Podcast Archives | Psychedelics Today: Recent Episodes
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Psychedelic research is growing rapidly, but how do we help regions in active conflict? In this episode of Psychedelics Today, Joe Moore is joined by Neeka Levy and Zach Skiles of Heal Ukraine Trauma, a nonprofit bringing psychedelic-assisted therapy to veterans and civilians affected by war. They discuss the organization’s origins, the impact of intergenerational […]
The post Neeka Levy and Zach Skiles – Healing Ukraine Trauma appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
Psychedelic research is growing rapidly, but how do we study something as subjective as a mystical experience? In this episode, Joe interviews Josh Lipson, a Ph.D. candidate in clinical psychology at Columbia University, whose research explores the relationship between psychedelics, mystical experiences, and mental health. He discusses the complexities of studying psychedelics in real-world settings, […]
The post How Psychedelics Impact the Mind: Mysticism, Mental Health, and the Future of Psychedelic Research appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
More and more people are looking to have psychedelic experiences every day, but what do you do if you don’t know who to go to – if you don’t have that in-the-know friend that so many of us had? How do you find the right facilitator? In this episode, Joe interviews Nico and Susan Simon: […]
The post How Do You Find the Right Facilitator? The Art of Matchmaking in Psychedelic Healing appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews renowned chemist, filmmaker, and journalist, Hamilton Morris. After originally backing down from its first attempt in 2022, the DEA is once again looking to apply schedule I status to two lesser-known compounds: DOI (2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine) and DOC (2,5-dimethoxy-4-chloroamphetamine). For decades, DOI and DOC have been incredible tools for researchers studying serotonin […]
The post Is the DEA Sabotaging Psychedelic Research? Inside the Push to Schedule DOI and DOC appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
As society becomes more virtual and disconnected, many of us are looking for new ways to touch, feel, and connect. What is Kama Flight, and how can it be used with psychedelics? In this episode, Joe interviews Jeremy Falk: certified instructor and training program developer for Kama Flight; and Dr. David Rabin, MD, Ph.D.: board-certified […]
The post Kama Flight: The Healing Power of Somatic Movement, Communication, and Trust appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Ariel Clark: Anishinaabe attorney and co-founder of the Psychedelic Bar Association, a national association of lawyers involved in the highly-regulated ecosystem of psychedelic law. She talks about ethics: How do the different societal norms of each lineage we carry interact with each other? What is the cultural framing that informs […]
The post Can Legalization Serve the Greater Good? The Ethical Challenges of Psychedelic Law appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
What is RSO? What is THC-A? Do sativa and indica really mean what we think? How much do we really know about cannabis? In this episode, Joe interviews Angie Roullier: longtime veteran of the cannabis industry and author of the book, Pot for the People: The Plant, the People, and the Shop Policies of Cannabis. […]
The post Pot for the People: Debunking Cannabis Myths and Empowering Consumers appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Kyle interviews Tommy Aceto: former Navy Seal and trauma medic, and now, ambassador for the Veteran Mental Health Leadership Coalition and advisor at Beond Ibogaine. He talks about how much the psychedelic space focuses on healing and mental health, but doesn’t talk enough about the overall wellness that can come from a […]
The post How Psychedelics Can Help Build a Better You: The Power in Letting Go appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Melanie Curtis: world record professional skydiver, keynote speaker, coach, co-host of the Trust the Journey podcast, and author of How to Fly: Life Lessons From a Professional Skydiver. Curtis shares her journey from taking her first transformative leap out of an airplane to becoming a leader in skydiving, public speaking, […]
The post Taking the Leap: Skydiving, Psychedelics, and Unlocking Personal Potential appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
Psychedelics are going mainstream, but society’s views on addiction and recovery models are still behind. Is the recovery community ready for psychedelics? In this episode, Joe interviews Dan Ronken: licensed professional counselor and addiction counselor with a private practice in Boulder, CO, called Inclusion Recovery, and lead trainer and facilitator for the Integrative Psychiatry Institute […]
The post Rethinking Addiction and Treatment Models: Is the Recovery Community Ready for Psychedelics? appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
What can we learn from the mystical roots of psychedelics? And what can we learn from dreams? In this episode, Joe interviews Shauheen Etminan, Ph.D.: co-founder of VCENNA, a drug discovery and development company, and Magi Ancestral Supplements, which sells nootropics inspired by ancient Eastern traditions. He discusses his journey into the world of plant […]
The post The Mystical Roots of Psychedelics: Exploring Dreams and the Liminal State appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Paul Grof: research psychiatrist, clinician, author, brother of Stanislav, professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto, and director of the Ottawa Mood Disorders Center. He talks about his extensive career in psychiatry, and how trying to understand the cause of mood disorders led him to focusing on the very […]
The post Transpersonal Connections, the Body’s Memory, and the Collaborative Nature of Consciousness appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
Whether you’re a drug user or not, society as a whole has been hurt tremendously by the War on Drugs. Can we win the battle with education and sensible policy? In this episode, Joe interviews Kat Murti: executive director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), the largest nationwide network of students fighting to replace […]
The post The War on Drugs: The DEA’s Attempt to Schedule DOI & DOC and the Fight for Sensible Policy appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Howard Kornfeld, MD: renowned pain medicine expert, addiction specialist, early pioneer in psychedelic medicine, and currently the director of recovery medicine at Recovery Without Walls. As a leader in the utilization of buprenorphine, he talks about how it came about as a treatment for addiction and chronic pain, its similarities […]
The post The Potential of Buprenorphine, the Risks of Ketamine, and How Psychedelics Could Prevent Nuclear War appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Veronica Lightning Horse Perez: therapist, speaker, author, activist, and co-chief proponent for the Natural Medicine Health Act of 2022 (Prop 122); and Sean McAllister: attorney specializing in the regulatory, health care, business, and religious freedom aspects of psychedelic medicines, and one of the drafters of Prop 122. This episode was […]
