 Amanita muscaria contains several biologically active agents , at least one of which , muscimol , is known to be psychoactive . Ibotenic acid , a <unk> , serves as a <unk> to muscimol , with approximately 10 – 20 % converting to muscimol after ingestion . An active dose in adults is approximately 6 mg muscimol or 30 to 60 mg ibotenic acid ; this is typically about the amount found in one cap of Amanita muscaria . The amount and ratio of chemical compounds per mushroom varies widely from region to region and season to season , which can further confuse the issue . Spring and summer mushrooms have been reported to contain up to 10 times more ibotenic acid and muscimol than autumn <unk> . 
