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Her Magic Mushroom Memoir

Her Magic Mushroom Memoir

By: John Wasson • Darren Hackett
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About this listen

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 Christopher Wade may be the only one who can help carry her truth forward. The twist? Chris has his own clock ticking down. Copyright © 2024–2025 by John H. Wasson. All rights reserved. This podcast is for personal use only. You may stream or download episodes for your own listening, but no part of this podcast may be reproduced, shared, or distributed in any form without prior written permission from the author—except for brief excerpts used in reviews or educational references.2025 Drama & Plays
Episodes
  • Ep. 22: Epilogue and Afterword
    Feb 19 2026

    Last time, Exa traveled from Danbury to Brooklyn to scatter Lidiya's ashes. Along the way, she listened to a recording of Lidiya's final days: Chris's confessions, Lidiya's compassion, and the sacred mushroom ceremony that set him on a path toward healing.


    In this final episode, Chris wrestles with the hardest part of storytelling: the ending. Fourteen months after Lidiya's death, he's healthier, stronger—and suddenly unsure of everything.


    A consequential journey awaits. Unexpected messages from the past challenge what he thought he knew. And somewhere high above the clouds, dreams, symbols, and memories begin to swirl.


    This is the moment when Chris must decide what comes next—on the page, and in his life.

    Copyright 2025 John H. Wasson

    https://hermagicmushroommemoir.com/episodes

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    30 mins
  • Ep. 21: Persephone Quest
    Feb 19 2026

    Last time, Chris returned from a walk still wrestling with the weight of Lidiya's story—and his own doubts about finishing her book. Over dinner, an unexpected memory surfaced: a long-buried misunderstanding between Lidiya and Exa. What unfolded was a reckoning years in the making—an apology, a confession, and a new path forward. But just when it seemed every tension had eased, a call from his estranged wife sent Chris reeling, leading him to a bridge high above the frigid Housatonic River as it thundered over the spillway of Stevenson Dam. In this episode, we reach the final chapter of Lidiya's life—and the end of the memoir. Ashes are scattered. Voices echo in memory. And the threads that once seemed loose and fraying are gently tied—into something whole.

    Copyright 2026 John H. Wasson

    https://hermagicmushroommemoir.com/episodes

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    43 mins
  • Ep. 20: Spillway
    Dec 25 2025

    Last time, Lidiya journeyed through visions both luminous and unsettling, guided by Exa's steady presence. Amid hallucinatory forests, a ten-foot dewdrop, and the shifting edges of perception, she discovered clarity, a rekindled sense of wonder, and the quiet assurance that even in darkness, the mind—and the heart—can find their way home.

    In this episode, Chris begins to unravel. Haunted by regret, alcoholism, and loss, he reaches a point he's never dared go before. With Jefferson Airplane on the radio and the spillway roaring below him, a decision must be made: surrender to the dark—or find something still worth saving.

    Copyright 2025 John H. Wasson

    https://hermagicmushroommemoir.com/episodes

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    43 mins
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