Psilocybin mushrooms [a] are a type of entheogenic, psychedelic, hallucinogenic mushroom and a polyphyletic informal group of fungi that contain the prodrug psilocybin.
Humans can grow this fungi?
Psilocybin is metabolized into the psychedelic compound psilocin following ingestion [2].
Rather than referring to one single mushroom species, the term "psilocybin mushroom" refers to a broad group of fungi found across several genera [3].
Other compounds such as baeocystin, norbaeocystin, aeruginascin, and β-carbolines may modulate effects.
The most potent species are members of genus Psilocybe, such as P. azurescens, P. semilanceata, and P. cyanescens, but psilocybin has also been isolated from approximately a dozen other genera, including Panaeolus (including Copelandia), Inocybe, Pluteus, Gymnopilus, and Pholiotina [2]. More
NATIONAL MUSHROOM MONTH: All through September, National Mushroom Month celebrates the wide variety of "mushrooms" (the fruiting bodies of fungal mycelia) that are available.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture also takes advantage of the opportunity to educate people on the versatility mushrooms offer, including their many health benefits.
As a result, mushrooms are gaining more and more appreciation as we learn more about them.
#NationalMushroomMonth
To fully celebrate the heritage of mushrooms (shrooms, toadstools, Easter eggs, fun guys in the garden...), we must first learn about the Mushroom Capital of the World.
Located just outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, one will find a small town known Kennett Square. Surprisingly, this small Pennsylvanian borough produces over one million pounds of mushrooms a day.
Each year Kennett Square holds the annual Mushroom Festival starting with a parade.
Visitors also enjoy tours of mushroom farms or visit vendors to buy food and other goods.
'Shroom Science
Scientifically, mushrooms belong to the fungi kingdom (not plant, not mineral, not animal).
Fungi grow from carbon and energy from dead plants (particularly the cellulose sugar and chitin proteins from husks) and animals. Interestingly, this has helped scientists to conclude mushroom DNA is more similar to humans than it is to plants, as previously thought.
Through the study of mushrooms, scientists learn more about fungi, especially identifying whether they are single-cell or multicellular organisms.
Mushrooms contain many useful nutrients. Because of this, mushrooms are an excellent source of vitamins (particularly Vitamin D, which significantly increases when cut mushrooms are placed in the sun). Eating mushrooms is a great way to naturally get copper, fiber, potassium, protein, selenium, Vitamin B, and zinc into the human body.
As scientists continue to study mushrooms, there is hope of discovering more medicinal uses -- such as treating depression, PTSD, phobias such as an intense fear of death, and other mental conditions, as with LSD, which is a fungus called ergot that grows on rye). These discoveries only add to the many benefits of mushrooms.
Mushrooms are either edible (nutritious, entheogenic) or inedible (toxic, poisonous). We find edible mushrooms in cuisine throughout the world. Almost all mushrooms available at the store are cultivated and safe rather than wildcrafted (foraged) and risky. These types of mushrooms are available year-round.
The most common cultivated mushroom are the white button, flavorful cremini (just a baby portobello), earthy adult portobello, shiitake, tasty tree oyster, maitake, but most mushroom eat (particularly in the form of mushroom soups) contains no soup at all but the more reliable mycelia).
"There are old mushroom hunters, and there are bold mushroom hunters, but no old-bold ones."
Inedible mushrooms are often found popping up in the wild, though many also grow in backyards and moist front lawns. However, it can be difficult to determine whether a mushroom is poisonous or safe to eat. It takes more than a guidebook; it takes an expert. There are no reliable shortcuts, hacks, or rules of thumb to depend on. For example, some think mushrooms that have red on the cap or stem are known to be poisonous, or that stems that bruise purple are hallucinogenic, but it is nowhere near that easy to tell. Avoid eating mushrooms with white gills, a skirt, or a ring on the stem -- or anything else until knowing with certainty that it is safe for consumption. Not all poisonous mushrooms are deadly; many might just cause a stomachache or voiding. But often there are no symptoms just liver damage leading to death days later. Because wild mushrooms are hard to identify, leave identification of wild mushrooms to professional mycologists and mushroom hunters and foragers.
