Mycophobia

Mycophobia
People with Mycophobia experience unease and anxiety in the presence of Mushrooms
SpecialtyPsychology

Mycophobia is the fear of mushrooms and fungi. People with this phobia will have anxiety, distress, stomach pain and more.

History

The term mycophobia was coined by R. Gordon Wasson and his wife Valentina Pavlovna Wasson in 1957, when they published a seminal work titled Mushrooms, Russia, and History. Looking into the relationship between humans and mushrooms, their work explores "mycophobic cultures, focusing mostly on English-speaking and Germanic countries, which are generally suspicious of mushrooms and mostly associate them with danger and toxicity."

See also

References

  1. ↑ Staff, Editorial (2023-03-27). "Fear of Mushrooms and Other Fungi Phobia - Mycophobia". FEAROF. Retrieved 2026-09-02.
  2. ↑ "Mycophobia: The Fear of Mushrooms Reinterpreted". North Spore. 2024-05-30. Retrieved 2026-09-02.
  3. ↑ Gilmour, Charlie (2023-10-22). "'For every problem, there is a mushroom with an answer': overcoming our British fear of fungi". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-09-02.
  4. ↑ Sayner, Adam (2022-05-04). "Mycophobia: Understanding the Fear of Fungus". GroCycle. Retrieved 2026-09-02.
  5. ↑ Ott, Jonathan (1976). "Psycho-mycological studies of Amanita–from ancient sacrament to modern phobia". Journal of Psychedelic Drugs. 8: 27–35. doi:10.1080/02791072.1976.10472005.
  6. 1 2 Šima, Karel (2025-11-14). "Fungi in popular culture reconsidered: Four more-than-human entanglements". European Journal of Cultural Studies. SAGE Publications Ltd: 13675494251384046. doi:10.1177/13675494251384046. ISSN 1367-5494.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: article number as page number (link)