Peculiar plants and fantastic fungi: An ethnobotanical study of the use of hallucinogenic plants and mushrooms in Slovenia.

Karsten Fatur

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0245022

Abstract

The present study examined the patterns of use among a sample of 68 users of hallucinogenic plants and mushrooms in Slovenia. In compiling the lists of all the participants, 26 different plants/mushrooms, mixtures, or products were found to have been used. The main reason for beginning to use these substances was curiosity, and most people began using them in their 20s. The most used were Psilocybe spp., being mentioned by approximately 91% of the participants; 50% of the respondents in the study had made use of no other natural hallucinogens besides these. Many of the plants or mushrooms were used only a small number of times. No matter what items had been used, the internet often played a role in first hearing about them. Dosing and the means of using the various hallucinogens were often quite varied, as were the settings where they were taken. Knowledge of the dangers of these hallucinogenic plants and mushrooms as well as their occurrence in nature were likewise vastly varied. Though public opinion often associates the use of mind-altering substances with problematic drug use and partying, the majority of the individuals interviewed seemed to present a greater desire to experience the interesting effects, to overcome personal difficulties, and for individual and spiritual growth.

Highlights

Use of hallucinogenic plants and fungi, believed to extend back thousands of years, is an important part of the human experience [1]
Participants were gathered through the dissemination of advertisements both on social media and by posters placed around the capital city of Slovenia
Data from Europe and America has been stated to consistently show users of hallucinogenic plants to range from 14–56 years of age with a mean of 26, quite close both to the mean age of this sample group [28] and to the average age of first use for all the substances (27) [10]

Summary

Introduction

Use of hallucinogenic plants and fungi, believed to extend back thousands of years, is an important part of the human experience [1]. Whether used for healing, divination, magic, or protection, these biological wonders have served an important role in the development of cultures and have captured the imagination of many. The main effects of these substances are on perception, mood, and thought, and at lower doses they display minimal intellectual impairment and no disabling effects; they are not physically addictive [4, 5].

Methods

Results

Conclusion