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STIKAROUND
Rio



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Whats the biological purpose?
#14528341 - 05/28/11 09:27 PM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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Ive always wondered what the purpose of psilocin & psilocybin is in nature? What exactly does it do for the mushrooms lifecycle? Is it a chemical defense mechanism much like mescalin in a cacti? Or is its sole purpose to alter the consciousness of what ingest it? Exophermone (cross species chemical messenger)?
Im sure its been asked before but any feedback or some links would be greatly appreciated.
-------------------- The s GAIA
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Nevermind


Registered: 05/11/10
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Re: Whats the biological purpose? [Re: STIKAROUND]
#14528343 - 05/28/11 09:29 PM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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I've been wondering this too.
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STIKAROUND
Rio



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Re: Whats the biological purpose? [Re: Nevermind]
#14528361 - 05/28/11 09:35 PM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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I cannot find anything on what it does in nature.
-------------------- The s GAIA
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neur0net
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Re: Whats the biological purpose? [Re: STIKAROUND]
#14531802 - 05/29/11 05:15 PM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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I've always thought it could be some kind of defense mechanism like mescaline is (I've read that cacti produce elevated levels of mescaline when dehydrated or threatened), but I don't really know. maybe it's just a natural chemical byproduct with no apparent purpose...which just happens to bind to our serotonin receptors
-------------------- "The entire universe is contained within the mind and the spirit." -Alexander Shulgin
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Nevermind


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Re: Whats the biological purpose? [Re: neur0net]
#14531846 - 05/29/11 05:21 PM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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I've been thinking it may be sort defense mechanism to deter animals from eating the mushrooms.
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backfire16



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Re: Whats the biological purpose? [Re: Nevermind]
#14532197 - 05/29/11 06:32 PM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
ben1234 said: I've been thinking it may be sort defense mechanism to deter animals from eating the mushrooms.
Correct.
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Nevermind


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Re: Whats the biological purpose? [Re: backfire16]
#14532332 - 05/29/11 06:54 PM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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This isn't really on topic, but I remember reading somewhere that most animals aren't aware of their own existence.
Does this mean animals would not be able to experience ego death?
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The Inner Eye



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Re: Whats the biological purpose? [Re: Nevermind]
#14534193 - 05/30/11 02:16 AM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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I think the opposite... I think it could be a tool to facilitate the spreading of its spores. The more psiocybin becomes sought after, the more spores continue to be spread. In small doses it increases many admirable traits in mammals. Its just a theory pioneered by the late great Terence McKenna, but a good one none the less.
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snoot
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Re: Whats the biological purpose? [Re: backfire16]
#14535967 - 05/30/11 01:16 PM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
backfire16 said:
Quote:
ben1234 said: I've been thinking it may be sort defense mechanism to deter animals from eating the mushrooms.
Correct.
this would imply psilo affects other animals. that begs the question; does it affect other animals?
I've also wondered similar things, esp with dmt and other compounds.
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∞ I am incapable of conceiving infinity, and yet I do not accept finity. - Simone de Beauvoir -
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Melkor
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Re: Whats the biological purpose? [Re: snoot]
#14538233 - 05/30/11 10:07 PM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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As far as I have ascertained from what I've heard others say who are more knowledgeable on the subject, it is likely a chemical mechanism the mushroom uses to discourage and disorient animals/insects from destroying(eating) them. Its probably just another necessary process of what we know as evolution
Edited by Melkor (05/30/11 10:08 PM)
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Melkor
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Re: Whats the biological purpose? [Re: Melkor] 1
#14538237 - 05/30/11 10:09 PM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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Or maybe it is just a freak biological coincidence
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Deekay



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Re: Whats the biological purpose? [Re: STIKAROUND]
#14538370 - 05/30/11 10:39 PM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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Psilocin, psilocybin, and even THC are all examples of secondary compounds found in plants or fungi. A simple google search of secondary compounds should provide you with answers.
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STIKAROUND
Rio



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Re: Whats the biological purpose? [Re: snoot]
#14552300 - 06/02/11 06:56 PM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
snoot said:
Quote:
backfire16 said:
Quote:
ben1234 said: I've been thinking it may be sort defense mechanism to deter animals from eating the mushrooms.
Correct.
this would imply psilo affects other animals. that begs the question; does it affect other animals?
I've also wondered similar things, esp with dmt and other compounds.
Ive also wondered this. Mckenna stated that it stimulates the language forming portion of the human brain(ever talked in tongues while intoxicated with psilocybin mushrooms?) Now I dont want to get any PETA members riled up but what if there were some sort of controlled study on the effects of psilocybin in chimpanzees would the chimpanzees in this intoxicated state begin to see the world differently? Would the subjects begin to speak in tongues not saying actual words but babbling on and on none the less? This could really be a step to actually seeing if the alkaloid displays favorable traits in other mammals.
-------------------- The s GAIA
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Shins
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Re: Whats the biological purpose? [Re: STIKAROUND] 1
#14552940 - 06/02/11 09:46 PM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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I don't know how much i can trust the "defense mechanism" theory.
Many mushrooms take advantage of animals consuming them in order to spread their spores, so it could just as easily be for that reason.
Some humans would obviously rather seek them out than non-hallucinogenic ones, perhaps mushrooms are filling a "niche market" for animal spore dispersal.
Considering the current human demand for magic mushrooms, i would say it's evidence that it is more of an animal attractant than a deterrent.
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STIKAROUND
Rio



