East Forest, a pioneer in the psychedelic music scene, is making a leap to the silver screen with his documentary, Music for Mushrooms. The film explores Krishna-Trevor Oswalt’s journey in introducing the symbiotic relationship between music and psychedelics to people around the world, casting light on the collective power and birthright we share in healing. His inner compass as a musician, producer, and ceremony guide offers an intimate, thoughtful space to process questions of spiritual healing and connection.
The cast includes a diverse array of voices, including spiritual leader and collaborator of the late Ram Dass, Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris (Professor of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California), musician Peter Broderick, renowned producer Jon Hopkins, DJ and producer ANNA, Hanifa Nayo Washington, and Xochitl Ashe, among others. Edited by Rachel Clara Reed, this cinematic experience is poised to be both wholesome and revelatory.
Premiering this September during National Mushroom Month, Music for Mushrooms debuts in theaters across major US cities including New York and Los Angeles.
With this film, East Forest continues to push the boundaries by offering viewers a profound invitation to explore their inner worlds through the lens of music and mushrooms. He was kind enough to answer a few questions about his journey as he made Music for Mushrooms.
What brought you to the intersection of mushrooms/psychedelics, spiritual healing, and art?
I’d have to say the mushrooms brought me to the world of introspection. But I also believe this is a natural human process that we are all sliding into in our own ways. We’re meant to look within and interestingly, it’s a process of working against the rising tide of attention-grabbing mechanisms around us every day.
What role do you believe music plays in the transformative healing during psychedelic journeys?
I believe music can be a primary guide for journeys. This has been the case for most of human history and it feels like music is a hidden and powerful tool in our tool belt. I think we need all of the tools we can use these days, so with the digital dissemination of music, we can reach lots of people in an accessible way at scale.
Can you describe how you blend shamanistic practices with these guided experiences?
It’s mostly about creating an invitation for something larger than our minds to speak to us. That is a very simple process of doing one thing at a time. Just listening, and creating space to do so, is powerful. I like to say that we create the space to be spoken to. So that choice of opening up to receive something larger is the first and primary doorway.
How do you approach the integration of mushroom experiences into participants’ everyday lives after their journeys?
The key is to continue to listen and be open to the experience communicating with you. This can happen over time and space as long as you choose to listen. We also need a strong community around us, the witness, to mirror back to us our decisions, to not fall into delusion. When we have an attitude of playfulness and curiosity, we can start to experiment with the inspirations that can come from the journey space and see how to implement action in our lives of change.
What were some of the most profound or surprising insights you gained while filming the documentary?
I realized how we are all suffering in our ways and how many people just hide that. We are all on a very similar journey of personal challenges. How we cross over — in those margins of our shared human experience — this is where we can relate and build bridges across the polarization.
What challenges did you face in bringing such intimate experiences to the screen?
Making movies is hard! Making a documentary is particularly challenging because we are filming something happening in real time. And we don’t know how it will end up. But we also needed to form a story and make intentions and plans around what we wanted to showcase. So it’s a dance of plans and happenings.
How do you hope this documentary and your continued work will impact the ongoing cultural conversation around psychedelics and mental health?
I hope that we can provide hope and inspiration to people everywhere who are curious about inner work. I want people to trust their intuition about the next steps on their path and feel motivated to take the first step. We need everyone, and everyone is needed. Inner work matters and I want to put that into the cultural narrative.
How have the first showings been going?
So many tears and words of support. It’s really a dream. I’m so looking forward to sharing this work with others.
Don’t miss the opportunity to experience this transformative journey yourself. To find a screening of Music for Mushrooms near you and to be a part of this groundbreaking exploration of music and healing, visit the official website for screening locations and dates. Join the movement and discover how the fusion of sound and psychedelics can illuminate new paths to personal growth and recovery.
Follow East Forest on Instagram and YouTube to be a part of his journey in celebrating the power of music. You can also find the incredible poster artwork at his store.