The post Regulation, Decriminalization, and Religious Freedom: Prop 122’s Challenges and Opportunities appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews two members of the Heroic Hearts Project: Founder and President, Jesse Gould; and Director of Development and Head of Family Relations, Allison Wilson. Gould gives a background of Heroic Hearts Project and discusses their current projects and future goals, and Wilson talks about her nonprofit, The Hope Project, and its […]
The post How Family Healing Shapes Veteran Recovery appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
Most cannabis enthusiasts have experienced the wide range of possible effects, from a subtle happy high to one that floors you. The question must be asked: Is cannabis a psychedelic? And how can we make it more so? In this episode, Victoria interviews Max Montrose: Founder of the Trichome Institute, a company offering online courses […]
The post Is Cannabis a Psychedelic? Exploring the Science of Indoles, Interprening, and Intention appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
New ways of looking at non-ordinary experiences and integration are always being conceived. What is the 3-axis framework? In this episode, Kyle interviews Pierre Bouchard, LPC, LM: therapist, minister, and former professional vinyl DJ specializing in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy and ministry. Bouchard introduces his 3-axis framework for psychedelic integration, which looks at the personal, the transpersonal, […]
The post The 3-Axis Framework: A New Model for Psychedelic Work appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
Can erotic energy be as transformative as a psychedelic experience? In this episode, Joe interviews Bria Tavakoli, LPCC, MA, MS: a therapist specializing in relational and sex therapy, with a focus on helping clients integrate psychedelic experiences. She shares her personal journey with psychedelics and how they unlocked deep trauma, allowing her to develop a […]
The post Sex and Psychedelics: Healing Through Altered States appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
While the psychedelic industry is facing intense growing pains, the ketamine industry has been allowed to grow, largely unchecked. How did we get here, and how does the ketamine space rebuild trust? In this episode, Kyle interviews Juan Pablo Cappello: co-founder and former CEO of Nue Life Health, whose assets were subsequently acquired by Beckley […]
The post Standards, Ethics, and Integration: Rebuilding Trust in the Ketamine Industry appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
It becomes more apparent every day how much isolation and focusing so much on the individual is hurting us. Can psychedelics – and specifically, group therapy – be the answer to our crisis of individualism? In this episode, Kyle interviews Geoff Bathje, Ph.D.: licensed psychologist, researcher, former Full Professor, and co-founder of Sana Healing Collective, […]
The post From Individualism to Connection: How Psychedelics and Group Therapy Can Heal Our Collective Crisis appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
There is a delicate balance between risk and efficacy with any psychedelic intervention, but especially with ibogaine. Just how safe is ibogaine therapy? In this episode, Joe interviews Thomas Feegel: co-founder of Beond Ibogaine, an ibogaine treatment and research facility in Cancún, Mexico. When Feegel first heard of ibogaine 16 years ago, he found that […]
The post How Safe is Ibogaine Therapy? The Delicate Balance of Risk and Efficacy appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
There is more psychedelic research happening today than ever before, but is anyone collecting it all into one place? And can we find trends in all that data? In this episode, David interviews Floris Wolswijk: senior project manager at Delphi; co-founder of FLO coaching; and founder of Blossom, an online informational hub collecting psychedelic courses, […]
The post Why Psychedelic Research is Booming: Current Trends and Hurdles appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
As the mainstreaming of psychedelics continues, ketamine-assisted therapy at work (well, through one’s employer) is no longer a pipe dream. What does the future of employee benefits look like? In this episode, Joe interviews Jessica Tracy: head of sales & partnerships at Enthea, a company that works with employers, unions, and employee assistance programs to […]
The post Ketamine-Assisted Therapy at Work? The Future of Employee Benefits appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe and Kyle finally meet up again for the first episode of Psychedelics Lately: the updated version of the much-missed Psychedelics Weekly, where they’ll meet each month to talk about the most interesting stories in psychedelics. The main story this month is the fate of Massachusetts’ Question 4: Regulated Access to Psychedelic […]
The post Psychedelics Lately – Massachusetts’ Question 4 and Updates in Psychedelics and Chronic Pain appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
While the science of psychedelics is regularly discussed, the intersection of philosophy and psychedelics isn’t as much. Can an understanding of metaphysics bring more meaning to non-ordinary states? In this episode, Joe interviews Dr. Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes: philosopher, lecturer at the University of Exeter, co-director of the Breaking Convention conference, and author who most recently co-edited […]
The post Philosophy and Psychedelics: Can Metaphysics Bring Meaning to Non-Ordinary States? appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
As the spectrum of interest in psychedelics broadens more every day, interdisciplinary connections become more important than ever. What is the Penn Psychedelics Collaborative? In this episode, Joe interviews 4 members of the team: Co-Founder, Taylor Andrews Flatt, PMHNP; Associate Director, Victor Pablo Acero, Ph.D.; Professor in Fine Arts and Co-Director of the Weitzman School […]
The post The Penn Psychedelics Collaborative and the Power of Interdisciplinary Connections appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
With the passing of the Natural Psychedelic Substances Act (Question 4), Massachusetts could be the next state to follow in Colorado and Oregon’s footsteps and legalize and regulate natural psychedelics. In this episode, Joe interviews two people on the frontlines of the campaign, Graham Moore and Community Engagement Director, Jamie Morey. They discuss the specifics […]
The post What You Need to Know About Massachusetts’ Question 4 and the Natural Psychedelic Substances Act appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
What is healing justice? And what does psychedelic education look like through the lens of healing justice and anti-oppression? In this episode, Joe interviews Diana Quinn, ND: naturopathic doctor, healing justice practitioner, and director of clinical education at the Naropa Center for Psychedelic Studies, where she directs their Psilocybin Facilitator Training certificate program. She discusses […]
The post Psychedelic Education Through a Healing Justice Lens appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
The psychedelic space was dealt a huge blow when the FDA decided not to approve MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD under Lykos’ proposal. Was the FDA fair to Lykos? And what are the next steps for Lykos and MAPS? In this episode, Joe interviews Rick Doblin, Ph.D.: founder and president of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic […]