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Re: Whats the biological purpose? [Re: Shins]
#14560055 - 06/04/11 01:16 PM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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Ahh yes much like cannbis using its exploitive powers to spread across the 30th latitude. Humans seek out different chemicals to alter there perception of subjective reality. The psilocybe may have been one of the first that humans started to explore.
-------------------- The s GAIA
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snoot
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Re: Whats the biological purpose? [Re: STIKAROUND]
#14561943 - 06/04/11 08:57 PM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
STIKAROUND said: Ahh yes much like cannbis using its exploitive powers to spread across the 30th latitude. Humans seek out different chemicals to alter there perception of subjective reality. The psilocybe may have been one of the first that humans started to explore.
but that really makes no sense, psychedelics serve no real survival purpose, or anything natural really. the only reason we think we need them is cause we've done a great job complicating our world and the only real help we get in making sense of such nonsense is threw the use of psychedelics. Perhaps it was a fluke of nature and the only reason it had success propagating into the future is because of its mind elevating properties.
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∞ I am incapable of conceiving infinity, and yet I do not accept finity. - Simone de Beauvoir -
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The Inner Eye



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Re: Whats the biological purpose? [Re: snoot]
#14563080 - 06/05/11 02:30 AM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
snoot said:
Quote:
STIKAROUND said: Ahh yes much like cannbis using its exploitive powers to spread across the 30th latitude. Humans seek out different chemicals to alter there perception of subjective reality. The psilocybe may have been one of the first that humans started to explore.
but that really makes no sense, psychedelics serve no real survival purpose, or anything natural really. the only reason we think we need them is cause we've done a great job complicating our world and the only real help we get in making sense of such nonsense is threw the use of psychedelics. Perhaps it was a fluke of nature and the only reason it had success propagating into the future is because of its mind elevating properties.
Mind elevating properties... Sounds like a survival purpose to me.
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x7x_x7x
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Re: Whats the biological purpose? [Re: STIKAROUND]
#14563869 - 06/05/11 09:47 AM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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for me, the reason of the existence of psychoactive and medicinal compounds in plants and fungi is coevolution. my theory is totally god existence oriented. all the things and live beings came from the same origin. god put all the things in the same ball and let it explode, and the pieces of the puzzle are diseminated in the whole universe. the receptor in a mamalian, the ligand in a fungi, etc etc.
otherwhise, why a fungi would carry a psychedelic tryptamine? or mission is reassemble the puzzle.
-------------------- cultivando en la miseria SuctoSpore® Pictorial Tek
 x7x_x7x@shroomery.org carl_jung_in_lsd@yahoo.com koh samui and oak ridge are my favourite strains
Edited by x7x_x7x (06/17/12 02:13 PM)
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snoot
look alive ∞




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Quote:
The Inner Eye said:
Quote:
snoot said:
Quote:
STIKAROUND said: Ahh yes much like cannbis using its exploitive powers to spread across the 30th latitude. Humans seek out different chemicals to alter there perception of subjective reality. The psilocybe may have been one of the first that humans started to explore.
but that really makes no sense, psychedelics serve no real survival purpose, or anything natural really. the only reason we think we need them is cause we've done a great job complicating our world and the only real help we get in making sense of such nonsense is threw the use of psychedelics. Perhaps it was a fluke of nature and the only reason it had success propagating into the future is because of its mind elevating properties.
Mind elevating properties... Sounds like a survival purpose to me.
it serves a purpose in our overly complicated world. back in the day people used it to elevate themselves spiritually and that possibly served a purpose. One could argue that maybe this has been significant to our evolution and survival. As social and creatures of community perhaps the bonds of which are strengthened by things we achieve threw the use of psychedelic fungus. It poses some interesting questions.
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∞ I am incapable of conceiving infinity, and yet I do not accept finity. - Simone de Beauvoir -
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snoot
look alive ∞




