The Aztecs didn't call them "magic mushrooms." That’s a modern, somewhat sanitized branding for a substance they believed was literally divine. They called them Teonanácatl, which translates most directly to "flesh of the gods."
It’s a heavy name. It implies a level of reverence that most people scrolling through Instagram or looking for a weekend trip totally miss. We’re currently living through what some call the "psychedelic renaissance," but honestly, we’re mostly just catching up to what the Indigenous peoples of Mexico knew centuries ago.
When Spanish friars first showed up in the 16th century, they were horrified. They saw people consuming these fungi in religious ceremonies and, naturally, assumed it was the work of the devil. Friar Bernardino de Sahagún wrote about it in the Florentine Codex, describing how the mushrooms caused "visions" and "provoked lust." He was wrong about the lust part, mostly, but he was right about the power. The Spanish tried to bury the tradition, driving it underground for hundreds of years. It stayed hidden in the mountains of Oaxaca until a banker from Manhattan decided to go on a vacation that changed Western history.
The Re-Discovery of Teonanácatl
For a long time, Western academics actually thought Teonanácatl was a myth. They figured the Aztecs were just talking about dried peyote and that the early chroniclers had gotten their botany mixed up. It wasn't until the 1930s that botanists like Richard Evans Schultes—the "father of modern ethnobotany"—went down to Mexico and proved the mushrooms were very real.
But the world didn't really notice until 1957.
R. Gordon Wasson, a VP at J.P. Morgan, published a photo essay in Life magazine titled "Seeking the Magic Mushroom." He had traveled to Huautla de Jiménez and participated in a velada (a night-time ritual) led by a Mazatec curandera named Maria Sabina.
Wasson’s account was sensational. He described the mushrooms as "divine," but his curiosity came with a massive cost. The publication of that article led to an influx of hippies, celebrities, and seekers descending on Maria Sabina’s village. It effectively ruined her life. She was eventually shunned by her community, her house was burned down, and she famously lamented that the "force" of the mushrooms had been lost because the foreigners had treated them like a toy rather than a sacrament.
Understanding the Chemistry: It Isn't Magic, It’s Biology
When we talk about the flesh of the gods, we’re usually talking about the genus Psilocybe. There are over 200 species, but the heavy hitters are Psilocybe cubensis, Psilocybe mexicana, and the notoriously potent Psilocybe azurescens.
The "magic" is actually a prodrug called psilocybin.
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Once you ingest it, your body converts it into psilocin ($C_{12}H_{16}N_{2}O$). This molecule is a structural analog to serotonin. Because it looks so much like the neurotransmitter your brain already uses, it fits into your 5-HT2A receptors like a master key.
What actually happens in the brain?
- The Default Mode Network (DMN) quiets down. This is the part of your brain responsible for your "ego" or your sense of self. When it shuts up, other parts of the brain that don't normally talk to each other start a wild conversation.
- Neural Plasticity. Research from Johns Hopkins and Imperial College London suggests that psilocybin encourages the growth of new neural connections.
- Time Dilation. Minutes feel like hours. This happens because the brain’s internal clock gets disrupted by the flood of sensory information.
It’s not just "seeing colors." It’s a complete reorganization of how you perceive reality. For the Aztecs, this wasn't an escape; it was an encounter with the truth. They believed the mushrooms allowed them to communicate with the dead, see the future, and heal the sick.
The Cultural Weight of the Name
Why "flesh"?
In many Indigenous cosmologies, there is no hard line between the physical world and the spiritual world. By eating the mushroom, you were physically consuming a piece of the divine. It’s similar to the Christian Eucharist, which is why the Spanish friars were so particularly offended. They saw it as a "perverse" mimicry of the Body of Christ.
But for the Mazatec, the mushrooms are "holy children." They are spoken of with a tenderness that you won’t find in a clinical lab or a recreational setting. In Huautla, you don't just "take" mushrooms. You ask them questions. You approach them with a specific intent.
There's a massive disconnect today. You've got Silicon Valley execs microdosing for "productivity" and "flow state," which is basically the opposite of the original intent. The original use was communal and spiritual. The modern use is often individualistic and transactional. We’re using the "flesh of the gods" to get better at sending emails. It’s a bit weird if you think about it.
The Legality and the "Green Rush"
Right now, the legal landscape is a mess.
