Emergence Magazine Podcast The Substrate of Mystery: Mycelial Networks, Mutualism, and Symbiosis – A Conversation with Merlin Sheldrake
Dec 2, 2025
Merlin Sheldrake, a renowned researcher and author in mycology, delves into the fascinating world of mycelial networks and their ecological wisdom. He discusses how fungi offer a decentralized approach to problem-solving, emphasizing mutualism over individualism. Sheldrake draws parallels between mycelial behaviors and human creativity, highlighting how crises can lead to new symbiotic relationships. The conversation invites us to embrace uncertainty and explore the hidden potentials within fungi, encouraging a profound connection with the natural world.
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Decentralized Networks Without Centers
- Mycelial networks are decentralized systems without a single center of operation.
- They offer a different model for organizing life and solving problems than centralized human institutions.
Fungus Exploring All Directions
- The fungus Fenerochite velutina explores in all directions and remodels its body when it finds new food.
- Merlin uses this to imagine the future as a cloud of possibilities rather than a single later moment.
Rethinking Individuality As Relational
- Individuality is often a process of relational fusion rather than an undividable self.
- Recognizing collectives as undividable individuals reframes ethics and our responsibility to others.
