Revised February 24, 2009
by John W. Allen, James Arthur and Ralph Metzner

Mushroom John's Shroom World Presents:
The Ascent and Spread of Psilocybian Consciousness

By
John W. Allen and James Arthur
(Exclusive: Uncut, Uncensored and Partially edited
from Ralph Metzner's)
Teonanácatl: Sacred Mushrooms of Visions



 

A FINAL THOUGHT The study of fungi is called mycology and it was R. Gordon and Tina Wasson, whose life long interest and love of recording the history of mushrooms and their relationship with mankind, who coined the term used to describe that particular field of study as ‘ethnomycology’. The term has been in use for 20 years or so, increasing in its popularity, ever since. We, as humans, also share this quest for knowledge and to change the way we think through the application of healing plants that bring about an altered state of being is a new way at looking at life and what life is really all about. We owe a large debt of gratitude to R. Gordon and Tina Wasson for bringing these plants to the attention of the public. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors would like to thank Dr. Gastón Guzmán of the Instituto de Ecologia, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico for the use of the ‘worldwide distribution of species ‘ map and to Grant Trowbridge for his rendition of the lifecycle of a mushroom. All photographs by John W, Allen

 

REFERENCES Allen, John W. 1997 [1976]. Magic Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest. Psilly Publications. Seattle, Washington. 36p. 12 colo`r photographs. ------. 1997. Teonanácatl: Ancient and Contemporary Shamanic Mushroom Names of Mesoamerica and Other Regions of the World. Ethnomycological Journals Sacred Mushroom Studies vol. III:1-48. Psilly Publ. and RaverBooks. Seattle. ------. 1998. Magic Mushrooms of the Hawaiian Islands. Ethnomycological Journals Sacred Mushroom Studies vol. IV:1-52. Psilly Publ. and RaverBooks. Seattle. ------. 2000. Magic Mushrooms of Australia and New Zealand. Online at http: www.erowid.org/library/books_online/magic_mushrooms_aunz/magic_mushrooms_aunz.shtml/ ------. 2001. Mushroom Pioneers: R. Gordon Wasson, Richard Evans Schultes, Albert Hofmann, Timothy Francis Leary and Others. Ethnomycological Journals Sacred Mushroom Studies vol. VII. 198 pages. 88 photographs-CD-Rom Products. Seattle, Washington. Allen, J. W. and J. Gartz. 1997. Magic Mushrooms in Some Third World Countries: Part I: The symbiosis of entheogenic fungi, illicit drug use, and tourist influence on third world indigenous peoples. Part II: The ethnobotanical distribution, use, and users of entheogenic fungi in Indonesia, South Asia and Southeast Asia. Ethnomycological Journals Sacred Mushroom Studies vol. VI:1-52. Psilly Publ. and RaverBooks. Seattle. Also in Lyttle, Thomas (Ed.). 2000. Psychedelics Reimagined pp 147-170. ------ and ------. 2001. Psilocybian Mushroom Cultivation: A brief history regarding the contemporary use, cultivation and marketing of psilocybian fungi. Ethnomycological Journals Sacred Mushroom Studies vol. V. 198 pages. CD-Rom Products. Seattle, Washington. 200 photographs. ------ and ------. 2001. Teonanácatl: A Bibliography of Entheogenic Mushrooms. CD-Rom Products. Settle, Washington. 310 pages. 740 photographs. Cd-rom Products. Seattle, Washington. Allen, J. W. and M. D. Merlin. 1992a. Psychoactive fungi use in Koh Samui and Koh Pha-Ngan, Thailand. Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol. 35(3):205-228. Arthur, James. 2000 Mushrooms and Mankind, The Impact of Mushrooms on Human Consciousness and Religion. The Book Tree, Glendale, Ca. Arthur, James. (not yet published) Mushrooms, Ayahuasca and DMT; The Keys to the Doorways of Eternity. The Book Tree, Glendale, Ca. Brekman, I. I. and Y. A. Sam. 1967. 2. Ethnopharmacological investigation of some psychoactive drugs used by Siberians and far Eastern minor nationalities of the USSR. In: David H. Efron's (ed.) Ethnopharmacological Search for Psychoactive Drugs:415. United States Public Health Services No. 1645. January 28-30. Christiansen, A. L., Rasmussen, K. E., and Klaus Høiland. 