How did fly agaric microdosing become the main trend of Russian biohackers?

Before each joint trip to the forest for mushrooms, the main advice of my grandmother was the same words: “In no case do not touch the red fly agaric.” And if I saw a spotted mushroom, I walked a mile around it. Already in adolescence, my beliefs about fly agaric were confirmed by the adventures of Viktor Pelevin and the hero of Generation P, Vavilen Tatarsky, vividly described by him. For those who haven’t read: he overdone it with fly agaric, embarked on a hallucinogenic journey and at the same time understood the whole essence of being*.

In the last few years, fly agaric has been losing its reputation as a deadly poisonous mushroom and gaining a fashionable reputation.

And the phrase “fly agaric microdosing” has become so fashionable that it is heard everywhere, as are the stories of the people who practiced it. Also, red fly agaric capsules can be purchased at any market, making it even more affordable.

One of the main promoters of fly agaric microdosing in Russia is mycologist and candidate of biological sciences Mikhail Vishnevsky. To date, he has written about ten books on mushrooms, maintains a mushroom blog on YouTube, and runs a mushroom pharmacy. It was Vishnevsky who introduced many to the concept of microdosing of fly agaric. Since there was no scientific study on the effect of the fungus on the body, he decided to test the effect on himself. And now he claims that since 2019, the number of people microdosing has increased nearly tenfold each year.

The media mastermind of fly agaric microdosing is Vladimir Epifantsev, who played the previously mentioned Vavilen Tatarsky in the film adaptation of Pelevin’s book. The actress has repeatedly told how microdosed fly agaric helped her get rid of drug addiction. And his story finds approval among other “micro dozers”. Almost everyone sees similar effects: relief from all kinds of addictions, high morale, improved sleep quality, increased creativity.

But along with this, the alarming number of cases of poisoning with “miraculous” mushrooms from different parts of Russia is growing. The last of these occurred in early March, when the Krasnoyarsk deputy was poisoned and taken away in an ambulance. It turned out that fly agaric is in the composition of the dietary supplements against overwork, which he used. And in October last year, a teenager ordered fly agaric at the market, ate a mushroom cap, and already woke up in the toxicology department. After that, the court accepted the information published on the market about dietary supplements containing poisonous mushrooms, which is prohibited for distribution on the territory of the Russian Federation. However, they can still be purchased from other sites.

Is it worth believing in the miraculous properties of fly agaric and completely forgetting the words of your grandmother, or is it better not to rush to experiment on yourself?

What is microdosing?

The very concept of “microdosing” has a negative connotation for many, as it was originally applied to illegal substances such as LSD and psilocybin mushrooms*. In fact, microdosing has always existed in our lives. That’s why they call everything we use medicine – dietary supplements, pills, vitamins. All this can be called microdosing.

What is fly agaric microdosing?

This is the practice of using psychoactive substances in intoxicating amounts. How do you know how much? Mikhail Vishnevsky says in one of his lectures: “Many years of experimentation have shown that the amount of powdered red fly agaric should be less than one gram. Depending on the individual reaction of a person and the strength of the fungus, it can optimally vary from 0.3 to 0.7 grams. If this dose is exceeded, we will no longer talk about microdosing, but fly agaric dosing.

Amanitas are used by drying. And most people notice the effect within two to three weeks.

What’s in the fly agaric?

Mikhail Vishnevsky believes fly agaric is only at the beginning of the road to allowing psilocybin (hallucinogenic) mushrooms, which have been banned everywhere in the last 15 years, to be allowed in some countries and even recommended for therapeutic purposes. In 2021, scientists at Imperial College London realized that psilocybin, the active compound found in hallucinogenic mushrooms, could be a viable alternative to antidepressants when combined with psychotherapy.

In the last five years, active research has been carried out in the world with red fly agaric in terms of its safety for humans. Here are the findings so far.

– Contains raw fly agaric, isoxazole derivatives – ibotenic acid and muscimol. “Ibotenic acid It has neurotoxic properties and causes the death of brain cells, which explains its hallucinogenic effect. muscimol can bind to alpha GABA receptors – this is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter. As a result, the body relaxes, anxiety decreases, and sleep normalizes, that is, there is an effect, as from strong sedatives, ”says gastroenterologist Anastasia Andrianova at the MEDSI clinic.

— Properly prepared mushrooms should contain only muscimol. This is done by drying. When red fly agaric is dried, it converts to ibotenic acid muscimol, so advocates of microdosing consume them. Therefore, a poorly dried fly agaric can be poisonous.

— Most muscimol and ibotenic acid in the lidAccording to a 1993 Japanese study. Therefore, it is usually this part of the cork that is dried.

— The content of muscimol and ibotenic acid in each mushroom is different. Amanitas differ from each other depending on geography, season, age (the older the fungus is, the more active it is), and even where the fly agaric is found in the forest (on the sunny edge or in the shade).

