In this talk, ethnomycologist Cullen Taylor Clark shares groundbreaking insights from over five years of fieldwork across Southern Africa. Drawing from thousands of kilometres of travel and in-depth interviews with traditional healers, diviners, and elders, Cullen reveals a living archive of fungal knowledge.

This exploration uncovers:

• Indigenous knowledge systems surrounding sacred and medicinal mushrooms
• The role of fungi in ritual initiation, healing ceremonies, and divination
• Ancient rock art, oral histories, and spiritual practices pointing to mushroom use
• The cultural and ecological importance of endemic fungi such as Psilocybe, Ganoderma, Truffles, Termitomyces, and more
• The broader implications of reclaiming and preserving African ethnomycological heritage as we look to psychedelics as a treatment to cognitive disorders

This is not just a talk – it is a restoration of memory and an invitation to engage with a part of Africa’s living culture that has long been hidden in plain sight.

About our Speaker: Cullen Taylor Clark is an ethnomycologist, researcher, and co-founder of Aether Apothecary, one of South Africa’s leading bioceutical manufacturers focused on sustainable, science-driven natural medicine. Through Aether, Cullen has helped bring production of natural medicine back to South Africa, creating jobs, building regenerative local supply chains, and pioneering clean, transparent, and effective bioceutical extractions.

For the past five years, Cullen has led The Lost Muti project, a groundbreaking ethnomycological initiative uncovering the ancient, undocumented use of fungi across Southern Africa’s indigenous cultures. Working under government-issued bioprospecting and psilocybin research permits, and in collaboration with Free State and Stellenbosch Universities, his research is bridging academic science and traditional knowledge in a way never before done on the continent.

His peer-reviewed works both published and in review have garnered international attention, and he has since lectured to thousands of people globally, including at institutions like the The UK psychedelic Society, MENSA, and various global ethnobotanical forums. He’s been interviewed by leading publications, including Forbes Africa and Longevity Magazine, and featured on top-tier podcasts such as Hamilton Morris, Mushroom Revival, Mycopreneur, and The Fungi Academy.

At the heart of all his work is a deep reverence for the natural world and the people who have safeguarded its secrets. With integrity, curiosity, and purpose as his compass, Cullen’s trying to redefine the way fungi are understood – not only as medicines or organisms but as sacred cultural allies woven into the spiritual and healing traditions of his homeland of South Africa.