1981. The content of psilocybin in Norwegian P. semilanceata. Planta Medica vol. 42(3):299-235. July. ------, ------ and ------. 1984. Detection of psilocybin and psilocin in Norwegian species of Pluteus and Conocybe. Planta Medica vol. 50(4):341-343. August. Dobkin de Rios, Marlene. 1976. The New Guinea Highlands. The Wilderness of Mind vol. 5. No. 90-039. ------. 1984. Hallucinogens: Cross Cultural Perspectives. The Aztecs of Mexico. Albuquerque. University of New Mexico Press. Eugster, C. H., Muller, G. F. R., and R. Good. 1965. Wirkstoffe aus Amanita muscaria: Ibotensauere und Muscazoni. Tetrahedron Letters No. 25:1813-1815. Fericgla, J. M. 1992. Amanita muscaria usage in Cataluña. Integration: The Journal for Mind Moving Plants and Kultur vol. 2-3:63-65. ------. 1993. Las supervivencias culturales y el consumo actual de Amanita muscaria en Cataluña. Atti 2 Convegno Nazionale Sugli Avvelanamenti da Funghi Rovereto Suppl. vol. 8(3-4):245-256. 1992. Festi, F. and A. Bianchi. 1991. Amanita muscaria, myco-pharmacological outline and personal experiences. Psychedelic Monographs & Essays vol. 5:209-250. Gartz, J. 1993a. Narrenschwämme: Psychotrope Pilze in Europa. Herausforderung an Forschung und Wertsystem. Editions Heuwinkel. In German. ------. 1996. Magic Mushrooms Around the World: A Scientific Journey Across Cultures and Time. The Case for Challenging Research and Value Systems. Lis Publications. Los Angeles, California. Translated by Claudia Taake. 120p. Gartz, Jochen., Reid, Derek A., Smith, Michael T., and Albert Eicker. 1995. Psilocybe natalensis sp. nov.-the first indigenous bluing member of the Agaricales of South Africa. Integration: the Journal for Mind Moving Plants and Kultur vol. 6:29-32. Graves, R. 1960. What food the Centaurs ate. Food for Centaurs:257-282. Doubleday, Garden City, New York ------. 1962. A journey to paradise: Of toadstools and toxins, and a vivid tour of the Heaven (and Hell) that lies within us all. Holiday vol. 32(2):36-37, 110-111. August. Guzmán, G. 1983. The Genus Psilocybe: a systematic Revision of the Known Species Including the History, Distribution and Chemistry of the Hallucinogenic Species. Beihefte zur Nova Hedwigia vol. 74. J. Cramer. Vaduz. Germany. ------. 1995a. Supplement to the monograph of the genus Psilocybe. In: O. Petrini & E. Horak, Taxonomic Monographs of Agaricales. Bibliotheca Mycologica vol. 159:91-141. Berlin-Stuttgart. Cramer. ------. 1997. Los Nombres de Los Hongos y lo Relaconado con ellos en América Latina. (Introdución a la Etnomicobiota y Micología aplicada de la Región. Sinonimia Vulgar y Científica). CONABIO & Instituto de Ecologia, Xalapa, Veracruz. Guzmán, G., Allen, J. W. and J. Gartz. 2000. A worldwide geographical distribution of the neurotropic fungi, analysis and discussion. Anali dei Civ. Mus. Rovereto vol. 14:189-270. Italia. In English. Harries, A. D. and V. Evans. 1981. Sequelae of a `magic mushroom banquet'. Postgraduate Medical Journal vol. 57:571-572. No. 671. Heim, Roger. 1956a. Les Champignons Divinatoires Utileses dans let Rites des Indiens Mazatiques, Recueilles au cours de leur Premier Voyage au Mexique, en 1953, par Mme Valentina Pavlovna Wasson et M. R. Gordon Wasson. Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaries des Séances de l'Académie des Sciences vol. 242:965-968. February 20. ------. 1956b. Les Champignons Divinatoires Recueilles par Mme Valentina Pavlovna Wasson et M R. Gordon Wasson au cours leurs Missions de 1954 et 1955 dans les pays Mije, Mazatéque, Zapotéque et Nahua du Mexique. Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaries des Séances de l'Académie des Sciences vol. 242:1389-1395. ------. 1957a. Les Champignons D'Europe. 2 volumes. Boubee and Cie. Paris. (see pp162-163). ------. 1972. Mushroom madness in the Kuma. Human Biology in Oceana vol. 1(3):170-178. Heim, Roger and R. Gordon Wasson. 