# Whate Wre The Siberian "Magic Musrooms"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 12, 2010, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whate-wre-the-siberian-magic-musrooms/539161 "2010-05-12T13:12:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whate-wre-the-siberian-magic-musrooms/539161/1 "2010-05-12T13:12:24Z")
A while back I read about the shamans of the tribes that inhabited the Siberian tundras. They would consume certain psychoactive mushrooms (similar to psilliocybin mushrooms), which would put them into trances. These trances were used to communicate with their gods, determine decisions, etc. It is said that raindeer also like the high from consuming these musrooms-the would evern eat the grass where people 9who had eaten the mushrooms) had urinated. What were these musrooms, and have modern researchers tested them? Are they still used? What kind of hallucinations to they produce? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whate-wre-the-siberian-magic-musrooms/539161/2 "2010-05-12T13:15:40Z")
[Amanita muscaria](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_muscaria). ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whate-wre-the-siberian-magic-musrooms/539161/3 "2010-05-12T14:10:53Z")
_Amanitas_ are still used. They’re legal and can be easily purchased over the internet. A few people report good experiences, but most just sample them once and decide that there are better ways to spend their time than vomiting, sweating, and experiencing scary visions. ---
**Author:** ![Taenia\_spp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@Taenia\_spp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taenia_spp)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whate-wre-the-siberian-magic-musrooms/539161/4 "2010-05-12T17:05:24Z")
Interesting fact: the poisonous compounds in A. muscaria are not excreted in the urine, but the psychoactive compounds were. Thus, the shaman would eat the mushrooms, urinate, and then pass the ‘beverage’ around for others to have a mystical experience. [Wiki cite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_muscaria#Siberia) ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whate-wre-the-siberian-magic-musrooms/539161/5 "2010-05-12T19:15:47Z")
> [@Taenia\_spp](#): > > Interesting fact: the poisonous compounds in A. muscaria are not excreted in the urine, but the psychoactive compounds were. Thus, the shaman would eat the mushrooms, urinate, and then pass the ‘beverage’ around for others to have a mystical experience. [Wiki cite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_muscaria#Siberia) The scariest part of that is when you think how that discovery was made. “Woah dude! That almost killed you, it must be poisonous! Wait, you have to pee? Lemme get a sip o’ that!” Humans are a wacky wacky species. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whate-wre-the-siberian-magic-musrooms/539161/6 "2010-05-12T20:07:01Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > The scariest part of that is when you think how that discovery was made. > > “Woah dude! That almost killed you, it must be poisonous! Wait, you have to pee? Lemme get a sip o’ that!” > > Humans are a wacky wacky species. I’m sure being high had something to do with making the discovery. Either that or watching the reindeer (if in fact, the reindeer eat grass where people have peed). ---
**Author:** ![mrpayday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@mrpayday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrpayday)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whate-wre-the-siberian-magic-musrooms/539161/7 "2010-05-12T22:13:08Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > The scariest part of that is when you think how that discovery was made. > > “Woah dude! That almost killed you, it must be poisonous! Wait, you have to pee? Lemme get a sip o’ that!” > > Humans are a wacky wacky species. I’ve known people who behave like that. “Wow, that guy is unconcious on the bathroom floor, where can I score some of that shit!”