A conversation about the benefits of mushrooms on human health and the environment will never be complete without the name Paul Stamets. Born and raised in Ohio, Stamets is a mycologist, medical researcher, and entrepreneur. He is considered an intellectual; his mission is to build a bridge between people and fungi.

The Start of Something New: Mushroom Fascination

If someone were to ask Paul Stamets what got him interested in mycology, he would have one simple answer: his brother, John. According to Stamets, his older brother, born a few years before him, was a force of nature. He became interested in mushrooms and mycology in general through his brother's travels abroad in search of magic mushrooms.

After his best friend’s dad burned his brother’s book, Altered States of Consciousness, Paul became even more fascinated in the psychedelics and the altered states they create. 

Stamets then pursued a Bachelor's Degree in mycology at the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington State. He also got an Honorary Doctorate from the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland.

Despite only having formal academic training from his bachelor's degree, Stamets went on to receive multiple awards from national scientific bodies. One award is from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) as an Invention Ambassador (2014-2015). The North American Mycological Association (NAMA) also awarded him the National Mycologist Award in 2014, and in 2015 the Mycological Society of America awarded him the Gordon & Tina Wasson Award. His research on medicinal mushrooms contributed significantly to a more sustainable planet and a healthier human population.

Through his extensive research, Stamets authored several books to share his knowledge on this specialist subject. Paul Stamets' books include:

1. Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World
2. Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save The World
3. Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms

Everyday With Fungi

Paul Stamets spends his free time in the forests of Cortes Island. There, he studies the mushrooms in their natural habitat, digging deeper into the relationship between the forest and the mushrooms. His research made him capable of presenting lectures and speaking at various conferences regarding all things mushroom. In fact, Stamets gave lectures on TED Talk regarding mycology. He believes that, by restoring ecosystems and transforming the universe, mushrooms can save the world.

In Paul Stamets' TED Talk, he focused on the fungal genome mycelium and its benefits to habitats and organisms. He also discussed his idea that terraforming other planets is not impossible. He believes that sowing different fungal spores and seeds can create an ecological footprint on other planets uninhabited by humans. After all, the first organisms that came to land were fungi. These organisms fed on rocks, and eventually gave birth to other organisms such as animals 650 million years ago.

Discovering New Mushrooms

Through his continuous research and exploration of the old-growth and matured forests, he aims to help save rare strains of mushrooms dwelling in the habitat. His collaboration with countless scientific firms and research institutions such as the National Institutes of Health and Virology as well as WSU and the US Department of Agriculture allows him to test extracts of rare strains of mycelia against different virus pathogens to humans, bees, and other animals.

Paul Stamets also discovered and named new species of psilocybin mushrooms and studied their benefits.

The Power Of Magic Mushrooms

One significant event in Stanets' life that contributed to his medical research journey on the healing powers of fungi was his transformational magic mushroom trip. According to Stamets, during his first magic mushroom trip, he was able to solve his life-long stuttering problem.

Eating a bag of magic mushrooms entered him into a psychedelic state, to which he responded by fighting his stutters. He was successful in doing so and there he emphasized the healing abilities of fungi. Stamets pointed out that scientific and medical research has proven the neurological resetting abilities of fungi on the human brain. He also believes that his psychedelic experience allowed his brain to map new neurological pathways.

Founding Fungi Perfecti

Since his stuttering problem transformation, Paul Stamets has extended his research on the benefits of fungi. He recognized the potential benefits of mushroom mycelium for people's health and the planet in 1980, and he then became the founder of Fungi Perfecti in order to bridge humans and fungi.

Stamets believes that mushrooms, particularly mushroom mycelia, are vital in creating healthy habitats and humans. According to him, habitats have immune systems which can be strengthened through fungi. This is the same with people. When mushrooms are taken as supplements, human health is supported. In short, mushrooms can help in building and enhancing the immunity of both people and ecosystems.

Stamets, in establishing Fungi Perfecti, filed as many as twenty-two patents on technologies related to mushrooms, such as pesticide fungi and mushrooms capable of breaking down the neurotoxins in nerve gas.

How Mushrooms Boost Bees' Population

The declining bee population has posed a threat to food security all over the world. Because of this, Paul Stamets, together with Dr. Steve Sheppard of Washington State University and the Washington State Beekeepers Association, launched BeeFriendly™.  It is a research initiative aimed to reverse the declining world bee population.

Their research showed that bees can get essential nutrition from mushroom mycelium extract. This resulted in a strengthened immune system and improved hive health among colonies, increasing their chances of survival during harsh environmental conditions.

As a result of the research initiative, Stamets and Paul Taylor designed the BeeMushroomed Feeder™ (BMF™), which is awaiting patent approval. This is a delivery system that makes mushroom mycelium extract readily available for bees' consumption.

How Paul Stamets Starred In Star Trek: Discovery

Any person who is knowledgeable in popular culture or just watches Star Trek: Discovery probably recognizes the astromycologist Lt. Paul Stamets portrayed by Anthony Rapp. The character is named after the renowned mycologist and medical researcher.

According to the real Stamets, writers of the new Star Trek series contacted him and asked him questions regarding terraforming other planets, noting that they came across his TED Talk. Paul Stamets added that the writers can use the material and even coined the word astromycologist. The Star Trek character got named after Stamets when he mentioned he wanted to be the first astromycologist to exist.

Fantastic Fungi: The Mushroom Film 

Paul Stamets became more renowned in the world of mycology through the 2019 film documentary called Fantastic Fungi. He played a significant role in the film. Stamets guided the watcher towards mushroom-related science and history in this time-lapse documentary.

Not Your Ordinary Mycologist

In his 40 years of practicing mycology, Paul Stamets' work has shown that mushrooms, particularly mycelium, are an essential part of our living. He continues to revolutionize the way we look at the mushrooms around us in the hopes of leading humans on the path to a more sustainable future.

If you're curious for more of Paul, you can check out his podcast appearance with Joe Rogan, Tim Ferriss, or his TED Talk on 6 ways mushrooms can save the world. Or if you haven't seen the popular Netflix film, Fantastic Fungi, that might be the best place to start to learn about the incredible person that is Paul and this truly world-saving work he continues to do with all things mushrooms.