Have you ever wondered about all the mysteries that lie beneath the surface of Arrakis, only to be drawn in by a secret hint that eluded the sharpest-eyed readers? You’re not alone! Millions of Dune fans may have missed a subtle yet fascinating fact about the blue sandworm piss before it was unveiled on Joe Rogan’s podcast last month.
The secret came out in an intense discussion with the famous mycologist, Paul Stamets, who was a close friend of Frank Herbert, the mastermind behind Dune. Many of the events in Dune: Part Two are surprising to people who have not read Herbert’s intimidating novel Dune. Certain revelations in the films would have been extremely difficult to predict in the absence of prior knowledge of the plot.
And if you are a fan of the iconic sci-fi classic Dune, you will not want to miss last month’s The Joe Rogan Experience episode. In this groundbreaking interview, Stamets revealed a hidden clue that a huge number of fans left out: the significance of blue sandworm piss.
Joe Rogan’s Podcast Exposed the Missing Clue in Dune’s Blue Sandworm Piss
For years, Dune enthusiasts have debated the mysterious blue substance found in the desert of Arrakis. Some speculated that it was a byproduct of the sandworms, while others believed it to be a hallucinogenic drug. The truth, however, was only revealed after Paul Stamets shared his personal story.
When Stamets appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience, he disclosed that Dune author Frank Herbert “was a friend of mine”. The former discussed his friendship with Herbert on the podcast, relating how the author gave him the idea for the blue sandworm piss. In Stamets’ words:
“Frank Herbert came up to visit me. He told me he was growing Chanterelle in Christmas trees that were just 5 years old. I go ‘that’s impossible, how are doing that’ and he goes, ‘Well I take them and pour it into the water and then I pour it to the base of the trees and it comes up’. So there’s a blue juIce and if you take any cabin mushrooms that’s potent you put in the water, you create blue juice. And this is in Dune 2 where they drink it and so I asked Frank the eyes are blue, are these shamanic women who have this highest cented cult is that based on Maria Sabina and ….those blue eyes and those blue juice. And he goes, ‘You’re the first person that’s noticed this..”
Mycologist Paul Stamets is a proponent of medicinal fungi and bioremediation. Additionally, he edited the official companion book to the 2019 documentary Fantastic Fungi (via NY Times).
Stamets went on to explain how Herbert experimented with the blue sandworm piss, delving into the depths of his own mind and unlocking hidden truths about the universe. The experience was so profound that Herbert incorporated it into his novel, making it a central plot point.
Exploring the Legendary Spice in Dune and Its Link to the Iconic Blue Eyes
An adverse consequence of eating a lot of spice is having blue eyes. The eyes of the Fremen are blue because they live in the Arrakis desert, surrounded by spices. Leo Wiggins, co-host of the Gom Jabbar: A Dune Podcast, explained to TODAY:
“Those are called the eyes of Ibad. That’s the characteristic ‘blue within blue eyes’ of the Fremen because inevitably their diets are very filled with spice.”
Alright, so what basically are spices? In their episode focused on spices, the hosts of Gom Jabbar claimed that spice, also known as melange, is an ingredient that can only be found on the planet Arrakis and is “the driving force for the galactic economy”.
Anyway, with a 92% Rotten Tomatoes critic score and a very successful opening weekend, Dune: Part Two by Denis Villeneuve is sweeping the globe. The cast performances and visual effects of the movie won accolades from critics, who gave it “largely rave reviews” (see BBC).
Dune: Part Two can be rented on Apple TV.
