Brian Jackson - Mushroom Medicine, The Healing Power of Psilocybin & Sacred Entheogen History

Ive known many people over the years whove taken magic mushrooms recreationally, but very few have taken a large dose in silent darkness as the famed psychedelic explorer Terence McKenna spoke of. Though it had been nearly ten years since Id taken mushrooms personally, I spent close to 12 months researching the Amazonian brew, ayahuasca prior to taking psilocybin again. Due to a busy work schedule which didnt allow for a quick trip to Peru, I was lucky enough to come across a considerable amount of psilocybin mushrooms near my home. After taking a large dose of psilocybin, my entire outlook on life changed dramatically for the better.

While most of my friends could notice an improvement in my personality immediately after the large dose, I still felt there was much more to say. I initially began writing this book strictly about my personal encounters with psilocybin, but quickly realized that I made more sense to doubters when my story was compared with known medical and historical information on magic mushrooms. During the year I collected over 40 used books on entheogens, mushrooms, ayahuasca, and various psychedelics. I also spent countless hours watching lectures, documentaries, podcasts, T.V. shows, and even more time reading articles, blogs, forums, and other information on the subject.

The majority of the hero dose chapter was written the day after my encounter, while the experience was still fresh in my mind. I continued to write 500-1,000 word entries at the 30, 60, 90, 180, and 365 day marks as a way to better gauge my progress long term. A major reason for writing down my experiences was to describe the differences between high and low doses. Taking a large dose of psilocybin the ancient shamanic way provided a new understanding of the medicine than what I had expected going in. It was completely different from anything Id been through at low or medium doses in the past.

As I spoke with others, most seemed to think theyd taken a higher dose, but few actually had. I soon realized that very few individuals I knew personally had taken mushrooms in a positive set and setting, plus many hadnt even weighed their doses. It appeared to me as if psilocybin was being used mostly for recreational purposes. While I knew these encounters could be fun and even enlightening, there was a much more beneficial side to psilocybin that I felt was being almost completely ignored.

During this time, I also began to reminisce about taking psilocybin during my college years and began questioning the possible effects they had on me growing up. I compared the various doses Id taken over the years, to the experiences that followed. Before I knew it, an early version of this book began to take shape. My goal was to present as much information on the subject, in the most accurate way possible.

The ideas and information described in this book could not have been written without years of prior research by many authors, researchers, and psychedelic explorers. Countless hours and energy have been spent by these individuals to help us gain a better understanding into the medical, spiritual, and even recreational use of psilocybin mushrooms. These great explorers have often had their reputations and sometimes sanity questioned by those unwilling to think outside the box. In no particular order, Id like to say a special thank you to: Maria Sabina, R Gordon Wasson, Timothy Leary, John Marco Allegro, Carl Ruck, Dennis & Terence McKenna, Rick Doblin, Roland Griffiths, Joe Rogan, Amber Lyon, Albert Hofmann, & Graham Hancock.

There is a mind more perfect and more thoroughly cleansed, which has undergone initiation into the great mysteries, a mind which gains its first knowledge of the first cause not from created things, as one may learn the substance from the shadow, but lifting its eyes above and beyond creation obtains a clear vision of the uncreated One. So as from him to apprehend both himself and his shadow If, however, thou art worthily initiated, and canst be consecrated to God and in a certain sense become an animate shrine of the Father, instead of having closed eyes, thou wilt see First. Then will appear to thee that manifest One, Who causes incorporeal rays of shine for thee and grants visions of the unambiguous and indescribable things of nature and the abundant sources of other good things Philo of Alexandria69