The Blindboy Podcast The Magic of Mushrooms with Merlin Sheldrake
19 snips
Jul 28, 2026 
Merlin Sheldrake, mycologist and bestselling author of Entangled Life, explores the secret lives of fungi and their roles in ecology. Short, lively takes cover decomposition chemistry, tree-fungi carbon trading, the nuance behind the wood wide web, fungi in restoration and remediation, and cultural views of psychedelics and fungal risks. Conversational, curious, and surprising.
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Combine Psychedelics With Therapy Not Pills Alone
- Use psychedelics like psilocybin as part of a broader therapeutic framework rather than as isolated pills.
- Clinical studies show benefit only when combined with therapy, music, and set/setting, echoing traditional uses.
Wood Wide Web Is Real But Oversimplified
- The 'wood wide web' is useful shorthand for underground fungal-plant connectivity but oversimplifies fungi as passive cables.
- Fungi are active organisms with agendas; networks amplify interactions but outcomes vary by species and context.
Bring Ancient Soil When Rewilding Trees
- When rewilding or planting trees, transplant a spoonful of living soil with native mycorrhizal fungi to accelerate establishment.
- Planting trees into blasted, chemically treated fields fails unless their fungal partners are reinstated.