The post The FDA, MDMA, and Public Perception: Was the FDA Fair to Lykos? appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
While legislators in several states are crafting their own psychedelic legalization bills, are Indigenous communities being included? In this episode, Kyle interviews Gabriela Galindo: program coordinator of FLOWS (Foundations for Leaders Organizing for Water and Sustainability), an organization working towards social and environmental justice, ecosystem restoration, community building, and the preservation and protection of Indigenous […]
The post Protecting Indigenous Wisdom: Rethinking Psychedelic Legalization appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
Telling our stories of psychedelic healing is more important than ever, but sometimes, those stories aren’t so clear cut. Can applying the classic archetype of the Hero’s Journey to your narrative help you find your story? In this episode, Joe interviews Mareesa Stertz: lead of strategy/communications at the Global Psychedelic Society, co-founder of Lucid News, […]
The post The Hero’s Journey: Finding Your Story in Psychedelic Healing appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
Does combining the knowledge from Indigenous traditions with more research-backed Western frameworks land us in the sweet spot where science meets spirit? In this episode, Joe interviews Micah Stover: certified psychedelic somatic therapist and author of the upcoming book, Healing Psychedelics: Innovative Therapies for Trauma and Transformation; and Craig Heacock, MD: adolescent, adult, and addiction […]
The post Healing Psychedelics: Where Science Meets Spirit appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
Is the globalization of ayahuasca hurting tradition and taking ayahuasca further away from its Indigenous roots? Or is it spreading its culture to the people who need it most? In this episode, David interviews Glauber Assis, Ph.D.: research associate at the Interdisciplinary Group for Psychoactive Studies, director of the Psychedelic Parenthood community, Vital instructor, and […]
The post The Globalization of Ayahuasca, Psychedelic Parenting, and the Power of Ceremony appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
Researching the true history of substances deemed illegal can lead to surprising results. In the case of LSD, does its history include a connection between Nazi Germany, the CIA, and the roots of MKUltra? In this episode, Joe interviews Norman Ohler: award-winning novelist, screenwriter, and journalist. Following in the footsteps of Blitzed: Drugs in the […]
The post Tripped: The Connection Between LSD, Nazi Germany, and MKUltra appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
With so much attention being placed on the psychedelic experience itself, too many people are getting stuck in patterns of chasing the experience without making space for integration. In this episode, Kyle interviews Lana Pribic, M.Sc: host of the Modern Psychedelics podcast, certified professional life coach, and founder of Kanna Wellness. She talks about her […]
The post Intention, Making Space for Integration, and Finding Joy in the Mundane appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
After years of work, MAPS/Lykos was finally able to present MDMA to the FDA as a possible tool in the fight against PTSD, only to be denied in devastating fashion. Just why did the FDA reject MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD? In this episode, Joe interviews Ingmar Gorman, Ph.D.: clinical psychologist and co-founder and CEO of […]
The post Why Did the FDA Reject MDMA-Assisted Therapy for PTSD? appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
Psychedelic experiences can be a key drivers toward finding your soul’s purpose. But how can the insights learned lead to professional growth or a completely new career? In this episode, Kyle interviews Beth Weinstein: spiritual business coach, host of the “Medicine For These Times” podcast, and founder of the Psychedelics, Sacred Medicines, Soul’s Purpose & […]
The post Finding Your Soul’s Purpose: Harnessing Psychedelic Insights for Professional Growth appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
As more people have experiences with non-ordinary states, integration becomes more important than ever. But if there isn’t one in your area, how can you create your own psychedelic integration circle? In this episode, David interviews Daniel Shankin: psychedelic integration coach, Vital instructor, and founder and director of Tam Integration. He talks about the underrated […]
The post Coaching, Fractal Inquiry, and How to Create Your Own Psychedelic Integration Circle appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
Cluster headaches are considered to be the most severe pain a person can experience. With scarce research and no funding, citizen-led science has taken over, and sufferers may have discovered the answer: psychedelics. In this episode, Joe interviews Joanna Kempner, Ph.D.: associate professor in the Department of Sociology at Rutgers University and author of the […]
The post Psychedelic Outlaws: Cluster Headaches, Citizen Science, and the Story of ClusterBusters appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
Breathwork can be a powerful tool for addressing trauma and supporting growth, but the community formed around it seems to prove where the true magic lies: the healing power of connection. In this episode, Kyle interviews Mustapha Khan: Emmy Award-winning director with over 100 film and television credits, who has worked with clients such as […]
The post Breathwork, Holding Space, and the Healing Power of Connection: Documenting the Dreamshadow Community appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
While the concept is often unfairly reduced to replacing one drug with another, many people struggling with addictions are proving that there’s a positive link between the use of psychedelics and addiction recovery. Can microdosing be a factor? In this episode, Joe interviews Danielle Nova: founder of Psychedelic Recovery, founding team member of Decriminalize Nature […]
The post Psychedelics and Addiction Recovery: Microdosing and Redefining the Path to Sobriety appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
Modern Western culture has conditioned us to suppress our feelings and bury negativity, exacerbating any existing trauma and often creating more. With the rise in popularity of psychedelic-assisted therapy, just how important is it for practitioners to be trauma-informed? In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, David interviews Deanna Rogers: Registered Clinical Counselor and Vital […]
The post Empathy and Agency: Why Psychedelic Practitioners Need to be Trauma-Informed appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
While Oregon and Colorado make all the headlines around establishing legal frameworks for psychedelic use, much is happening behind the scenes in other states. One state is Illinois and what they hope to accomplish with the Illinois CURE Act. In this episode, Joe interviews Jean Lacy: Executive Director of the Illinois Psychedelic Society; and La […]
The post The Illinois CURE Act: Shaping the Future of Psychedelic Policy appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
It’s no secret that psychedelic experiences can make people think differently, resulting in more open-mindedness and connection. How can that concept be applied to corporate culture to create more connected leadership? In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, David interviews Rachelle Sampson, Ph.D.: researcher and founder of Blue Prism Coaching; and Bennet Zelner, Ph.D.: researcher, […]
