This 22-episode novel-as-podcast is inspired by real events and people—most notably, a 1957 Life magazine presentation by R. Gordon Wasson called “Seeking the Magic Mushroom.” That piece introduced the Western world to psilocybin mushrooms and helped ignite the psychedelic revolution. In this story, we follow Dr. Lidiya Hart Johnson, a fearless neuroscientist who once had a front-row seat to that revolution. Now facing her own decline, she’s in a race against time—and she believes Christophe ...
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John Wasson Darren Hackett Podcasts
What happens when reverence turns to curiosity, and curiosity turns to spectacle? In our last episode, we witnessed the unraveling of Huautla’s sacred silence: from Gordon and Valentina’s respectful early visits to the post–Life magazine flood of seekers, smugglers, and spies, as the psychedelic tide rolled in. In this episode, secrets swim in plai…
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Ep. 11: Western Union and Almost Mea Culpa
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In our last episode, Lidiya and Chris began the next leg of their journey—bidding farewell to Millicent, to Oahu, and to Piney’s Holistic Health Center—now bound for Danbury, Connecticut, to see Exa. While on their flight, Lidiya’s immersive storytelling took us high into the cloud forests of Huautla. We saw what Gordon Wasson saw—and met the curan…
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Ep. 10: Piece of Work and Huautla de Jiménez
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In the last episode of Her Magic Mushroom Memoir, Chris took his first halting steps toward sobriety at Piney’s Holistic Health Center. Meanwhile, Lidiya and Millicent made the long, windswept trek to Ka‘ena Point—the mythical leaping place of souls—where Lidiya finally admitted what she feared most: dying alone. And then, with Exa’s voice on the p…
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Ep. 9: The Parable of Piney and Danbury Is Not a Town in Hawaii
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Previously on Her Magic Mushroom Memoir… Chris hit rock bottom—fired from both jobs, drunk, and ready to give up. But just as he spiraled into darkness, Lidiya showed up, literally dragging him out of his tent and into a plane. He woke up groggy and confused, halfway to Hawaii, where Lidiya had arranged a rehab stay with an old friend. He thinks he…
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Last time on Her Magic Mushroom Memoir… Lidiya’s past continued to unfold—from mushroom theft and forgiveness to mentorship under Gordon and life lessons from Sister Emilka, a nun with a war tattoo and a resistance legacy. But just as Chris was absorbing the weight of her story, Lidiya dropped the news that stopped everything: she’s dying. And sudd…
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Ep. 7: Sister Emilka and Lights Color Fade to Black
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Previously on Her Magic Mushroom Memoir… Left alone with temptation, young Lidiya crossed a forbidden threshold—stealing sacred mushrooms from Gordon’s garden and embarking on a psychedelic journey that forever altered her inner world. Caught mid-trip by Exa, she expected punishment, but instead found calm, curiosity—and compassion. And when Gordon…
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Ep. 6: A Safe Landing and Respite from the Glare
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Last time on Her Magic Mushroom Memoir, Lidiya opened the door to her most formative experiences: losing her mother, surviving trauma, and finding refuge in the unlikeliest of places. With Exa’s help—and Gordon’s quiet generosity—Lidiya began again. Two schools, two caretakers, and one fragile but growing sense of self. It wasn’t just a rescue—it w…
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Previously from Her Magic Mushroom Memoir... Chris reluctantly met with Lidiya in a stunning Beverly Hills guesthouse, fully expecting to turn her down. But as she shared childhood memories—hookworms, a collapsed stepfather, a funeral canister named “Maxwell”—he started to reconsider. Through laughter and loss, something shifted. Lidiya wasn’t pitc…
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Ep. 4: Clysis and The Century Association
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Last time in Her Magic Mushroom Memoir, Lidiya made a bold move—tracking down Chris Wade, the struggling writer who saved her on the beach—and offering him a chance to write her life story. Meanwhile, Lidiya prepared for the journey ahead by sorting through her past: photos, mementos, and a powerful conversation with Claire revealed just how much s…
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Previously in Her Magic Mushroom Memoir: Lidiya returned to Brooklyn shaken by her collapse in Venice—and even more so by what followed. As her mind drifted through research, memories, and grief, a second collapse led to an MRI scan, and with it, a life-changing diagnosis. As she tries to ground herself—gardening, foraging, cooking—signs and memori…
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Previously in Her Magic Mushroom Memoir: Chris, a broke and broken veteran living in his car, wrestled with the collapse of his life—his job, his family, and his writing. Across town, Dr. Lidiya Hart Johnson reflected on her past and the psychedelic revolution she helped spark. After collapsing near the Venice Pier, Lidiya was helped by Chris—two l…
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Ep. 1: Deadline, 988, and Blood in the Moon Dust
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Two strangers are about to cross paths: Chris Wade, a struggling writer living in a tent near LAX, and Dr. Lidiya Hart Johnson, just off a high-profile lecture and carrying memories she’d rather forget. What starts as a chance encounter on a Venice beach might be something much more—a fracture in time, where two lives intersect at exactly the wrong…
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