HISTORY OF MAGIC MUSHROOMS
In this post we will dive deep into the history of psychedelic mushrooms. We will begin to explore the historic journey that psilocybin has taken from human evolution, ritualistic and pre-religion uses, to research history that has given enlightenment to the field of psychiatry and psychology. As you peruse this writing, let this quote by Henry Glassie set the tone for you. “History is not the past but a map of the past, drawn from a particular point of view, to be useful to the modern traveler.”
Before we get too deep, it is important that we define what magic mushrooms are. In order to do that we must introduce the word psilocybin. Psilocybin is a hallucinogenic chemical obtained from certain types of fresh and dried mushrooms. Psilocybin is the essence of the "Magic" in psychedelic mushrooms, magic mushrooms or shrooms as they are popularly known. The psilocybin class of mushrooms are found in over two hundred varieties around the world. In today's society, magic mushrooms are secretly used as a recreational drug to induce hallucinations or fantasies and a sense of euphoria. However, before society was even imagined, magic mushrooms may have provided much more than a psychedelic trip.
Way back we go to the stone ages or whatever age the apes that Charles Darwin said humans evolved from lived. Enter "The Stoned Ape Theory," by Terrence and Dennis McKenna. Their theory entertains the idea that as human evolution led to the domestication of wild cattle, it allowed these early humans to have access to psilocybin mushrooms that commonly grow in cow droppings. It only took one Homosapien to look at a dung grown shroom and think.. I sure am hungry! Boom goes the dynamite. McKenna suggests that psilocybin caused the primitive brain's information- processing capabilities to rapidly reorganize, which in turn kick- started the rapid evolution of cognition that led to the early arts, language, and technology. Thinking of the brain as a computer, eating Magic Mushshrooms were like inserting a thumb drive that provided a major upload and a well needed update. Such an update meant a higher consciousness for these early humans.
Soon there became a deep codependency between the human and the mushroom species, which is said to have brought about the development of religious rituals, natural magic and calendar making. Something about eating shrooms and watching the skies just seems right.
Now that we have set the foundation for this journey, let's get into some archaeological evidence.
9000 year old rock art has been found in present day Algeria depicting the use of Psilocybe Mairei, a native mushroom species. Some caves in Spain have similar art, which suggest that humans native to that region used psilocybin at least 6000 years ago. Fast forward a bit to 1000 years before the common era, we find “mushroom stones” in Central America and Mexico. Mushroom Stones are Mayan statues that were likely used for religious and ritualistic purposes. Mycologist Paul Stamets explains in Fantastic Fungi, that mushroom stones were used for divination (kinda like runes), and spirituality as well as for predicting the movements of incoming armies. Here is where I start to ponder the thought that the Mayans may have utilized psychedelic mushrooms to help create their famous calendars..
The Aztecs introduce a more therapeutic and healing use for these mushrooms. They called them "Teonanácatl," which translated means Flesh of the God’s, sacred mushroom or visionary mushroom as they used them in their ancient mesoamerican shamanic ceremonies and in medicines. Due to such practices being forbidden, the traditions and knowledge have been kept alive and secret by small groups. The Mazatec in Oaxaca, Mexico in particular are most known for their contribution in spreading this ancient knowledge to the western world by way of Maria Sabina and Gordon Wasson. Gordon had a passion for studying how different people around the world used fungi. After reading tales about the Teonanacatl mushroom he decided to track it down in 1955. This led him to Maria Sabina a native of Huautla de Jiménez, who he witnessed use these mushrooms to cure illnesses and in healing ceremonies. Using lies and manipulation, Gordon returned to Maria several times to gather enough data to publish his report of his experience and so called discoveries in Life magazine in1957.
This publication immediately popularized the use of magic mushrooms worldwide and in- turn spilling the beans on the Oaxaca region in Mexico as the secret keepers of the shroom. Poor Maria Sabina had no idea of the possible repercussions for trying to help a lying man (Gordon Wasson) cure his ailing son. I won't dwell on his deceit, even though lying about his son’s ill health to gain access into a closed community is pretty grimy. Seeing as without his publication, who knows how long the west would have remained in the dark about the power of the psilocybin mushroom. However, we must extend respect and gratitude to Maria Sabina for withstanding being shunned and blamed by the locals for the lack of reverence the outsiders showed to their sacred medicine, all without even being paid.
Of course Gordon Wesson snagged a sample of this life improving miracle growth. He sent it away to be studied by Albert Hofmann, the Swiss chemist famous for discovering LSD. In his lab at Sandoz Pharmaceuticals, Hofmann isolated psilocybin and developed a synthesis for the drug. Ultimately producing 2mg pills that were distributed to psychiatrists, mental health professionals and scientists for research purposes. Psilocybin became noted, as it was considered to be very promising in treatments as an aid to therapy for a large assortment of psychiatric diagnoses. Imagine being able to overcome alcoholism, depression, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorders and autism spectrum disorders by reconnecting with mother nature and her diverse mycelium network.
For about two decades, thousands of doses of psilocybin were administered in clinical experiments. Not to mention the various religious or spiritual practices that introduced a multitude of people to psilocybin mushrooms and other psychedelics used to enhance wellness, creativity and mental and emotional investigation. (Psilocybin Mushrooms Fact Sheet 2017).
All good things must end, or must it?
In 1970 psilocybin was added as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act. This means that the lawmakers fear that it has a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision (DEA.gov2020). Despite such a long history and ongoing research into its therapeutic and medical benefits. It was classified as one of the most heavily criminalized categories for drugs, even with significant evidence to combat this classification. Since 2019 several senators, lawmakers and believers with official positions, in a select few states have begun the fight to decriminalize psilocybin and other psychedelics. Even the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have openly communicated about psychedelic drug development, and current ideas around safety, therapeutic use and research. The FDA Division of Psychiatry Products, offered information in a workshop about how to design and efficiently study psychedelics for potential medical use. They also made a historic presentation during the American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology’s annual meeting, where they spoke publicly about psychedelic drug development. (FDA and NIH Perspectives on psychedelic drug development 2022).
The world and its views are rapidly changing. Maybe the combined efforts of administrators, scientists, doctors, mycologists and politicians to understand, advocate, and plan for safe use of psychedelics like magic mushrooms could allow new doors to open for a more connected, enlightened, and healthy society. To quote Terence McKenna, “ When we look within ourselves with psilocybin, we discover that we do not have to look outward toward the futile promise of life that circles distant stars in order to still our cosmic loneliness. We should look within; the paths of the heart lead to nearby universes full of life and affection for humanity.”
References
https://drugpolicy.org/drug-facts/history-psychoactive-mushrooms https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/Psilocybin-2020_0.pdf
https://psychedelic.support/resources/fda-nih-perspectives-psychedelic-drug-development/