Psychedelic Honey
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(no, this isn't a thread about your Zoner lover.. ) Any of you psychonauts ever tried this? Larry?
From Gastro Obscura:
When bees feed on the pollen of rhododendron flowers, the resulting honey can pack a hallucinogenic punch.
It’s called mad honey, and it has a slightly bitter taste and a reddish color. More notably, a few types of rhododendrons, among them Rhododendron luteum and Rhododendron ponticum, contain grayanotoxin, which can cause dramatic physiological reactions in humans and animals. Depending on how much a person consumes, reactions can range from hallucinations and a slower heartbeat to temporary paralysis and unconsciousness.
There have been no modern deaths recorded from eating mad honey. But as rhododendrons flourish at high altitudes, and as the bees often nest on sheer cliffs, gathering the honey may be more dangerous than consuming it. In Nepal, honey hunters make dangerous vertical climbs—while enduring stings from enormous bees—to harvest mad honey.
But eating the honey can be an unpleasant venture too. One of the earliest accounts of mad honey, which comes from Xenophon of Athens, a student of Socrates, describes a company of Greek soldiers in 401 B.C. passing through Turkey. After eating honey stolen from beehives along the route, they vomited, had diarrhea, became disoriented and could no longer stand. But, as recounted by Vaughn Bryant, a honey expert and anthropology professor, they were fine the next day. (Modern consumers describe similar effects from too much mad honey.) In 69 B.C., it was recorded that Pompey the Great’s army fell victim to a literal honeytrap in the same region. Local forces placed honey along the marching route, and then swooped in to massacre the intoxicated soldiers.
Mad honey has non-culinary uses too. Turkey and Nepal, the epicenters of mad honey production, have traditionally cultivated the honey as medicine. Today, it’s touted as relieving hypertension, providing a burst of energy, and being a sweet substitute for Viagra. As a result, mad honey ranks among the most expensive honeys in the world. It sells for $60 to $80 dollars a pound on the black markets of some Asian countries, several of which have very strict anti-drug laws.
Need to Know
Mad honey can be purchased in the regions of Nepal and Turkey where it is produced, typically from the beekeepers themselves. It is also available online.
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Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Alan R
Speaking of which.....
Speaking of which....."Psychonautics" is also a documentary. Very entertaining. Guy eats a bunch of different substances to dose to the max. Goes crazy. Talks about his experiences in his standup comedy routine. Probably on Netflix, Amazon, or such.
"Comedian Shane Mauss goes on a series of adventures to deepen his understanding of psychedelics. He describes the indescribable and takes us through some of his most intense experiences, while getting the added perspectives of some of the top scientists and experts in this realm. With moments of both confusion and clarity, this documentary is an honest account of the experiences of a genuine Psychonaut.
https://www.psychonauticsfilm.com/"
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Alan R
video of guys hunting
video of guys hunting psychedelic honey:
https://www.higherperspectives.com/himalayan-bees-1431194009.html?page=2
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Dr. Benway
ive made tea from the leaves
ive made tea from the leaves of rhododendron groenlandicum which contains low levels of grayanotoxins due to dubious reports of psychoactivity and happening upon the plant at a botanical garden. i recall being more interested in a terpinoid called ledol and achieving sedative effects than the grayanotoxins and psychedelic effects. it has some history of being made into tea and has been described as anything from a digestive tonic to a narcotic. i didnt get anything out of it.
if theres one thing ive learned about trying strange old drugs from other lands, its that cultures without acess to truly pleasureable drugs, like classical ht2a agonist psychedelics, opiates, cannabis, etc, tend to find value in drugs that most modern western folks would find extradorinarily unpleasant.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Alan R
Appreciate your input Larry.
Appreciate your input Larry. If I was still an undergrad studying neuro-psychology, your theory would be a good research topic (academically speaking).
Next time I go to DelFest I'll look for some trippin bees (or trippin bee keepers).
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Although difficult to find, Bryant says mad honey can be found in the U.S. “Normally, there are not enough rhododendrons in one area for the bees to make concentrated mad honey,” he explains. “However, sometimes there is a late cold snap in the Eastern U.S. that kills a lot of flowers but doesn’t seem to stun the rhododendrons. Thus, they are the only thing blooming and the bees will focus all their attention on those flowers and produce concentrated mad honey during that period. These flowers are mostly in the Appalachian Mountains of the Eastern U.S.”
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The grayanotoxins are neurotoxins interfering with the transmission of the action potential by blocking sodium channels in cell membranes [3]. The best-known of these intoxications involves the eating of “mad honey” contaminated by nectar with grayanotoxins. It is still one of the common food intoxications encountered for humans and livestock in Turkey.
It causes a sharp burning sensation in the throat and is thus also referred to as bitter honey [4]. Honey produced in springtime is more toxic and sometimes contains higher concentrations of grayanotoxin than that produced in other seasons. Mad honey is used as an alternative medicine for the treatment of gastric pains, bowel disorders, and hypertension, and it is also believed to be a sexual stimulant.
Although the “grayanotoxin (mad honey)” poisoning is not known commonly, there are some case series and case reports in the medical literature about it, especially in Turkey.
The aim of this study was to describe the presentation of 21 natural honey intoxication cases and to review the literature. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn/2011/526426/
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Alan R
and anyone that wants to try
Looks like anyone that wants to try some can order a jar on ebay for $130 (or you could maybe try searching GG Park near the rhododendron garden)
"Deli Bal is most potent when its fresh from the hive, the longer its stored the weaker it gets.
The effects of grayanotoxin honey is a calming relaxing feeling, with a overall feeling of being content, its strength is mild and not over powering.
We intend to sell this honey as a traditional medicine which will help with a lot of common ailments like pain relief, stress and anxiety, its also helps with other more serious conditions like high blood pressure and so on, people have been using this honey as a traditional medicine for centuries.
There’s a lot of misinformation online about the effects of Deli Bal but from our own experience it doesn’t cause hallucinations..."
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Rasputin O'Leary
< Any of you psychonauts ever
< Any of you psychonauts ever tried this?
Lmao round n round it goes, it all started smoking corn silk as kids, where it stops nobody knows