“The most precious substance in the Universe is the spice melange. The spice extends life. The spice expands consciousness.” — Frank Herbert, Dune
With the release of Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” (shout out to the director and fellow Quebecois), a new generation is learning about the epic scope of Frank Herbert’s universe, the beguiling sands of Arrakis, and the mystical power of the spice.
In the world of Dune, “spice” or “spice melange” is the most valuable commodity in the universe. Weaved amongst the sands of the planet Arrakis, this naturally-occurring substance gives users heightened awareness, longevity, and an ability to see into the future (it also causes a “navigation trance” and powers for interstellar spaceflight, which is why the empire and Dune’s version of Big Pharma want it so badly). In the world of Dune “he who controls the spice controls the universe.”
Published in the 1960s and arguably the most famous sci-fi book ever, there have been decades of fan theories around its potential psychedelic inspiration. And rightfully so. From the book’s focus on spice’s conscious-expanding effects, to it giving you glowing blue eyes, to many themes around meditative spirituality and connection with nature, it’s not a stretch to wonder if Mr. Herbert wasn’t a secret psychonaut.
Spice “gives insight”, an “inward eye”, and the ability to “look where we cannot — into both feminine and masculine pasts.”
“I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”
“Hope clouds observation.”
Quotes from the pages of Dune or overheard at a Tulum cacao ceremony?
Jokes aside, it seems reasonable to speculate that Herbert was connected to the world of mindfulness and psychedelic exploration. And we got confirmation from the mushroom man himself.
The world’s most famous mycologist, Paul Stamets, spoke with the author for his 2005 book “Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World”. Stamets said that Frank Herbert was an avid mycologist, sharing his methods for spreading mushroom spores. He then confirmed what many fans had always believed to be true:
“Frank went on to tell me that much of the premise of Dune—the magic spice (spores) that allowed the bending of space (tripping), the giant sand worms (maggots digesting mushrooms), the eyes of the Fremen (the cerulean blue of Psilocybe mushrooms), the mysticism of the female spiritual warriors, the Bene Gesserits (influenced by the tales of Maria Sabina and the sacred mushroom cults of Mexico)—came from his perception of the fungal life cycle, and his imagination was stimulated through his experiences with the use of magic mushrooms.”
Dune. Thanks to shrooms.