The post Regenerative Economics and Psychedelics: Creating More Connected Leadership appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
As the psychedelic renaissance continues to spread throughout the West, we learn more about these substances and experiences every day. But are we losing the important ancestral teachings and Indigenous knowledge that got us here? In this episode, Kyle interviews Alonso Del Río: author, musician, filmmaker, founder of the Center for Healing and Consciousness Studies […]
The post Ancestral Teachings for the Psychedelic Renaissance appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
There are many different aspects to consider when integrating a psychedelic experience, and many tools to help, like engaging in shadow work, practicing meditation, and even applying teachings from Buddhist philosophy. In this episode, Vital instructor, Diego Pinzon, hosts his first podcast, interviewing Vital graduate and clinically-trained psychologist, “The Kinki Buddhist”: Kate Amy. As Amy’s […]
The post Buddhist Philosophy, Shadow Work, and Integrating a Psychedelic Experience appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
Rumination, or repetitive self-focused thought that’s typically critical and/or negative, is at the heart of many psychiatric disorders. Could psychedelics and psychedelic-assisted therapy help? In this episode, Chris Koddermann interviews two members of the Center for the Neuroscience of Psychedelics at Mass General Hospital: founding director, author, and co-founder of three drug development companies, Dr. […]
The post Rumination, the Default Mode Network, and How Neuroplasticity Changes Over Time appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
A recent report estimated that four million people in the U.S. started microdosing in the last year, with many microdosing at work to improve their leadership skills. But most people start their practice alone, which leads to the question: How much do preparation and peer support change the microdosing experience? In this episode of Vital […]
The post Microdosing at Work: How Psychedelics are Creating Better Leaders appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
The path of the psychedelic renaissance has largely touched on the aspects of therapy, personal growth, and initiation rites, but now, the relationship between psychedelics and creativity is being studied more and more. Can psychedelics really increase intellect, novelty, and problem solving? In this episode, Joe interviews Dr. Bruce Damer: astrobiologist with a long history […]
The post Psychedelics and Creativity, Endo-Tripping, and the Origins of Life on Earth appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
Jungian psychology takes a fascinating look at the relationship between the conscious and unconscious parts of our minds. How is this framework brought more to the forefront through psychedelics and an understanding of our many parts? In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, Johanna interviews Jung experts and Vital instructors: Maria Papaspyrou, psychotherapist and co-founder […]
The post Jungian Psychology, Psychedelics, and the Multiplicity of Self appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
As many mushroom enthusiasts will attest: the more you learn about the fungal kingdom, the more you see how important mushrooms are to every ecosystem they’re a part of – and how life-changing a relationship with them can be. In this episode, Joe interviews Jasper Degenaars: mycologist, educator, and the Hyphae Headmaster at Fungi Academy, […]
The post Exploring the Fungal Kingdom: Cultivation, Connection, and the Potential of Permaculture appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
Psychedelics in palliative care has become an exciting new framework for people looking to ease anxiety and embrace spirituality, but the concept is not as simple as just providing a substance. In this episode, Joe interviews Livi Joy: Director of Health and Safety, Existential Palliative Ministry Lead Facilitator, and more at Sacred Garden Community (SGC). […]
The post Psychedelics in Palliative Care: Screening, Safety Measures, and Experiences With the Divine appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
What are bad trips, or adverse, negative, or challenging experiences? Can a definition truly define the power they have to create intense distress and sometimes life-defining moments? Why do they happen, and how do you deal with them? In this episode, Joe interviews Erica Rex, MA: award-winning journalist, past guest, thought leader on psychedelic medicine, […]
The post Understanding Bad Trips: The Power and Potential of Adverse Psychedelic Experiences appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, Johanna interviews Monica Nieto: Vital graduate, psychedelic facilitator and integration coach, and founder of Holistic TherapeutiX, a retreat center offering cannabis and breathwork retreats; and Jordana Ma: past Vital instructor and psychological counselor who runs retreats in Peru following the Asháninkan tradition of traditional Amazonian medicine. They discuss […]
The post Ecopsychology, Plant Dietas, and Plant Consciousness: Building a Relationship with Nature appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Jon Reiss: critically acclaimed filmmaker, author, and host of the Plantscendence podcast, which tells people’s psychedelic stories and is beginning its second season soon. He talks about his early days of directing Nine Inch Nails and Type O Negative videos, and how Plantscendence was born after he realized that the […]
The post Meditation, Exploring Spiritual Traditions, and the Wisdom of Plant Medicine appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, David interviews Sara Reed: Vital instructor, lecturer, and lead psychedelic research therapist at Imperial College London; and Alex H. Robinson: Vital student, integration coach and psilocybin facilitator for Heroic Hearts Project, and distinguished Army SOF combat Veteran with a decade of active duty service. Reed has worked with […]
The post Difficult Conversations, the Need for Culturally Competent Care, and Why Representation Matters appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe and REMAP Therapeutics Founder, Court Wing, host Lynn Watkins: medically retired USAF JAG & Ops Resource Mgmt Specialist; and C.J. Spotswood, PMHNP: principle psychiatric clinician at REMAP Therapeutics, and author of The Microdosing Guidebook: A Step-by-Step Manual to Improve Your Physical and Mental Health through Psychedelic Medicine. Watkins tells her story […]
The post Chronic Pain and Inducing Neuroplasticity With Psychedelics appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, David interviews Casey Paleos, MD: Vital instructor, researcher, psychiatrist with a private practice offering ketamine infusion therapy and KAP, and co-founder of Nautilus Sanctuary, a non-profit psychedelic research, education, and advocacy organization. Paleos talks about how stress creates trauma, and how the symptoms Western medicine tries to silence […]
