Mushrooms would appear to be unlikely candidates to heal our bodies, souls, and planet Earth. Who knew they have an ancient global communication system that detoxifies the planet and creates living environments – putting the internet to shame? Who could have imagined that Santa Claus is dressed to look like a red and white mushroom and that he flies ​around the world on reindeer high on fungi!

An all-star team of professional and amateur mycologists, artists, foodies, ecologists, doctors, and explorers joined forces with time-lapse master Louie Schwartzberg to create Fantastic Fungi, the life-affirming, mind-bending film about mushrooms and their mysterious interwoven root-like filaments called mycelium. The film was 13 years in the making and won the 2019 Audience Award for Documentary Feature at the Maui Film Festival. It will be in theaters this fall. Watch trailer:

 

 

Join film director Louie Schwartzberg, renowned mycologist Paul Stamets, best-selling authors Michael Pollan, Eugenia Bone, Andrew Weil and others for transformative events around the globe.

 

 Screenings Calendar

 

Paul Stamets has discovered several new species of mushrooms and pioneers countless techniques in the field of edible and medicinal mushroom cultivation. He has recently achieved remarkable results cleaning up dangerous toxins using “fungal bioremediation” and radically improving soil fertility with mushrooms. Paul loves to hike the old growth forests with his wife Carolyn Dusty Wu Yao who is a plant specialist.

Mushrooms and Mankind: The Impact of Mushrooms on Human Consciousness and Religion shows that the amanita muscaria (aka fly agaric) mushroom is connected to Santa Claus, Adam and Eve, Jesus, Last Supper, Pope, Holy Grail, manna from heaven, holy water, Knights of the Round Table, King Arthur, Ark of the Covenant, Easter Egg hunt, Catholic “communion”, four-leaf clover, Christmas tree, Fountain of Youth, Philosopher’s Stone, War on Drugs, snake, caduceus, dollar sign, etc.​

The mushroom provides the Near Death Like Experiences that lead to transcendence which is prized by shamans and is the root of all religions. The book shows the hidden representations of the mushroom in religious art and architecture around the world.

Magic of Mushrooms is free on Amazon Prime and shows a wide variety of mushrooms in nature.

 

The article “5 Stunning Health Benefits of Medicinal Mushrooms” says there are more than 2,000 species of edible mushrooms.  The article discusses some of the more common medical mushrooms: Lion’s Mane, Chaga, Reishi, Turkey Tail, Shiitake, and Cordyceps.  However, it points out that even commonly-consumed Button mushrooms are medicinal!