TESTIMONIALS
"Great products. Simple ordering and quick delivery. Thank you! [Arena Ethno]"
- David, FL
I've had nothing but good experiences from BBB [Bouncing Bear] over the years. The customer service is always very friendly (e-mail responses in a matter of minutes, usually). My orders always arrive no LATER than 3 days after I order and their products are second to none while still being about as cheap as I have seen.
- jj, KS
"You guys [Arena Ethno] are the best I will be ordering more supplies for my studies very soon. 5 out of 5 over all!!!! I have never been this satisfied with an Internet company before. Thank you and best of wishes. "
- Ryan & Don, UT
"This was a very good product! It gave very intense experiences...You might feel at times your part of some Disney Adventure! Will absolutely blow your mind![HerbalFire]"
- Joseph
"I ordered from Bouncing Bear Botanicals, and was impressed with the speed with which it was processed and shipped. In fact, when I received the box I wasn't sure what it was at first, because I thought there was no way I could place an order online on a Tuesday and receive my package that same week. I just placed another order..."
- Juan
“Some of the best stuff out there, and for an awesome price that will beat any website...[GoldofSunshine]”
- Jacques
"Thank you.I received my plant a few days ago and She is alive and well.It was about 6 inches tall which is about what expected.I am satisfied. [Arena Ethno]."
- Nicholas, NV
"It must have been fate. Finding Shamanic Extracts while looking for something else on Google. I really admire your business model and my expectations have absolutely been exceeded in every way. "
- P. Fontenello
"Has a slight weird taste to it, but it kicks in very fast and lasts for a good bit. I will buy this product again. [HerbalFire]"
- Wesley
by flyagaric
Amanita Muscarias history and tradition are some of the richest and most interesting of the herbs and ethnobotanicals on the market today. With origins from the indigenous inhabitants of Siberia, the fly agaric mushroom was used for both religious and recreational purposes. It appears that, even within Siberia, use of the Amanitas was limited to the Paleosiberian-speaking and Uralic-speaking people in the eastern and western regions only.
In the earliest stories of it’s use, Siberian shamans ate the amanitas as a means to induce a trance-like state. This state would enable the shamans to “fly” into the world of their gods, have fantastic visions and battle demons. The laypeople, in many cases, would then drink the urine of the shamans, which still contained much of the psychoactive compound and, interestingly, was neutralized of many of the
negative side effects of the fly agarics. The muscimol amounts would be almost unchanged after passing through the body and it was said that the same mushroom could be “recycled” 6-8 times. Some scholars even argue that this is the origin of the phrase “to get pissed”.
Ever notice the pretty red and white mushrooms in Alice in Wonderland? Or the fact Lewis Caroll has many “distorted” visuals in his stories, where a small hole can turn into a cave or a blade of grass into a giant tree? Also called “macropsia” and “micropsia”, these are both typical fly agaric effects.
It has also been suggested that the invention of Santa Clause himself was based on Amanita muscaria. There are stories of shamans in Siberia who enter homes of laypeople through a smoke-hole and leave the same way, sharing the mushroom gifts that they had gathered. The shamans even dressed in red with white fur-trimmed coats and long black boots. Reindeer were actually sacred animals to these early Siberians, but they were also consumers of the amanitas mushrooms. After a fly agaric snack, the reindeer could be seen prancing around while under it’s influence.
Also, many ancient peoples believed in the idea of a World Tree. The World Tree would be the center of the cosmos with the roots holding the universe in place. Amanita muscaria only grow under certain types of trees, generally firs and evergreens, many considered the mushroom to be the “fruit of the tree”. The star at the top of the “Christmas Tree” would point to the North Star, which was the center of the universe, and why the “super shaman” – Santa – lived at the North Pole.
Finally, there are notions that the Vikings may have used amanita muscaria to produce their berserker rages, getting them ready for battle. There is also controversial research linking Christianity to a mushroom-eating cult, which is highly questionable. Others support R. Gordon Wasson’s proposal that A. muscaria is the Soma talked about in the Rig Veda of India, but that has also not been proven.
Regardless, few can argue that even before experiencing the famous fly agaric effects, the rich tradition and history of the amanitas is an actual trip in itself. Still want to buy fly agaric? Check out our fly agaric reviews first. We review several reputable sellers of genuine Amanita muscaria.