Magic Mushrooms of the World

All over the world, across time, cultures, and borders, people have been eating so-called “magic mushrooms” to have spiritual experiences. The common term, magic mushrooms, or “shrooms,” usually refers to species that belong to the genus Psilocybe. To be a member of this genus, the mushroom must have a cap-and-stem fruiting body with gills. Most Psilocybe species contain the active chemical compounds psilocybin and psilocin. Their distinguishing feature is a “blueing” effect that appears like a bruise as the mushroom is touched; this effect occurs as psilocybin exposed to the air oxidizes. When psilocybin is ingested, it can be turned into psilocin, which is chemically similar to serotonin, and has the ability to stimulate serotonin receptors which causes hallucinations and a sense of euphoria. These mushrooms are vastly distributed around the world, which means there are many cultures that ingest them for spiritual or recreational purposes. In recent history, there has been a series of events that brought the mushroom to the attention of the Western world, which created a new culture premised on the fascination of these fungi that made its way around the world. I employ the term “mycophile” to refer to these mushroom-obsessed Westerners. A mycophile can be a professional mycologist, just an amateur, or simply someone who enjoys using mushrooms recreationally, medicinally, or spiritually.

Navigate the map by clicking and dragging. Zoom by scrolling up and down. Hover over a symbol to view the image and click "show more" to view the description. Each geomarker on the map contains a link to another page on the website where you can learn more about the topic.