Below is a sample of my work for a private startup company that specializes in educating the public on psychedelic pharmaceuticals. The following post is in regards to history and culture.
Psilocybin (4-PO-DMT), the primary psychoactive compound in “magic” mushrooms, has a very rich history. From indigenous tribes and traditional ceremonies to the counterculture movement in the 60s and modern medical research, psilocybin mushrooms have imparted their value through a wide array of cultural contexts.
Images of psilocybin mushrooms can be traced back thousands of years in sacred art and cave drawings across multiple continents and cultures. This proves that the Psilocybe genus has appeared on nearly every continent since ancient times. They were associated with ceremonial traditions, spiritual enlightenment, and holistic healing practiced by indigenous tribes from all over the world long before they became synonymous with negative stereotypes, and ultimately outlawed across much of the modern world.
In 1957, the Vice President of J.P. Morgan, R. Gordon Wasson, published his famous essay in Life Magazine, “Seeking the Magic Mushroom.” He recounted his experience using the substance under the guidance of a well-known and highly respected shaman, Maria Sabina. Wasson’s essay inadvertently kick-started the psychedelic movement, and he essentially transformed the hallucinogenic mushroom from a sacred fungi to a worldwide curiosity.
2021