{"id":2023,"date":"2026-11-02T09:33:39","date_gmt":"2026-11-02T09:33:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rilofu.com\/?p=2023"},"modified":"2026-11-02T09:33:41","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T09:33:41","slug":"documentaries-psilocybin-psychedelics-spirituality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rilofu.com\/en\/documentaries-psilocybin-psychedelics-spirituality\/","title":{"rendered":"Documentaries on psilocybin, psychedelics and spirituality worth watching"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you are looking for documentaries on psilocybin and psychedelics, I would start with How to Change Your Mind<\/em> for a general overview, and with Descending the Mountain<\/em> if you are especially interested in the relationship between meditation, consciousness and spirituality. To get closer to a specific cultural tradition, I would add Huicholes: The Last Peyote Guardians<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This selection brings together eight works with different approaches: research, nature, music, personal stories and community life. The best choice depends on what you want to explore; a film can be valuable for the questions it raises even if not all of its claims have the same level of support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Listings and links checked on 2 November 2026. Availability, subtitles and rental terms may change depending on your country.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which documentary to choose based on your interests<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Documentary<\/th>Main focus<\/th>You may like it if you are looking for\u2026<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
How to Change Your Mind (2022)<\/td>History and research on several substances<\/td>An introduction organised by episodes.<\/td><\/tr>
Descending the Mountain (2021)<\/td>Psilocybin, Zen meditation and consciousness<\/td>A meeting point between research and contemplative practice.<\/td><\/tr>
Fantastic Fungi (2019)<\/td>Fungi, nature and possible applications<\/td>A visual way into the world of fungi.<\/td><\/tr>
Magic Medicine (2018)<\/td>Psilocybin and depression in a clinical trial<\/td>Getting to know participants, families and researchers.<\/td><\/tr>
Music for Mushrooms (2024)<\/td>Music, introspection and psychedelic experiences<\/td>An artistic and spiritual approach.<\/td><\/tr>
DOSED: The Trip of a Lifetime (2022)<\/td>Serious illness, fear of death and family bonds<\/td>A personal story about facing uncertainty.<\/td><\/tr>
DMT: The Spirit Molecule (2010)<\/td>DMT, research and questions about consciousness<\/td>Exploring the dialogue between science and philosophical speculation.<\/td><\/tr>
Huicholes: The Last Peyote Guardians (2014)<\/td>The Wix\u00e1rika people, spirituality and the defence of Wirikuta<\/td>Understanding a tradition through its relationship with the land.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

1. How to Change Your Mind: a good introduction to psychedelics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The docuseries How to Change Your Mind<\/em>, presented by Michael Pollan, has four episodes devoted to LSD, psilocybin, MDMA and mescaline. It is directed by Alison Ellwood and Lucy Walker and combines history, interviews and research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its structure makes it easy to start with a specific topic. If your main interest is mushrooms, the second episode focuses on psilocybin. The fourth widens the view towards mescaline and its cultural and religious contexts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I recommend it as a way to get your bearings before going deeper. It lets you compare stories and questions that often get mixed together under the word \u201cpsychedelics\u201d. For some background on the substances and how they differ, see our section on psychedelics<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is worth keeping its production date in mind: it is a 2022 series. Its expectations about research or legal changes should be checked against later information, especially if you want to know which treatments exist today. For the Spanish context, see the legal status of psychedelics in Spain<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Listing and access:<\/strong> How to Change Your Mind on Netflix<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Descending the Mountain: psilocybin, meditation and spirituality<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Directed by Maartje Nevejan, this documentary follows an experiment with Zen meditators on Mount Rigi, in Switzerland. Psychiatrist Franz Vollenweider and Zen teacher Vanja Palmers take part in a study that combines meditation, psilocybin and a group that receives a placebo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is one of the options most directly related to psilocybin and meditation. Its interest lies in the meeting between contemplative practice and the study of subjective experience: how the perception of oneself changes and how the connection with one\u2019s surroundings is described.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is also appealing for its use of animation, sound and visual resources to portray experiences that are hard to put into words. That artistic dimension offers another way of approaching questions about consciousness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would choose it if you are interested in meditation and experiences of unity, close to what many people describe as ego dissolution<\/a>. The existence of a study does not, on its own, settle the philosophical or religious interpretations of those experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Viewing options:<\/strong> official Descending the Mountain website<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Fantastic Fungi: nature, wonder and the fungal world<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fantastic Fungi<\/em>, directed by Louie Schwartzberg and narrated by Brie Larson, uses time-lapse photography to show the growth and diversity of fungi. It covers ecology, mycelium and possible health-related applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its scope is broader than psilocybin. That is precisely why it is one of the best documentaries about mushrooms to start with: it places an interest in mushrooms within a wider curiosity about ecosystems and the relationships between living beings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its main appeal is visual. