Well, it certainly was a long and winding trek from the backwaters of Mexico where Gordon Wasson first discovered the sacred power psilocybin, to a vantage point where we were able to view Nature as an ultra-smart process whose ultimate purpose awaits us. At any rate I am exhausted. My mind weary, my bones heavy, my three score years and ten almost at an end, it was perhaps my last deed that I set forth a book dealing with the assuredly spiritual and intentional nature of reality. At least I can now meet death head on, knowing full well that I attempted to comprehend the nature of the reality by any means necessary.....
Actually, not all of that is true. But it is the case that a book about, say, fire extinguishers would have come easier. Then again, such an inane book would not have been able to shed light upon the nature of reality if reality be our metaphysical adventure. Uncertainty has its virtues I suppose, in terms of its relative ease. To break free from uncertainty about the implications of our true situation as refined biological components of the reality process entails an attempt to access a deep understanding of the world both within and around us. Essentially, this means elucidating the nature of consciousness since consciousness is what we are and what mediates our models of reality.
I hope that I provided a plausible model of consciousness which views it as a flowing pattern of information generated within a vast computation-like process. Once one has accepted that we and all other patterns of information are the natural expressions of a prefigured language-like Universal Computation, that Nature is everywhere smart and contextually significant, then one is compelled to go on to examine the 'meaning of it all'. Only when the bigger picture has begun to be glimpsed will we realise more fully our function within Nature and what integrative global events to expect in the near future. As I hopefully demonstrated, one route to ascertaining the bigger picture is to alter the information converging in the psyche by utilising Nature's ambient entheogenic agents. To do so is to suddenly change one's relationship to the rest of the reality process such that one comes to access and be informed by the transcendental Other; a will, or intention, or intelligence, which infuses all of Nature.
It only remains for me to give some more information as to the particulars of the psilocybin mushroom. After all, without verifying my claims, you will not know whether I made up the principal subject matter of this book. Indeed, perhaps the themes outlined herein have been a kind of fake, nothing more than a few wild and woolly tales built upon the fertile imagination of my mind during periods when it was too wet to venture outside. Maybe, at heart, I am really one of the archetypal 'merelyist' reductionists of the bleak 'null hypothesis' persuasion, but one who felt like writing an entertaining reality yarn in which the Universe could be conceived as being meaningful instead of a mindless accident.
The message of course, is that one must always think for oneself, and never take anything for granted. That, surely, is indisputable. Which leaves the psilocybin experience itself as the chief substance for my unusual claims. But the reader must make up their own mind as to this claim of mine that the mushroom affords useful knowledge. Let no-one accuse me of reckless pointing. This book has been my pointer. You choose. You decide.
As previously stated, it is currently the case that psilocybin mushrooms of one sort or another grow throughout the world - in Europe, North and South America, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Thailand, and Africa for example, One species - Psilocybe semilanceata - is perhaps the most cosmopolitan variety native to Northern Europe and parts of North America. At the time of writing, this species - known in the vernacular as the Liberty Cap due to its characteristically pointed umbo - is legal to possess and consume in its unprocessed state in Britain and in some other European countries. In this case, left on their own without any kind of treatment or processing, the mushrooms are legal, and thus the entheogenic experience that they can potentially elicit, is legal also. Unfortunately, this is not the case in many other parts of the world. There, possession of the freshly picked mushroom is deemed a criminal offence. One only hopes that in parts of the world like Britain (in this instance Great), civilian access to the mushroom continues to remain free of state intervention.
Psilocybe semilanceata mushrooms can be located from late August till as late as December, especially after heavy rain, in most wild, green places (like pasture, grassy valleys, heaths, and moorland), certainly within a radius of no more ten or twenty miles should you live in Northern Europe or on the east coast of North America. Often there are lots of them to be found, the mushroom being widespread and gregarious if contextual conditions are just right. However, one should be prepared to look long and hard. Undoubtedly, first excursions may end with empty hands, and thus perseverance and patience are necessary virtues to be practised on the quest. You might have to impersonate someone who is searching for a lost contact lens for a good few hours before finally stumbling upon a specimen or three of the mushroom. But at least the fresh air will do you good. Alternatively, if you find yourself in Amsterdam, it is possible to legally purchase psilocybin fungi as well as specialised kits and manuals for growing them at home.
