Andrew Garfield has had ‘spiritual’ experiences on magic mushrooms

Andrew Garfield has taken magic mushrooms and has had "spiritual" experiences whilst high on the hallucinogenic plant.

The 33-year-old British actor has admitted he has experimented with ‘shrooms’ – which grow in the wild and contain the psychedelic compounds psilocybin and psilocin – always whilst in the outdoors and he says the episodes have had a positive effect on him as a person.

Speaking about seeing his first play put on by renowned theatre company Théâtre de Complicite, he said: "The first time I honestly understood the concept of spirituality was when I saw my first play, I was 16, it was this Théâtre de Complicite piece and it was like something waking up inside me, saying ‘This is what I’m supposed to do, ‘ It was mysterious. Almost like being on mushrooms; the doors of perception fade away."

Recalling his experiences with mushrooms, he added: "Look, I’m not in any way advocating young people do it, but I have had amazing experiences, with mushrooms. I’ve always done it in a kind of ritualistic way, out in nature. It really can be a spiritual thing."

Meanwhile, Andrew stars as Desmond Doss in Mel Gibson’s new acclaimed World War II movie ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ and insists the director is nothing like the person he had read about in the news.

Mel hit the headlines back in June 2006 when he went on his now-infamous anti-Semitic rant when he was arrested by Jewish deputy James Mee of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for driving under the influence in Malibu, California, an incident which also saw him call a female police officer "sugar t*ts". Later on, he also had domestic abuse claims made against him by his ex-partner Oksana Grigorieva, the mother of his six-year-old daughter Lucia.

However, Andrew says the 61-year-old star has paid for his mistakes and as far as he is concerned he is a "good man".

He told ShortList magazine: "I’ve heard the stuff we’ve all heard about events 10 years ago, but whenever I talked to anyone who actually knew him, they would tear up about him. They’d speak with so much love. Then I met him, and I got it. It was like, ‘You’re amazing. You’re a good man who’s been through some rough times, and taken responsibility for that. Now, let’s go to work."

Andrew has also praised Mel for his directing, adding he was hugely attentive.

He added: "Mel is just … it’s all on the surface, all the time. He’s in the scene with you. He gives a "s**t so much".