Eating poisonous mushrooms, even if not deadly (like the famous fly agaric Amanita muscaria, can and often makes eaters very sick. It can possibly kill a person based on their personal constitution or susceptibilities. So, when in doubt, throw it out. Save it for examination rather than consumption. More
(Animated) Road-tripping on shrooms with my family (featuring Rosemary "Rosebud" Baker) | Tales from the Trip Pothead culture, marijuana addiction, glassblowing major, Phish as white gypsies reliving the glory of the Grateful Dead, traveling around the country so people can get high and enjoy their long jams.
Rosemary "Rosebud" Baker (born March 16, 1985) is an American comedian, actress, and writer. Based in New York City, she is known for her dark humor based on personal and often satirical stories. In 2010, she worked as an actress in independent films, non-union TV projects, and off-Broadway. She later began appearing in a recurring role on the Hulu series Life & Beth. In 2013, she received praise for her performance in the critically acclaimed independent film Turnabout. Baker started her career in stand-up in 2014 by performing at open mics throughout NYC. In 2021, her debut comedy special, Whiskey Fists, premiered on Comedy Central. She became a writer for the HBO Max television series That Damn Michael Che in 2020 and a writer for Saturday Night Live from 2022 to 2025. Her second comedy special, The Mother Lode, was released on Netflix on Feb. 18, 2025. More
TREES, PEOPLE, AND PLANET: Paul Stamets started Fungi Perfecti® with the goal of building the bridge between people and fungi. Since its inception in 1980, Fungi Perfecti has become synonymous with cutting-edge mycological research and solutions. Its continued mission is to explore, study, preserve, and spread knowledge about the use of fungi for helping people and planet.
What is MYCELIUM? One of the most significant outcomes of research has been discovering the value of mushroom mycelium, the metabolically active and longest living structure of the mushroom (fungal) organism. It contains numerous novel compounds shown to benefit human health. Years of industry-based research, along with both internal and third-party testing, demonstrate that mycelium-based supplements offer significant immunological support.* More
Why we got it wrong: Fly Agaric 101: The Magical Mushroom (Amanita muscaria)
(StoneAgeMan) This is the Fly agaric (Amanita muscaria), aka the mushroom from Super Mario Brothers. It’s famous, yet I think the general consensus is that no one should ever eat it, never. That’s probably the safest thing to do, but it has been used for thousands of years by our ancestors.
CONTENTS
0:00 - Intro
1:03 - The legend of Santa Claus and Amanita urine
2:21 - Mushroom hunt
2:52 - Mushroom time-lapses
2:42 - When are changes updated?
3:06 - Amanita and mycorrhizal associations
3:52 - Identification of Amanita muscaria.
5:17 - Amanita chemistry
6:20 - Decarboxylation
7:07 - What the mushroom does
8:11 - Conclusions
Big thanks to all current and future patrons who are helping fund this science and filmmaking outreach via Patreon: bit.ly/2Sfmkph. "Amanita Dreamer" can be found at: amanitadreamer.net. (Big thanks to her help in this series). Remember to follow on Instagram: untamedscience.
Ever wonder, "Is Amanita muscaria psychedelic?" The short answer is yes. Also known as the Fly agaric mushroom, it has psychoactive properties that can alter perception and mood. This intriguing fungus interacts with brain and body to produce unique effects. The answer about it being psychedelic is more nuanced.
What is a safe dosage for first-time users? Are there risks or side effects associated with this mysterious entheogen. Guidance on preparing for an experience that is responsible use that understands the potential legal implications is also covered.
What is it, where does it come from?
Dude, it's totally grove if you prep set 'n setting
Amanita is often recognizable by its vibrant red cap with white spots and is a mushroom species native to temperate and boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
This fascinating fungus has a rich history tied to nature and culture because it is known for its psychoactive properties.
