Fun & Odd Facts About Magic Mushrooms
There are many forms of “magic” that have made major impacts in our society – the spellbinding world of cinema, the awe-inspiring performances of professional sports, or the psychedelic experience of a live rock concert. Speaking of psychedelics, there’s one particular kind of “magic” that has captured the attention of the globe – one that has been on this planet for millions, if not billions of years. Of course, we’re talking about the magical mushrooms that have helped shape human evolution and expanded our consciousness with their psychotropic influences and benefits for our health. If you’ve never tried magic mushrooms for yourself, you might be wondering: “what IS the “magic” in these species of mushrooms?”.
There are a lot of different types of magic mushrooms, and a lot of misconceptions about the nature of these fantastical fungi. To understand the scope of their effects on the human brain and body, and to appreciate the oddly fascinating world of fungi, you need to go back a very long way in the history of this planet.
Let’s take a look at these unique plants and their impacts on human health & history. To begin with, you need to know what exactly is a “magic mushroom”, and all the weird and wonderful facts about their almost alien existence.
THE FASCINATING STORY OF MAGIC MUSHROOMS
Just like much of our planet’s natural history, we are just beginning to scratch the surface of the impact that mushrooms have had on much of the lifeforms on Earth. Today, there are over two hundred identified species of “magic mushrooms” – those fungi containing psilocybin – and they’ve been a part of human history for many thousands of years. When we refer to these thousands of years, we’re only in fact talking about recorded history. There’s some researchers – like the mushroom godfather himself, Paul Stamets – who have theorized that humans and many animals are in fact “fungal beings”; we share close, genetic similarities to many species of fungi. These theories have gained traction in recent years, and it is becoming clear that fungi have existed on this planet for many millions of years, and their influences on us go deeper than just our health – they’re in fact influencing other organic lifeforms like us at the DNA level.
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Have magic mushrooms played a role in shaping our health & medicine today? Medicinal mushrooms, including species containing psilocybin, have been tracked backwards in time as far as 9000 BCE. Found on art and cultural artefacts in the Saharan desert, Spain, Asia, and South America, psilocybin mushrooms continue to pop up throughout early human history. Mushroom teas – particularly in Asia – have been relied upon for a very long time, while eating magic mushrooms for psychedelic, quasi-spiritual rituals are evident throughout South American prehistory. The Maya, Aztecs, and many Mesoamerican peoples were known to be avid consumers of psilocybin – many theories suggest that consuming psilocybin had major impacts on their fundamental beliefs and cultural practices. Much of our understanding of prehistoric use of mushrooms concerns religious rites & ceremonies, but there’s no denying that these peoples had a grasp on their medicinal properties as well. Medicinal mushrooms have been consumed for their abilities to reduce the effects of pain, nausea, or inflammation while boosting one’s immunity, energy and overall well-being.
Mushrooms have likely been residents of this planet for billions of years. This would make fungi one of the original organisms on Earth! Some theories suggest that fungal spores could have been transported to our planet on comets, positing that mushrooms could in fact be an alien species from other parts of the universe. There isn’t much evidence to support these theories, but nevertheless they’re a fascinating idea that highlights how advanced and otherworldly mushrooms can be.
Where can you find psilocybin mushrooms? What is known about the origins of psilocybe cubensis fungi is that they can adapt to almost any environment, and not just survive but thrive. Mushrooms have proliferated all over the globe – from the dense rainforests of the Amazon, to the turbid Northern tundras of Canada, and the humid swamplands of Asia. Psilocybin mushrooms are actually found on every continent on Earth, except for Antarctica (and we really wouldn’t be all that surprised if some “ice fungus” was eventually discovered under the ice sheets). Some fungi were capable of growing to tree-like heights (as tall as 30 feet!), while other mushroom colonies can stretch for literal miles. The largest known organism on the planet is in fact a honey mushroom located in Oregon, USA – estimated to consist of 400 hectares of fungal growth, this superorganism is truly a testament to the marvel of mushrooms.
When it comes to psilocybin fungi, also known as “shrooms”, they don’t grow as tall as trees or span the length of football fields, but they do have a very large impact on human consciousness. Psilocybin and its derivative psilocin can alter your perceptions of the world, ease neurological conditions like depression, and boost your cognitive abilities to new heights. Magic mushrooms have been eaten, drunk in tea, and microdosed in capsules in order to explore what we perceive to be our realities.
Suffice to say, magic mushrooms have been casting spells on us humans since time immemorial, and as long as we continue to invest in their health benefits and powers of enhanced perspective they will continue to play a major part in how we evolve, and vice versa.
THE WEIRD WORLD OF PSILOCYBIN
To say that magic mushrooms have had a profound effect on the human intellect is a major understatement. Psychedelic fungi may have even helped to shape human evolution and expanded pre-human minds, directly impacting who and what we became today. There is a direct correlation between consuming psilocybin and a balancing of serotonin levels in our brains. It’s as if magic mushrooms are a key that unlocks many doors in our minds that would otherwise remain closed. Psychedelics can seem too intense for many people at first, but if you ask anyone who has taken the plunge and experimented with magic mushrooms, they’ll likely remark that their experiences changed their lives in very positive ways.
