They are several specific types of mushroom which grow wild in damp fields and heaths around the UK between September and November. The most common type of Magic Mushroom is also known as ‘liberty cap’, white and rocket shaped, but it is very hard to tell one type of mushroom from another. The chemical in them, psilocybin or psylocin, works like a milder version of LSD.
It is not illegal to possess Magic Mushrooms but it is illegal to make them into a ‘preparation’ of any kind – like drying them out, putting them in tea or cooking with them.
The Aztecs of ancient Mexico used to take some very strong magic mushrooms as part of their religion. They saw mystical visions, in between long bouts of throwing up.
One of the many chemicals in magic mushrooms, bufotenine, is also found in Chinese Toad skins.
