In the mid-20th century, Psilocybe cubensis gained popularity in Western culture as a result of the studies conducted by ethnobotanist R. Gordon Wasson and psychologist Timothy Leary. Wasson's research on the use of magic mushrooms in indigenous Mexican cultures popularized the idea of "magic mushrooms" and introduced the concept of psychedelics to the Western world. Leary went on to popularize the use of psychedelics as a tool for personal growth and spiritual exploration, leading to the widespread use of Psilocybe cubensis in the counterculture movement of the 1960s and 1970s.