Psychedelic Mushrooms

Think of any fairy tale illustration of elves or orcs sitting on or under a toadstool, and most likely the cap of such a fungus will be bright red with white spots. The autumnal excess and vibrant colors of the magic mushrooms make it probably the most widely recognized of our fungi. As the name implies it was previously used as a pesticide, with pieces often floated in milk, to intoxicate and kill flies drawn to its aroma. In a similar way the majority will be cautious of its poisonous reputation (though deadly reactions are rare), and appreciation of these magic mushrooms will often ... Read Full Story

For my area the fall is a great time of the year for foraging for wild mushrooms. The fall rain makes the mushrooms pop quickly and the cooler weather keeps the insect damage down to a minimum. One of my favorites to harvest in the fall is Agaricus campestral. After a couple days of rain along with some cooler temperatures this mushroom is fairly plentiful. You can find it growing in yards, ball fields and many other grassy areas all you really have to do is ride around in your car and look. They are good size and the taste is excellent. There are ... Read Full Story

Here in Northern Michigan when you are hunting for Morel mushroom, one of the first mushrooms to appear is the False Moral. I wouldn’t really call it a look alike but this is what they call it. Here it is called a beefsteak mushroom. I have also head it called a brain mushroom. I guess that is what it really resembles. It is found though out the country. But is most common in the North, and in the Mountains. It is very popular here in upper Michigan. The color is brownish becoming darker with age going to almost black. This is a fairly good ... Read Full Story

One Step Beyond , billed as "your guide to the supernatural," was a docudrama TV program airing from 1959-1961. The episode about psychedelic mushrooms and psychic experiments is a trip to watch. It features Andrija Puharich, MD, a parapsychology researcher most famous for bringing Uri Geller to the US. Puharich also invented technology relating the the affect of low frequency electromagnetic wave emissions on the brain. As a result, tinfoil beanie folks love to hate him. You can view this episode of One Step Beyond in three parts on YouTube. One Step Beyond: Psychedelic Mushrooms and ESP part 1 , part 2 , part ... Read Full Story

With spring and summer coming I cannot emphasize enough. Know what you are picking. I just thought I would touch on the death cap a bit. This mushroom intrigues me because of its place in history. As I have said in past articles this is a good genus to stay away from. There are some edible mushrooms in this group. But why take the chance. The caps are generally greenish in color, with a white stipe and gills. This is one of the most poisonous of all the mushrooms. It appears mostly in the summer and fall. The spore print is white. Murder, or ... Read Full Story