It contains two primary active compounds, ibotenic acid and muscimol. These chemicals interact with the brain's neurotransmitters, specifically targeting the GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) receptors. This interaction can lead to various effects, including changes in perception, mood, and consciousness. Some may experience euphoria, a dream-like state, or heightened sensory experiences. More: magicdoze.com
(MSN/Footprints of The Frontier) Hidden beneath the legend of the Wild West lies a story few historians dare to tell -- the forgotten connection between cowboys and magic mushrooms.
What's that on those cowpies, Casey? - Shrooms!
As European settlers invaders, loggers, and ranchers spread westward, psilocybin mushrooms* flourished in their wake, sprouting in wood chips, cattle pastures [on dung], and mining camps across the frontier. While whisky fueled the saloons, some frontiersmen and Indigenous healers quietly turned to the “flesh of the gods” for vision, healing, and escape. These fungi spread along the same trails as the pioneers, forming a psychedelic undercurrent to the age of expansion. It’s a chapter of the American frontier buried by religion, shame, and time — until now.
Psilocybin "magic mushrooms" (psilocybin-containing mushrooms, commonly known as shrooms [1]) are a type of entheogenic, psychedelic (mind-making), hallucinogenic mushroom and a polyphyletic informal group of fungi that contain the prodrug psilocybin, which turns into the psychedelic psilocin upon ingestion [2].
The most potent species are members of genus Psilocybe, such as P. azurescens, P. semilanceata, and P. cyanescens, but psilocybin has also been isolated from approximately a dozen other genera, including Panaeolus (including Copelandia), Inocybe, Pluteus, Gymnopilus, and Pholiotina [2].
Among other cultural applications, magic mushrooms are used as spiritual medicine (early psychology) and foolishly as recreational drugs [2].
Shrooms were used ritualistically in pre-Columbian [before Columbus] Mexico, but claims of their widespread ancient use are largely exaggerated and shaped by modern idealization and ideology [3].
Natural occurrence
Natural occurrence. Non-psilocybe species of psilocybin mushroom include Pluteus salicinus, Gymnopilus luteoviridis, and Panaeolus cinctulus, formerly called Panaeolus subbalteatus. In a 2000 review on the worldwide distribution of psilocybin mushrooms... More
(North Spore) How scientists believe psilocybin (4-PO-DMT, dimethyltryptamine, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) rewires the human brain.
Could the same heightened experiences be achieved with stability and not freaking out?
This isn't about tripping b*lls but access to mind.
The body has a pineal gland, possibly the physical base of the mythical third or "divine eye," the dibba cakkhu in Buddhist psychological terms. The endogenous product it makes is DMT, the same active ingredient in entheogens, substances capable of bringing out (manifesting) the divine within. We as ordinary human beings have the capacity for divinity -- for being reborn as devas or even experiencing what brahmas experience all the time, namely, the Four Divine Abidings the Buddha recommended, and exhibiting the magicalpowers they customarily wield. One of these powers is extrasensory perception or the use of the divine senses.
Try psychedelics. Access transcendence. | James Fadiman
(Big Think) Expert James Fadiman explains how psychedelics (entheogens) have the power to expand consciousness, enhance creativity, and deepen our connections to the world around us.
Subscribe to Big Think on YouTube ► @bigthink. Watch the full Perception Box series ► Perception Box™
James Fadiman, a distinguished figure with over six decades in psychedelic research, examines the profound impact psychedelics have on consciousness, creativity, and connectivity. Fadiman shares insights into how these substances shift perception, offering perspectives that challenge and expand our understanding of reality.
He also delves into the scientific underpinnings of psychedelics, their therapeutic potential, and the societal benefits of fostering deeper empathy and open-mindedness.
Highlighting the importance of integration post-experience, Fadiman sheds light on the transformative power of psychedelics to not only alter individual consciousness but also to enhance community bonds and personal relationships.
Through a focus on responsible use and the expansion of human awareness, Fadiman's expertise offers a compelling view into the capacity of psychedelics to redefine our interaction with the world and ourselves.
