Mushroom culture has been absolutely exploding. It seems we all can’t get enough of fungi. Once you start indulging in information, it’s like falling down a rabbit hole. There’s always something new being discovered and more to learn.
Luckily, functional and psychedelic mushrooms are being researched like never before. Scientists are finding that they have the potential to kill cancer cells, reduce the risk of heart disease, positively affect anxiety and depression, clean up oil spills and even replace animal products, such as leather and bacon.
With so much mushroom talk, you’d expect there to be a ton of video content out there to help you explore the potential of fungi. Interestingly enough, there aren’t more than a handful or two to binge. If you’re looking to dive deeper into the world of mushrooms, cozying up with one of these cutting edge videos or movies might give you your fungi fix.
Know Your Mushrooms
Over a decade old, “Know Your Mushrooms'' is one of the first documentaries to explore the magical and mysterious world of fungi. Ron Mann, a well known Canadian documentary film director, has a knack for explaining the intricate science behind mushrooms and mycelium easy enough for any newbie to understand.
“Know your Mushrooms'' combines archival footage, animation and interviews to try to open the eyes of the viewer to just some of the incredible possibilities that mushrooms have to offer. Hosts Gary Lincoff and Larry Evans dive into topics that are making huge waves in modern science today, such as cleansing toxic sites with mycelium and using mushroom mycelium as forms of “clean” pesticides.
You can rent or buy ‘Know your Mushrooms” on Amazon Prime or Apple TV.
Fantastic Fungi
Undoubtedly one of the most popular mushroom and nature documentaries of all time is “Fantastic Fungi”. Since its release, this documentary has made a great impact on both the film and mushroom industries with its absolutely breathtaking footage of the life and death of mushrooms. The film is loosely focused around Paul Stamets, a mycologist and entrepreneur, who studies fungi in Washington State who is certain that mushrooms can save the world.
Whether you're a big fan of Stamets’ work, high definition nature footage, or the fascinating and endless possibilities that mushrooms and mycelium have to offer, this documentary is well worth your time.
“Fantastic Fungi” can currently be streamed on Netflix, Youtube and Google Play.
Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics
A little less technical and more for pure entertainment is the 2020 film “Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics”. This documentary explores psychedelic experiences as told by famous faces, such as Ben Stiller, Sarah Silverman, members of the Grateful Dead, and A$AP Rocky - just to name a few.
Although this film does do a deep dive into the history and science behind psychedelic mushrooms and other hallucinogens, it's clear that it’s more focused on celebrities retelling their comedic experiences with mushrooms and LSD. The documentary explores the good, the bad and the straight up bizarre experiences that often go hand in hand with psychedelic trips.
“Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics” is available for streaming on Netflix.
The Science of Psilocybin and Its Use to Relieve Suffering
Unlike all of the other films mentioned in this article, “The Science of Psilocybin and Its Use to Relieve Suffering” is actually a 15 minute TEDMED talk. TEDMED is an annual conference focused on health and medicine, independent of (but connected to) the world-famous TED conference, which produces TedTalks.
With so much talk about psilocybin in the medical world, this video, which was filmed in 2016, is more relevant than ever. Roland R. Griffiths leads the talk, discussing how drugs - psilocybin in particular - can positively affect patients with illnesses, specifically terminal ones. Griffiths claims that by administering psilocybin, patients have the opportunity to experience spiritually meaningful and transformative experiences that can help them better cope with illness and death.
Roland R. Griffiths, PhD, is the director of the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research and a professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland.
You can watch “The Science of Psilocybin and Its Use to Relieve Suffering” for free on YouTube.
Ready to Add Mushrooms to Your Daily Routine?
All of these documentaries allow us to indulge in the silly, scientific and expansive world of mushrooms. After watching, are you convinced of their powers? So are we.
At Alchemi Mushrooms, we grow organic mushrooms on our farms in California and create daily wellness and health supplements to help you feel closer to nature's true medicine. We believe in the power of mushrooms and want to help you optimize your mental and physical health with our daily supplements.
Try our Clear Mind, Immune Shield, Energy Balance wellness capsules or our Shroom Boost adaptogenic mushroom powder and see how mushrooms can make a positive impact.
