Body of Wonder

Episode #18 A Kingdom of Their Own - How Fungi Shape Our World with Merlin Sheldrake


Listen Later

Fungi have shaped our world for billions of years and are present in us, on us, and in nearly every environment. They are one of the oldest lifeforms found on earth and throughout time formed landscapes and helped to give rise to the plant and animal kingdoms. These organisms forge mutually beneficial life-sustaining partnerships with us and can teach us a great deal about whole systems thinking.

Our guest is Merlin Sheldrake, biologist and best-selling author of Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds, and Shape Our Futures.

Merlin has spent his career investigating the role fungi play in supporting life on our planet, including the relationships between humans and fungi. Merlin posits, “All plants depend on fungi to survive, which means that all the food we eat, and the health of the soil in which it grows, depends on fungal activity. Fungal medicines and foods have played pivotal roles in human health for an unknowably long time, and have been responsible for some of the most dramatic breakthroughs in modern medicine.”

In this episode, Dr. Weil, Dr. Maizes, and Sheldrake discuss how the symbiotic nature of fungi challenges our perception of self. Dr. Maizes discusses their use in mental health and asks why mushrooms are popular in some cultures and avoided in others. Dr. Weil describes the medicinal and culinary use of fungi. Sheldrake discusses significant fungal properties and shares the many benefits they bring to humankind.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Body of WonderBy Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine

  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8

4.8

383 ratings


More shows like Body of Wonder

View all
The Human Upgrade: Biohacking for Longevity & Performance by Dave Asprey

The Human Upgrade: Biohacking for Longevity & Performance

7,212 Listeners

Dr. Ruscio Radio, DC: Health, Nutrition and Functional Healthcare by Dr. Michael Ruscio, DC

Dr. Ruscio Radio, DC: Health, Nutrition and Functional Healthcare

789 Listeners

On Health for Women by Aviva Romm

On Health for Women

1,360 Listeners

10% Happier with Dan Harris by 10% Happier

10% Happier with Dan Harris

12,764 Listeners

Heart Doc VIP with Dr. Joel Kahn by Dr. Joel Kahn

Heart Doc VIP with Dr. Joel Kahn

485 Listeners

The Proof with Simon Hill by Live better for longer

The Proof with Simon Hill

2,611 Listeners

The Genius Life by Max Lugavere

The Genius Life

4,882 Listeners

Dhru Purohit Show by Dhru Purohit

Dhru Purohit Show

3,555 Listeners

The Dr. Hyman Show by Dr. Mark Hyman

The Dr. Hyman Show

9,296 Listeners

The Peter Attia Drive by Peter Attia, MD

The Peter Attia Drive

8,122 Listeners

Commune with Jeff Krasno by Commune

Commune with Jeff Krasno

601 Listeners

PLANTSTRONG Podcast by Rip Esselstyn

PLANTSTRONG Podcast

2,321 Listeners

Ancient Health Podcast by Ancient Health Podcast

Ancient Health Podcast

68 Listeners

The Resetter Podcast with Dr. Mindy by Dr. Mindy Pelz

The Resetter Podcast with Dr. Mindy

1,359 Listeners

Huberman Lab by Scicomm Media

Huberman Lab

29,195 Listeners