the perception of reality can either be extremely rewarding or traumatic experience. Hallucinogens emphasize ones true personality, and often while high on mushrooms, someone may realize how imperfect they truly are and take a turn for the worst. As crazy as it sounds, you cannot possibly un see the crazy shit that happened while you were on mushies... EVEN though nothing happened in the real world in the first place! 

Now your not going to be able to pick up a hot and ready with some mushrooms on it and have a psychedelic experience. What they sell in stores and put on your pizza is a harmless eatable fungus enjoyed by millions worldwide. Magic mushrooms require an extremely specific humidity and temperature to grow and are actually quite gross. Cow shit is the psilocybin mushrooms favorite place to grow. A special type of rice is planted into a cow pie or fed to the cows for a period of time. People either gather the feces and control the humidity and temperature for an extended period of time, or nature does its thing and this mind blowing drug is born. So people really do eat cow shit mushrooms to get high, and see things that are not really there.

A day in the life

The quote shown above is from the iconic 1998 film "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" starring Johnny Depp. Depp plays Hunter S. Thompson, a journalist in who's supposed to covering a race, but Instead gets fucked up beyond belief and searches for the "American dream". If you have not seen the movie, then you do not understand what crazy is! But this was not just a movie, Thompson actually lived this during April of 1971.

To understand what is actually going on in the movie you must first understand Hunter S. Thompson. To this man waking up, take a few hits of acid, getting some breakfast, and snorting a few lines of blow was child's play. Thompson was such a heavy drug user that many people would not work with him. He was an amazing journalist, it showed through his work, but he was ALWAYS on something. When he managed to actually turn in his work before deadlines it was fenominal. There is no question the man could write, the life style he lived provided such detailed and bizarre in site that readers could not help but love it. 

Throughout the movie Johnny Depp portrays Hunter perfectly. In preparation for the movie he actually spent three months in Thompson's home. Studying his movements, mimicking the way he talked, taking drugs with him, until he became Hunter! With all the crazy things Hunter had put into his body over the years, he did not think like the average person. It actually scared the shit out of him when Depp would portray him because it was so perfect. 

Hunter was the type of man who had complete control of his life. He was the only one in charge and because of this he did as he pleased. With the prolific amount of drugs he took it is astounding to think he maintained his sanity. Towards the end of his life his touch with reality obviously started to fade, but he was still functional. He had always told his close friends and family that he would be the one in control of when his time would come. He had always been an avid gun collector and that would be the weapon of choice. He had been heavily involved in politics during his younger years, and still fallowed what was going on in the government closely.  The attacks of  9-11 2001 had a lasting impact on Hunter. He was discussed by the world he lived in and took his life on the night of February 20, 2001.

Before his passing he had put aside the funds and planned his funeral in detail.  Back in 1972 he was involved with a campaign in Colorado and nearly won. His campaign poster featured a double thumbed hand holding a payote button( psychedelic cactus). For his funeral he wished to be cremated and shot out of a giant statue of this symbol. His wish became reality on August 20, 2005 at a private funeral in the middle of the desert.

Psychedelic's 101

In the fallowing weeks we will be jumping into a different category of mind altering drugs. What are known as hallucinogens create EXTREMELY realistic audio and visual hallucinations. Almost all of these drugs are illegal and serve no medicinal purpose... Or so that is what we are told. Psychedelic drugs effect serotonin receptors in the brain. An increase in this chemical causes mind boggling, unexplainable experiences. Taking psychedelic's date way back in time, things like psilocybon magic mushrooms, DMT, and peyote have existed for thousands of years.

More relevant to the time period, lysergic acid diethylamide, more commonly known as LSD was created by the Swiss in 1938. They discovered it's psychedelic properties five years later, and it was popularized by the care free hippie culture in the 60's. A man by the name of Ken Kesey was basically an acid pioneer. Along with his friends (known as his "marry band of pranksters") he purchased an old school bus and turned it into a mobile home. They painted and designed the bus with all sorts of crazy colors, with the intent of traveling to the 1969 Woodstock festival. Throughout the journey Kesey and friends participated in prolific drug use and filmed the experience. In 2011 the documentary "Magic Trip" was released. The producers used film from the original trip and explained how crazy and carefree these people were. It was rare for these people to be sober.... at almost all hours of the day someone was tripping ball's on high quality LSD.

Now days you cannot find true LSD unless you have a really sketchy chemist friend. 98% of what is sold as LSD is not really LSD. To produce high quality pure acid, extremely rare test tubes and paper thin chemistry beakers are required. The public does not have access to that type of equipment, so different chemicals are added to produce the product. This is what is known as "dirty acid". Unknowingly users take the drug and the consequences can be life changing. Years down the road a person can experience what is known as a flashback. Out of know where they're extremely high and it can be a horrible thing. Some people have a "bad trip" and loose touch with reality. Psychedelic drugs alter ones perception of time, space, reality, and reveal who the person truly is. Some people cannot physically stand what they are seeing and go bat shit crazy!

The method of taking the drug varies. LSD is a highly potent liquid solution, one tiny drop can put you on your ass for hours! Most commonly it is dripped onto thin pieces of paper like the one seen above. The user then places it on their tong and waits for it to kick in. It can also be dripped onto candy or put into a drink. One thing is for sure, once you start seeing crazy shit, you cant make it stop. You either embrace the experience and learn from it, or loose your touch with what is real and what is not. Scientist tell us that these psychedelic have no medical purpose, hence the illegality of them. They change a persons view of the world and these individuals slowly begin to question EVERYTHING they believe in. It can be an eye opening experience. Next week we will talk about some HEAVY users that actually did something with these out of this world experiences. A journalist named Hunter S. Thompson is by far one of the most bizarre individuals to walk the plant earth. His life itself was an experience no one can truly understand.