|
Dysphoric Reaction to Psilocybe Cyanescens |
|
|
Written by John W. Allen
|
|
Tuesday, 21 December 1999 |
|
Page 4 of 5
The person who appeared as the devil was smoking a bowl of ganja and he started to complain that I should not have given her the mushrooms, that they were dangerous and that I didn't know what I was doing. He suggested calling the police to help her. At this, Lisa F. screamed at him, “don't call the police” and she once again called him the devil. The young man responded to this with some profanity and Lisa responded back with the same back to him. It is curious that this person would suggest calling the police because when someone is sick you call for an ambulance or for a doctor.
At the end of the second hour of this girl's discomfort, Lisa F was still trying to vomit in order to relieve the nausea which had continued since she first began to feel the effects of the mushrooms. At this time another lady entered the room. This newcomer also had a pipe and a bottle of “Midnight Express” (cheap wine). She appeared to have somewhat of a calming effect on Lisa F, who by now had just began to vomit. This cause of discomfort lasted from the moment of intoxication until about close to three hours into the experience.
At about 10 minutes into the fourth hour of intoxication Lisa F had calmed down enough so that the other people in the room left the two of us alone. I stayed with her another hour and held her hand. Finally I was pretty tired and worn out both physically and mentally from this experience. I covered her with blankets and went to my apartment to rest and try and get some sleep.
The next day, Lisa F. was still boggled from her trip on mushrooms, although she stated that she knew that it was not the mushrooms which had caused her dysphoric reaction, but was a result of consuming to much alcohol with the mushrooms, stating that she had, on occasion, eaten mushrooms several times before without any complications like the ones she had just experienced. She also said that she would like to eat some mushrooms with me at a later date and vowed never to drink again. However, one week later she confessed that she drank to much the night before and now had an intense hangover.
DISCUSSION
The female (Lisa F.) had a very pronounced dysphoric reaction after consuming up to a half of a gram comprising one dried cap of Psilocybe cyanescens. The 19-year-old male teenager who ate two whole mushrooms weighing about 1 and 1/2 grams and I, who consumed four large specimens weighing 2 and 1/2 grams did not have any dysphoric reactions to the mushrooms. I was very much under the influence of the fungi and was still able to maintain my thoughts enough to baby-sit this girl through a very terrifying experience. The male companion who consumed two large specimens returned to his room and slept off his alcohol mushroom intoxication without much thought of his experience; saying it was ok but not rewarding.
It seems that throughout the published literature on the subject of “magic mushroom” intoxication, that straight people (those not involved in the drug subculture), who, having accidentally consumed an hallucinogenic mushroom containing psilocybin and psilocin, are able to describe both the physical and mental effects which occurred during their disturbing condition, For example, one woman, who, under the influence of a psilocybian mushroom, thought that she was dying. After a few hours she reportedly said that “if this is the way one dies from mushroom poisoning, then I am all for it” (Buck, 1964; Walters, 1965). However, those involved in the drug subculture, when asked what is happening to them while they are experiencing a dysphoric reaction to their trip, are unable to explain their condition or to describe any of the effects which are causing them to experience their on-going dysphoric reaction.
|
