5/14/22, 2:37 PM
A Brief History of Magic Mushrooms - How Magic Mushrooms Work | HowStuffWorks
HowStuffWorks / Science / Physical Science / Chemistry / Chemical Compounds
How Magic Mushrooms Work
By: Shanna Freeman & Nathan Chandler | Updated: Mar 17, 2020
A Brief History of Magic Mushrooms
Dr. Timothy Leary, a leading LSD proponent in the U.S., addresses the National Student Association
conference in 1967. BETTMAN/GETTY IMAGES
Some historians believe that magic mushrooms may have been used as far back as
9000 B.C. in North African indigenous cultures, based on representations in rock
paintings. Statues and other representatives of what appear to be mushrooms that
PREV
NEXT
have been found in Mayan
and Aztec ruins in Central America.
The Aztecs used a
substance called teonanácatl, which means "flesh of the gods," that many believe
was magic mushrooms. Along with peyote, morning glory seeds and other naturally
occurring psychotropics, the mushrooms were used to induce a trance, produce
https://science.howstuffworks.com/magic-mushroom6.htm
1/7
5/14/22, 2:37 PM
A Brief History of Magic Mushrooms - How Magic Mushrooms Work | HowStuffWorks
visions and communicate with the gods. When Spanish Catholic missionary priests
came to the New World in the 16th century, some of them wrote about the use of
these psychotropic substances.
However, the idea that magic mushrooms have a long, holy history is highly
controversial. Some believe that none of this evidence is definitive, and that people
are seeing what they want to see in the ancient paintings, sculptures and
manuscripts. There is confirmed use among several contemporary tribes of
indigenous peoples in Central America, including the Mazatec, Mixtec, Nauhua and
Zapatec.
Magic mushrooms began to be eaten by Westerners in the late 1950s. A mycologist
(one who studies mushrooms) named R. Gordon Wasson was traveling through
Mexico to study mushrooms in 1955. He witnessed and participated in a ritual
ceremony using magic mushrooms. It was conducted by a shaman of the Mazatec,
an indigenous people who live in the Oaxaca region of southern Mexico. Wasson
wrote an article about his findings, which was published in Life magazine in 1957. An
editor came up with the title "Seeking the Magic Mushroom" and the article is the
source of the phrase, although Wasson didn't use it. One of Wasson's colleagues,
Roger Heim, had enlisted the help of Albert Hofmann (the "father" of LSD), who
isolated and extracted psilocybin and psilocin from the mushrooms Heim and Wasson
brought back from Mexico [source: Harvard University].
Timothy Leary, perhaps the most famous proponent of psychotropic drugs such as
LSD, read the Life article and was intrigued, and he began experimenting with them at
Harvard University. From there, magic mushrooms became inextricably tied to the
hippie movement and its search for a new form of spirituality for the rest of the
decade. For years, mushrooms were mostly associated with the counterculture
[source: Harvard University].
But these days, magical fungi are finding broader acceptance in popular culture.
Some people have taken up what's called "microdosing" with psilocybin, essentially
consuming tiny amounts of the chemical. They don't experience full-blown trips.
Instead, they feel a boost in mood and creativity that they believe lowers their anxiety
https://science.howstuffworks.com/magic-mushroom6.htm
2/7
5/14/22, 2:37 PM
A Brief History of Magic Mushrooms - How Magic Mushrooms Work | HowStuffWorks
and makes them more productive. Some studies seem to support their claims
[source: Garlick].
Scientists are now pursuing a number of avenues of research on these mysterious
chemicals. The 1970s brought a ban on psilocybin except for medical research, which
only recently began again after more than 30 years. In October 2018, the Food &
Drug Administration granted Compass Pathways permission to research mushrooms
as a treatment for depression. Researchers plan to combine intense therapy with
psilocybin in hopes of finding better ways to combat treatment-resistant depression,
which they say affects about 100 million people worldwide [source: Compass].
In September 2019, Johns Hopkins University unveiled its Center for Psychedelic and
Consciousness Research. There, scientists plan to evaluate psilocybin as a possible
treatment for everything from opioid addiction, Lyme disease, post-traumatic stress
disorder, nicotine and alcohol dependency, and many other ailments.
