Harvard’s new Study of Psychedelics in Society and Culture

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This week’s highlights include a showstopping purple mushroom and a dystopian collage artist.

Harvard’s new Study of Psychedelics in Society and Culture

Back to school has never sounded sweeter 📚️ Harvard University announced a new field of study, the Study of Psychedelics in Society and Culture, after a generous donation of $16 million from the Gracias Family Foundation. The study is an interdisciplinary tract between the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard Law School, and Harvard Divinity School, designed to focus on psychedelic research and the impact of psychedelics on our society.

“This is a visionary gift, in that it is the first to take the so-called psychedelic renaissance beyond medicine by recognizing the importance of the humanities in exploring the impact and potential of these remarkable substances,” said Michael Pollan to The Harvard Gazette.

While this is a huge step, places like Johns Hopkins University are at the forefront of psychedelic research today likely because Harvard once did its best to distance itself from former professors Dr. Timothy Leary and Dr. Richard Alpert, later known as Ram Dass.

Remember when ⏪️ The Harvard Psilocybin Project in 1960 aimed to understand the effects of psychedelics on consciousness, but after allegations of misconduct surfaced about the misuse of power, both Leary and Alpert faced massive criticism. Concerns amplified after two students were hospitalized post-psilocybin consumption, leading to debates in The Harvard Crimson and attention from inside and outside the Harvard campus.

Despite these controversies, both believed in the right to explore one's inner self through psychedelics and saw any denial of this as a step toward totalitarianism. Alpert was dismissed in 1963 from Harvard University and the program was officially over. After, he and Leary took their place as counterculture icons. Turn on, tune in, drop out indeed.

Read more about Harvard’s new field of study.

Purple mushrooms majesty *in* the fruited plain

Who’s that girl 📸 Laccaria amethystina, commonly known as the "amethyst deceiver," knows she’s got it. This small mushroom is recognizable for its oversized purple hue. Its color can fade to buff or white as it ages, and its gills also fade from deep purple to a luscious milky lilac with age.

Found in deciduous and coniferous forests in North America, Central America, South America, Europe, and Asia, they grow from summer to autumn. That means there’s still time to spot this purple beauty. They may have antioxidants, beta-glucan, B vitamins, copper, and potassium, but they also absorb significant amounts of arsenic from their environment, which makes consumption risky, but cements their status as a mycoremediator.

Looks better than it tastes 🍽️ The mushroom is edible, though its taste is subjective, if you dare. You can’t go wrong with this classic chicken and dumplings with wild mushrooms in an array of gorgeous colors.

Read more about this purple mushroom majesty.

Around the web

• 🌳 Mycologists led by renowned expert Toby Kiers in Corsica are studying the role of fungi, specifically their genes and RNA, in supporting old-growth trees' resilience to climate change. Zoë Schandler’s story in The Atlantic emphasizes the often overlooked importance of fungi in carbon sequestration and the overall health of our planet, something that Kiers is fighting to bring more attention to.

• 📜 Eureka, CA decriminalized the personal use of entheogenic plants and fungi medicines for those over 21 in a unanimous city council decision. It’s the sixth city in California to do so, which is ironic given the fact that Governor Newsome regrettably vetoed Senate Bill 58 this month, which would have decriminalized naturally occurring psychedelics like psilocybin, DMT, and mescaline.

• 💃 What mushrooms do supermodels love? Well, she can’t speak for everyone, but Gisele Bündchen made headlines this week when she shared her love of Lion’s Mane. “I’ve been taking Lion’s Mane Mushroom for a while and it really helps me focus and boost my energy,” she wrote in a new campaign for Gaia Herbs.

Featured artist: Seana Gavin

A visual artist known for striking hand-cut collages and 90s rave photography, Seana Gavin is otherwordly. Her images jump from the page at first together and then individually leap out to the eye, emphasizing a moment in the dystopian chaos of our current world. The fantasy environments she creates blend together a retro sensibility with a futuristic longing, and it’s there where her intergalactic escapism flourishes.