privacy. “Eva Mendez” was actually the of certain Indian peoples living far from Mazatec healer, Maria Sabina, who was the great world in southern Mexico. No By Michael W. Beug to become quite famous. anthropologist had ever described the It was the night of June 29-30, 1955 scene that we witnessed.” Figure 2 shows Professor Emeritus, “in a Mexican Indian village so remote pages 102-103 of the famous article The Evergreen State College, that most of the people still speak no with an image of the house where the P. O. Box 116, Husum, WA 98623, Spanish, my friend Allan Richardson mushrooms were consumed and images [email protected] and I shared with a family of Indian friends n May 13, 1957, a Life a celebration of ‘Holy magazine article by R. Gordon communion’ where Wasson brought the ritual ‘divine’ mushrooms Ouse of hallucinogenic mushrooms in were first adored and Mexico to the attention of readers in then consumed.” It was North America and a new age, the a ceremony of mixed psychedelic 60s, was about to begin. Christian and pre- The title of Wasson’s now famous Life Christian elements. magazine article was “Seeking the Magic “The mushrooms Mushroom” and the opening spread were of a species (Figure 1, pp 100-101) shows Curandera with hallucinogenic “Eva Mendez” preparing for the powers; that is, they ceremony by smoking the mushrooms in cause the eater to see 1. Figure burning aromatic leaves. Wasson and his visions. We chewed Russian-born wife, Valentina, had spent and swallowed these acrid mushrooms, of Wasson first taking his ration of six four summers in the remote mountains saw visions, and emerged from the pairs of mushrooms from Curandera of Mexico seeking the mushrooms experience awestruck… Richardson and “Eva Mendez” and then, following with vision-giving powers and in this I were the first white men in recorded custom, chewing them slowly, taking article Wasson changed the names of history to eat these divine mushrooms, about one half hour to eat. This was the the Mixeteco Indians to protect their which for centuries have been a secret second night, when Allan Richardson FUNGI Volume 4:3 Summer 2011 31 (Figure 4). On his last trip to southern Mexico before writing the Life article, Wasson was accompanied by Professor Roger Heim, a mycologist and head of France’s Muséum National d’History Naturells. Heim would collect and name many of these magic mushrooms. There was the prized Psilocybe mexicana Heim, found in pastures (see Figure 13 in the accompanying article “The genus Psilocybe in North America” by M. Beug in this issue of FUNGI); the “Crown of Thorns,” Psilocybe zapotecorum Heim, found on marshy ground (see Figure 13, Psilocybe hoogshagenii Heim sensu lato, in the accompanying article Beug); the “Mushroom of Superior Reason,” Psilocybe caerulescens Murrill var. nigripes Heim also found on Figure 2. Figure marshy ground (see Figure 4 in the accompanying article by Beug); and “Children of the Waters,” Psilocybe aztecorum Heim, found on woody debris (see Figure 18 in the accompanying article by Beug). There was also the abundant Psilocybe cubensis (Earle) Singer, found on dung (Figure 5). Psilocybe cubensis was to become the low-potency less desirable Psilocybe served to uninformed gringos who would soon be flooding to Mexico in pursuit of the Magic Mushrooms. About his experiences Wasson said “For the first time the word ecstasy took on real meaning. For the first time it did not mean someone else’s state of mind.” But Wasson also issued a caution that was soon to be lost on the masses: “hallucinogenic mushrooms must be treated with extreme caution. Among the Indians, their use is hedged Figure 3. Figure with restrictions of many kinds. Unlike ordinary mushrooms, these are never photographed the ceremony rather 3) of the ceremony that was held in sold in the marketplace, and no Indian than partaking again, and so we have an underground room in complete dares to eat them frivolously, for the images on pages 104-105 (Figure blackness photographed by pointing excitement. The Indians themselves the flash towards speak of their use as muy delicado, that audible sounds. is, perilous” (p. 106). For the hordes Fast forward to the present and an of mostly young article hot off the presses as I write this. people who would The title is “Hallucinogens as Medicine” soon descend on and it appeared in the December 2010 this region, the Scientific American (Griffiths and Grob, next pages, 106- 2010). Roland Griffiths is the lead 107, became like investigator of the psilocybin research a biblical guide, initiative at Johns Hopkins. Charles for they contain Grob’s research at UCLA includes “Rare vision-giving looking at psilocybin for treating anxiety fungi shown for in cancer patients. “Early results from the the first time” new trials point to the promise of these 32 FUNGI Volume 4:3 Summer 2011 was present in the phosphate group, P, and its surrounding