We Dream You Up

Synthesizing psilocybin in yeast raises ethical, cultural, and ecological questions that challenge the boundaries of synthetic biology. Drawing on Indigenous knowledges, postcolonial theory, and new materialism, the article uses fictional vignettes and drawings to explore how this technology affects relationships among space, time, and matter. It highlights the risk of commodifying beings traditionally embedded in Indigenous practices and considers matter's agency in entanglements with human intervention. The work provokes critical reflection on the onto-epistemological and psychedelic discourses surrounding synthetic biology, urging more nuanced approaches to its frontiers.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This interdisciplinary research paper recombines Indigenous knowledges, postcolonial and new materialist theory, as well as fictional vignettes and drawings, to critically examine the biological synthesis of psilocybin through yeast. Against the backdrop of the “psychedelic renaissance” and consensus in the synthetic biology industry that generally, edited genes are “beyond containment”, the study addresses emergent ethical, cultural, and ecological implications of this nascent technology. The article charts potential ramifications of synthetic fungi on the intertwined relationships among space, time, and matter. Speculative narratives serve as conduits for exploring the multifaceted dimensions of non-human/human relationships and engage postcolonial perspectives on the commodification of beings traditionally embedded in Indigenous cultural practices. New materialist perspectives also inform discussion of matter’s agency and its entanglements with human interventions. This research contributes to ongoing onto-epistemological and psychedelic discourses, posing critical provocations to the ethical boundaries of synthetic biology frontiers, encouraging nuanced approaches to this new field.