My adventures searching for magic mushrooms
Every year, as the weather starts to cool, the excitement of the hunt grows.
When the night-time temperatures drop below eight degrees (celsius) and the rain begins, I head outdoors in search of magic.
Real magic.
This magic comes in the form of psychedelic mushrooms. An often-times inconspicuous fungi used by ancient peoples to induce powerful hallucinogenic states. The mushroom I seek isn’t a visual beauty like the red with white spots Amanita muscaria. Instead it is special for what it contains within; a molecule called psilocybin, that researchers believe can save lives.
Here’s the story of how I found and photographed my first magic mushrooms.
Like most people, I never gave magic mushrooms much thought beyond their brief mentions in the Woodstock documentary. I assumed it was a ‘thing’ that came and went with the 60s.
It wasn’t until I stumbled across a four-page article in The New York Times in 2021, that I learnt that not only do magic mushrooms still exist, but clinical trials testing synthetic psilocybin, a lab-made version of the magic mushrooms naturally occurring molecule, are happening globally. Scientists have demonstrated that psilocybin might be a potent treatment for mental illnesses. Consumption of wild psychedelic mushrooms is not only illegal, it carries serious risks of side-effects. But according to that article, synthetic psilocybin, delivered under controlled conditions by experts, is safe and has incredible potential.
As a psychologist, I was stunned. Patients with chronic, treatment-resistant illness were experiencing relief, even remission, after a single psychedelic session? Surely they’re exaggerating, pumping the story to sell papers. How many therapies have promised the Universe and delivered Uranus? Not this though. Psilocybin seems to be the real deal.
I had to know more. Not just about psilocybin, but the mushrooms themselves. And, if I could, I wanted to see one in real life; be in the presence of something magical.
I read everything I could find.
I read that one of the most potent species, Psilocybe subaeruginosa, grows in southern Australia. Hang on, I live in southern Australia. Holy moly.
I researched more. I learnt about its habitat. I mapped out potential forest, bush, and walking tracks. I scoured iNaturalistand The Shroomery for every clue.
I had read that night time temperatures needed to be below 8 degrees celsius, and we needed rain. The books all said that two weeks after the first cool night, the mushrooms would start to pop.
As the searing heat of summer cooled into brisk autumn nights, I knew the start of the hunt was close.
As the great Wayne & Garth would say…
My Treasure Hunt Begins
Those first few weeks I walked for kilometres. I averaged 100kms a week, no joke. Fortunately I had some scheduled time off from work, so I used this time wisely.
I searched the grass and weeds of public walking tracks, bushland, forest, vacant lots, and parks; so many parks.
And for weeks: nothing. Nada. But, I wasn’t discouraged. Redditors had prepared me that the quest was not for the faint hearted. Some people found loads and fast, whilst others spent years searching for their first find.
The Unexpected Find
Convinced that something as remarkable as magic mushrooms could only be found far far away in a distant forest, I had neglected to search nearby locations. Locations, such as my neighbours yard for example.
So one average Thursday afternoon, I took a walk around my neighbourhood.
I noticed my next door neighbours yard was particularly lush, with native grasses and plenty of mulch. I head there first.
Folks it didn’t take long. Within minutes of searching, down to the left along the path, I saw them.
Quickly I ran through my mental checklist:
- Small, convex caramel-brown caps? Check.
- Gelatinous cap pelicle (thin, clear, wet film)? Check.
- White gils, with evidence of dark purple/rust colours spores? Check.
- White-ish, strong, and ‘woody’ stems? Check.
- Bruises blue when touched? Check.
I found one!!!
I actually laughed out loud. The feeling of elation, I honestly can’t describe it. I had found a real, genuine, highly sought-after treasure.
Then came the fear. Oh, did it flood in. Standing in the presence of magic mushrooms, highly illegal, of course, it felt like standing next to super hot contraband. My excitement quickly morphed into paranoia.
Would the police jump out from behind a shrub and haul me away? Was I in for a long stint in the slammer? Psilocybin and magic mushrooms are scheduled as a Class 9 substance. On the same level as heroin. Serious stuff.
Fortunately, as a result of my extensive research, I knew the local law. It’s illegal to pick, possess, consume, or distribute psilocybin mushrooms — but it’s not illegal to look at them. No, ho ho it’s not!
I didn’t take the mushroom, but I did take pictures. Lots of pictures.
A New Superpower
Since that day, I’ve found thousands more p.subs (magic mushrooms).
My brain has become so finely tuned to the physical characteristics of Psilocybe subaeruginosa that I can spot them among clusters of poisonous lookalikes. I find them in parks, along walking tracks, in unexpected patches of mulch, even in my own backyard.
Finding magic mushrooms has become my quiet superpower.
And yet, despite all this, I’ve never tried one. Not once.
I can’t tell you what the p.sub variety of magic mushrooms tastes like or what the experience feels like. In fact, I don’t like the taste of mushrooms at all. Can’t stand the smell of cooked mushrooms, massive yuck. They smell like dirt, and I bet they taste like dirt too. No thanks.
So, Why Forage If I Don’t Plan On Trying Them?
Because the existence of these mushrooms is enough, they feel like a natural miracle.
A powerful medicine, possibly life-changing for some, that grows quietly in everyday places. People walk past them daily without realising they’ve brushed by one of nature’s most astonishing therapeutic organisms. But I know.
As adults, how often do we get to feel the thrill of something hidden and incredible?
It reminds me that nature still holds mysteries, that healing can come from unexpected places, and that sometimes the treasure we seek is growing right under our feet, literally.
To my followers — If you too are fascinated by psychedelic mushrooms, or just mushrooms in general, this is my first article in my Magic Mushroom series. I’ll keep you posted when the next piece is published.
Important Message
I do not advocate the consumption of magic mushrooms. Their consumption can have unintended side-affects which should not be dismissed as the ‘stuff’ of Woodstock legend. Magic mushrooms are often misidentified as poisonous look-a-likes, and this can have deadly consequences. Be like me, and admire them from afar. If you’re interested in accessing psilocybin to treat mental health, go through legal channels and start researching. Find out more at the John Hopkins Research Centre in the USA, or at Mind Medicine Australia.
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