INTRODUCTION

" One side makes you Sma ller, o ne side makes you Talle r." The use
of Psilocy bin asa psychoactive drug shou ld no t be tak en too tightl y. As
a it is too often abused and the resu lt makes you smalle r me ntally.
lOy
As an aid to h ig her consciou sness it can open t he doors to rea lm s o f
p erception beyo nd your belief . Thus you grow tall er in your psychic
inte llect. Psilocybin is an illegal substance and I cannot advocate its
use, but I definitely condemn its abuse.
I tful y believe this small life fo rm was put on ea nh to open our
minds to th e universal powe r of All that was, AII that is, and All that will
be. Seek and ye shall find, knock and the door will be opened .
- Jule Stevens

5
 Life Cycle

Umbo

Rad ia l lines
.~ ~
\
Nipple
Gills - -

Ring

C' p
, ,
,
'-- } p. , wlll zii

I \
,
,,
,
. ·.. .' .
•
" ': .' . Spores
\
... : /
• • •
",,'
' .
__ '.re
,, ,, ,,", ,
, ,"
," , ' ,
P. pellicu /05a £)
,
M ycelium
~ ~ --- PrifllOl d ia

"" '. ..'

The mu shrooms start from a spore whi ch fall s to earth and lands on a
suitable gro win g medi a. Tiny hai r- like tubes call ed hyphae grow on
the media unlil the proper w ate r and tc mpe ralUre ca use a large mal to
be fo rmed . Th e mat is called myce li u m. Fro m th e myce liu m emerge
the mu shroom primordia wh ich fo rm the fruiting bodies. The mush-
rooms mature, drop th eir spo res and the cycl e beg ins an ew.

13
 • , I

A prepared mushroom hun/er ;s a happy mushroom hunter.

When to Hunt Mushrooms

The single most essential fa ctor to look for when deciding when to
hunt mushrooms is rain. Mushrooms must have an abundance of
water to form fruiting bodies. Some species will form overnight, but
usually it takes a few days of heavy ra ins to produce a large crop.
The other essen tial factor is temperature. Different psilocybin
species fruit at different temperatures. When you find a particular
species growing prolifically, find out the lowest and highest tempera-
tures of the past three days. This wil l give you some reference poi nl as
to when to look ; optimum condit ions o f rain and temperature. When
the rains of sp ring and fall begin, this is the time to start preparations
for mushroom hunting.

'4
 CLOSE ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH -
POISONOUS MUSHROOMS
Psychic awareness attribu ted to the ingestion o f hallucinogeni c
mu shrooms is widely sought , but the imp roper identifi cation and
ingestion of a poi sonou s species cou ld lead 10 mental distress, seve re
body fu nction disa bility, liver and heart damage. The fa st-actin g
amanitin and phallotoxins found in several species of Amanitas,
Gallerinas and Conocybes are converted by li ver enzymes inlo a
compound which atta cks liver cells. By the time pain or vomiting
o ccur the poi soning could be past treatment. A period of reli ef is
foll o wed by extreme pain whi ch CO nlinues for four to six days often
cu lminating in death . When not fatal, several weeks of ill ness and pain
may result and could lead to pe rm anent li ver dama ge.
The study o f poi son o us mu shrooms is a field far too large 10
properly cover in thi s book . Therefore, w e su ggest a novi ce have the
aid o f an experienced mushroom co llector, en ro ll in a mycol ogy
course, o r read a comprehensive text o n the subj ect. " Poi sonous and
Hallucinoge ni c Mushrooms," by Ri chard and Karen Haard will give
you a go od introduction int o the field of poisonous mu shrooms as
well as some of the ha llu cinogenic species. I n case of vom it ing, severe
sweating, or extreme chills, co ntact a docto r or hospital immedi ately .
If possi ble, lake a sa mple of the mush room for exam ination.

26
Plate 7. P. cubensis ;n the wild.

32
 CHAPTER III

Indoor Cultivation

53