What I Learned from 50,000 Hours Myconauting

It was a crystal-clear evening in July 2004, on a pristine beach on Koh Phi Phi, Thailand. I was just another rational, analytical, left-brained technology professional taking a break from a stressful career. I had no idea I was about to embark on a journey that would consume the next two decades of my life and completely reshape everything I thought I knew about reality.

What happened next defied everything I thought was possible. As I lay on the beach enjoying the crystal-clear night sky, my consciousness expanded beyond my body, beyond the island, beyond Earth itself, until I was looking down at the magnificent entirety of the universe. In that moment of cosmic unity, I experienced what I can only describe as being “one with every single thing.” I was no longer Michael the individual—I was Michael the integral part of the whole.

I had no idea what was happening, but in that moment, I became a myconaut—an explorer of the vast, interconnected networks of consciousness that bind all life together, just like mycelial networks connect forests under our feet.

My 50,000-Hour Odyssey Begins

Malcolm Gladwell has made popular the idea that mastery requires at least 10,000 hours of deliberate practice. What he doesn’t tell us is what happens if you spend 50,000 hours exploring the very nature of consciousness itself.

My journey began with two years of intensive research—quantum physics, religious texts, anthropological studies, Ken Wilber's Integral Theory, Spiral Dynamics, consciousness mapping, and a whole bunch more. I was desperately trying to make sense of what had happened to me on that beach. But research was just the beginning.

The Early Years: Mapping the Territory

Hours 1-5,000: The Seeker Phase

I devoured everything I could find about consciousness, mystical experiences, and human potential. Werner Erhard's mantra became my guiding principle:

“There is something I do not know, the knowing of which could change everything.”

I learned that my experience wasn’t unique. I’ve since met hundreds of people who’ve experienced the same. It’s all part of a vast, largely unexplored territory of human consciousness.

Hours 5,000-10,000: The Experimenter Phase

I began actively exploring different states of consciousness through meditation, breathwork, and other practices. For reasons I’m still not sure of, I avoided taking any form of substance. Why chase the white rabbit when what I had experienced felt so real anyway? Over time, I discovered that the mycelial consciousness I had met wasn’t a one-time event. It is an accessible state of awareness that reveals the fundamental interconnectedness of all life. The mystics and the mystery schools all know this, but of course I didn’t. Our pursuit of material success blinds us to these fundamental truths.

The Middle Years: Pattern Recognition

Hours 10,000-20,000: The Pattern Phase

Something extraordinary began to emerge. I started seeing the same patterns everywhere. I saw them in plants, in human societies and systems, in technological systems, in the rise and fall of civilizations. The mycelial model wasn’t just a metaphor; it was a blueprint for how complex systems actually function.

Hours 30,000-40,000: The Systems Phase

I began to understand that we’re living through a fundamental transition in human consciousness. The material operating system that has driven civilization for 12,000 years is reaching its limits. Yes we’re facing environmental, economic and social crises. But these pain points are simply the birth pangs of a new form of human awareness. What we’re witnessing is entirely new ways of engaging with each other and with more-than-human life itself. And there’s nothing mystical about this. It’s just not part of our life lessons, so we’re completely unaware of it all.

The Mature Years: Integration and Innovation

Hours 40,000-50,000: The Builder Phase

The final phase has been about translation and application. It’s by far been the most demanding.

• How do we take mystical experiences and cosmic consciousness and turn them into practical solutions for planetary challenges instead of individual experiences alone?

• How do we help others not only access these states of awareness, but live in this state of knowing?

• How do we build systems that operate on mycelial principles? Especially when Every Single One of our systems operate on material principles. Our entire planet runs on MaterialOS™ (Trademark inherited by approximately 117 billion co-owners and auto-renewed by human consciousness since ~10,000 BCE)

Even bigger questions emerged for me: What’s my role in all of this? What is my purpose, my calling? What am I uniquely here to do that no one else can? Gulp.

What 50,000 Hours of Myconauting Taught Me

Lesson 1: We Are Living Systems, Not Machines

MaterialOS™ treats humans, organizations, and even ecosystems as machines to be optimized. But 50,000 hours of poking holes in MaterialOS™ leads me to unquestioningly accept something profound: we are living networks, more like forests than factories. The whole Survival of the Fittest meme is a dangerous lie. When we operate like living networks do — by sharing resources, communicating through multiple channels, supporting each other's growth — we become exponentially more capable, and happy. And that’s where MaterialOS™ simply crashes. Even rebooting doesn’t clear the blue screen of death. But that’s the only operating system we’re offered, from the day we’re born.

Lesson 2: An Operating System Is the Ultimate Technology

We’re looking for solutions to global challenges in the wrong places. I know, because I’ve spent two decades doing the same. Recycling. Saving water. Reducing consumption. Restoring soil. Building water retention landscapes. Bioregioning. The breakthrough innovations we need won’t come from our individual efforts alone. They’ll come from an upgraded operating system. In a shift from MaterialOS™ to MycelialOS™. (Trademark as emergent property of collective participation).