(Dr. Tracy Townsend MD) Sept. 16, 2025: In this video Dr. Tracy Kim Townsend -- a licensed medical doctor, psilocybin facilitator, and co-founder of Meadow (the world’s first legal psychedelic medicine practice founded by a physician) breaks down:
What psilocybin is,
How it works in the brain, and
Why leading researchers are calling it one of the most promising medicines of our time.
📌 NOTE: This video is for educational purposes only. It is not medical advice.
🔔 Subscribe for more down-to-earth education about psychedelics, psilocybin therapy, and holistic healing: @TracyTownsendMD
💬 Have questions about psilocybin? Drop them in the comments.
Sensationalist influencer Cleo Abram, 2024; Tracy Townsend MD, Sept. 16, 2025; Pat Macpherson, Dhr. Seven, CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
Los Angeles tries. We're the center of the world, if not the entire solar system. So everything that is is biggest and best here, Hollywood adjacent. Beverly Hills builds houses, Brentwood estates, UCLA graduates students, USC football stars, and LAMS (Los Angeles Mycological Society) forages wild mushrooms more than any other place in America, except apparently for Telluride, Colorado's Mushroom Festival. If only we had more forests, marshland, and old-growth forests.
The famous Fly agaric (Amanita muscaria)
Instead, we're in a Mediterranean climate zone that looks in every way like a desert with sand dunes and precious little rain most of the time. Last weekend, LAMS held the annual Wild Mushroom Fair at LA's Arboretum. Maybe someday someone will film it, whereas six months ago, at the height of a warm summer high in the mountains, Telluride outdid the City of Angels by celebrating a class of magic mushrooms called psilocybe, which contain two "magical" (entheogenic) substances known as psilocybin and psilocin.
Inside the biggest (Magical) Mushroom Festival in North America | Telluride Mushroom Festival
(North Spore) Join Lou from North Spore as he explores the biggest, oldest, and most magical mushroom festival in North America. From foraging with Mycologist Alan Rockefeller in the picturesque San Juan Mountains, to a private lunch with Chef Graham Steinruck, to participating in the wildest and wackiest mushroom parade in the world, this video has something for everyone. Special thanks to Telluride Mushroom Festival (tellurideinstitute.org). Visit: northspore.com. Use this link to get 10% off tickets events.humanitix.com.
Kombucha (the bubbly drink made of a symbiotic mix of probiotic bacteria and yeast) is not a mushroom, but it sure looks like one sitting atop a sugary drink of polyphenol-rich tea. The tea provides the protein to form of symbiotic community of beneficial organisms, and the sugar feeds them. The community is called the SCOBY (symbiotic community of bacteria and yeast). What does it want? More SUGAR! It will keep growing, leaving traces of "mother" (the rust found in unfiltered apple cider vinegar), creating new generations. Like a UFO, it drops discs of new SCOBYs.
Surā (सुरा): Indigenous beer beverage prepared with sugars from cereals or jaggery (palm sugar) and other spices that are naturally fermented. It is beneficial for the emaciated and those suffering from obstruction in urine, piles, alleviates vata (wind imbalance) and useful in anemia. Āyurveda (आयुर्वेद) is the branch of ancient Indian science dealing with medicine, herbalism, taxology, anatomy, surgery, alchemy, and related topics. Traditional practice of Āyurveda in ancient India dates back to at least the first millennium BC and its literature is commonly written in Sanskrit (Sura, Shura, Surā, Sūra, Śūra, Sūrā)
Who would drink alcohol-free moonshine?
How it organizes itself and produces useful compounds like hyaluronic acid all while making a great tasting drink, technically a kind of "beer" or sura (brew) that tastes more like musky wine if fruit -- cherry, grape, pomegranate, and so on -- juices are added for their sugar content, phytonutrients, and resveratrol. Anyone who gets into it tends to become one of the "mushroom people," enthusiastically singing its praises and enjoying better gut health. Someone must've given Serj a sip at some time for him to sing the band's first hit: "The Kombucha mushroom people, sitting around all day / Who can believe you? Who can believe you? / Let your mother pray Sugar / Sugar..." More: Genius Lyrics
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