Paul Stamets is a leading American mycologist, author of many books, and best known for his role in the award-winning documentary and accompanying book, Fantastic Fungi. An advocate of medicinal fungi, Stamets' interests overlap with those of ethnobotanist Dr. Mark Plotkin. In this episode, Stamets and Dr. Plotkin ponder mushrooms, magic, and mortality, challenging some Western beliefs with personal observations, experiences, and ideas.

Recorded by award-winning nature photographer Joshua Bloom (realityinbloom.com) at the ESPD55 – Ethnopharmacologic Search for Psychoactive Drugs – Conference (espd55.com). Special thanks to Joshua Bloom, Dylan Fitchett, Dennis McKenna, and the McKenna Academy of Natural Philosophy.