Additional readings on Altered States

It was interesting to learn about the Fly Agaric, Amanita Muscaria, mushroom: it gets its name for its use as a pesticide; grows in countries througout the northern hemisphere; and some consider it good luck. This fungi though colorful causes side affects which included illness and rages along with hallucinations. Different cultures used it for religious rituals or just to get a high feeling from the two main drugs ibotenic acid and muscimol. People would even drink the urine of an affected person, just for the effect of the drug without the as manny side effects. Some such as Vikings would use it to control or block fear emotions.


The mushroom along with as well as drugs can result in people entering altered states of conciousness where they are not fully aware of their surroundings and even cause them to have visions of things not really there or themselves being in a different time or place. Charles Tart has done many studies regarding things such hypnosis, near-death experiences, and drugs cause altered states. He mentions how some people in altered states see things such as truth "far more superior" with more underestanding than in an ordinary conciousness. It gives a "wider perspective" of things.




http://peyote.com/jonstef/flyagaric.htm

http://skepdic.com/tart.html

http://www.paradigm-sys.com/ctt_articles2.cfm?id=22