In the case of the hallucinogenic Fly Agaric, the Otherworld that is accessed is an altered state of consciousness. Traditional accounts of the Otherworld closely resemble the effects of hallucinogenic drugs. The Grail Castle is the scene of a procession of candelabra, a Grail studded with gems and pearls, brilliant light and colour, and beautiful women. The pattern is fairly consistent. Once there, time is distorted, jewelled objects and gleaming precious metals abound, strange and beautiful music is heard, beautiful women appear.
Colours are brighter and more varied, the light is intense.
But all is not as it seems. Fairy gold turns into dried leaves when the traveller returns to the human realm. When the adventure ends, he awakes from sleep, or as if from a waking dream, to find himself alone - no trace remains of the wonders he has witnessed. There is a great deal of difference between the experience of a shaman and that of an unwitting intruder. The shaman's journey to the Otherworld, and his experiences there, are determined by an expectation of the conditions that apply there, and structured by ritual and preparation.