Before attempting to gather psilocybin mushrooms from the wild, one should be highly familiarised with their appearance. This can be achieved by referring to any number of good mushroom guidebooks that contain colour photographs, especially the many guidebooks now on the market which specialise in documenting psilocybin species. Although there are no poisonous varieties which can be mistaken for Psilocybe semilanceata if one carefully analyses their physical appearance, it makes sense to be absolutely certain that you are picking the right type. If there is any doubt whatsoever, then the dubious mushrooms should be discarded. And, as always, when trekking around the countryside, one should cause as little disturbance as possible.
As to dose, no more than 35 of the diminutive Psilocybe semilanceata need be ingested in order to experience some sort of psychedelic effect. Other often larger species require a much smaller amount to be ingested, in which case it is advised to consult either a relevant guidebook for more information on dosage, or the many relevant sites on the internet dealing with entheogens.
Stronger entheogenic doses of psilocybin should only be employed with plenty of experience. Most important are one's state of mind prior to consumption, and one's surroundings. One should be in a highly positive frame of mind as well as being in a friendly and safe place free of any unwarranted distraction. I would also suggest a period of sexual abstinence prior to ingestion since one will then be in a more 'pure' state befitting a potentially sacred experience. And unless one is particularly competent in the ancient art of self knowledge, then it is advisable to have a non-bemushroomed close friend around to act as a kind of anchor. If all the conditions are right, then a fantastic experience in which one's perception is 'freed' is almost certain to follow.
Of course the opposite also holds true. I suppose that if I had my way then only 'mature' people possessing a 'good heart' and a robustly sound mind free of underlying neuroses would be allowed access to the mushroom. But as that's impractical, a trifle elitist and a rather vague suggestion to boot, then all one can do is provide advice and hope people heed it. Once again, should you choose to seek out the mushroom, then be careful, be cautious, but by all means be good....
To experience the mushroom's visionary effect, one should lie down in silence with eyes closed during the period when the psilocybin is most active. Although this is a decidedly daunting venture, the colourful splendour of psilocybinetic visions and their unmistakable revelational quality makes it all worthwhile.
If psilocybin mushrooms are consumed on an empty stomach (which is preferable since they are stronger that way and also the act of fasting prior to ingestion becomes, like sexual abstinence, somewhat ritually symbolic), then their effects may be felt within as little as 20 minutes especially if some kind of mushroom brew is consumed (a brew would likely be deemed illegal though since preparing a psilocybin solution constitutes a form of illegitimate processing as does deliberate drying although, of course, if the mushrooms were found naturally in such a dried state due to hot and sunny conditions, or if they 'dried of their own accord', then they are, legally speaking, lawful in certain countries since they have not been deliberately processed).
If consumed after a meal, the effects of psilocybin can take up to an hour to an hour and a half to emerge. In either case, the first changes that one notices are likely to be somatic, in that one might feel a little restless and edgy. This would appear to be the body and psyche's initial reaction to psilocybin, a sort of 're-tuning' process. Most reports suggest that these mild uneasy feelings soon vanish, as one's perception suddenly opens up and one is graced by the stimulating and numinous aura of the mushroom.
It is my firm hope that others will be able to bring back some of the profound insights to be gained from the psilocybin experience in order that a kind of neo-shamanic knowledge base develop. In fact, you might recall that in an earlier chapter I detailed the second wave of human-based psychedelic research. Much of this research has been supported by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies whose website contains all the latest news about entheogenic research (http://www.maps.org/). The other organisation I mentioned - the Heffter Research Institute - can also be located on the net (http://www.heffter.org/). Fortunately I am not alone in my avid pursuits it seems. After a socio-politically engendered empirical hiatus of some 30 years, science itself is once more set to face the entheogenic mystery. Perhaps this time around, we shall enjoy the fullest fruits of Nature's most wild and informative side.
I find it curiously apt that an adventure into the nature of reality should end with advice about a wild fungus growing in the natural environment. It really is the case that we must turn to Nature in order to fully comprehend her. This is like a faerie tale in the best of English traditions. If we genuinely wish to gain self-knowledge and realise our ultimate place within Nature's endlessly creative agenda, then we must deliberately seek out and consume the 'truth'. Through a kind of meta-symbolic act we can make contact with the Gaian Mind, an experience that is guaranteed to be educational and memorable. Like cosmic actors, by performing an age-old ritual act in time and space, we can experience transcendence.
And so I end my enthusiastic tale of natural magic with a call for others with a strong, mature and healthy psyche to join in with the adventure. God's flesh now beckons, affording us communion with the Natural Intelligence of which we are a part. Astonishingly, such a natural intercourse is near at hand, no further away than autumn itself. The choice is wholly yours. Born in the 50's and 60's, the sacred endeavour in which the doors of perception are thrust wide apart is set to blossom over the millennium. Be there.