1958. Les Champignons Hallucinogènes du Mexique: Etude Ethnologiques, taxonomique, biologiques, physiologiques et chemiques. With the collaboration of Albert Hofmann, Roger Cailleux, A. Cerletti, Arthur Brack, Hans Kobel, Jean DeLay, Pierre Pichot, Th. Lempiere and J. Nicolas-Charles. (Archives Du Museum National d'Histoire Naturalle ser. 7 vol. 6). Paris. 322pp. 36 Plates. ------ and ------. 1964. Note préliminaire sur la folie fongique des Kuma. Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaries des Séances de l'Académie des Sciences vol. 258:1593-1598. ------ and ------. 1965. The mushroom madness of Kuma. Botanical Museum Leaflets of Harvard vol. 21(1):1-36. Heim, R., Cailleux, R., Wasson, R. G., and P. Thevenard. 1967. Nouvelle Investigations sur les Champignons Hallucinogènes. Ed. Du Mus. Nat. d'Hist. Nat. Paris. 114p. Heizer, Robert F. 1944. Mixtum Compositum: The use of narcotic mushrooms by primitive peoples. Ciba Symposium vol. 5(2):1713-1716. February. Hofmann, A. 1980. The Mexican relatives of LSD--The sacred mushroom Teonanácatl. LSD My Problem Child:101-144. McGraw-Hill. New York. Translated from German by Jonathan Ott. ------. 1983. LSD My Problem Child. McGraw-Hill. New York. Keewaydinoquay. 1978. Puhpohwee for the People: A Narrative Account of Some Uses Among the Anishinaubeg. Ethnomycological Studies No. 5. Botanical Museum of Harvard. Cambridge, Massachusetts. February. ------. 1979. The legend of Wiskwedo. Journal of Psychedelic Drugs vol. 11(1-2):29-32. January-June. Proceedings from the Conference on Hallucinogens and Shamanism in Native American Life. San Francisco, California. November. 28 September-October 1, 1978. Jenkins, John Major. 1998. Maya Cosmogenesis 2012: The True Meaning of the Maya Calendar End Date. Bear & Company Publishing. Santa Fe, NM Keewaydinoquay et al. 1990. The people of the Miniss Kitigan who were and are honor the spirit of Waussungnaabe who was and is. In: Thomas J. Reidlinger (ed.) The Sacred Mushroom Seeker: Essays for R. Gordon Wasson:141-146. Dioscorides Press. Portland, Oregon. Ethnomycological Studies No. 11. LaBarre, W. 1975. Anthropological perspectives on hallucination and Hallucinogens. In: Siegel, Ronald K. and Louis Jolyon West (Eds.). Hallucinations: Behavior, Experience and Theory:9-52. John Wiley & Sons. New York. Leary, T. F. 1968. High Priest. The World Publishing Co. New York. Lowy, B. 1977. Hallucinogenic mushrooms of Guatemala. Journal of Psychedelic Drugs vol. 9(2):123-125. April-June. McCarthy, J. P. 1971. Some familiar drugs of abuse. Medical Journal of Australia vol. 2(21):1078-1081. November 20. McKenna, T. 1992. Food of the Gods: The Search for the Original Tree of Life. A Radical History of Plants, Drugs, and Human Evolution. Bantam Books. New York. Nelson, H. 1976. On the etiology of mushroom madness in highland New Guinea. Kaimbi Culture and Psychotropism. Oakenbough, W. 1975. A Guide to the Psilocybin Mushrooms of British Columbia. Georgia Straight. September 18. Ohenoja, E., Jokiranta, J., Makinen, T., Kaikkonen, A., and M. M. Airaksinen. 1987. Occurrence of psilocybin and psilocin in Finnish fungi. Journal of Natural Products (Lloydia) vol. 50(4):741-744. July-August. Ott, J. 1975. Amanita muscaria: usos y química. Cuadernos Cientificos vol. 4:203-221. CEMEF. ------. 1978a. World conference on hallucinogenic mushrooms: Hallucinogenic hall of famers hear evidence ancient Greeks ate lysergic acid. Head vol. 2(7):18-20, 91-92. February. ------. 1978b. Recreational use of hallucinogenic mushrooms in the United States. In: Barry H. Rumack and Emanuell Saltzman's Mushroom Poisoning: Diagnosis and Treatment Chapter 15:231-243. ------. 1993b. Amanita muscaria. Pharmacotheon: Entheogenic Drugs, their plant sources and History:323-358, 440, 446, 475. Natural Products. Kenniwick, Washington. Oldridge, S. G., Pegler, D. N. and B. M. Spooner. 1989. Wild Mushrooms and Toadstool Poisoning. Royal Botanic Gardens. Kew. Padmore, T. 1980a. Magic mushrooms pose few risks. Vancouver Sun:20. October 17. Vancouver, British Colombia. ------. 1980b. Magic of mushrooms charms science sleuth. The Vancouver Sun:A3. Friday, October 31. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Peden, N. R., Pringle, S. D., and J. Crooks. 1982. The problem of psilocybin mushroom abuse. Human Toxicology vol. 1:417-424. Pollock, Steven H. 1974. A novel experience with Panaeolus: A case study from Hawaii. Journal of Psychedelic Drugs vol. 6(1):85-89. January-March. ------. 1975-1976. Liberty caps: Recreational hallucinogenic mushrooms. Drug and Alcohol Dependence vol. 1(6):445-447. ------. 1975. The psilocybin mushroom pandemic. Journal of Psychedelic Drugs vol. 7(1):73-84. January-March. ------. 1976. Psilocybian mycetismus with special reference to Panaeolus. Journal of Psychedelic Drugs vol. 8(1):43-57. January-March. ------. 1977-1978. Psychotropic mushrooms and the alteration of consciousness, I: The ascent of psilocybin mushroom consciousness. Journal of Altered States of Consciousness vol. 3(1):15-35. Reay, Marie. 1959. The Kuma: Conformity in the New Guinea Highlands. Melbourne University Press. Melbourne, Australia. ------. 1960. Mushroom madness in the New Guinea Highlands. Oceana vol. 31(3):137-139. December. Rumack, Barry and Emanuell Saltzman (Eds.). 1978. Mushroom Poisoning: Diagnosis and Treatment. 263pp. CRC Press. West Palm Beach. Sahagún, Bernardino de. 1956[16th century]. The Florentine Codex. Sahagún's Spanish text and the Florentine Codex text translated by Angel Maria Garibay K. Porrua, Mexico. The most important historical source of information on the use of the sacred mushrooms. See ed. C. M. de Bustamente. México City. A. Bk. 9 Chap. 8: Florentine Codex Folio 31R-31V-1600. B. Bk. 10 Chap. 24: Par. 16-17; Chap. 29: Par. 34-F1. Codex Folio 122V-1600. C. Bk. 11 Chap. 7: Par 70, 74; F1 Codex Folio 129V-131R; Illus. #516-1600. Nahuatl text by Anderson and Dibble (English edition). A. Bk. 9:38-39. B. Bk. 10:12, 20, 37, 49, 55, 88, 173. C. Bk. 11:120 (Teonacaztli), 129, 130; Illus. #516. See next entry. ------. (Translation and editing by C. E. Dibble and A. J. O. Anderson). 1950-1969. Florentine Codex: General History of the Things of New Spain by Fray Bernardino de Sahagún. Twelve volumes. University of Utah Press. Salt Lake City, Utah. Sahagún, Bernardino de. 1982. Historia General de los Cosas de Nueva España. Editorial Portúa. México City. With a proemium by Angel M. Garibay K. Saleminck, C. A., ten Broeke, J. W., Schuller, P. L., and E. Veen. 1963. Über die basischen Inhaltssetoffe des Fliegenpilzes XII. Mitteilung: Über die Anwesenheit von l-Hyoscyamin. Planta Medica vol. 11:139-144. Samorini, G. 1992c. The oldest representations of hallucinogenic mushrooms in the world (Sahara desert. 9000-7000 B.P.). Integration: The Journal for Mind-Moving Plants and Kultur vol. 2-3:69-78. Sandford, Jeremy. 1973. In Search of the Magic Mushroom. Clarkson N. Porter. New York. Sanford, J. H. 1972. Japan's laughing mushrooms. Economic Botany vol. 26:174-181. Schultes, R. E. 1939. The identification of Teonanácatl, a narcotic basidiomycete of the Aztecs. Botanical Museum Leaflets of Harvard vol. 7(3):37-54. February 21. ------. 1940. Teonanácatl: The narcotic mushroom of the Aztecs. American Anthropologist vol. 42:429-443. ------. 1976a. Mushrooms. Hallucinogenic Plants:58-71. A Golden Garden Guide. Golden Press. New York. Schultes, R. E. and A. Hofmann. 1973. The Botany and Chemistry of the Hallucinogens. Charles E. Thomas. Springfield. 2nd edition 1980. ------ and ------. 1979. Plants of the Gods: Origins of Hallucinogenic Use. McGraw-Hill Book Co. New York. Singer, R. 1949. The Agaricales (Mushrooms) in Modern Taxonomy. Lilloa vol. 22:472, 506. 832p. 2nd edition from University of Tucuman, Argentina, August 1962. See pp. 543-544. ------. 1958a. Mycological investigations on Teonanácatl, the Mexican hallucinogenic mushrooms part one: The history of Teonanácatl, field work and culture. Mycologia vol. 50(2):239-261. April. ------. 1958b. A Russula provoking hysteria in New Guinea. Mycopathologia et Mycología Applicata vol. 9(4):275-279. September 29. ------. 1960. Sobre algunas especies de hongos presumiblemente psicotrópicos. Lilloa vol. 30:117-129. ------. 