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to approach the subject through nature and wonder, or to share a film with someone who is not yet interested in psychedelic research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the spiritual side, it can open a conversation about belonging and our relationship with the environment. That is one possible reading of the documentary; its images are not proof of metaphysical beliefs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Information and access:<\/strong> official Fantastic Fungi page<\/a>. Its streaming platform<\/a> offers versions in several languages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Magic Medicine: the human side of psilocybin research<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Monty Wates\u2019s documentary follows three participants, their families and the team behind a trial on psilocybin and depression. The film was made over several years and released in 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What it adds to this list is a close look at real people: what it means to live with depression, how hope is placed in an experimental intervention and what questions come up along the way. The project is linked to the work of the team at Imperial College London.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would choose it to complement the more philosophical or wide-ranging documentaries. It helps turn attention to the clinical context and the lives behind the headlines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is also a chance to remember the difference between a filmed testimony and the full results of a study. To assess effectiveness, how long changes last or side effects, you need to go to the studies themselves. We have gathered the main ones in this summary on psilocybin and depression<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Listing and trailer:<\/strong> Magic Medicine website<\/a>. You can also check its Disney+ listing<\/a> and see whether it is available on your account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Music for Mushrooms: music, listening and introspection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This 2024 documentary follows musician and filmmaker East Forest, the stage name of Krishna-Trevor Oswalt. It explores his work at the intersection of music, psychedelic experiences, spirituality and the search for connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The film raises a different question: what role do listening, atmosphere and artistic creation play in a personal experience, something closely tied to set and setting<\/a>. It is a good choice for those who approach spirituality through sound or are curious about East Forest\u2019s work and his relationship with Ram Dass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would recommend it for its artistic approach. It can be a starting point for talking about how we use music to accompany emotions, remember or pay attention, a line we also explore in our music and listening<\/a> approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The perspective comes from the creator himself and the people who appear on his journey. It is best to understand their stories of transformation as testimonies, without automatically turning them into proof of therapeutic effectiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trailer and access options:<\/strong> Music for Mushrooms on the East Forest website<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. DOSED: The Trip of a Lifetime: illness and the fear of dying<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Directed by Tyler Chandler and Nicholas Meyers, this documentary follows Laurie and her family after a cancer diagnosis. The story covers the authorised use of psilocybin to face end-of-life anxiety, alongside other personal searches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its interest for a selection on spirituality lies in its questions about time, love and how to live when the future feels uncertain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would choose it for its family and existential dimension, with one specific reservation: it also presents cannabis as part of a search for possible cancer cures. That part needs checking. The CDC states<\/a> that studies have not shown that cannabis or cannabinoids can cure cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Relieving emotional suffering and treating a tumour are different goals. One person\u2019s story cannot establish the effectiveness of a cancer treatment. If there is a serious illness or ongoing medication, it is essential to know who should not take psychedelics<\/a> and to talk it through with the medical team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Access:<\/strong> official DOSED website<\/a>. See also its FAQ page<\/a> for access and subtitle options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. DMT: The Spirit Molecule: consciousness and philosophical questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This documentary by Mitch Schultz centres on Rick Strassman\u2019s research with DMT and combines interviews with reflections on science, philosophy and spirituality. Joe Rogan serves as host. It was released in 2010.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here the central substance is DMT. It should not be confused with a documentary specifically about psilocybin, nor used to attribute the same effects to both substances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may enjoy it if you like questions about the nature of consciousness and non-ordinary states of consciousness<\/a>. It opens a conversation that goes beyond clinical applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watching it calls for separating data, personal descriptions and interpretations. Experiencing something as deeply true does not, on its own, prove that the experience reveals an external reality. You can listen to its meaning without accepting every explanation offered; we explore this in the meaning of experience<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Listing and trailer:<\/strong> DMT: The Spirit Molecule on Google Play<\/a>. Check the languages: the listing we consulted only showed English subtitles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Huicholes: The Last Peyote Guardians: spirituality and land<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Directed by Hern\u00e1n Vilchez, this 2014 documentary follows the Ram\u00edrez family and covers the defence of Wirikuta, the sacred territory of the Wix\u00e1rika people, against threats linked to mining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is especially relevant for understanding that a spiritual tradition involves family relationships, places, responsibilities and collective memory. Peyote appears within that cultural fabric.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would include it to widen a selection focused on individual experiences. It invites us to ask who tells a story, what a practice means to the community that keeps it alive and what is lost when it is reduced to a substance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The documentary portrays a specific conflict at a specific moment. To learn about the current situation in Wirikuta, it is worth also checking recent sources from the communities involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Information and viewing:<\/strong> official Huicholes website<\/a>, with a link to its online distribution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In what order to watch these documentaries<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You can put together a small series depending on the topic that interests you most:<\/p>\n\n\n\n