about Rp 15,000 to 30,000 ($2 - $3). In terms of kicking effect, it is undoubtedly the cheapest way to get hallucinated. While most mushrooms grow mostly in the tropical wet season, Bali’s mushrooms uniquely grow in abundance in dry locations. How the Mushrom Culture Proliferates? By means of coincidence, the Balinese farming tradition means that it employs plenty of animals to naturally support their farming system. Cows and buffaloes play significant roles in helping the Balinese in managing their vast rice fields, from the pre-planting season when soil needs to be made soft, to the harvesting seasons when rice grains are carried home on cow-pulled carts. The abundance of cows means plenty of dung, mostly used as natural compost for rice fields. It is in the dung collection site near the animal pens that mushrooms grow any time of the year, especially in the dry season. Unlike the typical tropical mushroom which grows in the wet seasons, magic mushrooms grow rapidly in a dry atmosphere, or at least with minimum precipitation. Outside Bali, psilocybin mushrooms that have psychoactive properties have long played a role in various native medicine traditions of cultures all around the world. But only in Bali has such a genus growing out of cow dung has such
special effects and have been widely marketed as the cheapest, fully legal, natural drug. Well, at least in Bali the magic mushroom, despite its strong, punching properties, is not considered a drug. A story of the growing popularity of magic mushrooms reads as follows: “The image of the mushroom has changed since the Western world became aware of its hidden and exotic qualities, notably the very special and fantastic `trips’ that can be experienced by ingesting them. This is a fairly recent development. It was only in the sixties that anything was published about them and although there undoubtedly existed traditions and rituals that were passed on, the magic mushroom was virtually unknown in the `rational and modern’ West”. A very experienced ‘mushroomer’ suggests the following two ‘key words’ for you to get the most out of the magic mushroom before ‘sipping’ a glass of one; (1) choose an open space like the beach as it will give you a better, much more fantastic ‘trip’ as you are flying, and (2) Avoid consumption in a crowd with loud music as the sensation will often take you to a crowded, intimidating battlefield setting. Perhaps you might provide us with your own third suggestion as you try one. Who knows.
Despite its strong hallucinogenic content and affordable price tag, mushrooms hardly cause any serious symptoms of physical illness, nor addiction.
By Supardi Asmorobangun
December 2011
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