The eye-catching fly agaric is certainly the world's most famous mushroom - even in art. And it is definitely the most memorable power-up from the world of Super Mario games: if you collect it, the character becomes twice as big and can suddenly complete previously impossible tasks in an instant... An analogy: Personal freedom thanks to Amanita Muscaria is often depicted in the entertainment industry - I wonder what it's all about?
Amanita Muscaria: The most famous mushroom of all
The imagery used in the Mario brothers' world has become a well-known pillar of computer game culture in the decades since its release - a world with turtle shells, green tubes that can be a portal to another world. With sneaky dinosaurs and, perhaps most famously, red and white mushrooms that made Mario big and strong when he ate them.
These iconic mushrooms that populate the Mario Brothers' world are the toadstools known in Latin as "Amanita Muscaria". Really pretty mushrooms that are mainly found among the roots of pine and coniferous forests in the northern hemisphere. However, these majestic mushrooms do not only play an important role in the Mario Brothers universe. They appear in many other places in art and culture - and have done so since ancient times. In fact, the famous mushrooms are among mankind's oldest friends and allies, with positive properties for healing and general well-being. Hardly anything in nature promotes sleep, relaxation and well-being as much as the famous Amanita.
A fantastic and fascinating mushroom
Amanita muscaria is also known as the fly agaric because it has been used all over the world since ancient times to combat flies. Soaked in a little milk, the fresh mushrooms attract flies - some even believed that it was the psychoactive effect of the Amanita that attracted the flies. However, the natural poison in the mushroom does not kill the small flies, it merely stuns them. No wonder, with such a small body size.
Although the Amanita Muscaria in its natural, raw form can be poisonous if consumed in large quantities, it is not only safe for internal use but also very valuable if processed and handled correctly.
The fly agaric has been an indispensable key to healing for shamans since ancient times, as cave paintings and other historical artistic depictions show. The psychedelic qualities of Amanita are slightly intoxicating in higher doses and lead to a heightened state of consciousness. Ingestion of larger quantities can lead to visual and auditory intoxication, peripheral vision and euphoria.
In the past, the indigenous peoples of the Nordic nations waited until the reindeer ate the mushroom and then drank the reindeer urine to benefit from the effects of the mushroom themselves: Filtered through the reindeer liver, it was no longer poisonous. Fortunately, we have since learned to use the mushroom in a different way- so we don't have to drink reindeer pee anymore to support our health!
It is thought that the association of the Amanita Muscaria with the fir tree - in connection with the drying process in which people often collected mushrooms and then left them to dry in the fir trees - gave rise to the idea of Christmas trees with hanging ornaments. Maybe it's no coincidence that Santa Claus is dressed in red and white...?
Amanita is of great importance to the ecosystem as it is classified as a mycorrhizal fungus. This means that it forms a sponge-like underground network of mycelial connections that helps the soil to store water and nutrients. This symbiotic relationship that Amanita forms with conifers helps forests thrive.
Amanita for you and me - freedom thanks to Amanita Muscaria?
The main active ingredients in the fly agaric are muscimol and ibotenic acid, which interact with cell receptors in the human body. The pleasant benefits include an improved ability to relax and a calming, anti-inflammatory effect on the one hand and more creativity, energy and drive on the other.
Studies have shown that therapeutic mushrooms promote the cell growth in our brain in a process that's called neurogenesis. The benefits of neurogenesis can help with problems such as depression, anxiety and stress reactions. The brain creates new gray matter that helps to open or reconnect neuronal pathways, which can help to reduce depression and anxiety.
The brain creates new gray matter that helps to open or reconnect neural pathways, which can help users gain new perspectives. This often helps us to solve everyday problems more easily. The mushroom's inherent properties can therefore fundamentally improve our physical, mental and spiritual lives.
The MamaMuscaria team is proud to introduce you to this wonderful natural power mushroom and its healing properties. We are convinced that with the fly agaric, nature offers us a unique solution to fully develop our creative, physical and mental potential. Amanita Muscaria is a great addition to your toolbox of herbal remedies - a naturally occurring therapeutic powerhouse with tremendous potential for healing our lives.
Amanita Muscaria for winners
The fly agaric is easily the most commonly depicted mushroom in the art and gaming world. The caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland is perched on a giant Amanita Muscaria. The Smurfs live in Amanita houses and then, as mentioned at the beginning, Super Mario never tires of collecting toadstools, for good reason! There are also many examples in pop culture of Amanita Muscaria playing an important role in Christian and Victorian artwork.
So this beautiful mushroom species lives among us everywhere and continues to exert a great influence on us - consciously or unconsciously.
Although Amanita Muscaria microdosing may seem like a brand new trend or an innovative dietary supplement that has never been tried, humanity has a venerable relationship with Amanita. It probably even underlies various civilizations. The spiritually clear, energetic state that the fly agaric induces and the health benefits have served our earliest ancestors in fundamental ways. Presumably since the time when our agriculture-based way of life began - and perhaps even longer!
Toadstools can help us to feel a deeper connection with the earth, with history, with our fellow human beings and with ourselves: a very important, if not THE most important key to better health and a more positive general state of mind - hence the analogy "personal freedom thanks to Amanita Muscaria".
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