When we make this shift, we transcend entirely the material paradigm of binary choices: regeneration versus extraction, collaboration versus competition, systems versus individual optimization. We synthesize into field dynamics that operate on frequencies beyond anything our MaterialOS™-conditioned minds can currently comprehend. (OK, that may be a little too deep for now. Bear with me.)

Lesson 3: The Transition Is Already Underway

Everywhere I look, I see signs of a great transition. People are awakening to the interconnectedness of all life. Organizations are (admittedly slowly) beginning to operate as living systems rather than merely competing for a bigger share of the market. Communities are forming around shared ways of thinking about their role on the planet, rather than just shared interests. MycelialOS™ isn't coming—it's already here, waiting for us to learn how to work more systemically with it.

Lesson 4: Individual Awakening Isn’t Enough

This was unquestionably the hardest lesson. My personal transformation was profound. It entirely changed the trajectory of my life. Others I’ve met report the same experience. But planetary transformation requires a collective upgrade to MycelialOS™. We need millions of people — not just a few thousand — to forever abandon the blue screen of death that the dominant operating system keeps presenting. We need systems and structures that support and amplify this shift, not just individual practices.

The Grand Challenge: Building the System

Here’s what 50,000 hours of myconauting has made crystal clear: we need a system.

Not another app. Not another course. Not another community platform. Not another directory. We need a living system that:

• Connects myconauts across the globe in real-time collaboration

• Amplifies the upgrade path through network effects

• Translates mystical experiences into practical experiences

• Scales MycelialOS™ practices to planetary levels

• Supports the transition from MaterialOS™ to MycelialOS™

• And most importantly, supports myconauts with a healthy income, outside of MaterialOS™.

We need a system that operates like a mycelial network itself—decentralized yet coordinated, resilient yet adaptive, individual yet collective.

The Vision: A Mycelial Revenue Ecosystem

Imagine a global network of myconauts, all connected through a living system that provides:

• Direct access to a MycelialOS™ C-Suite—learn from the most experienced consciousness practitioners who’ve mastered making money in the MaterialOS™ and then upgraded to the MycelialOS™

• Real-time strategy sessions with the down-to-earth founder—get insider perspective on global developments and how they impact our collective evolution, with immediate strategic guidance

• Zero-confusion clarity process—follow a proven roadmap that eliminates overwhelm and provides instant clarity on your next steps in upgrading from MaterialOS™ to MycelialOS™ 

• Elite A-player support network—tap into a team of world-class consultants and specialists who can accelerate your projects through outsourced expertise or direct consultation

• AI-enhanced MycelialOS™ thinking tools—access cutting-edge artificial intelligence designed specifically to refine and amplify your insights

• Exclusive high-trust experiences—receive invitations to carefully curated online and in-person gatherings with fellow advanced myconauts

• License MycelialOS™ systems—instantly scale your impact by using our proven frameworks and methodologies

• No-fluff myconaut community—join a tight-knit network where every member is serious about planetary scale MycelialOS™, with zero tolerance for surface-level tyre-kicking and pontificating.

This isn’t science fiction and it’s not a pipe dream. This is the next stage of human evolution, and the technology to build it exists today. The content has been carefully and methodically curated over more than two decades.

Your Invitation: Join the Grand Mission

I’m done being a solo myconaut. It’s exhausting. I’ve come soooo close to giving up on many occasions. I’ve exhausted my life savings pursuing all these rabbit holes. 

After 50,000 hours of really challenging work (and guidance from incredible people), I’ve learned that the most important discoveries happen in community. The most powerful shifts happen when we support each other’s evolution. The most effective solutions emerge when we think and act as a collective intelligence.

I’m building the system. And I need you to build it with me.

What We’ll Create Together

This isn’t just another startup or social venture. This is the infrastructure for humanity’s next evolutionary leap. We’ll be creating:

• The first truly mycelial organization—structured like a living network, not a hierarchy

• A platform for collective intelligence and collective earning—where breakthrough insights emerge from our interactions and our insights earn an income

• A coordination system for planetary healing—connecting regenerative efforts across all scales

• A measurement framework for consciousness evolution—tracking our collective progress in real-time

Who We Need - the MycelialOS™ Collective

Consciousness Pioneers

• Experienced myconauts who’ve done their own deep inner work and are ready to scale their impact beyond personal transformation

• Consciousness researchers who can help us map and measure the territory of human awareness evolution

• Visionary leaders who can help us navigate the transition from MaterialOS™ to MycelialOS™

Systems Architects

• Systems builders who understand how to create technology that serves life rather than extracting from it

• Regenerative practitioners who are already working on planetary healing and understand living systems design

• Network designers who can build infrastructure that operates like mycelial networks—decentralized, resilient, and adaptive

