Psychedelic mushrooms are a hot topic. As decriminalization spreads and more is discovered about the potential health benefits, public interest in psilocybin is at a fever pitch.
The current state of education is disjointed, and there are a lot of unanswered questions about magic mushrooms. Websites and community groups do exist, but there is a certain lack of comprehensive information.
Enter Welcome to Psilocybin.
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The new book from educator, community organizer, and MycoRising founder Seth Warner offers a 360-degree view of mushrooms. Welcome to Psilocybin includes historical perspectives, dosing guidelines, and a detailed guide to at-home cultivation.
“This is a very gentle introduction,” Warner told GreenState. “I want to start people off the right foot and help usher them into this space with intention.”
Warner began sharing the way of the mushroom several years ago. Inspired after reading Mycelium Running by famed mycology expert Paul Stamets, the Bay Area-based Warner wanted to find a way to spread the knowledge he had gained.
Warner began offering courses, webinars, and community hikes (dubbed Hikerdose). As demand for his services grew, he discovered a lack of unified resources for the growing number of people exploring psilocybin.
The natural next step was compiling easy-to-use text accessible to the masses. Warner teamed up with famed cannabis publisher Ed Rosenthal to develop what would become Welcome to Psilocybin. After adding a foreword from psychedelic visionary Dennis McKenna, the book came to life.
“This book is a starting point…”
Welcome to Psilocybin is one part DIY guide, one part initiation to what was, up until recently, an underground culture. The author deeply considered the latter during the writing process, wanting to promote responsible consumption and respect for the powerful substance he covered.
“We’re going from a place of prohibition to access,” Warner noted. “How do we hold that carefully so that we don’t make the mistakes of the past?”
Warner advises newcomers to take their time and build a relationship with psilocybin. In an early chapter, he compares psychedelic mushrooms to knives, noting that both can be useful tools that may also be inherently dangerous if used incorrectly. It’s also important to note that laws around mushrooms vary, so those who engage should proceed cautiously.
“I really hope that people gain the confidence to step into the waters of this new experience carefully and in an informed way,” Warner said. “I want people to be empowered and aware and to be able to share that awareness with others.”
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Another fascinating passage shines a light on the mushroom experience. The author encapsulates what it is like to “trip” succinctly and relatable, even if individual results vary. Warner describes in detail how psychedelics heighten perceptions, fine-tuning our personal antennas that filter in stimuli and emotions.
“It is through this increased sensitivity that you can see beyond the walls and defenses that protect you from the outer world’s harsh energy as well as your innermost critics,” he writes.
Whether readers wish to gain knowledge on the psychedelic realm or learn how to grow, Welcome to Psilocybin provides a vast abundance of information in a simple-to-digest format.
However, each person will likely gain different things from the book, cultivating their own mycological connections, much like the mycelium from which mushrooms are born.
“This book is just a starting point for one thing,” Warner remarked. “Ultimately, what someone’s experience will be can’t be written—each journey is unique.”
