FUNGI TOWN A Cultural History of the Magic Mushrooms of Britain

In this conversation, Professor Andy Letcher of Exeter University will discuss the cultural history of the magic mushroom, with a focus on the UK. There is renewed interest in the potential of psychedelics to address a number of stubborn mental illnesses, as well as a burgeoning psychedelic underground, driven especially by people travelling to the Amazon to consume ayahuasca in healing ceremonies.

But what about our own psychoactive mushrooms, the Liberty Cap (Psilocybe semilanceata), and the Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria)? Are there traditions of local consumption and if so, how far back do they go? In this talk Andy will challenge many of the myths that have arisen around magic mushrooms, answering questions such as: were the builders of Stonehenge tripping and was Santa Claus originally a mushroom munching shaman?