There are many other researchers around the world digging into the possible
medicinal uses of these magical chemicals. All of them seek to unlock the way magic
mushrooms and their compounds interact with our brains and bodies. Perhaps their
work will unlock the doors of perception in our minds in ways we can't yet even begin
to imagine.
Originally Published: Feb 25, 2009
Related Articles
How LSD Works
Peyote Is Endangered, Spiritually Sacred and Becoming Legal
Can we treat mental illness with hallucinogens?
Groovy News: Shrooms Help Reset Depressed Brain
Does absinthe really cause hallucinations?
How Marijuana Works
How Medical Marijuana Works
https://science.howstuffworks.com/magic-mushroom6.htm
3/7
5/14/22, 2:37 PM
A Brief History of Magic Mushrooms - How Magic Mushrooms Work | HowStuffWorks
More Great Links
Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies
North American Mycological Association
David Fischer's American Mushrooms
The Safety 1st Project: Mushrooms (PDF)
Sources
BBC News. "Magic mushrooms ban becomes law." BBC. July 18, 2005.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4691899.stm (Feb. 1, 2020)
Beckley Foundation. "Psilocybin."
https://beckleyfoundation.org/science/substances-methods/psilocybin/ (Feb. 1,
2020)
Compass Pathways press release. "COMPASS Pathways receives FDA
Breakthrough Therapy designation for psilocybin therapy for treatment-resistant
depression." Oct. 23, 2018. https://compasspathways.com/compass-pathwaysreceives-fda-breakthrough-therapy-designation-for-psilocybin-therapy-fortreatment-resistant-depression-2/ (Feb. 1, 2020)
Discover Magazine. "Psychedelic Mushrooms Can Boost Mental Health,
Researchers Say." Discover Blogs. February 7,
2008.http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/07/02/psychedelicmushrooms-can-boost-mental-health-researchers-say/ (Feb. 1, 2020)
DrugScope. "Magic Mushrooms." DrugScope DrugSearch,
2005.http://www.drugscope.org.uk/resources/drugsearch/drugsearchpages/mushr
ooms.htm (Feb. 1, 2020)
Smith, Patrick. "Magic Mushroom Legality Around the World." Entheonation.
https://entheonation.com/blog/magic-mushroom-legality/ (March 3, 2020)
Fischer, David. "A New Look at Hallucinogenic (Psilocybin) Mushrooms." David
Fischer's American Mushrooms. 2007.
http://americanmushrooms.com/psilocybin.htm (Feb. 1, 2020)
Francuski, Xavier. "Where Can You (Legally) Buy Magic Mushrooms?"
Entheonation. https://entheonation.com/blog/legally-buy-magic-mushrooms/ (Feb.
1, 2020)
Garlick, Hattie. "'It Makes Me Enjoy Playing with the Kids': is Microdosing
Mushrooms Going Mainstream?" The Guardian. May 3, 2019.
https://science.howstuffworks.com/magic-mushroom6.htm
4/7
5/14/22, 2:37 PM
A Brief History of Magic Mushrooms - How Magic Mushrooms Work | HowStuffWorks
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/may/03/psychedelic-drugs-womentaking-tiny-doses-hattie-garlick (Feb. 1, 2020)
Goldhill, Olivia. "Scientists Who Want to Study Psychedelic Mushrooms Have
to Pay $7,000 per Gram." Quartz. March 24, 2018.
https://qz.com/1235963/scientists-who-want-to-study-psychedelic-mushroomshave-to-pay-7000-per-gram/ (Feb. 1, 2020)
Harvard Library. "R. Gordon Wasson (1898-1986)." 2002.
http://botlib.huh.harvard.edu/libraries/wasson/BIOG.html (Feb. 1, 2020)
Harvard University. "Timothy Leary."
https://psychology.fas.harvard.edu/people/timothy-leary (March 16, 2020)
Inside Indonesia. "Drugs and the death penalty." Oct. 15, 2019
https://www.insideindonesia.org/drugs-and-the-death-penalty (March 16, 2020)
Letcher, Andy. "Shroom: A Cultural History of the Magic Mushroom." New York,
Ecco, 2007.
