Sporting a baseball cap emblazoned with the words Mycelium Familia over a shaved head and a brown beard peeking from beneath a protective face mask, a creator introduced what he called the world's first tutorial on synthesizing a potent psychedelic compound across a three-day span.
Identified simply as Myco, a shorthand for mycologist, the educator declined to reveal his real last name to maintain anonymity given the unlawful nature of certain procedures featured in his broadcasts. When the chemical procedure concludes in the footage, a collaborating chemist displays a lab flask containing a greenish-blue liquid, though no live chemical verification test is performed on camera.
Warnings and Platform Bans
Despite the lack of on-screen testing, Myco offers a dramatic caution regarding the end product, telling viewers that accidental exposure to skin or eyes requires clearing their schedules for a month. Over the past ten years, the masked instructor has published more than 120 instructional videos spanning attempted LSD synthesis, psilocybin mushroom cultivation, mescaline extraction from cacti, and the preparation of DMT vape cartridges.
His online ecosystem included a Patreon page with over 14,500 subscribers, merchandise sales, and mushroom grower consultations. His YouTube channel, Willy's World, amassed upwards of 96,000 followers before being terminated after inquiries from external media outlets. A YouTube spokesperson confirmed the removal occurred under terms of service prohibiting the creation of replacement channels following a prior ban.
Myco criticized the decision on Instagram, noting his content had zero strikes and adhered to strict safety standards. Shortly thereafter, Patreon also removed his account following an internal investigation into instructions for creating controlled recreational drugs. Myco expressed hope of overturning the Patreon decision to continue funding his team, defending his work as strictly scientific education aimed at harm reduction.
Origins and Motivation
As psychedelics increasingly intersect with mainstream clinical research, Myco moves in the opposite direction toward radical individual self-sufficiency. Tracing his journey back to 2002, he claims the successful extraction of DMT helped pull him through a severe personal depression following family losses, inspiring a lifelong dedication to the subject.
After studying microbiology and encountering unwelcoming online drug forums, he transitioned to publishing video explainers in late 2014 while wearing a gas mask. The rapid growth of his audience led him to leave a lucrative pharmaceutical job in Boston and launch subscription tiers for his dedicated supporter base.
International Production and Controversy
By mid-2023, Myco set out to adapt foundational synthesis methods from legendary chemists Albert Hofmann and Sasha Shulgin into accessible video formats. To mitigate legal risks, he claims to have utilized a university laboratory in Pakistan in May 2024 that held governmental authorization for scientific psychedelic research, later releasing additional videos detailing the synthesis of MDMA and 2C-B.
His public distribution of drug manufacturing methods has drawn friction from established drug producers issuing safety warnings, as well as skepticism from prominent psychedelic researcher Hamilton Morris, who questioned the purity and visual coloration of the resulting LSD batch. Myco defended his established chemical routes against the criticism.
Operating with heightened security awareness and carrying firearms for personal protection, Myco continues to maintain a devoted following across the psychedelic community. He regularly organizes group excursions for his supporters to locations like Disney World and Arizona. If existing funding platforms maintain their bans, he intends to sustain his educational outreach through alternative channels and independent websites.
