This is the in-person registration option for this course.

From sacred ritual to scientific rediscovery—how one mushroom shaped modern minds. In 1957, Life magazine introduced Western readers to the “magic mushroom,” revealing an ancient Mazatec ceremony and igniting a chain of fascination that soon entwined scientists, the public—and the CIA. In the fevered Cold War years, psilocybin’s cousin, LSD, became both a research tool and a weapon of secrecy, blurring lines between healing and control.

This five-session course explores how sacred rituals became scientific and political frontiers. Drawing on Her Magic Mushroom Memoir—a free, 22-episode historical podcast—each two-hour meeting blends story, film, and discussion to trace psilocybin’s trajectory. Expect lively dialogue, short readings, and shared reflection as we ask what these entangled histories reveal. The history of psilocybin reads like a parable of modern science—first celebrated, then condemned, and now rediscovered—its arc showing how culture, politics, and fear can shape research as much as data.

This course will combine lecture with class discussion.

This is a five-session course (10 hours total).