Animal Collective put out a new record this week, which inspired me a great deal. One of the new songs were called "Amanita", which is the name of a mushroom (Amanita Muscaria or Amanita Pantherina) that's really common in Sweden. Children are thaught to avoid it at all costs as people think it's poisonous, and deadly at that. This is not true at all, though it is a strong deliriant with some really disturbing effects, causing hallucinations and intense changes in perception. It has been used by shamans as a tool to reach the spirit world in many cultures and has been consumed by human beings for thousands of years.
This is mainly the theme of Animal Collectives song, with a bit of fairy tale influences, but as I read about peoples experiences with the mushroom I thought that the lyrics for the track "Father Time" might actually describe the effects of this mushroom more correctly (so I'll post them below). People who eat this mushroom describe getting caught in a time-loop that's horrifying, feeling like they are trapped in hell. As time passes, though - if they do not panic - they can alter this loop to experience extreme emotional states of religious extacy and comfort. And as the loop reaches its end most people who can remember the experience afterwards (it seems to be dreamlike and fade away quickly) feel like they've discovered the meaning of life, the universe, everything.
"Open up your locket does solidarity breed from a good foundation?
Things speed out of date now you can be falling and when your up it's blown
Up with all new buildings painted they're not your
Colors and all the places you went to you don't get what they offer and hey
That's Nathan but didn't he pass a long time ago?
Where'd he go?
We exorcised the weekend now all the demons can't play but they snuck into
Thursday
Looking out for panthers from the road again but didn't they pass a long
Time ago?
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsty.com/animal-collective-father-time-lyrics.html ]
Luck it's not it's real. No it's not real
Maybe it's only real when lightning landed and hit you right where you were
Standing
Or when your imagination shows you what only time is supposed to tell you
Then I imagine time he's got real big hands and bigger plans
From a long time ago
And did I remember suitcase and all the things in my head and all the
Expectations of doing something special
I could be gone today
But where do they take me?
Luck it's not real though my feelings say it's real
Maybe it's only real when someone blinds you when they had always been so
Kind to you
Imagination won't get moldy can't wait for time to unfold me
Then I imagine time he's got real big hands and bigger plans
From a long time ago"
In Siberia Amanita Muscaria is the incarnation of a god, the god of lightning. In India it's called "Soma", the god drug. Some argue that combining weed with this mushroom is the best way to consume it.
I have not tried this mushroom myself, and would not recommend it to anyone, as the effects seem far from pleasant, but here's some links for those of you interested in learning more about it anyway:
http://www.erowid.org/experiences/exp.php?ID=68309
http://www.erowid.org/experiences/subs/exp_Amanitas.shtml
And here's a link to Animal Collectives new record, which you can listen to for free on their website:
http://radio.myanimalhome.net/
Here's some of the photographs I used to make this picture.
I do not own the copyrights to these pictures.
