Why did magic mushrooms evolve to produce Psilocybin?

This question has been asked since before the 60's social revolution. It costs the magic mushrooms a lot of energy to produce Psilocybin, but why? Scientists have discovered that not only once, but twice, mushrooms have evolved separate pathways to produce this compound and become magic mushrooms. Is it for spiritual purposes or is there a more mundane reason?

There are a few leading potential answers. Magic mushrooms may produce a compound that deters predators, a hallucinogen in magic mushrooms might alter animal behavior to disperse magic mushroom spores or could it be accidental?

Research into magic mushrooms is ongoing but there are a few hypothesis currently being explored. We can delve into potential reasons magic mushrooms produce psilocybin and psilocin in the following article about psilocybin production in magic mushrooms.