Paul Stamets is a mycologist, author and advocate of bioremediation and medicinal fungi. In this animation he describes the incredible properties of fungi as well as an overview of how mushrooms could have played a massive role in the evolution of human consciousness.

Full conversation between Paul and Joe Rogan can be heard via Part 2 above.

Paul did want to issue one correction: Folks, On this broadcast, I made a misstatement. Although the divergence of basidiomycota is estimated to be as far back at 1.2 billion years ago, the fossil, Gondwanagaricities magnificus is estimated to be more than 100 million years old. "Molecular clock estimates suggest the divergence of the Basidiomycota around 500 Ma to 1.2 billion years [26] and G. magnificus establishes the earliest calibration point so far for the Agaricales, with a new minimum age of 113–120 Ma.” Source: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...

“Mushrooms come up and disappear in four to five days. Some can feed you, some can kill you, some can heal you or take you on a spiritual journey.”