Native psilocybin use in Southern Africa

Description of proposed project

In 2023, mycologists documented a new species of psilocybin mushroom native to Lesotho -- but more strikingly, they reported that traditional Basotho healers in the region were using the mushrooms for ritual purposes. In the summer of 2025, I traveled to the Lesotho highlands to investigate these claims. They were legitimate: healers were near-unanimously familiar with the mushrooms. Many of the healers described ritual uses to me that differed starkly from those documented elsewhere -- for instance, among the Mazatec Indians in Mexico. Whereas the Mazatecs consumed large doses of psilocybin for a single session, the Basotho consumed much smaller doses for longer periods of time, and they often mixed the mushrooms with other psychoactive plants.

The biochemical properties of these compounds remain unknown. But given that the modern psychedelic industry has drawn massively from Mazatec traditions -- for instance, in the emphasis on guided therapy, 'set and setting,' and the use of music -- it is likely that medical practice could also learn from the distinct Basotho traditions. Furthermore, the Basotho may be one case among many in Southern Africa. Native psilocybin mushrooms also grow in Tanzania, and Zimbabwe; but as of yet, no one has investigated whether indigenous groups in those regions use them in ways similar (or different) to those of the Basotho.

The aims of my project are twofold. First, I want to rigorously document the use of psilocybin by the Basotho, and aim especially to collect physical samples that can be analyzed by my partners at the University of Stellenbosch. Second, I want to expand my fieldwork into other parts of Southern Africa and investigate the possible ritual uses of psilocybin by indigenous groups in these areas.

The anthropological implications of this work could be massive. But more importantly, this documentation could identify new compounds and practices to benefit people struggling with mental illness in the West. The pharmaceutical use of psychedelics would be nonexistent if not for ethnographic study of the Mazatec. So the medical upside of studying Basotho use is incalculable.

Why are you qualified to work on this?

Aside from myself and my collaborator, Betsy Sethathi, no one else has conducted in-depth fieldwork on the use of psilocybin among the Basotho. Over the first round of fieldwork, I established connections with dozens of healers in the Lesotho highlands, and started collaborations with ethnobotanists, chemists, and neuroscientists from universities across South Africa.

What would you do if not funded?

With the initial $13,000 generously provided by Astral Codex Ten, I will be able to conduct a second round of fieldwork this January to collect physical samples of psilocybin-based medicines from Basotho healers. But without further funding, it will be difficult to conduct further rounds or expand my fieldwork into other parts of Southern Africa, like Zimbabwe and Tanzania, where indigenous groups may also be using native psilocybin mushrooms for ritual and medicinal purposes.

How much money do you need?

Every $20,000 covers about one round of fieldwork. During my PhD, I'd like to conduct 2-3 more rounds in Lesotho, and an additional 4-5 in Zimbabwe and Tanzania. $160,000 would cover the travel costs, research assistant salaries, sample transport and other expenses of all future fieldwork over the next five years.

Supporting documents

Paper in Mycologia that initially reported Basotho use of psilocybin: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00275514.2024.2363137