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Andy Letcher’s 2006
book on the history of magic mushrooms is definitely a must read for anyone with an
interest in shrooms; which is not to say that you will necessarily like it. In fact, the
intellectual, scientific and clinical analysis provided by the author may actually annoy
you. But you still need to read it! |
My main reservation when it comes to this book is that Letcher, at
least in the beginning, seems overly prone to side with the critics and skeptics of the
many various theories of historic use of magical mushrooms.
E.g. he points out that the ancient petroglyphs in Tassili, Algeria, which many shroom
enthusiasts are convinced depict shamans with magic mushroom, could potentially have
several other interpretations. The reader is left with a sense that, therefore, the
mushroom intepretation is wrong.
And of course, the claim that the Greek Eleusinian Mysteries employed magic mushrooms as a
key ingredient is mere speculation; the same with R. Gordon Wasson’s claim that the
Vedic plant Soma was synonymous with the Fly agaric, or that the Vikings consumed Fly
agaric before going into battle. So therefore, again, the mushroom theories are probably
wrong, is the sense you get from Letcher. Nevermind that the mushroom theories are
actually as credible as any other theories presented.
While critical evaluation is definitely much appreciated in a work of this importance, it
should be balanced. It is not Letcher’s skepticism that I question, but the lack of
balance in his skepticism.
In the first half of the book, he appears skeptical only of the proponents of the various
theories of historic magic mushroom use, whereas he appears to accept the arguments of
their detractors as gospel, even though those counter-arguments are in some cases very
flimsy.
This lack of balance is especially blatant when one realizes that he uses the argument of
a changing environment (and flora) against the possible use of magic mushrooms by Druids
in a heavily forested ancient Britain even though it grows
abundantly in British pastures today, while simultaneously arguing that the Fly agaric
could not have been used in ancient Egypt because it does
not grow there today.
However, towards the end of the book, the author begins to be more balanced in his
presentation. Several times he acknowledges that there is no objective way to be certain
of various claims for or against, and that both viewpoints could be potentially valid.
Kudos for that!
Now, don’t let my slight criticism deter you from getting your hands on this book. It
really is a treasure trove for anyone interested in the discovery and early
experimentation with magic mushrooms in the West over the past century. The best and most
complete account ever written, I’m sure.
Shroom is also a book about the history of psychedelics in
general, including mescaline, LSD and ecstasy. Much space is devoted to Timothy Leary and
his LSD crusade in the 1960’s, as well as Adolus Huxley's earlier experiments with
mescaline.
So in spite of my reservations against Letcher’s somewhat unbalanced siding with the
critics against various theories of the historic use of magic mushrooms, I insist that if
you have a sincere interest in shrooms, you really do need to read this book. Just
remember to be open-mindedly skeptical of Letcher's sometimes overly critical commentary
about the 'unproven' theories of historic magic mushroom usage. The rest of the book is an
excellent read.
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