A Look at Magic Mushrooms in Mexico

More than 180 species of hallucinogenic fungi exist worldwide, spanning Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. With over 50 types of magic mushrooms, Mexico boasts the greatest variety, most of which belong to the Psilocybe genus. Before the Western world popularized them, these fungal fruiting bodies were held sacred by Mexico’s Mesoamerican peoples. However, in the 16th century, Catholic monks branded them as the devil’s work, leading to the systemic condemnation of their ceremonial use. These practices became closely-guarded secrets until their rediscovery in the 1950s sparked new curiosity and scientific study.

Was this rediscovery a blessing or a curse? Is Mexico’s mushroom movement still vibrant today? Find out more below as we journey back in time.

The Mystical Tools of Mexico’s Ancients

In Mexico, magic mushrooms are considered religious sacraments among several indigenous groups that still use them today, including:

• The Matlatzincas and Nahuatls in the states of Mexico, Puebla, and Morelos
• The Mazatecs, Zapotecs, Chatins, and Mixtecas in Oaxaca
• The Totonacs in Veracruz

Despite regional, cultural, and language differences, the mushroom species used ceremonially among these groups vary. Psychoactive substance use was common among pre-Columbian Mesoamerican societies, as evidenced by the Mayan mushroom stones (circa 3000 BC) and the Tepantitla mural in Teotihuacàn (circa 500 CE). The first documented report of magic mushroom use dates back to 1598, by an indigenous person named Tezozomoc, detailing Aztec Emperor Moctezuma II’s coronation celebration. In the Nahuatl language of the Aztecs, “teonanácatl,” meaning “flesh of the gods,” refers to psilocybin mushrooms. Spanish colonizers also recorded the therapeutic, religious, and divinatory use of sacred mushrooms, as seen in Mexican art like the Codex Vindobonensis and the Codex Magliabechiano.

The Condemnation of Native Customs

After the Conquest of Mexico, Franciscan friar Toribio de Benavente (Motolinía) published History of the Indians of New Spain in 1558, which chronicles the ingestion of magic mushrooms with honey and describes the “hellish” visions they supposedly invoked. He concluded that these psychedelic fungi were the devil’s work. Sacred mushroom ceremonies were declared heretical by the Catholic clergy and subsequently prohibited. These practices survived only through clandestine secrecy, syncretic adoption, and isolation in remote villages.

Rediscovery of Magic Mushrooms in Mexico

In 1938, Mexican ethnobotanist Blas Pablo Reko and the Father of Modern Ethnobotany Richard Schultes identified three other varieties in Huautla de Jiménez, Oaxaca.

Their work pioneered the rediscovery of psilocybin mushrooms in Mexico, though it remained largely unknown to the general public for decades.

Robert Gordon Wasson and Dr. Valentina Pavlovna Wasson

In 1938, Mexican ethnobotanist Blas Pablo Reko and Richard Schultes, the Father of Modern Ethnobotany, identified several psilocybin mushroom varieties in Huautla de Jiménez, Oaxaca. Their pioneering work remained largely unknown to the public until the 1950s, when Dr. Valentina Pavlovna Wasson, an ethnomycologist and pediatrician, led research expeditions to study traditional uses of magic mushrooms in Mexico. Her husband, banker Robert Gordon Wasson, assisted her in these studies. They collaborated with Robert Heim, who categorized Psilocybe mexicana, and indigenous language expert Guy Stresser-Péan, conducting a multidisciplinary survey combining botanical, linguistic, and ethnographic approaches.

Dr. Gastón Guzmán: A Legacy in Mycology

Born in 1932 in Xalapa, Veracruz, Dr. Gastón Guzmán studied biology at Mexico City’s Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas (ENCB) of the Instituto Politécnico Nacional. He developed an interest in mycology in 1956 and met the Wassons during their explorations in Huautla de Jiménez. Dr. Guzmán published over 400 scientific papers and 20 books, documenting the discovery of more than 300 new mushroom species. His notable works include Identificación de los Hongos, Comestibles, Venenosos, Alucinantes y Destructores de la Madera (1977), The Genus Psilocybe (1983), and El Cultivo de los Hongos Comestibles (1993).

Changing the Course of History 

In 1955, the Wassons met María Sabina, a Mazatec curandera, or traditional healer, who became the first known shaman to receive outsiders. The Wassons and their photographer Allan Richardson participated in a velada, experiencing the psychedelic effects of sacred mushrooms. They collected spores later analyzed by Albert Hoffman, the chemist who discovered LSD. Robert Gordon Wasson’s 1957 article in Life magazine and Dr. Valentina Pavlovna Wasson’s piece in This Week magazine popularized these experiences, leading to a surge of interest and tourism in Huautla de Jiménez.

María Sabina: The Saint Mother of Sacred Mushrooms

María Sabina was born in 1894 and came from a lineage of curanderos. She first consumed psilocybin mushrooms at eight years old and conducted veladas for 30 years by the time the Wassons met her. These ancient all-night ceremonies aimed to heal the sick and commune with the divine. Despite her initial apprehensions, Sabina allowed the Wassons to participate, emphasizing the mushrooms’ purpose for healing.

Mexico’s Magic Mushroom Towns

Today, Huautla de Jiménez embraces its identity as a Pueblo Mágico, with stores, restaurants, and taxis bearing María Sabina’s name. However, many locals struggle with the commercialization of their sacred practices. Similarly, San José del Pacífico in the Oaxacan cloud forest has become a global tourist attraction, where more than 50% of locals work in tourism. While the town benefits economically, some residents remain determined to preserve their traditions.

Huautla de Jiménez

Today, stores, restaurants, and even taxis bear Sabina’s name, mushroom-themed ornaments are everywhere, and the main plaza has murals depicting the fungus.

Huautla de Jiménez has embraced its popularity as a Pueblo Mágico or “Magic Town.” Still, many locals grapple with the commercialization of their sacred and ancient practices.

San José del Pacífico

San José del Pacífico, located in the Oaxacan cloud forest, has quickly become Mexico’s modern-day mushroom town and a global tourist attraction.

During an eclipse on March 7, 1970, foreigners swarmed the town in droves. They later began asking about mushrooms found in Huautla de Jiménez, and the locals delivered.

More than 50% of the locals work in tourism, and everything from stalls and restaurants to niños santos cabins proudly display their mushroom-themed decor.

The town’s economy benefits, but some locals remain adamant about preserving their sacrosanct traditions.

Sacred Blessing or Commercial Curse?

The rediscovery of Mexico’s magic mushrooms was both revelatory and controversial. While some indigenous groups feel their sacred ceremonies were exploited, the research brought invaluable knowledge to the world. As psilocybin mushrooms gain acceptance in Western medicine, it is crucial to respect, protect, and preserve the sacred rites of indigenous groups.

What’s one way to do that? Stock up on spores from a sustainable provider like Fungushead. Get out the microscope and visit our shop today!

All content and images on our site are for informational reference only. The cultivation of psilocybin mushrooms is federally illegal in the United States. We do not promote the cultivation of psilocybin “magic” mushrooms under any circumstances. Do not contact us asking for advice related to this subject. Any products found on this site are for microscopy and taxonomy purposes only. None of the psilocybin mushroom spores we offer are for consumption or cultivation. We do not sell any products containing psilocybin.