– There are studies that In medicine, fly agaric can be used in Parkinson’s disease. – cork reduces tremor, but does not affect speech. However, a cardiologist and nutritionist, Ph.D. According to Svetlana Pavlichenko, the effects of muscimol have been studied mainly in animal experiments. “This is a necessary step forward in the study, but it’s clear there isn’t enough data to try these substances on yourself or even recommend them to patients,” she says.

What is the effect of microdosing fly agaric?

Among the main changes highlighted by people who have microdosed red fly agaric, the following are noted.

However, this does not mean that there are no negative consequences. “Practicing microdosing is like participating in an experiment with psychotropic substances,” says Svetlana Pavlichenko. And the probability that the result of the experiment will be positive is very low. An incorrectly selected amount of the substance (and there are still no clinical studies confirming the dosage norms) can lead to intoxication, psychosis and visual hallucinations. But for most people, the negative results seem insignificant, and the positive results (though not proven by science) are very appealing.

In order not to be unfounded, we talked to people who microdosing red fly agaric.

Denis

“I started with the classic red fly agaric. I took a tablespoon in the morning. In the first two weeks, the body got used to the fly agaric, the effect was quite strong. After alcohol, there was a feeling – I fell asleep, relaxation began, my mood improved, but at the same time there was no confusion, I could easily control my actions and became more relaxed, sociable. Soon the habit began – the initial influence disappeared and some animal stages began.

Overall, I lasted about six months with interruptions. Then I stopped because I was fed up with the taste, the positive effects were no longer so clearly manifested, apparently indulgence had formed.

Vasya

“For me it was a little biohacking experiment and it was spontaneous. The Amanita capsules were bought by my wife in one of the markets, but she did not drink it herself, so I decided to try it. But first I read a little on the forums, what it is, what it does and what the effect will be. After that, several times a day I began to drink capsules. Unexpectedly, but the effect came. And that’s exactly what I read about. A slight feeling of euphoria, increased productivity and creativity. An interesting effect: fly agaric almost completely defeated the craving for alcohol. The course, which is a bank, is designed for a month , but all the effects wore off sooner, and here we run into the real question:

They worked exactly as I expected after reading about them beforehand. Then somehow everything went by itself and I just scored. I tried to smoke a different brand of fly agaric, but it no longer had any effect. By the way, there were no side effects either.

Elijah

“I had a strange story about fly agaric. I learned what you can do with them from a friend of mine who has been in this business for a few months. Then he listened to all of Vishnevsky’s lectures and decided to try microdosing. Then he told me all this and I asked for it. Just before microdosing, I decided to make tea – I asked him for mushrooms and poured boiling water over the dried fly agaric. I probably drank a glass and then sat down in the middle of the night with a bowl in my hands.

As it turned out later, it turned out to be not red, but panther fly agaric. I read about the effect on the internet and realized that I got over it very lightly. After that I decided to try microdosing – I bought red fly agaric and lion’s mane (another popular mushroom with nootropic effects). note. ed.).). I read on a forum that together they give a good effect. I took it in capsules for about a month. My morale really improved, my working capacity increased, I became calmer and more relaxed. But I can’t say for certain which effects are from the fly agaric and which from the blackberry.

What should you do if you are poisoned by fly agaric?

“Poisoning with psychotropic substances is manifested by lethargy, lethargy, confusion, neurological symptoms – muscle twitches, convulsions. In case of signs of poisoning, it is best to seek medical help, that is, call an ambulance, ”says Svetlana Pavlichenko, a candidate of medical sciences, cardiologist, nutritionist.

So, is it possible to apply micro-dose fly agaric or not?

All this sounds inspiring, but there are a few issues. First, we cannot be sure of the honesty of the seller when buying dried fly agaric from the market. We do not know where it is collected, whether it is red or, for example, panther (four to five times more psychoactive than the first). And finally, how well it’s handled. Secondly, since the concentration of the two main substances found in fly agaric (muscimol and ibotenic acid) depends on many factors, we cannot be sure what dose would be acceptable to us. Although research has shown that death from dried fly agaric is extremely rare, psychosis and visual hallucinations (which may persist even for the next two days) are often observed due to the wrong amount of substance.

Psilocybin mushrooms have come a long way in clinical research before being considered a viable treatment for depression along with psychotherapy. Scientists began to actively study the effect of red fly agaric not so long ago, so the evidence base has not yet been formed. This may also explain why most doctors refrain from commenting. And those who agree, for example Anton Raguzin, a psychiatrist at the Docmed clinic, say something: “To date, not a single randomized controlled trial has been recorded (as with all dietary supplements), so no one really knows what to expect from them. These substances It is not approved by either the World Health Organization or the Russian Ministry of Health.”

About a year ago, the world’s and Russia’s first clinical trials of microdosing of fly agaric have already started in Tula. Therefore, perhaps in a few years the effects of fly agaric will be clinically proven and can be used for medicinal purposes. Until then, we will remain in solidarity with Roma Zver and quote from the song “See you soon”: “And fly agarics are cool, of course, but also unlikely.”

* We remind you that drugs and other prohibited substances are dangerous for life and health.