1978. Hallucinogenic mushrooms. In: Rumack, Barry H. and Emanuell Saltzman's Mushroom Poisoning: Diagnosis and Treatment:201-214. Singer, R. and A. H. Smith. 1958b. Mycological investigations on Teonanácatl, the Mexican Hallucinogenic mushrooms part two: A taxonomic monograph of Psilocybe section Caerulescens. Mycologia vol. 50(2):262-303. March-April. Southcott, R. V. 1974. Notes on some poisoning and other clinical effects following the ingestion of Australian fungi. South Australian Clinics vol. 6(5):441-478. Stamets, P. 1978. Psilocybe Mushrooms and their Allies. 160p. Homestead Book Co. Seattle, Washington. September. ------. 1996. Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World. An Identification Guide. Ten Speed Press. Berkeley, California. 245p. Stamets, P. and J. Gartz. 1995. A new caerulescent Psilocybe from the Pacific Coast of Northwestern America. Integration: Journal for Mind Moving Plants and Culture vol. 6:21-28. Stocks, A. E. 1963. Mushroom poisoning in Brisbane. Journal of Princess Alexandria Hospital vol. 1:21-24. Australia. Takemoto, T., Nakajima, T., and R. Sakuma. 1964b. Isolation of a flyicidal constituent: Ibotenic acid from Amanita muscaria and Amanita pantherina. Yakugaku Zasshi vol. 84(12):1233-34 Unsigned, a. The Rig Veda: Mandala No. 9. Penguin Books. Middlesex, England. Unsigned, b. The Rig Veda: Mandala No. 10. Penguin Books. Middlesex, England. Unsigned, 2002. Japan Bans Magic Mushrooms. AP Wire Service. May 29, 2002. Wasson, R. G. 1957a. Seeking the magic mushroom. Life:100-102, 109-120. May 13. ------. 1959a. The hallucinogenic mushrooms of Mexico: An adventure in ethnomycological exploration. Transactions of the New York Academy of Science Series II, vol. 21(4):325-339 ------. 1959b. Wild mushrooms: A world of wonder and adventure. Herbarist vol. 24:13-28. Boston. ------ . 1968. Soma: Divine Mushroom of Immortality. Ethno-Mycological Studies No. 1. Mouton and Co. The Hague, Netherlands. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. New York. ------. 1979. Foreword. In: Phantastica: Rare and Important Psychoactive Drug Literature from 1700 to the present. Privately published by William and Victoria Dailey. Antiquarian Books and Fine Prints. 8216 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90046. ------. 1980. The Wondrous Mushroom: Mycolatry in Mesoamerica. Ethnomycological Studies No. 7. McGraw-Hill Book Co. New York, St. Louis and San Francisco. Wasson, R. Gordon., Hofmann, Albert., and Carl A. P. Ruck. 1978. The Road to Eleusis: Unveiling the Secret of the Mysteries. Ethnomycological Studies No. 4. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. New York and London. Wasson, Valentina P. 1958. I ate the sacred mushroom. This Week:8-10, 36. May 19 Wasson, Valentina P. and R. Gordon Wasson. 1957. 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Biographies of John W. Allen and James Arthur John W. Allen is an amateur ethnomycologist who has studied, photographed and lectured on entheogenic fungi for more than 25 years. He is the author of seven books, one medical poster, three CD-ROMs of mushroom data (Teonanácatl: A bibliography of Entheogenic Mushrooms, Mushroom Pioneers and Psilocybian Mushroom Cultivation: A Brief History), One Psychedelic Inspired Art CD-Rom (1060 graphic designs) and many articles on the non-traditional uses and field identification of psychoactive fungi in the Pacific Northwest of North America, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Europe, Great Britain and Scandinavia. Currently Allen provides two great web-sites pertaining to psilocybian mushrooms, Mushroom John's Shroom World: http://www.mushroomjohn.org and Psychedelic Inspired Art: http://www.releasethereality.com/mjart.html. James Arthur is an Ethnomycologist, archaeoastronomer, mythologist, theologian and shaman. He is the author of Mushrooms and Mankind and the forthcoming Mushrooms, Ayahuasca and DMT. See: http://www.jamesarthur.yage.net

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