Not long ago, it felt like mushrooms were everywhere.
Amanita muscaria, cordyceps, lion’s mane, and reishi were having their moment. From mushroom coffee and functional blends to YouTube documentaries about fungal intelligence and brain health, the world was waking up to the power of the fungi kingdom.
Science educators like Rob Nelson (AKA StoneAgeMan) were at the heart of that movement. His videos reached millions, explaining how compounds in mushrooms interact with our biology, how fungi connect ecosystems, and why understanding these organisms could reshape human health.
But now something’s changed.
The Downward Trend
In a recent video, Rob broke down the data. And it’s sobering.
According to Google Trends, general searches for “mushrooms” remain strong. But more specific terms like psilocybin mushrooms, magic mushrooms, and even medicinal mushrooms have been in decline since 2023.
At first, you might think people just lost interest. But the story goes deeper.
Around the same time, several major mushroom education channels were banned from YouTube. Rob’s own channel was demonetised. Friends like Fungi Academy and Flora Fungi Podcast saw their accounts deleted, even though their content was purely educational.
Their supposed crime? Talking about mushrooms.
When Education Becomes “Dangerous”
Rob has spent years explaining the difference between edible, medicinal, and toxic fungi.
His content is not about promoting drug use, it’s about understanding nature. Yet he found himself repeatedly flagged for “dangerous content,” even when discussing topics like the opium poppy’s history or the ecology of poisonous mushrooms.
It’s the same frustrating logic he faced years earlier while working in education publishing, where even the suggestion of making a video about mushrooms was shot down over “liability concerns.”
“We could make it about the kingdom Fungi, but we definitely don’t want to encourage people to pick mushrooms, eat mushrooms, or really know anything about mushrooms,” he was told by bosses.
That’s the paradox of modern education: teaching people about danger is seen as dangerous.
The Algorithm Has Changed
Rob noticed that his once-thriving mushroom videos suddenly stopped being recommended.
His watch time and click-through rates stayed high, yet views dropped by 90%. Even worse, his analytics showed 0% of viewers under 25 - a sign his videos were being completely hidden from younger audiences.
When he contacted YouTube, they denied any shadowbanning. But the pattern was clear: mushroom-related education, especially content involving psilocybin or plant medicine, was being buried.
Who’s Behind It?
Some point to government pressure, since psilocybin remains a Schedule I substance in the U.S. But when Rob spoke to a contact at the FDA, they said it wasn’t coming from regulators.
Their theory? Big Pharma.
In the U.S. - one of only two countries where pharmaceutical companies can advertise directly to consumers - there’s a powerful incentive to suppress natural alternatives that can’t be patented.
And if platforms like YouTube and Instagram are throttling mushroom content, it’s not hard to see the effect: People aren’t reminded to search for it. Interest appears to “decline.” And the story of natural healing slowly fades from view.
What This Really Means
The “mushroom revolution” hasn’t disappeared. It’s just being hidden.
Interest in fungi, psychedelics, and functional wellness remains strong offline. But the algorithms have turned against the educators who built the movement in the first place.
This censorship doesn’t just hurt creators like Rob Nelson who are sharing vital information. It harms public understanding. Because when information about nature, ecology, and health is silenced, fear wins and curiosity dies.
A Call to Stay Connected
Rob is continuing his mission through newsletters, Patreon, and in-person education. He believes that the solution is community.
As he put it:
“Even if YouTube pulls the rug out from under us, we can keep going if we connect more in the physical world - at events, in the forest, and through each other.”
The mushroom movement is about connection. And connection can’t be censored.