You may have heard of some of the stranger-than-fiction stories about magic mushrooms, but a lot of these are simply myths and legends. Nonetheless, even myths can be an avalanche that started from a snowball of truth, so let’s look at some of the popular facts & oddities that people have heard about these mysterious magic mushrooms.
What makes a mushroom “magic”? Psilocybin and psilocin are the active compounds that induce the hallucinations and psychedelic experiences associated with tripping on magic mushrooms. Both animals and humans have been known to consume magic mushrooms in the wild, and while we can only guess at the motivations of our beastly counterparts, humankind has turned to magic mushrooms for everything from spiritual guidance, to nutrition and mental health support. There are around 180-200 known species of fungi that contain psilocybin – known as the genus Psilocybe – but the most famous and popular species are Golden Teachers, B+ magic mushrooms, Psilocybin Cubensis, Mazatapec, Mexicana and Brazilian Corumba Cubensis.
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Are magic mushrooms really responsible for “Santa Claus”?! We know, this one might sound like it’s way out of left field, but give this one a chance because it’s fascinating how similar Ol’ St. Nick’s story is to the Amanita muscaria mushroom myth. According to the cultural memoirs of the people of Northern Russia & China, Siberian shamans were known to consume Amanita muscaria mushrooms – a fungus known to contain psilocybin. Amanita muscaria has had a long history in the Siberian region as having religious significance since the 17th century. These shamans would eat Amanitas to induce psychoactive effects, during which they’d commune with the spirits of the Earth. During the month of December – specifically, the winter solstice – these same shamans would dole out the gift of this special mushroom to the villagers throughout the region. If you’ve ever heard of Siberia, you probably know that it has some of the harshest winters in the entire world, so it’s no stretch of the imagination to think that many of these villages were literally buried under many feet of snow in December. This did not deter the shamans however, because they were known to crawl on the snow and climb atop the roofs of the village houses, dropping their magical (mushroom) gifts through the chimneys.
What’s more, the Amanita muscaria is a vibrant red color with white speckles adorning its cap… sound familiar? The Siberian shamans would take it one step further and even dress like the Amanita during their winter solstice, gift-giving forays. This led many to associate the month of December with very jolly old men (because they were tripping on magic mushrooms), dressed all in red, who would drop magical gifts down their chimneys… sound familiar?
The Amanita muscaria is also known to grow throughout Europe, specifically in Germany – another place where the Santa Claus myth has been reported to have originated. Convinced yet?! If you’re not, you probably don’t even celebrate Xmas, but to win you over there’s a few more eerie similarities between this magic mushroom story and the magical, generous fat man we all know and love. Amanita muscaria mushrooms are also known to grow beneath the cover of pine trees – kind of like the idea of putting presents under an Xmas tree? It’s obvious that Santa’s “north pole” location is an homage to his legend’s Siberian origins, but did you know that reindeer also inhabit this Northern region of the world? It’s probably also a coincidence that reindeer all over Northern Europe are known to consume magic mushrooms, like Amunita muscaria? There are so many parallels between the Santa Claus we know and this story of magic-mushroom-giving shamans in Siberia, and we hope you’re as absolutely convinced as we are that nothing puts the “magic” in Xmas quite like psilocybin mushrooms.
Magic mushrooms can rewire your brain? The concept of neurogenesis – the mapping of new pathways in the network of the brain – is not new to magic mushrooms. For years, scientists and researchers have studied the relationship between psilocybin, serotonin, the hippocampus and Default Mode Network (DMN). Thousands of people have had their lives changed for the better by consuming magic mushrooms, and it’s becoming more apparent why our ancestors looked to this fantastical fungi for an enhanced experience as well. Psilocybin actually has the ability to promote new connections to form in the brain. This essentially reorganizes our neural network, allowing new processes, thoughts, ideas, behaviors and emotions to take shape.
Diving deeper, psilocybin has even been shown to bind to receptors directly, which can in turn promote healing and reconnections in our brains. This innate ability to heal and repair parts of your neural network is lauded as one of the major reasons that magic mushrooms are a very effective treatment for depression. When imbalances in serotonin occur, or certain pathways in the brain become diminished, the active compound of psilocybin can effectively rewire these segments of the mind, in addition to providing a new wave of positive emotions, perspectives and mental clarity.
When you consume psilocybin, your brain is actually communicating better with itself and with the rest of your body. You might notice things you never have before – like the way light interacts with different surfaces, or maybe you’ll begin to understand the cadence of a bird’s calls. Each experience with psilocybin is truly unique as is our own personalities, memories and mannerisms; this most magic of mushrooms interacts with us at a fundamental level (no pun intended), and it can amplify certain aspects of our perceived selves or diminish undesirable ones.
One of the most sought aftereffects of consuming psilocybin is its ability to dissolve our egos. Our sense of self can often be a barrier to our own successes, our hope and dreams, even drive wedges between us and the relationships we care about most. By diminishing the ego and sparking new perceptions of the world around you, you can almost see through new eyes and therefore solve complex problems much more efficiently. Perspective is something that many ancient peoples strove for – “seeing through the eyes of the gods/goddesses” was one of the driving forces behind their use of psilocybin. People today could definitely use a dose of magic mushrooms because the complex social, political, economic and environmental problems we’re facing are only getting more complicated by the day. A little less ego, a lot more understanding, and the ability to solve problems with the help of some microdosed psilocybin might just be the key to unlocking a prosperous future for modern society.
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