Hallucinogenic Stones???

[wisemonkey]

Wasnt sure where to post this as I am not sure what category rocks would come under, but a friend showed me an article yesterday about stones in iceland that when boiled and the brew was drank produced strong hallucinogenic effects. It is actually believed that a lichen produces the alkaloids. The discovery was made during an artists performance. Reputedly stronger than other psychedelics. I will try to get the article posted but wondered if anybody else knew anything about this???

[Francois le Danque]

Could it possibly be some kind of fungus? ergot for example cantains lysergic acid amides.....

then again i'm no scientist. so.... don't listen to what i say .

[prier]

This sounds really interesting, if you could scrounge up the article I'd love to have a read.

[AndyAmine.]

Sounds interesting..

Edited April 14, 2006 by AndyAmine.

[NatureBoy]

Just found this site on 'ethnolichenology':

http://web.uvic.ca/~stucraw/part1.html

i havent taken a big net and trawled through that yet but it may well be worth a look.

[Dirty Old Man]

Maybe the stones just leached mercury and other heavy metals into the water and fried their brains :saufen2:

[hairyplant]

A. Shulgin wrote about this in PIHKAL. The chemicals in some lichens can react with essential oils in some natural products (i think he used orange juice as the example) to make synthetic THC:

http://www.cognitiveliberty.org/shulgin/ad.../THClichens.htm

[Francois le Danque]

A novel species of Dictyonema was used by the Waorani as a hallucinogen. They called the lichen Ne/ne/ndape/ and used it in shamanistic rituals (Davis and Yost 1983).

An unidentified saxicolous lichen was called Jievut hiawsik [lit. "Earth flower"]by the Pima of California. It was used as a good luck charm, and it was smoked for its narcotic effect (Curtin 1949).

In Mauritania, Parmelia paraguariensi is mixed with tobacco and smoked. It is also burned as an insect repellent and used as perfume (Lange 1957).

An unidentified pyrenocarpous lichen was used by the Denís of Amazonian Brazil as an recreational snuff (Prance 1972).

well that's certainly interesting....

[spiders]

i love lichens - did anyone find that actual article?

[wandjina]

Yeah, I dig lichens too...symbiotic relationships are fascinating

Can't find that article...sounds interesting though...found a few other lichen facts:

• Chemical indicators

The familiar Litmus impregnated filter paper used by chemists to test alkalinity and acidity is produced from lichens. The genus Rocella is the source of Litmus and the lichen is imported from the Cape Verde Islands or harvested from the trees on the island of Madagascar.

• Perfumery

Lichens play a major part to 'fix' other perfumes which would otherwise readily lose their smell. Evernia prunastri, oak moss, and Pseudevernia furfuracea, tree moss, are both of major importance in this respect.

• 'Manna from heaven' or 'a gift from God'

This gift refers to several edible plants, or even edible insects. It has been suggested that the manna of the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt was the desert lichen Lecanora esculenta. Persian peasants like this food and only pick the lichen after heavy falls of dew.

http://www.nccpg.com/Default.Aspx?Page.Aspx?Page=136

[Pisgah]

Michael Pollan references hallucinogenic lichen in his book,

The Botany of Desire.

It's in the Ganja section...

[NatureBoy]

The Botany of Desire is an awesome book! i'll have to go find that lichen reference

[Pisgah]

It is a cool book. The reference to lichen is oblique however. No sources, just a passing mention.

[wisemonkey]

The article was in Vice magazine. Should be able to post it in the next week

[domide]

I read the article in Vice magazine as well and meant to read up on sometime. Thanks for reminding me

"Stoned on Stones"

"It was the most intense hallucinogenic experience that I've ever had, and I've done every trip there is," says Icelandic writer Smari Einarsson. "DMT, peyote...you name it. We have these magic mushrooms here that grow wild. I've eaten those more times thank I can count. They cannot even come close to the effect of these rocks."

Volcanic rocks, which cover the Icelandic landscape, have been getting local kids high for five years now, ever since a local artist did a performance piece called Rock Soup. Jon Sigmundson's art piece was meant to make a commentary on Icelanders' high standard of living, which he believes relies on taking for granted third-world suffering. He made rock soup, he said in a written statement, to "try and live on nothing." The serendiptous discovery he made is that these rocks get you fuggin' wasted.

It is actually the lichen that lives on the rocks that gets you off. You take a few stones, boil them in a pot of water, strain it all through a colander, and drink it down like tea. Some people add ginger and honey, but it has a nice taste undiluted. It's very earthy.

People who have "taken stones," as it's called, share strikingly similar stories. "Trolls," says a young Icelandic girl who was interviewed at local Reykjavik bar Sirkus.She'll only give her first name, which is Essa. "Every time we do stones, we see the same group of trolls. They are no unkind, but they aren't overly friendly either," she says.

"Mostly what they do is advise you. You always come away from a stones trip with a question that you had on your mind answered. You also the most vivd colors ever. It's like living in Fantasia!"

PAUL LUP-TZE

Don't know if that sounds like THC induced trip with the trolls and all. Fascinating stuff!

[Rev]

i smell a rat

[domide]

rev, are you referring to me??

[cisumevil]

Just been speaking to a few friends in Iceland and none of them have ever heard of this

They did say they will investigate and report back to me, so we will see!

Would be great if it were true :saufen2:

One of them did say the following though..........

"but now i know where all these troll tales comes from.. i bet the people in old days used to eat this stuff or something."

I hope so!

Edited April 27, 2006 by cisumevil

[Rev]

rev, are you referring to me??

lol

no

maybe i should have said fish not rat !

the story pulls tgether way too much past and present and too conveniently and is not backed up by any other reputable sources

the balance is well tipped in favour of a hoax i think

not that one hoax should discount all lichens of course