Creative Communicators

• Master storytellers who can translate mystical experiences into compelling narratives that inspire mass awakening

• Impactful video creators who can capture the essence of mycelial consciousness and make it accessible to millions

• Visionary artists who can create imagery, music, and experiences that bypass rational mind and speak directly to the soul

• Content alchemists who can transform complex consciousness concepts into engaging, shareable formats across all media

Cultural Translators

• Brand architects who understand how to build movements that transcend traditional marketing and create genuine cultural shifts

• Community builders who can foster high-trust environments where authentic transformation happens

• Experience designers who can create in-person and virtual gatherings that catalyze collective consciousness evolution

• Communication strategists who can navigate the challenge of speaking about transcendent experiences in material-world language

Bridge Builders

• Integration specialists who can help translate mycelial insights into practical applications for business, education, and governance

• Cultural ambassadors who can carry the mycelial message into existing institutions and communities

• Youth connectors who can engage the next generation in consciousness evolution

• Global coordinators who can synchronize efforts across different cultures, languages, and time zones

The Time Is Now

We’re living through the most important moment in human history. The next decade will determine whether we collectively evolve to MycelialOS™ or remain stuck in the MaterialOS™ patterns that are destroying our planet.

MycelialOS™ is ready to emerge. Will you help birth it?

Ready to Join the Grand Mission?

The beach in Thailand was just the beginning. The 50,000 hours of rabbit holing were just preparation. The real work starts now—with you, with all of us, building the system that will change everything. (I really don’t like hyperbole, but I hope you can see how passionate I am about this.)

I’m itching to become more than just an individual seeker. Are you? Are you willing to pull the plug on MaterialOS™ for good in your own life? Might you be champing at the bit to become part of the collective operating system that’s about to transform our world?

The MycelialOS™ network is calling. Your unique piece of the puzzle is needed. The grand mission cannot succeed without you.

Join us. Let’s build that system that will regenerate our planet and evolve our species. (If you know me, you’ll know that I don’t make statements like that lightly, but I’m tired of the slog and getting nowhere. So many feel the same.)

Let's become the planetary nervous system that Earth has been waiting for.

Our first Zoom call takes place on Thursday 24th. Find out how you can participate and leave an email address to stay updated here: https://myc.michaelhaupt.com

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Dictionary Definition: Myconaut

Paul Stamets is a pioneer in mycology. As far as I know, he coined the term “myconaut,” but I cannot find a definition for it anywhere. I’ve never undertaken a mushroom expedition. Maybe I should. Paul’s insights into mycelial networks and consciousness have shaped my understanding and guided the creation of my work. You should check him out.

Here’s my definition of a myconaut. (Thanks Paul for all you do, and thanks AI for the image.)

Dictionary definition of Myconaut

myconaut

/ˈmaɪkəˌnɔːt/
noun

Etymology

From Greek mykēs (fungus) + nautes (sailor, explorer). Originally coined by mycologist Paul Stamets in reference to explorers of fungal consciousness and psilocybin experiences. Later adapted to describe consciousness explorers more broadly.

Definitions

1. An explorer of consciousness networks and interconnected awareness states, particularly those that reveal the fundamental unity and interconnectedness of all life systems.

2. A practitioner who investigates mycelial consciousness—forms of awareness that operate like fungal networks, emphasizing collaboration, resource sharing, and collective intelligence over individual competition.

3. One who actively participates in the transition from MaterialOS (material consciousness focused on extraction, competition, and individual optimization) to MycelialOS (consciousness based on regeneration, collaboration, and systems health).

4. A consciousness researcher who explores non-ordinary states of awareness to understand planetary and cosmic interconnection, often through mystical or transcendent experiences.

Usage Examples

• “After her transformative experience on the beach in Thailand, she became a dedicated myconaut, spending years mapping the territories of expanded consciousness.”

• “The myconaut community is building systems that operate like living networks rather than hierarchical machines.”

• “Unlike traditional spiritual seekers focused on individual enlightenment, myconauts work to scale consciousness evolution at planetary levels.”

Related Terms

• Mycelial consciousness: The awareness of fundamental interconnectedness of all life

• MycelialOS: The consciousness operating system based on network principles

• Consciousness evolution: The development of human awareness toward higher levels of integration

Cultural Context

The term represents a new category of consciousness explorer emerging in the 21st century, focused not just on personal transformation but on collective evolution and planetary healing through expanded awareness. Myconauts typically combine mystical experience with practical systems thinking to address global challenges through consciousness-based solutions.

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For Paid Subscribers: the webinar that changed everything

On Thursday, 17 July I held two webinars called Innovation at the End of Normal (one for AsiaPac and one for US time zones).

The guests’ response to both webinars profoundly changed how I feel about what’s happening in the world. While I can’t share the lively discussion (that lasted more than an hour in each webinar), I can share the 30 minute presentation that underpins where we’re going with Myconauts and MycelialOS. Enjoy and thanks for supporting this work!