Psychedelic Icelandic Rock Blooms

The approximately 10,000 people who live in the mid slopes of the Eastern Himalayas are primarily of the Adi, Buddhist and Mishmi tribes with ten sub tribes, the oldest known lineage of humans in the Northern Hemisphere. It is from their remarkable storehouse of knowledge that this mystical herb called "the blooms of rocks" now make their presence to modern civilization.

Of all the marvelous species of fungi on earth, the lichens are perhaps the most fascinating of all. Several hundred million years ago, a most remarkable marriage took place between the vast kingdoms of algae and fungi.

Lichens like this, were used by these tribesmen when challenged to live under the most extreme conditions, without food for long periods during winter. They used this amazing herb both as food for the body and drink for the mind.

Usually ground into a smooth paste with hemp seeds, crushed with catnip, sage and rhodolia or just smoked as is, this ancient herb reportedly creates a deep sense of relaxation and well being while enhancing vision and relieving depression.

Herbal mix in store

Often used together with its companion herb, woodrose or ipomea (morning glory) (illegal to consume in many parts of the world), it reportedly makes the deeply meditative and insightful states of parmotrema more accessible, and activates the centered and inward focus of the meditation. Used together, they reportedly produce a much more productive time of contemplation, which is often followed by great insights and breakthroughs.

Alex Shulgin also references to psychoactive lichen, in PiKAL (1991), as a source of synthetic tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Shulgin, however, is talking about a different species of lichen to the one referenced in Stoned on Stones. Shulgin, in this case, is referring to lichen known as Evernia prunastri. The different psychoactive effects of Parmotrema menyamyaense and Evernia prunastri would be detectable upon reflection after reading both the quoted trip report above and Shulgin’s reference to THC within PiKAL.