The post Symptoms as Signals: Trauma and the Role of Inner Healing Intelligence appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Kyle interviews Peter A. Levine, Ph.D.: developer of Somatic Experiencing®, educator, and author of several best-selling books on trauma. His most recent book, An Autobiography of Trauma: A Healing Journey, is exactly that: a change from more scholarly writing into an extremely vulnerable telling of his early childhood trauma and how he […]
The post Transforming Trauma: Community, Connection, and the Healing Power of Vulnerability appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, Johanna interviews Erika Dyck: author, professor, historian, Vital instructor, and research chair in the History of Health & Social Justice at the University of Saskatchewan. Dyck talks about the book she co-edited: Women and Psychedelics: Uncovering Invisible Voices, which was released in March as a Chacruna anthology, and […]
The post Women and Psychedelics: History’s Untold Stories appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Lia Mix, LMFT, CPTR: founder and CEO of Delphi, a consulting firm dedicated to the healthy growth of the psychedelic movement. After many years of working in community mental health and 15 years in the commercial health insurance industry (where she helped to establish coverage for autism), Mix was one […]
The post Building a Unified Psychedelic Future: Ethics, Standards, and a Path to Affordable Access appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, David interviews Kaitlin Roberson: Vital graduate and co-founder and CEO of Cacti Therapeutics, a psychedelic biotech company developing novel therapies for chronic pain; and Dr. Michele Cox, DO: current Vital student, veteran, physician, and co-founder of LifeBloom, a brand new company focusing on bringing community and connection into […]
The post Self-Care, Destabilization, and the Holistic Nature of Psychedelics appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Dr. Amanda Holley: pharmacologist and regulatory consultant in nonclinical drug development, and previously a nonclinical pharmacology/toxicology reviewer at the FDA. With Lykos Therapeutics working towards FDA approval of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD, ICER (Institute for Clinical and Economic Review) recently published its draft evidence report, concluding that they couldn’t endorse […]
The post An Inside Look at the FDA and Early Drug Development appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, Kyle interviews two Vital graduates: Alice Dommert: certified breathwork facilitator and co-founder of retreat company, The Infinite Center; and Kara Tremain, ACC: somatic practitioner and growth and development coach. A huge part of Vital is the experiential aspect of attending a retreat. Students report that being part of […]
The post Community, Group Process, and Co-Creation: How to Build a Successful Retreat appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Charles Stang: Professor of Early Christian Thought and the Director of the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard Divinity School. The Center was created to gain a better understanding of world religions by bringing scholars from their respective countries to study and live alongside Divinity School students. […]
The post From the Eleusinian Mysteries to Modern Mysticism: The Role of Religion in the Psychedelic Experience appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode – the first in the 2024 series of Vital Psychedelic Conversations – David interviews Pierre Bouchard, LPC: Vital instructor and lead trainer for the Congregation for Sacred Practices; and Kara Tremain, ACC: recent Vital graduate-turned-instructor, somatic practitioner, and growth and development coach. In this series, we pair up a Vital instructor with […]
The post Exploring Somatic Practices and Psychedelics appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Kyle interviews Alex Belser, Ph.D. and Bill Brennan, Ph.D.: psychologists, psychedelic researchers, authors, and co-creators of the EMBARK model, a framework for psychedelic therapy. When Belser and Brennan worked together at Cybin, they canvassed the field of psychedelic research and saw very little reporting (if any) of the manuals researchers were using. […]
The post The EMBARK Model of Psychedelic Therapy appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, special guest host Court Wing interviews Monica Verduzco-Gutierrez, MD: professor and chair of rehabilitation medicine at UT Health San Antonio; Joel Castellanos, MD: co-founder and associate medical director of the Center for Psychedelic Research at UC San Diego; and MaryAnn Welke Lesage: a long COVID survivor who reports experiencing drastic improvement in […]
The post Long COVID and Psychedelics appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Sean Lawlor: writer and therapist specializing in ketamine-assisted therapy at Reflective Healing in Fort Collins, CO. His first book, Psychedelic Revival: Toward a New Paradigm of Healing, will be released on June 4. Written as somewhat of a primer for psychedelics and psychedelic therapy, he talks about how he decided […]
The post Embracing the Mystery: Making Psychedelic Literature Engaging appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Elliot Marseille, DrPH, MPP: founding director of UC Berkeley’s Collaborative for the Economics of Psychedelics (CEP), a network of health economists and researchers analyzing the economics behind emerging psychedelic-assisted therapies. In the early days of drug research, efficacy was the leading factor in decision making, but as time has gone […]
The post The Economics of Psychedelics appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews two members of The Daschle Group: Founder and CEO, Senator Tom Daschle; and Public Policy Advisor, Charlie Panfil. As Senator Daschle served in the House of Representatives for eight years (starting in 1978) and the Senate for 21, he was deep in the War on Drugs at its peak, and […]
The post Breaking Through Bureaucracy: Can D.C. Embrace Evidence-Based Drug Policy? appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Kyle interviews Simon Yugler: psychedelic-assisted therapist, educator, and author of the book, Psychedelics & the Soul: A Mythic Guide to Psychedelic Healing, Depth Psychology, and Cultural Repair, which comes out this fall. He digs into depth psychology and why it’s a beneficial framework for navigating non-ordinary experiences – a practice he believes […]
The post Depth Psychology, Archetypal Energies, and How Psychedelics Reveal the Soul appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David interviews Sami Awad: Palestinian peace and nonviolent activist and founder of Holy Land Trust in Bethlehem; and Leor Roseman, Ph.D.: Israeli neuroscientist, researcher, and senior lecturer at the University of Exeter. They talk about Roseman’s 2021 paper, “Relational Processes in Ayahuasca Groups of Palestinians and Israelis,” which looked at what happened […]
The post RIPPLES of Hope: Psychedelics as a Tool for Peacebuilding and Collective Healing appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews two members of the Heroic Hearts Project team: Director of Donor Development and founder of The Hope Project, Allison Wilson; and Director of Research and founder of Hystelica, Dr. Grace Blest-Hopley. They discuss how The Hope Project – a nonprofit that supports spouses of veterans, Gold Star Wives, and female […]