Leins, Casey. "States Consider Decriminalizing Magic Mushrooms." U.S. News
& World Report. June 14, 2019. https://www.usnews.com/news/beststates/articles/2019-06-14/states-consider-decriminalizing-magic-mushrooms
(Feb. 1, 2020)
Lincoff, Gary, et al. "Toxic and Hallucinogenic Mushroom Poisoning." New York:
Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1977.
Menser, Gary P. "Hallucinogenic and Poisonous Mushroom Field Guide."
Berkeley, CA: Ronin, 1997.
National Drug Intelligence Center. "Psilocybin Fast Facts." U.S. Department of
Justice. August 2003. https://www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/pubs6/6038/ (Feb. 1,
2020)
NBC News. "Psychedelic Mushrooms Ease OCD Symptoms." Dec. 20, 2006.
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/16304852/ns/health-mental_health/t/psychedelicmushrooms-ease-ocd-symptoms/ (Feb. 1, 2020)
NBC News. "Netherlands Bans Hallucinogenic Mushroooms." Oct. 12, 2007.
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/21269227/ns/world_news-europe/t/netherlands-banshallucinogenic-mushrooms/ (Feb. 1, 2020)
Norcia, Alex. "The U.S. Is Now Home to the Biggest Shroom Research Center
in the World." Vice. Sept. 4, 2019. https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/bjwm3a/theus-is-now-home-to-the-biggest-shroom-research-center-in-the-world-at-johnshopkins (Feb. 1, 2020)
https://science.howstuffworks.com/magic-mushroom6.htm
5/7
5/14/22, 2:37 PM
A Brief History of Magic Mushrooms - How Magic Mushrooms Work | HowStuffWorks
Oss, O.T. & O.N. Oeric. "Psilocybin Magic Mushroom Grower's Guide." Quick
American Archives, 1992.
The Safety 1st Project. "Mushrooms." Safety 1st Project.
2008.http://www.safety1st.org/images/stories/drugfacts/mushrooms.pdf (Feb. 1,
2020)
Sloat, Sarah. "The Scientific Difference Between LSD and Magic Mushrooms."
Inverse. April 20, 2017. https://www.inverse.com/article/30527-differencebetween-lsd-magic-mushrooms (Feb. 1, 2020)
Stafford, Peter. "Psychedelics Encyclopedia." Berkeley, CA: Ronin, 1992.
Stamets, Paul. "Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World." Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed
Press, 1996.
Sprunt, Barbara. "Psilocybin Paves Path For Addiction Research At Johns
Hopkins." WAMU. Oct. 15, 2019. https://wamu.org/story/19/10/15/psilocybintherapy-at-john-hopkins-finds-success-in-addiction-research/ (Feb. 1, 2020)
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. "Key Substance
Use and Mental Health Indicators in the United States." August 2019.
https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/cbhsqreports/NSDUHNationalFindingsReport2018/NSDUHNationalFindingsReport2018
.pdf (Feb. 1, 2020)
The Third Wave. "The Ultimate Guide to Growing Psilocybin Mushrooms."
https://thethirdwave.co/psychedelics/shrooms/grow-psilocybin-mushrooms/ (Feb.
1, 2020)
TripSafe.org. "How to take Shrooms (Psilocybin/Magic
Mushrooms)."https://tripsafe.org/how-to-take-shrooms/ (Feb. 1, 2020)
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. "Psilocybin & Psilocyn and other
Tryptamines." DEA. 2009.http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/concern/psilocybin.html (Feb.
1, 2020)
1
…
6
7
Featured
https://science.howstuffworks.com/magic-mushroom6.htm
6/7
5/14/22, 2:37 PM
A Brief History of Magic Mushrooms - How Magic Mushrooms Work | HowStuffWorks
Special Offer From HowStuffWorks and TotalAV Security
https://science.howstuffworks.com/magic-mushroom6.htm
Try Our Crossword
7/7