botanika

someone asked about china before - i live here and never smoked cigs in aust but am now a pack a day man. the health issues r not as tight here and u can smoke almost anywhere, no one has a problem with it (except single middle aged american expat women). While i like to smoke i ultimately dislike the habit but what i dislike more is the loss of freedom to do what i want that doesnt hurt others. its the same for pot - its so effortless to get here i am not caught up in guilt or fear. In australia the drug laws allow a terrible black market, risks and paranoia that has a big impact on individuals and society. Humans have a long history of smoking all sorts of things - that legacy of choice should should not be compromised by laws and taxes but nor should others be compromised by passive smoke. We're on this planet for a good time not a long time, if we regulate, guilt trip and consumerize the spiritual ceremony of life we have lost touch with who we are. Einstein and Churchill smoked, perhaps if they didnt Hitler would have won the war! hehe if joe cocker didnt smoke we wouldnt have 'you are so beautiful'... life is supposed to be a creative celebration in harmony with nature, not a controlled fearful guilt tripped fine paying journey to see who lives the longest with the most amount of material possesions.

creach - give the comissioner some tea b4 the hearing...

im sag' too and have 2 admit many interesting things happening - all good tho! But for me it feels like career and relationship dynamics are coming to fruition because of hard work and past decisions, not planetary alignments (not to say they r not a factor). Anyway sagitarians a cool sign to be...

i guess u have to ask yourself if u truly believe they provide u with mystical insights or whether ur brain is processing information in a way that shuffles things into a story utilising ur heightened memory. Its easy to be lead away down dark thoughts while tripping esp if u have had them alot recently and the euphoric effects are less pronounced but thinking remains stimulated. Its common for humans to dream disturbing thoughts naturally during sleep - however if ur under the influence of something those lucid states may be remembered in a more profound way. Death and destruction as well as love are in our brain stem collective consciousness - open that book and u will eventually come across death symbolism. Watch the sound of music next time u feel thoughts like these

Can anyone kindly provide an acurate comparison of SP/peruvian torch effects to shrooms and lsd (whose effects i already know)? thnx

torsten - thanks well explained. The mushrooms anaethetic effects wouldnt make one realise the stomach was busy carving them up (or digesting crap from unfiltered tea). I never felt nauseous just weirder than normal. Each time it happened has been on an empty stomach and high dose with a little jasmine tea buds... great fun but i want to mitigate any interference in quality, so next time ill use freshies and strain better again.

Is there really that much of a difference in effect between psilocin and psilocybin? I notice subtle differences in effects between fresh/dried or invitro/wild or stage of flushing/harvest, but its never followed a distinguised pattern. As i have only ever grown 4 scientific research or observed wild mushrooms while hiking i wonder if anyone knows what effects (such as giggly, emptiness, energetic, etc) cin and bin have further to mood and dose?

good comments - what i wanted to know regarding exp was why i sometimes i felt a cloudiness or more emotional - its subtle hard to describe. When i think of it, this only happens if consumed fresh or when we dont strain the tea properly and only presents itself in the 1st few hrs. I havent tried fresh ones in tea yet and i dont know if there is differences in exp between flushes. So the organic matter may influence metabolism and thus the effect as torsten mentioned. Its not terrible just not as clean at the start Also does anyone know how quickly shrooms loose potency from being picked to when they are 1 week dry, assuming good drying conditions? All above is hypothetical of course

Thanks archaea, already aware of chemical similarities, im more interested in subjective exp of cactus preparations not pure mescaline sulfate. I like shrooms cleaness being organic and want to know more about cactus and its potential. General internet reports seem too varied. I would like to know if the nausea is actually that bad or whether the euphoria and empathy is the same as shrooms and good lsd. More intense visuals sound good tho!

i am of course curious about their individual effect on experience NOT potency

I just harverted my 1st in vitro mexican cubensis flush. Lovely healthly buggers in just 1 week! I read somewhere that 2nd and 3rd flushes are more potent. Can anybody confirm this? thanks

Impsyght: sorry my post just sounded in disagreance with u, meant water could possibly be responsible 4 some of the oxidation process after bruising

Seems more likely the bruising exposes the cells to O2 via air OR water - if the oxidised compound is soluble it may bleed out in the water and sensitive veil tissue is easily damaged even by water washing. I noted the richest 'blue' around the base of the stems where they had been picked, handled and vermic washed off but the richest 'dark blue' was around damaged areas from scars or nicks and oxidised mainly by air Tiny shrooms also went inky. Could it be that water simply carries the blue oxide thus staining a wider area of the mushroom a paler blue? (or if still alive recirculating). I remember finding some late season subs once that were so blue from age (or frosts?) i overlooked them at first but they looked similar and were not anywhere near rotten. I nibbled one - sub taste, but didnt indulge in any spring snow skiing as the potency was no longer there and no 100% ID nice looking though! 'return of the electric blue satin stems'

i would personally leave it over the summer. The mycellium has to look after itself naturally sooner or later but a little water now while its spreading wont hurt. Maybe u could water half the patch and monitor the results

be good to see more habitat shots accompanying photos!