The post The Other Side of Veteran Healing: Secondary PTSD and Post-Retreat Family Dynamics appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe and Kyle interview William Richards, STM, Ph.D.: senior advisor at Sunstone Therapies, psychologist at the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, contributor to Vital, and author of Sacred Knowledge: Psychedelics & Religious Experiences. He talks about the first time he experienced psilocybin in a […]
The post Early Research, Psychedelics in Palliative Care, and the Intersection of Science and the Sacred appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Shahar Amit: psytrance musician who has created what may be the world’s first modular album for psychedelic exploration under his project, Held By Sound. He talks about his background in the rave and festival scene, the moment he realized he wanted to make music, and the realization that he could […]
The post Music for Psychedelic Exploration and the First ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ Album appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe and special guest, Court Wing, interview Tommy Aceto: former Navy Seal and trauma medic, NCAA athlete, Michigan State Champion Wrestler, and now, psychedelic advocate and ambassador for the Veteran Mental Health Leadership Coalition. He discusses his journey from childhood to wanting to become a SEAL, and the toll that military life […]
The post The Veteran Community and Operator Syndrome: Psychedelics and Redefining Pain Management appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Kyle and Johanna catch up, interviewing each other about psychedelic education and what they’ve learned, the biggest challenges, and what advice they would give to anyone looking to get involved in the psychedelic field. They discuss: and more! The next round of our year-long training program, Vital, begins in September, but for […]
The post Psychedelic Education: Insights, Advice, and Where to Start appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Philip Wolf: writer, member of Rolling Stone’s Culture Council, founder of Cultivating Spirits (the first company in the U.S. to offer legal culinary cannabis experiences), and founder of CashoM, an education company offering a certificate in cannabis stewardship. He discusses his recent Rolling Stone article about the need to divorce […]
The post Decolonization, Difficult Conversations, and the Challenge of Merging Spirituality and Science appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe and Kyle interview Lenny Gibson, Ph.D.: philosopher, Grof-certified Holotropic Breathwork® facilitator, 20-year professor of transpersonal psychology at Burlington College, and the reason Joe and Kyle met many years ago. He talks about his early LSD experiences and how his interest in the philosophy of Plato and Alfred North Whitehead provided a […]
The post Bicycle day Reflections, Quantum Mechanics, and the Value in Studying Philosophy to Understand Psychedelic Experiences appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Joey Lichter, Ph.D.: professor in the Chemistry & Biochemistry department at Miami’s Florida International University, and one of the few professors in the U.S. teaching a course about psychedelics at the collegiate level. He talks about his path towards the course, the challenge of creating a curriculum that covers everything […]
The post Rethinking Drug Education: From D.A.R.E. Scare Tactics to an Evidence-Based Approach appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Devon Phillips: Community & Partnerships officer for the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). Phillips works on strategies to tackle the questions: How do we responsibly mainstream psychedelics? And how do we get culture engaged? He’s focusing on being the bridge to psychedelics outside of research, facilitating workshops and psychedelic […]
The post Updates from MAPS: Current Initiatives, Psychedelic Science 2025, and Music as a Bridge appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Keeper Trout: archivist, author, photographer, co-founder of the Cactus Conservation Institute, and creator of Trout’s Notes, a website compiling personal research and collected data to help ethnobotanical researchers. From an interest in cactus taxonomy, Sasha Shulgin urged Trout to go through his files, resulting in a friendship, and eventually, an […]
The post Preserving Psychedelic Legacies: Shulgin Farm and the Shulgin Archive Project appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Alexa interviews April Pride: creative entrepreneur, veteran of the cannabis space, and now, founder of SetSet, an educational platform and podcast (picking up where The High Guide left off) for women curious about psychedelics. With Alexa about to embark on the journey of motherhood, she asks many of the questions parents working […]
The post Women and Psychedelics, Microdosing, and the Challenges of Psychedelic Parenthood appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Paul F. Daley, Ph.D., who worked with Sasha Shulgin in his lab for the last seven years of his life, helping him finish (and co-authoring) The Shulgin Index, Volume One: Psychedelic Phenethylamines and Related Compounds. He is now the co-founder, Chief Science Officer, and Director of Analytical Science at the […]
The post Shulgin Farm and the Future of Psychedelic Drug Development appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David interviews Osiris González Romero: philosopher and Postdoctoral researcher on cognitive freedom and psychedelic humanities at the University of Saskatchewan. Romero believes that our weakest point of research is our knowledge of Indigenous languages, and is focused on highlighting different cultural uses of psychedelics to better inform future drug policy. He’s currently […]
The post PT499 – Mesoamerican Psychedelics, Decolonization, and the Concept of an Ontological Turn appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Maria Mangini, Ph.D., FNP: researcher, educator, and midwife who has worked closely with many psychedelic innovators and was part of the original social network at Shulgin Farm – where this episode was recorded. She traces her journey from the influence of pioneers like the Wassons, Shulgins, and Grofs, and historic […]
The post PT498 – Traversing the Psychedelic Landscape: From Esalen and Millbrook to the Future of Shulgin Farm appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, released on Ann Shulgin’s birthday, Joe interviews Wendy Tucker: daughter of Ann and stepdaughter to Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin. Recorded in Sasha’s old office, she recounts her formative years, giving an insider’s look into her Mother’s openness about psychedelics, working with Sasha in the lab, how the Shulgins made a perfect team, and […]
The post PT497 – Reflections from Shulgin Farm: Psychedelics, Legacy, and the Spirit of Discovery appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Juan Pablo Cappello: co-founder and former CEO of Nue Life Health, whose assets were subsequently acquired by Beckley Waves. Cappello digs into his recent article which has been making waves across the psychedelic community: “Profit Over Patients? A Critical Look at At-Home Ketamine Therapy.” He created Nue Life with the […]
The post PT496 – Maintenance Doses and Recurring Revenue: The Ethics of At-Home Ketamine Therapy appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David interviews Dr. 1Drea Pennington Wasio: integrative physician, psychedelic-assisted therapy facilitator and psilocybin retreat leader, international speaker, podcaster, and author of several books, including Sacred Medicine: Exploring The Psychedelic Hero’s Journey. She discusses her personal metamorphosis and name change inspired by a powerful ayahuasca experience, and how that moved her into a […]
