Magic mushrooms

Magic mushrooms, sometimes referred to as psilocybin mushrooms are entheogens which have been used for spiritual, religious, and divinatory purposes around the world. Whilst these mushrooms are renowned for containing the psychedelic chemical psilocybin (a tryptamine) like all phytomedicines they also contain an array of parts of psilocybin and other related psychedelic compounds including phenylethylamines (See Figure 1).

Figure 1. Compounds found within magic mushrooms.

History

They have been portrayed in the Pre-Columbian sculptures and glyphs found throughout North, Central, and South America and may also be observed in Stone Age rock art in Africa and Europe.

Species

Magic mushrooms include the biological genera Copelandia, Gymnopilus, Inocybe, Panaeolus, Pholiotina, Pluteus, and Psilocybe.