Mexican bald head
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Mexican bald head ( Psilocybe mexicana ) |
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| R. Heim |
Psilocybe mexicana also Teonanacatl ( Nahuatl teōnanacatl "god mushroom" from teōtl "god", nanacatl "mushroom") - in German Mexican bald head - is a psychoactive mushroom that contains psilocybin and psilocin as main active ingredients. First documented human use dates back over 2000 years. The Aztecs regarded the mushroom as "the meat of the gods". The use of mushrooms for ritual purposes has been documented until modern times. In 1958 Albert Hofmann isolated the main psychedelic active ingredients of the psilocybin-containing mushrooms from this type of mushroom for the first time .
Occurrence
Psilocybe mexicana originally thrives at altitudes of 1,300 to 1,800 meters between southern Mexico and Guatemala and preferably on limestone soils .
Historical background
The ritual use of mushrooms containing psilocybin formed one of the most important religious cults in South and Central America. Passing is at least until 500 BC. BC evidenced by "mushroom stones ", which were discovered in Mayan cult sites in Guatemala. Frescoes from Mexico around 300 AD show the veneration of mushrooms. The Central American mushroom cult survived in many subsequent cultures and was still found in the 20th century. The mushroom was often seen as a direct link to the gods. The fungi used include the following species: Conocybe siligineoides, Panaeolus sphinctrinus, Psilocybe acutissima, P. aztecorum, P. caerulescens, P. caerulipes, P. cordispora, P. cubensis, P. fagicola, P. hoogshagenii, P. isauri, P. mexicana, P. mixaeensis, P. semperviva, P. yungensis, P. zapotecorum.
After his accidental discovery of LSD , Albert Hofmann dealt with other psychedelics in the following years , including researching cultic consumer products in Central America. In this context he got his hands on the Psilocybe mexicana while searching for the Teonanacatl and in 1958 isolated the main active ingredients psilocybin and psilocin from them . The existence of hallucinogenic mushrooms was still controversial at the beginning of the 20th century; several authors assumed inventions or misinterpretations of the first colonialists; B. a confusion with the so-called peyote cacti .
After consuming Psilocybe mexicana and studying other testimonials from other people, Hofmann hypothesized that certain decorations and paintings that occur in the pre-Columbian cultures correspond to typical patterns that are hallucinated during the consumption of psychoactive mushrooms.
application
In contrast to most mushrooms containing psilocybin, Psilocybe mexicana can also develop sclerotia ("truffles"), which in addition to the fruiting bodies also contain the active ingredient psilocybin. The "truffles" are located within the substrate, which is permeated by the mycelium .
The sclerotia of P. mexicana are often sold as a psychoactive drug under the name "Philosophers Stones" . They are consumed both fresh and dried. The fruiting bodies, on the other hand, are not to be found on sale, as P. mexicana can only be brought to fruit with great effort.
The "truffles" contain around 0.3% psilocybin and 0.1% psilocin (dry matter). The dried fruit bodies, on the other hand, contain approx. 0.5% psilocybin and 0.1% psilocin.
Became known Psilocybe mexicana due to its ceremonial use by Mexican shamans . Aztec and Mayan priests tried to explore the will of the gods by consuming the mushroom.
Legal
Since the Mexican bald head contains very high amounts of the ingredients psilocybin and psilocin , which are indicated according to the Narcotics Act , collecting, possessing and placing on the market in Germany is prohibited by law.
Psilocybin and psilocin are not marketable narcotics in the Federal Republic of Germany due to their listing in Annex I BtMG . Handling without permission is generally a criminal offense. Further information can be found in the main article Narcotics Law in Germany .
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literature
- Paul Stamets: Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World . AT Verlag, Aarau 1999, ISBN 3855026076 .
Individual evidence
- ^ Schuldes, Bert Marco: Psychoactive plants. More than 65 plants with stimulating, euphoric, calming, sexually arousing or hallucinogenic effects ; Page 65.
Web links
- Andreas Kelich: Encyclopedia of Drugs, Psilocybe mexicana , Innsbruck, Ampass, Axams, Telfes, 1980–2010.