The post PT495 – Self-Love, Narrative Therapy, and Post-Traumatic Growth appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David interviews Itzhak Beery: author, shamanic teacher, speaker, trip leader, and founder of ShamanPortal.org, an online community and resource for people who want to learn, practice, and teach shamanic traditions. Beery shares his transformational journey, starting from his upbringing on a kibbutz in Israel, to his disillusioned advertising days in Manhattan, to […]
The post PT494 – Soul Retrieval, Moments of Awakening, and Uncovering the Language of Spirit appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Johanna interviews Laura Reeves: Glastonbury-based facilitator and medicine woman trained in craniosacral therapy, somatic experiencing, breathwork, and more, who holds retreats at sacred sites in the U.K. and Peruvian Amazon. She tells of her journey from serendipitously booking a trip to Ecuador just as she first heard about ayahuasca, to the early […]
The post PT493 – Sacred Sites, Ayahuasca, and Connecting With the Rhythms of the Earth appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe and guest co-host Erica Rex interview Elizabeth Anglin: spirit medium, animal communicator, intuitive healer, alien abductee, and author of Experience: Memoirs of an Abducted Childhood. She talks about her early abduction experiences, the time when she and her father realized they were both being abducted at the same time (from different […]
The post PT492 – Alien Abductions and Parallel Realities: How Do You Validate the Radically Ineffable? appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Christopher Koddermann interviews Dr. Sam Banister: co-founder and chief scientific officer of Psylo, an Australian biotech company developing next-generation psychedelics. Banister discusses how he got involved in drug development, how Psylo came about, and the hallucinogenic and non-hallucinogenic 5-HT2A agonists Psylo is working on. He talks about the compromise between immediate need […]
The post PT491 – Drug Development, The State of Biotech, and Exploring Non-Hallucinogenic Compounds appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris: founder and head of the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London, founding director of the Neuroscape Psychedelics Division at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and founder of the Carhart-Harris Lab. A legendary researcher, he talks about his psychedelic origins: studying Freud, Jung, and eventually […]
The post PT490 – Plasticity, the Role of Set and Setting, and the Influence of Psychedelics appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Alyssa Gursky, LPC: artist, research associate and study therapist at the Social Neuroscience and Psychotherapy (SNaP) lab, and founder of Psychedelic Art Therapy LLC, which pioneers ketamine-assisted art therapy. She talks about her first mushroom experience and how her art and creative process instantly felt different – how the judgment […]
The post PT489 – Psychedelics, Art Therapy, and the Creative Process appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Matthew ‘Whiz’ Buckley: former decorated US Navy F/A-18 Hornet fighter pilot and now, founder and CEO of No Fallen Heroes Foundation, a non-profit focused on healing veterans and first responders with psychedelic-assisted therapy. Buckley met Joe in D.C. while they were both campaigning for psychedelic therapy to any lawmaker they […]
The post PT488 – The Cost of War: Veterans’ Mental Health and Government Responsibility appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David interviews Saga Briggs: freelance journalist and author of How to Change Your Body: The Science of Interoception and Healing Through Connection to Yourself and Others. A collection of interviews, peer-reviewed research, and personal story; the book dives deep into the mind-body connection, how to become more embodied, and our need for […]
The post PT487 – Interoception, Healing Through Connection, and Learning to Trust Our Bodies appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Steve Rio: psychedelic guide, performance and transformation coach, musician, and co-founder of Enfold, a retreat center in BC, Canada. While Enfold caters each experience to each client, they largely work with 5-MeO-DMT (which is unregulated in Canada); partly because of its power, and partly because Rio realized how much was […]
The post PT486 – 5-MeO-DMT, Somatic Release, and Creating Context for Spirituality appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Ayize Jama-Everett: author, educator, filmmaker, and therapist with a long history of work in substance use and mental health services. When Jama-Everett was last on the show, “A Table of Our Own” – a film focusing on healing, psychedelics, and bonds within the Black community – was still in its […]
The post PT485 – Meeting People Where They Are: Why the Underground Will Always Thrive appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Dr. Peter Grinspoon: primary care physician and cannabis specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital, TedX speaker, certified physician life coach, and author of the new book, Seeing Through the Smoke: A Cannabis Expert Untangles the Truth about Marijuana. He tells his story of growing up in a house where academics like […]
The post PT484 – Seeing Through the Smoke: The Importance of Telling the Truth About Cannabis appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Dr. Kate Pate: Ph.D. neurophysiologist; Founder and CEO of Coruna Medical; founding board member of the Psychedelic Medicine Association; and Founder of The Way Back, a company that will provide education and coaching services related to military, veteran, and first responder health – often in wilderness settings. She talks about […]
The post PT483 – Traumatic Brain Injuries, the Gut Microbiome, and the Potential of Psychedelics as Anti-Inflammatory Agents appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe speaks with Paul F. Austin: Founder & CEO of Third Wave, Founder of Psychedelic Coaching Institute, and host of Third Wave’s The Psychedelic Podcast. Recorded in-person at this year’s reMind conference, this episode – a shared release with Third Wave – is a rare glimpse into the inner workings of both […]
The post PT482 – Behind the Scenes: A Conversation on Psychedelic Business, Media, and Education appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Ryan Latreille: Founder of Hearthstone Collective, which sells functional mushrooms and low-dose kanna designed for microdosing; and Kanna Extract Co., which is focused on offering high-potency kanna extracts more for ceremonial and recreational use. He talks about how he found his way to kanna; his first psychedelic experience (kanna mixed […]
The post PT481 – Kanna: The History, Science, and Potential of an Emerging Legal Alternative appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Kyle interviews Emma Knighton: Somatic trauma therapist, Vital instructor, and psychedelic integration therapist focusing on consciousness exploration, complex PTSD from childhood abuse, and queer identity development. This episode is a bit of a masterclass on consent and boundaries within the client/practitioner relationship. She discusses power dynamics: how conflicts arise due to the […]
