Ben Jackson's First Trip, Psychedelic Mushrooms

I don't know what I want to do, but I do see mycology is evolving rapidly. We're quickly realizing mushrooms can change the world, and I want to be a part of it. 

I had my first psychedelic mushroom experience when I was about 12 years old. I had skipped school with a friend, and he had a bag of magic mushrooms. We had no idea what we were doing; I think I ate about 2 grams of shrooms with peanut butter. Oh, I was high as a kite. Watching the walls breathe and the carpet turning into puddles. Afterward, I developed had a fascination with them. 

This was indeed a unique, mind-expanding experience; it was beautiful. I grew up in a Mormon family, but it opened my eyes to another side of spirituality after my first trip. I realized I had intelligence in me, that I think differently than other people, and it was ok. All of it was ok. Instead of trying to fit in with people, I became my true self.

-Ben Jackson

EDITOR'S COMMENTS

Ironically, I met Ben while working at a restaurant called Forage. Instantly we bonded over mushrooms and (too much) beer. 

Interesting fact, Vancouver has some of the most potent magic mushrooms, such as Liberty-Psilocybe semilanceata, Wavy-Psilocybe Cyanescens, and Knobby Caps-Psilocybe Baeocystis Caps, and a few more not as powerful as the Stunzi Caps -Psilocybe Stuntzii. Chances are you have psilocybin/psychedelic mushroom growing no more than two kilometers from your front door. Ben points from my window, across the water, to a known patch under the Granville Street Bridge. Psilocybin is a decomposing wood mushroom, so garden beds with wood chips are fantastic. These are bike paths, manicured lawns, elementary woodchip playgrounds, or even the SFU garden beds.

The best way to eat freshly foraged fungi (the non-psychedelic ones) is a quick fry with garlic and butter. He's never been sick eating his own pick. The best advice for a beginner is do not eat your picked mushrooms without an expert. When in doubt, throw an image up on Pacific Northwest Mushroom Identification and Identification Forum Facebook page. It's also apparently straightforward to cultivate your own, even on an apartment-sized balcony.

A lover of all things weird and open-minded, I would be more than curious to hear about your first trip. 

-Jenny Ly