Magic Nanaimo

05/29/2026

Lanmaoa asiatica is a wild mushroom from Yunnan, China that reliably causes hallucinations of tiny people called xiao ren ren, or "little people" in 69-91% of people who eat it undercooked.

Nobody knows what's causing it. Researchers have ruled out psilocybin and muscimol as the active compound. Twenty compounds have been identified in the mushrooms so far, four entirely new to science.

But the stranger finding is the pattern beyond this single species. Tiny beings (elves, pixies, dwarves, soldiers) appear across DMT, ayahuasca, pe**te, and other psychedelics too.

Professor David Luke of the University of Greenwich has spent decades documenting this. The data suggests it's far too consistent to ignore.

Whatever L. asiatica is doing, it's tapping into something the human nervous system seems primed to generate.

The fungal kingdom has been synthesising neuroactive compounds longer than we've been studying them.

This mushroom is a reminder of how much of the map is still blank.

05/29/2026

Researchers at the University of Greenwich, led by Prof David Luke, Dr Sam Gandy, and Samantha Treasure, are conducting a peer-reviewed survey on encounters with mantis-like or insectoid entities.

These beings are reported across a wide range of altered states, including DMT, ayahuasca, psilocybin, meditation, sleep paralysis, dreams, out-of-body experiences, and even ordinary sober waking consciousness.

The anonymous survey takes 20-40 minutes and covers the nature of the encounter, its experiential features, how real it felt, and any lasting effects.

The study has received ethical approval from the University of Greenwich Research Ethics Board, and results will be published in a scientific journal.

If you've had an encounter with a mantis entity in any context, are 18+, and are fluent in English, your experience could contribute to genuinely groundbreaking research. Link to the survey is in the comments.

05/29/2026

A single 25mg dose of psilocybin given alongside structured psychological support rapidly reduced chronic suicidal ideation in 20 treatment-resistant patients with major depression, all of whom had failed at least two prior antidepressants.

Within one week, suicidal ideation scores dropped dramatically. By week 12, 70% of participants had near-complete resolution. Depression scores fell by roughly half.

Effect sizes ranged from 1.46 to 2.11, which is extraordinarily high by psychiatric standards. No serious adverse events occurred.

This was a small, open-label study with no control group, so placebo effects can't be ruled out. But for a population with almost no effective options left, the magnitude and durability of these results are difficult to ignore.

Published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry (van der Vaart et al., 2026) DOI:10.4088/JCP.26m16338

05/18/2026

Please know that we are open today and every statutory holiday except for Christmas and New Year.

05/16/2026

Tripping in Nature: Stay Safe, Go Deep

**Why Nature Works So Well**

Psychedelics dissolve the felt sense of separation between self and world, and nature supercharges that effect. Colors get more dimensional, sounds feel layered, and there's a deep sense of being part of something larger. Research backs this up — people who trip outdoors are more likely to report feeling connected to the world than those who stay inside. Some even feel like they can communicate with plants and wildlife, and during difficult moments, birdsong and the scent of trees can genuinely calm things down.

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**Preparation — Don't Wing It**
Decide you're going outside *before* you dose, never during. Set a simple intention through journaling or meditation, but keep it light — heavy trauma work is better left to professional settings. Choose somewhere familiar, map your route home in advance, and if you're camping, consider waiting until day two when you know the terrain.

Download your playlist ahead of time in case there's no signal, charge your phone, and bring an external battery. A journal is great for integration later.

**Pack:** water, snacks, sunscreen, bug spray, a jacket, hat, first aid kit, headlamp, and a chair.

**Safety — The Honest Part**

*Dosage:* If you're actually hiking, microdose only (under 0.3g mushrooms / under 20mcg L*D). For stationary trips, keep it at threshold or lower. No hero doses in unpredictable environments. Start small — you can always take more. Skip stimulants like M**A or 2C-B outdoors, where heat and hydration are harder to manage.

*Terrain:* Avoid cliffs, strong currents, and complicated routes. Stick to well-worn paths, choose somewhere that requires minimal navigation, and steer clear of busy spots where unexpected crowds can kill the vibe.

*Effort:* Everything is roughly three times harder while tripping. Don't set ambitious hiking goals — some of the best experiences happen sitting still and just taking it all in.

*Trip sitter:* Genuinely worth it, especially if you're newer to psychedelics or the outdoors. They're not there to guide the experience — just to keep things physically and emotionally grounded. At minimum, tell a sober friend where you're going and when you'll be back.

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**If Things Go Sideways**
Remind yourself it's temporary. Use nature to self-regulate — feel the ground, listen to water, watch the plants. If you get lost or frightened, you can call the **Fireside Project at 623-473-7433**.

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**Integration**
Insights from outdoor trips can fade fast, like dreams. Journal as soon as you're home, and debrief with a therapist or trusted friend in the days after to make the most of what came up.

Adapted from Double Blind Magazine

05/06/2026

NASA found tryptophan on a pre-solar asteroid. That's the amino acid your body uses to make serotonin. It's also one chemical step away from psilocybin, DMT, and every major psychedelic compound on Earth.

The rock it was found on predates the Earth by 100 million years.

This means the molecular architecture of psychedelic experience didn't evolve here by accident. It was written into the chemistry of the solar system before life began.

Serotonin is not a mood chemical. It's a 3 billion year old signalling system that predates the nervous system entirely. Single-celled organisms were using it to sense their environment before animals existed, before neurons existed.

Its original function was to tell a living system how open or closed to be in response to the world. That's still exactly what it does in your brain today.

Psilocybin works by targeting the precise receptor that controls how tightly your brain holds its model of reality. It temporarily removes the constructed overlay of habit, prediction, and ego, and exposes something older underneath.

The psychedelic research moment isn't what most people think it is. We're not studying what a drug does to a brain. We're studying what consciousness looks like when you strip away everything culture and conditioning built on top of it.

And we're discovering that the chemistry that makes that possible may be as old as the universe itself.

05/05/2026

This is a beautiful original work of art done with collage. It is available for sale at the store. It is $200 and 100% of the proceed go to the artist. I believe it's 11x18, framed but I'll have to double check the size.

04/28/2026

We are pleased to highlight that we sell this wonderful supplement along with psilocybe cubensis. They are $2.50 per capsule and $2 each when you buy 10 or more.

Ashwagandha may reduce stress, improve sleep, support cognition, enhance energy, balance hormones, boost immunity, and resilience; typical dosage 300–600 mg daily.

04/28/2026