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Re: Whats the biological purpose? [Re: x7x_x7x]
#14564200 - 06/05/11 11:13 AM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
x7x_x7x said: for me, the reason of the existence of psychoactive and medicinal compounds in plants and fungi is coevolution. my theory is totally god existence oriented. all the things and live beings came from the same origin. god put all the things in the same ball and let it explode, and the pieces of the puzzle are diseminated in the whole universe. the receptor in a mamalian, the ligand in a fungi, etc etc.
otherwhise, why and for purpose, a fungi would carry a psychedelic tryptamine? or mission is reassemble the puzzle.
its too bad I cant read that
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∞ I am incapable of conceiving infinity, and yet I do not accept finity. - Simone de Beauvoir -
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x7x_x7x
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Re: Whats the biological purpose? [Re: snoot]
#14564370 - 06/05/11 11:54 AM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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snoot
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Re: Whats the biological purpose? [Re: x7x_x7x]
#14564433 - 06/05/11 12:09 PM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
x7x_x7x said:

my thoughts exactly
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∞ I am incapable of conceiving infinity, and yet I do not accept finity. - Simone de Beauvoir -
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absolute zero
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Re: Whats the biological purpose? [Re: x7x_x7x]
#14567735 - 06/06/11 01:46 AM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
Shins said: I don't know how much i can trust the "defense mechanism" theory.
Many mushrooms take advantage of animals consuming them in order to spread their spores, so it could just as easily be for that reason.
I'd say there are observations that support the defence mechanism hypothesis and seem to contradict the attraction hypothesis.
Psilocybin is present in higher concentrations in pins, aborts, and immature fruits which contain few if any viable spores. It is counter-productive to have an animal eat your fruits before they're mature enough to reproduce. Psylocybin production slows down around the time the mushroom matures, opens its cap, and spreads its genetic goodness.
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The Inner Eye



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Quote:
absolute zero said:
Quote:
Shins said: I don't know how much i can trust the "defense mechanism" theory.
Many mushrooms take advantage of animals consuming them in order to spread their spores, so it could just as easily be for that reason.
I'd say there are observations that support the defence mechanism hypothesis and seem to contradict the attraction hypothesis.
Psilocybin is present in higher concentrations in pins, aborts, and immature fruits which contain few if any viable spores. It is counter-productive to have an animal eat your fruits before they're mature enough to reproduce. Psylocybin production slows down around the time the mushroom matures, opens its cap, and spreads its genetic goodness.
What you are saying about psilocybin production is highly wariable, and not true.
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snoot
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Quote:
absolute zero said:
Quote:
Shins said: I don't know how much i can trust the "defense mechanism" theory.
Many mushrooms take advantage of animals consuming them in order to spread their spores, so it could just as easily be for that reason.
I'd say there are observations that support the defence mechanism hypothesis and seem to contradict the attraction hypothesis.
Psilocybin is present in higher concentrations in pins, aborts, and immature fruits which contain few if any viable spores. It is counter-productive to have an animal eat your fruits before they're mature enough to reproduce. Psylocybin production slows down around the time the mushroom matures, opens its cap, and spreads its genetic goodness.
maybe its done like that so when its time for spores to be unleashed it already has an ample amount of goodies to supply the eater.
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∞ I am incapable of conceiving infinity, and yet I do not accept finity. - Simone de Beauvoir -
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Incarnation
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Re: Whats the biological purpose? [Re: snoot]
#14580923 - 06/08/11 05:18 PM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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I don't believe it has any purpose. It's merely a metabolic by-product that's produced somewhere along the life-cycle of the species. Doesn't mean it's not beautiful, though!
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FeelsGoodMan
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Re: Whats the biological purpose? [Re: Incarnation]
#14580954 - 06/08/11 05:22 PM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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BlimeyGrimey
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Re: Whats the biological purpose? [Re: FeelsGoodMan]
#14603787 - 06/13/11 12:12 AM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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As Deekay stated, it is a secondary metabolite.
"Secondary metabolites are organic compounds that are not directly involved in the normal growth, development, or reproduction of an organism.[1] Unlike primary metabolites, absence of secondary metabolities does not result in immediate death, but rather in long-term impairment of the organism's survivability, fecundity, or aesthetics, or perhaps in no significant change at all. Secondary metabolites are often restricted to a narrow set of species within a phylogenetic group.[2] Secondary metabolites often play an important role in plant defense against herbivory[3] and other interspecies defenses. Humans use secondary metabolites as medicines, flavorings, and recreational drugs."
-------------------- Message me for free microscopy services on Psilocybe, Panaeolus, and Gymnopilus species. Looking for wild Panaeolus cinctulus and Panaeolus olivaceus prints.
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Darwin23
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Re: Whats the biological purpose? [Re: BlimeyGrimey]
#14663689 - 06/24/11 03:08 AM (12 years, 10 months ago) |
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I would certainly say that any psychedelic chemicals that naturally occur in any plants are defense mechanisms. Imagine if you didn't even know what tripping was and you just ate some salad. Suddenly you're out your mind and you have no idea why. You'd freak the fuck out and would definitely steer clear of salad in the future.
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snoot
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Re: Whats the biological purpose? [Re: Darwin23]
#14665834 - 06/24/11 02:33 PM (12 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
Darwin23 said: I would certainly say that any psychedelic chemicals that naturally occur in any plants are defense mechanisms. Imagine if you didn't even know what tripping was and you just ate some salad. Suddenly you're out your mind and you have no idea why. You'd freak the fuck out and would definitely steer clear of salad in the future.
lol assuming all animals are affected by such compounds,.
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∞ I am incapable of conceiving infinity, and yet I do not accept finity. - Simone de Beauvoir -
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