All The Answers We're Searching For Are Underneath Our Feet

It seems as though when we’re looking so hard for something it tends to always be hidden in plain sight. That ketchup bottle that you can’t seem to find in the fridge is actually literally right in front of your face. We think we’ve lost our cell phone when we’re still talking to someone on it. And the sunglasses we’ve been searching all over the house for for the past 15 minutes are on top of our head.

It’s funny, and a little sad, but it happens ALL the time. While we can’t explain this extremely strange and honestly a little bit embarrassing human phenomena, what we can do is utilize it to help us find answers to some of our most challenging problems and deepest questions.

How do we deal with mass addiction, depression and pharmaceutical drug dependency? What’s the solution to our ever-growing plastic pollution issue? How do we learn to know ourselves better as human beings and study our own consciousness? The answer to these questions and many more happen to lie right beneath our feet, within the cells of mycelium.

Mycelium is a multicellular fungi consisting of a mass of branching tiny thread-like structures which create a vast network connecting individual plants with each other. We most commonly only see the “fruit” of this incredible fungi: mushrooms. While mushrooms in and of themselves have a vast array of known benefits, it’s their roots we must first examine in order to understand the true magic occurring underneath the surface.

Did you know that trees can actually communicate with each other and send distress signals when in ill health? They absolutely can and they can also even recognize the root tips of their own relatives. Trees are able to do this through the incredible network of mycelium, what’s been named the “woodwide web”. This underground grid can stretch for miles, connecting entire forests while collectively maintaining their health. After discovering it’s vital role in nature and truly life itself, people have begun to recognize the extreme potential of mycelium, resulting in its current unlimited amount of uses.

We have been looking to mother nature as our teacher through the practice of biomimicry for centuries and mycelium has recently become one of our greatest guides. Realizing the decomposing power of pollutants that mycelium have, organizations are harnessing this skill to rid environments of toxins after environmental disasters. From wildfire clean ups and oil spills to industrial waste runoff and pesticide contamination, mycelium is being intentionally used to restore contaminated soil and water across the world.

While some are working on destroying the vast amount of toxins in our environment, others are using innovation to replace the very things creating mass pollution in the first place. Companies such as Ecovative Design are replacing plastic packaging, building materials and thermal insulation with organic, compostable mycelium based substitutes. MycoWorks utilizes the same technology to produce furniture, bricks and even fake leather that is making its way into the fashion industry. Plant-based food companies like Meati Foods and Prime Roots have created mycelium based meat alternatives resulting in a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, crops used to feed livestock and overall land use conversion.

Mycelium is not only healing the environment around us, it’s also healing the environment within us. The mushrooms produced by these life-giving roots have been gaining the spotlight in the health and wellness world as well as the therapeutic realm for years. There are thousands of species of mushrooms we are discovering every day that are beneficial to our minds, bodies and even spirits.

Reishi is known to help the body adapt to stress while working to regulate body processes. Chaga has high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that strengthen the immune system. Cordyceps help with energy levels and could lengthen endurance and stamina. Lion’s Mane is particularly important for brain health, improving focus, and boosting concentration as well as memory. Companies are integrating these medicinal mushrooms into coffee, tea, protein powders and workout supplements and more products are being created every single day.

A controversial yet exciting healing remedy that has begun to gain popularity by psychologists everywhere is Psilocybin. Although still considered a schedule 1 drug, the perspective on psilocybin is changing, with the state of Oregon recently legalizing the substance for use in treating unmanageable mental health issues.

Psilocybin is a compound found in magic mushrooms that has shown high success rates in treating depression and more notably with helping people cope with terminal illnesses. Studies of patients with advanced cancer have received decreases in depression and anxiety and increases in quality of life and life meaning. Psilocybin works by chemically altering the brain in order to tap into the ego, or sense of self. This process creates an environment in which people experience “being” as something separate from their physical bodies, resulting in a feeling of being connected to something much bigger than themselves. Through this experience people are able to change their perspective on life itself, allowing the fear of non existence and death to dissolve.

While we have learned so much about the innumerable benefits of mycelium and gone above and beyond to make use of its magic, I’m convinced we have only just begun to scratch the surface. More and more people are discovering the vast potential of this incredible fungi and researching ways to heal ourselves and our planet.

We are learning that there are actual ways to live sustainably and to use the resources that are still here, right at our feet, waiting to be discovered. It’s time we stop using substances and materials that threaten the health of our planet and human kind and instead start to live more in tune with nature and thus more in tune with ourselves. It’s time we get really present and aware of the world around us. It’s time we quite literally return to our roots and take a look at whats always been right in front of us. The magic is infinite, you just have to see it.