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Amanita muscaria
|  Botanical name: Amanita muscaria
Also known as: Fly agaric, Ibo Tengutake, Red with white dots mushroom
Family name: Amanitaceae
Natural habitat: Widely spread throughout Europe, North America and Asia
The Amanita muscaria is better known as the red Fly Agaric mushroom and is probably the most well known mushroom at this planet. Everybody knows this mushroom so well, because it plays an important role in many, many stories, fairytales and myths.
The Amanita muscaria has a height of 5 - 20 cm. The cap of the mushroom can become 5-30 cm. wide and has a very bright red color with white dots. The white, cream-colored stem is 1 - 3 cm wide at the base, slightly narrowing towards the cap. It always has a very clear ring. Depending on the geographic location this mushroom can mostly be found from July – October. This mushroom grows mainly in symbiosis with arboreal trees, such as the Pine, Fir or Birch. So if you want to go out in the wild you know which trees to look for.
The name Fly Agaric probably comes from an old use of getting rid off houseflies. A mix of fresh Amanita muscaria with milk was made and placed in a bowl in a room. The flies would die soon after drinking it.
Many people think that the Amanita muscaria is highly poisonous and fatal when consumed. But there is an innumerous amount of reports which show otherwise, although symptoms of being sick often come up. The religious use of Amanita muscaria has been documented among the shamans of the Siberians, American Indians, the Sámi, and the Japanese in modern times. This religious use probably goes back 2000 years. The Vikings were also known to consume this mushroom. The mushroom caused them to become completely fearless when invading a village of their choice. Because of this the Vikings were also known as ‘Berserkers’. The 2 substances in the Amanita muscaria which cause this reaction are ibotenate acid and muscimol, with muscimol as far out the most important (active) one.
The Siberians also had their own special habit with Amanita muscaria. The main active principle muscimol does not get broken down by the body, but gets completely excreted in the urine. When the experience was passing, the Siberians would sometimes drink their own urine to let it pass through the body again. This would cause the experience to come back again.
The Amanita muscaria is sometimes classified as a psychedelic. In our opinion this should not be done. We don’t consider this mushroom as a psychedelic, but more as a substance to become delirium. A state of delirium is not comparable to a psychedelic experience.
Warning: Although the Amanita muscaria itself should not be considered as poisonous, some of his (look-a-like) family members are. If you’re no expert, it is highly discouraged to go out in the wild yourself, pick them and then consume these mushrooms without being completely sure. | | 
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