mushrooms. It was oxygens in the Figure 6, leaving an –OH Albert Hoffman, group in its place). Psilocin is the more a Swiss researcher potent of the two chemicals, but since working for Sandoz the GI tract quickly dephosphorylates Pharmaceuticals who psilocybin, it matters little which drug successfully isolated you ingest – they both wind up as and synthesized the psilocin as they enter circulation and two principal active mimic serotonin (Figure 7) in the brain. ingredients of the A few years before, Albert Hoffman magic mushrooms, had synthesized LSD-25, one of many announcing his derivatives of lysergic acid he was success in the late making in a search for a drug to help 1950s. He named stop excessive bleeding in childbirth. Figure 4. Figure one compound The lysergic acid is isolated from ergot, psilocybin (Figure the resting stage of the fungus Claviceps therapies, with some patients reporting 6) and the other psilocin. Psilocin is purpurea. Ergot, a contaminant in grain profound spiritual experiences and, simply a psilocybin molecule that has that looks much like a blackened kernel hence, the ability to make important life been dephosphorylated (loss of the of wheat, was known to produce feelings changes… understanding how mystical of intense heat followed by severe loss of experiences can engender benevolent blood flow, resulting in a gangrene-like attitudes towards oneself and others condition, leading, in severe cases, to will, in turn, aid in explaining the the loss of arms and legs. The condition, well-documented role of spirituality in produced by ergotamine, is known as psychological well-being and health.” But they also caution that “In the Johns Hopkins study, even after careful screening and at least eight hours of preparation with a clinical psychologist, about a third of the participants experienced some period of significant fear and about a fifth felt paranoia sometime during the session… other potential risks of hallucinogens include Figure 6. Figure prolonged psychosis, psychological 7. Figure distress, or disturbances in vision or other senses lasting days or even longer.” In unsupervised situations, they report that paranoia following mushroom usage has led to accidental injuries and even suicide. When the Life magazine article was written, no one yet knew what drug Figure 5. Figure FUNGI Volume 4:3 Summer 2011 33 gangrenous ergotism but because of the backbone and both would be expected to he was possibly too successful. intense fire-like pain of the early stages bind to the same receptors in the brain Within six weeks of his return from of the disease became known as St. – albeit bind with different strengths. Cuernavaca, Sandoz Pharmaceuticals Anthony’s fire (Hudler, 1998a). Madness LSD binds much more strongly and thus had granted Dr. Leary four bottles of also often accompanied accidental ergot it is no surprise that it is both effective psilocybin pills for research. Along consumption and was caused by two at a much lower dosage and effective with a colleague, Richard Alpert (who compounds in Ergot, ergine and lysergic for much longer – much too long in my was to change his name to Ram Dass) acid hydroxyethylamide, the target of humble opinion. LSD is also much more and several graduate students, Timothy Hoffman’s research (Hudler, 1998a). likely to cause long-term adverse effects Leary began experiments to learn The discovery of the hallucinatory and “flashbacks.” the effects of dosage and place, soon effect of LSD-25 was purely an accident In the 1950s, R. Gordon Wasson moving from classroom to his home and resulting, Hoffman believed, from the and his associates were not alone in student residences to escape the sterility absorption of tiny amounts of LSD traveling to Mexico to learn about the of academia. Undergraduates began directly through his skin. It was Albert ancient mushroom rituals of the Indian to hear rumors of psilocybin sessions Hoffman’s fascination with the effects peoples. Blasius P. Reko, Richard E turned orgy and demanded to be able to of LSD (and the consequent massive Schultes and others were also involved in take part. Scandal ensued. Traditional self-experimentation with LSD by rediscovering and documenting the use psychologists at Harvard began to Hoffman and many other researchers of psilocybin mushrooms in shamanic express concerns in private but soon at Sandoz) that led Hoffman to also ceremonies by indigenous Mesoamerican word of their displeasure reached the investigate Psilocybe species to see what peoples. They uncovered quite pages of the Harvard Crimson. Timothy caused them to produce hallucinations convincing evidence that the shamanic Leary added mescaline and LSD to his so remarkably similar to LSD. He knew rituals that they were observing were researches - recreational drug use was that LSD produced hallucinations that remnants of ancient religion practiced by sweeping the country.