Reason Writers Around Town

April 5, 2007

At the Washington Times, Jacob Sullum reviews a cultural history of 'shrooms.

Comments

|4.5.07 @ 12:23PM|#

In the winter, the animals supplement their meager diet of lichen by lapping up human urine, presumably for its mineral content.

Wrong, Jacob! The deer are preverts. That is why they drink urine.

|4.5.07 @ 12:57PM|#

Ten and twenty years ago, I use to have a lot of fun on shrooms. But my last couple of trips were more disturbing, perhaps because I was alone.

On the other hand I was able to get an amazing amount of housework done both times. It gave me something to focus on, and take my mind off how uncomfortable I felt.

dhex|4.5.07 @ 1:05PM|#

jacob: how does this book compare to persephone's quest?

Patches O\'Houlighan|4.5.07 @ 1:12PM|#

"Wrong, Jacob! The deer are preverts. That is why they drink urine."

no. cuz it's sterile and they like the taste.

|4.5.07 @ 2:10PM|#

Altered States Of Druggachusetts from Mr. Show With Bob and David. Insanely great take-off on H.R Puffenstuff.

tros|4.5.07 @ 2:47PM|#

Wow, they printed that in the Washington Times? That's pretty sweet. Are they no longer under bizarro-mooninite control?

I agree with the spirit of the book as you presented it, although I will have to take exception to the claim that shrooms do not accelerate everyone down a particular spiritual path. Modern science is unable to study the use of mushrooms in free people. Any person who is extensively experienced with psilocybin mushrooms will inevitably know the value of living in harmony with nature.

The mushroom experience, unlike an LSD experience, is something that is basically the same in many ways regardless of who has it. There are many, MANY phenomena that can be perceived consistently no matter who takes them. But if you are a nay sayer who is bracing yourself against what you do not want to see, then you will not notice these things.

As for the historical details that we have no way of knowing, all I have to say is that you don't convince people you are the son of God by feeding them crackers and grape juice. You need a violent nation-state backing you up to make people swallow that.

The proof that psilocybin mushrooms generate mystical experiences, cults, and religions is widely available and obvious. The important thing is that this is happening now, and people should speak more about their right to an individualist spirituality than they do about the illustrious history of the sacrament.

thoreau|4.5.07 @ 2:53PM|#

At the Washington Times, Jacob Sullum reviews a cultural history of 'shrooms.

Least. Surprising. Post. Ever.

Phillip Conti|4.5.07 @ 3:00PM|#

Sullum has a pretty good gig here...........

|4.5.07 @ 4:02PM|#

Down here in the deep south shrooooom season is just about to get underway. It was great to see it pointed out how naive and foolish it is on politicians behalf to think they can legislate away mother nature. Really to think you can outlaw something that has been naturally occuring on earth long before any WoD idiots got rolling to keep us all safe from ourselves is the utmost in stupidity and audacity.

Shrooms are the greatest free enlightenment you can find and all natural to boot. Well free for me I could not imagine paying for them since they are so plentiful.

There is fungus amoung us and there is nothing any damn politician can do about it, period.

I always loved the Allman Brothers Box Set titles "Mycology an Anthology" with pics of all the various magic fungus on the box. Now thats so Southern Comfort.

|4.5.07 @ 4:15PM|#

Speaking of the Allman Brothers and hallucinogenics, who else is old enough to remember this America.

|4.5.07 @ 5:43PM|#

One of the many reasons that Carter is history's biggest monster is that he neglected to mention orange slices to that poor kid.

|4.5.07 @ 6:14PM|#

Another use for mushrooms is to separate one "Badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger" from the next "badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger."

SIV|4.5.07 @ 10:37PM|#

tros,


Were you stoned everyday at school?
Christianity spread for the first few centuries DESPITE being forcibly supressed by a violent nation-state.They thrive on the persecution thing.