life is change

Curiosity is powerful. Curiosity is the cornerstone of evolution. Curiosity keeps us in constant relationship with change.

Mushrooms are curious entities! Evading scientific probing for centuries, they remain mostly mysterious to humans. Of the millions of terrestrial fungal species, only a small percentage have been identified — and a smaller handful yet can be grown in artificial environments.

That’s what mushroom farmers do — they cultivate and encourage the growth of mushrooms in artificial environments. Like their fungal counterparts, mushroom farmers also tend to be curious, and val ray king (of Impending Doom Relief) is no exception. Owner and sole proprietor of their small Philadelphia-based medicinal mushroom farm, their ongoing obsession with fungi began as a hobby. A decade later, there is no area of their life and work not influenced by or directly related to their investment in the fungal community (both human and more-than-human).

Impending Doom Relief specializes in the cultivation of medicinal mushrooms. This specificity is a direct result of the lasting impact medicinal mushrooms have had on val ray’s own wellness and quality of life. Taking mushroom medicine is a powerful practice with powerful results — some (like val ray) would say they are life changing.

Surviving under late-stage capitalism is exhausting and isolating. Mushrooms like Cordyceps, Lion’s Mane, Reishi and Turkey Tail nourish our minds and protect our bodies from harm. The mycelium that produce these (and all) mushrooms show us how everything in this life is connected. This knowledge, paired with a medicinal mushroom practice, can help combat the lonely conditions of a post-modern society. Building community, both human and more-than-human, starts with the relationship to the self. Are you kind to yourself? Do you believe that you deserve to be shaped by play and pleasure? In what ways do you nourish your own spiritual growth?

When questions like these were a huge source of anxiety for val ray, they realized they wanted to change their relationship to their self. Mushrooms showed them the way back to health and community. They invite you to join them on this journey — because we all deserve some relief from impending doom!