A timeline of attention.
Carefully sourced histories of psilocybin in ceremony, science, and policy — told with attention to the people whose traditions made the conversation possible. Read top to bottom: newest first.
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From Tek to Lab: A Brief History of Mushroom Cultivation
Cultivating Psilocybe mushrooms in homes and laboratories transformed access to psilocybin in the late twentieth century. We trace the technical history from early Stamets and PF Tek to modern lab-scale production.
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The Stoned Ape Hypothesis: A Sober Look
Terence McKenna's claim that psilocybin mushrooms drove human cognitive evolution remains popular. We examine what the hypothesis actually proposes, what evidence would support it, and why mainstream science remains skeptical.
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Gordon Wasson and the Rediscovery of the Sacred Mushroom
In 1955, an amateur ethnobotanist became the first outsider to document a Mazatec mushroom ceremony. The story of R. Gordon Wasson, María Sabina, and the publication that changed everything.
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Psilocybin Legal Status Worldwide: A 2026 Snapshot
Psilocybin remains a controlled substance across most of the world, but the regulatory landscape is shifting. We map the current legal status across major jurisdictions, the recent decriminalization and medical approval developments, and the trajectories worth watching.
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María Sabina and the Mazatec Tradition: History, Encounter, and Aftermath
The Mazatec curandera who introduced the Western world to ceremonial mushroom use carried a tradition that long predated her — and bore lasting consequences from that exposure. This is the history, told carefully.
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Psilocybin in 1960s Counterculture: A Cautious History
The decade that brought psilocybin to global fame also produced the cultural and political backlash that froze research for fifty years. We trace what actually happened, who the major figures were, and what the era did and did not deliver.
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