Fungi: A Green Criminology Perspective
Maj Ulčnik, Bojan Dobovšek
Science, Art and Religion. September 30, 2026 DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-11005-0144 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that fungi have a long, complicated relationship with humans, including medicinal use since at least 3000 BC, and that some authors propose ancestral ingestion of hallucinogenic mushrooms contributed to increased brain size and cognition. Attributes the historical fear and misunderstanding of fungi to their varied effects—edible, healing, deadly, and hallucinogenic—and links this to associations with witchcraft and the supernatural. |
Abstract
modern science and the emergence of mycology as a serious science discipline, we have once again embarked on the road to discovery of the many mysteries fungi hold.It is proven today that psilocybin found in hallucinogenic mushrooms IntroductIonHuman relationship with fungi has a long and complicated history.We have been using their fruiting bodies, mushrooms in medicine since at least 3000 BC, 1 and some authors also suggest that our unique brain size and capabilities are a result of our ancestors ingesting hallucinogenic mushrooms, resulting in improved cognition and doubling of our frontal cortex in (evolutionary wise) short span of a million years.Due to various historical circumstances, the knowledge and understanding of fungi has been lost for a substantial amount of time.Subsequently, the fact that some mushrooms are edible, some able to heal, others to kill and some to cause vivid hallucination and spiritual experiences resulted in fungi being feared, misunderstood and connected to witchcraft and the unknown or supernatural.2,3 Luckily, with the advance of 1,
Citations in the library
Cites 5
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