Siberian Amanita Muscaria Caps (Grade A)
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These are the oft-coveted Siberian strain Grade "A" Amanita muscaria mushrooms, partly due to their place in folklore and history. Yes, there are many historical records of Siberian Amanita Cults, a few of which still exist today, and we get these authntic specimens from one of those still-practicing Siberian cults. One of the reasons these particular people have a distinct place in history is becuase of the WAY in which these Siberian Shaman practiced their Amanita rituals: Since the active components of Amanita muscaria mushroom are transformed within the human body (they contain ibotenic acid which, when the carboxyl radical is removed from the molecule, yields the psychoactive molecule muscimole), the urine of one who has consumed the mushroom is drunk by another who would consequently becomes inebriated...eek. And, this procedure could be repeated up to five or six times.
The metabolic process of decarboxylation which effects this transformation within the user's liver is very inefficient. In fact, it is so inefficient that approximately 85% of the ibotenic acid ingested (more than enough to inebriate further users) passes through the body unchanged and is excreted in the urine [Ott, p. 328]. To put it another way, the urine contains more than five times as much of the drug as the body can assimilate.
This unsavory yet economical practice is well-documented among certain Siberian tribes where A. muscaria is widely used in Shamanic contexts [von Bibra, p. 75]. Of all known traditions of religious and ritualistic drug use, this practice of recycling the urine is unique to A. muscaria consumption and provides a historical marker that is difficult to ignore, especially when trying to track down the identity of the lost "Soma" that slipped into history and infamy.
The Inuit tribes, Eskimos, and individuals of Russian descent had another curious characteristic in relation to this wondrously mysterious fungus called Siberian Amanita muscaria: They knew that reindeer would dig for hours in the snow, purposely seeking out the Amanita muscaria. In fact, the reindeer had such a great taste for the mushroom that they would be seen consuming the urine of other reindeer who had recently eaten a mushroom. If you wanted to catch a reindeer, all you had to do was to urinate and they would come running.
These dried caps are sold for their historical and ethnobotanical interest only and are not for human consumption; they are listed as a poison by the FDA. |
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