i reckon the mycologists got carried away and were generous in giving out fanciful names!

sorry MJ = Mushroom John. He runs mycology forays into SE asia. I believe they're easy 2 find at well known tourist spots and i cant imagine myself leaving the main tracks in any sort of country like that but thanks for the mine warning and ill be on the lookout for happy pizzas for sale

I only have experience with subaeruginosa (in canberra) but have discovered a range of potency and trips over the years from acid-like to philosophical and blurry to speedy and ecstatic (set and setting accepted). I like the potency and now even the taste of fresh juicy alkaloid rich ones. Im about to try growing cubes at home and have never hunted meanies. Wondering if any seasoned navigators could describe the difference in experience between them and subs?

I would also like to know if P. subaeruginosa does actually have the historically stated similar species australiana, eucalypta etc or whether subs naturally exhibit a variety of types across a range of habitats. Early mycologists Identified them clearly and confidently in literature but were visitors here temporarily and australias mycology regarding P species was not advanced then. Whats to say they didnt invent a few cool exotic australian names to enhance their foray results, overlooking the adaptivity and variability of the subaeruginosa species? Id love someone to show me more than bluemeanies site and J.Allens + Watling book. They describe all subs inc tasmaniana in canberra (referenced sometimes as near sydney) at similar, easily accessed habitat zones at transition zones between pine and euc. Whats to prove its even a true long term native species? Given the similarity between it and P.Azure' and P.cyan' a wild theory might be that it spread from the US via timbers used for australian logging and had to adapt to local woods plus the ultimately used pinus radiata and ponderosa. Arboreums inc different US trees were common in australias past and surely plant/forestry exchange ocurred along with knowledge exchange between aust and the pacific northwest during the early 19th century gold rushes and later forestry industry growth. There has been a historic land use connection between the pacific NW america and the areas of australia u find subs. With my satisfactory grasp of ecology i know that would mean a species evolving into a new one within 150-200 years though - fast! but perhaps in the fungal universe this is possible? A more conservative theory is they r native and may have many known and undiscovered cousins around the world that are similar due to comparable ecosystems and ancient genotype or spore dispersal by air, water or animal. Imagine that subs are the children of pacific nw azures ancestors - thousands of years of spore dispersal and it eventually establishes at NZ and aust (does sth america have sub similar?) in suitable environment types, spreads and morphs into its current species. Better still imagine it the opposite and subs being the 'parents' of pacific nw species or others While we're here we should also ponder ancient animals, aboriginal, islanders, chinese and mythical atlantian/egyptian/asian/mayan supermen dispersal. Or it is humbly its own australian species evolved from ancient gondwana-cybe and is who it is and hasnt been studied enough for anyone to conclusively prove otherwise nor what botanical variation it displays. sorry to write so much

try currumbin valley and other lush GC hinterland pastureland for dung varieties - ur in a very rich area of australia - whole area is an ancient caldera and has terrific volcanic soils and subtropical weather. Heck if u get desperate try nimbin after rains and somebody will help u out. Ive had considerable success recolonising subs too. I used to transplant them with attached mycelium to my parents garden years ago and they're all over the woodchips now! Wonder if my parents know they are there?

its such a complex variable thing - best to take it easy - then u can enjoy over a lifetime. I didnt touch hallucinogens for 10 years and had subs 1st time again early this year. It was one of the most rewarding trips ever because i had a familiarity with it but so much more to reflect on. Maybe its like a candle, u can burn it up in 1 month or savour it over a lifetime using it and learning from it as u evolve as an individual.

Thanks blue meanie, im about to grow some cubes indoors OS and hopefully they'll be reasonably strong. Just never got around to trying cubes and copes in aust in the wild. Always loved the fact a few baby subs is all u need but have always been curious about difference in species and how ratios of psilocybin, psilocin and other alkaloids influence the experience. Going to cambodia soon, hoping i can find some of MJ's copes/pans there!!

try city landscaped beds with sprinklers (esp misters) - often fruit right through season because of reliable moisture and nutrients. Does melbourne have any native botanical gardens?

thats good to know, ill have no problems in cambodia (thanks to MJ) and southern china but would be happy if i could find them closer to where i live in shanghai. it will be a good time to look soon. cheers

I only have experience with subaeruginosa (in canberra) but have discovered a range of potency and trips over the years from acid-like to philosophical and blurry to speedy and ecstatic (set and setting accepted). I like the potency and now even the taste of fresh juicy alkaloid rich ones. Im about to try growing cubes at home and have never hunted meanies. Wondering if any seasoned navigators could describe the difference in experience between them and subs?