In the U.S., psilocybin is still a Schedule I substance federally, which means the government officially thinks it has no medical value and a high potential for abuse. But Oregon and Colorado have decriminalized or legalized supervised use. Cities like Oakland, Seattle, and Washington D.C. have basically told cops to stop caring about it.
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We’re seeing the rise of "Shroom Tech."
Companies are trying to patent specific molecules or delivery methods. There’s a lot of money at stake. But there’s also a lot of pushback. Indigenous groups are rightfully concerned that their sacred medicine is being commodified without their consent or any benefit-sharing.
Real Risks Most People Ignore
It's not all "oneness" and "ego death."
- HPPD (Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder): A rare condition where "flashbacks" or visual disturbances stick around long after the drug has left the system.
- Psychosis Triggering: For people with a family history of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, psilocybin can act as a trigger for a manic or psychotic episode.
- The "Bad Trip": This is often just a difficult emotional experience, but without proper "set and setting," it can be genuinely traumatizing.
The Scientific Evidence for Healing
Despite the risks, the clinical data is hard to ignore.
Dr. Roland Griffiths at Johns Hopkins led some of the most famous studies on this. In one study, 80% of patients with terminal cancer showed significant decreases in depression and anxiety after a single high dose of psilocybin. The effects lasted for six months.
They weren't just "high." They reported a fundamental shift in their perspective on death.
Then there’s the research on TRD (Treatment-Resistant Depression). For some people, SSRIs just don't work. Psilocybin seems to provide a "reset" for the brain's circuitry. It’s like shaking a snow globe; when the flakes settle, they land in a different pattern.
How to Approach the Topic Responsibly
If you’re interested in the flesh of the gods, you have to look past the hype. It’s not a magic pill that fixes your life in six hours. It’s a tool.
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Most people expect the mushroom to do the work for them. In reality, the mushroom just shows you the work that needs to be done. This is what therapists call "integration." If you have a profound realization during a session but don't change your habits or your relationships afterward, the experience was basically just a very expensive movie.
Practical Insights for the Curious
- Respect the source. If you’re going to engage with psilocybin, acknowledge the Indigenous lineages that kept this knowledge alive through centuries of persecution. Read about Maria Sabina. Read about the Mazatec.
- Test, don't guess. If you’re in a place where it's legal or you're using it, purity is everything. Mushrooms can look like other, very poisonous mushrooms. Galerina marginata looks a lot like some Psilocybes and it will destroy your liver.
- Setting is 90% of the experience. Doing this at a loud concert is a completely different universe than doing it in a quiet, dark room with a trusted guide. The Aztecs knew this. They did it at night. They did it in silence.
- Start low. The "heroic dose" (5 grams) is a heavy burden for the psyche. Most clinical trials use the equivalent of 2.5 to 3.5 grams.
Where Do We Go From Here?
The flesh of the gods is moving from the shadows into the mainstream. We’re going to see more clinics, more retreats, and more pharmaceutical versions of these molecules.
But we shouldn't lose the "sacred" aspect of it. Whether you believe there’s a literal god in the fungus or you just think it’s a fascinating chemical interaction, it deserves respect. It’s a substance that has the power to change a person’s entire worldview. That isn't something to be taken lightly or sold as a productivity hack.
The future of psilocybin isn't just about medicine; it's about a return to a more connected way of being. We spent the last 70 years pretending these things didn't exist or were dangerous "drugs of abuse." We were wrong.
Actionable Next Steps
If you want to dive deeper into the reality of Teonanácatl, don't just read Reddit threads.
Read the foundational texts. Pick up The Long Search for the Magic Mushroom by Gordon Wasson or The Botany and Chemistry of Hallucinogens by Richard Evans Schultes. These give you the "why" behind the "what."
Check out the research. Look at the published papers from the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research. They are the gold standard for clinical information.
Support Indigenous conservation. Organizations like the Chacruna Institute work to protect the cultural heritage and the actual plants/fungi used by Indigenous groups. If we’re going to benefit from their "flesh of the gods," the least we can do is make sure their cultures survive.
Audit your intent. Ask yourself why you’re interested. Is it for healing, curiosity, or just an escape? Your "why" determines your "where." The mushrooms have a way of giving you what you need, even if it isn't what you wanted.
Respect the history. Respect the biology. And for heaven's sake, respect the power of the fungus. It's been around a lot longer than we have.