The post PT480 – Psychedelics and Consent: Power Dynamics, Boundaries, and the Concept of ‘Safe Enough’ appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Erik Vaughan: Co-Founder and Manager of Epiphany Mushroom, a mushroom and mental health company based in Akron, Ohio. Epiphany mushrooms will initially be selling Lion’s Mane, Reishi, and Cordyceps, and they plan to expand into more functional mushrooms while also pursuing a license to operate healing centers in Colorado. Vaughan […]
The post PT479 – Psilocybin in the Midwest and the Need for Potency Testing appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Christine Calvert: Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and certified Holotropic Breathwork® facilitator. She talks about how addiction led her to breathwork, how breathwork has helped her over the years, how breathwork can be a compliment to other self-work, and how becoming comfortable with breathwork first could be a very important stepping […]
The post PT478 – Holotropic Breathwork as a Stepping Stone, Complementary Therapy, and Teacher appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, recorded in-person at the recent reMind conference, Joe interviews Kaci Hohmann and Dave Kopilak: business attorneys at Emerge Law Group and co-chairs of Emerge’s psychedelics practice group. Hohmann also serves as Chair of the Oregon State Bar’s Cannabis and Psychedelics Law Section. They were both drafters of Oregon Measure 109 (with Kopilak […]
The post PT477 – Oregon Measure 109: The Possibilities of Service Centers & What Businesses Should Consider appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Mike Margolies: community catalyst; conversation creator; Founder of Psychedelic Seminars; and Co-Founder and Co-Steward of the Global Psychedelic Society. The Global Psychedelic Society was created for all of the different psychedelic societies that have sprung up over the world to connect, share resources and information with each other, and be […]
The post PT476 – Reinventing Organizations, Lessons From Burning Man, and Batman & The Joker appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, David interviews Christine Caldwell: graduate of the first cohort of Vital and Founder of End of Life Psychedelic Care (EOLPC); and Mary Telliano: end-of-life coach, psychedelic facilitator, and Founder of The Anam Cara Academy, which trains people in the art of end-of-life coaching. Whether we’re comfortable with it […]
The post PT475 – End-of-Life Care and Psychedelics: The Role of a Death Doula appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, we toast to the beginning of an exciting and hopefully groundbreaking 2024 by switching things up a bit. Christopher Koddermann, Co-Founder and Chair of Board of the International Therapeutic Psilocybin Rescheduling Initiative (ITPRI) will be conducting some interviews for PT, and in this episode, he does his first – with our Co-Founders, […]
The post PT474 – The Origin of Psychedelics Today and the Growth of Vital appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Kyle interviews Kayse Gehret, the Founder of Microdosing for Healing, an international virtual community and coaching program supporting microdosing practice. She tells the story of embracing microdosing and her grand mal seizure disorder going away, and how the inability to touch people during the pandemic led to the creation of Microdosing for […]
The post PT473 – Microdosing for Healing: The Importance of Journaling and Group Process appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Mike Finoia: standup comedian, Producer for the hit show, “Impractical Jokers,” and co-host of the Comes a Time Podcast with Dead & Company bassist, Oteil Burbridge. His new Special, “Don’t Let Me Down,” is out now. He talks about his early days of recreational drug use at jam band shows; […]
The post PT472 – Psychedelics and Comedy: Finding the Humor in Personal Growth appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe and Kyle are honored to welcome back Stanislav and Brigitte Grof: Stan being the person who kickstarted their interest in non-ordinary states of consciousness, breathwork, and this podcast; and Brigitte: his other half, co-creator of Grof® Legacy Training, and support system (and often, voice) since his stroke a few years back. […]
The post PT471 – The Evolution of LSD Psychotherapy, the Power of Breathwork, and Why We Should be Taking Archetypal Astrology More Seriously appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, Johanna interviews Angie Leek, LMFT/LPC-S, SEP: Vital instructor, Founder of the Holos Foundation for Transpersonal Healing, and psychotherapist offering KAP through her private practice, Holos Counseling; and Justin LaPree: Vital graduate, decorated Marine, former firefighter, and Founder and President of Heroic Path to Light; a retreat center in […]
The post PT470 – Wounded Healers and the Power of Community in the Veteran Space appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Mason Marks, MD, JD: drug policy analyst, writer, Professor at the Florida State University College of Law, and senior fellow and project lead of the Project on Psychedelics Law and Regulation (POPLAR) at the Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics. As somewhat of an expert on drug […]
The post PT469 – Drug Policy in 2023: The FDA’s Guidance for Clinical Trials, The Natural Medicine Act, and SB-303 appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Flor Bollini. Named “The Corporate Shaman” by Forbes Magazine, she is an entrepreneur, medicine woman, and the Founder and CEO of NANA Health. NANA Health is a platform that provides best practices, educational content, and peer to peer support around a framework that is fully personalized, using what they call […]
The post PT468 – Personalized Medicine, Biohacking, and Reconnecting to the Source appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, Johanna interviews Daan Keiman, MA: Buddhist, Psychedelic Chaplain, and Co-Founder of the psychedelic think-and-practice tank, Communitas Collective Foundation; Aura Ahuvia: Rabbi who served five years as President of the ALEPH (Alliance for Jewish Renewal) Board and is now the Founder of Psychedelic Rabbi; and Josh Harper: Consciousness Medicine […]
The post PT467 – The Role of Religion, Psychedelic Chaplaincy, and Spiritual Care appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Kyle interviews John H. Buchanan, Ph.D.: certified Holotropic Breathwork practitioner; contributing co-editor for Rethinking Consciousness: Extraordinary Challenges for Contemporary Science; and author of the new book, Processing Reality: Finding Meaning in Death, Psychedelics, and Sobriety. Recorded shortly after a week-long philosophy and breathwork conference which they both attended, they mostly dig into […]
The post PT466 – The Philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead: Understanding Reality and the Psychedelic Experience appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David interviews Shauheen Etminan, Ph.D. and Jonathan Lu: Co-Founders of Magi Ancestral Supplements. Through studying ancient Zoroastrian writings and 2,000 year-old Chinese texts in search of compounds and formulations forgotten by history, Etminan and Lu co-founded drug discovery company VCENNA in 2019 to use extraction technology to isolate these compounds. This led […]
The post PT465 – Beta-carbolines, Haoma, and Syrian Rue: Rediscovering Ancestral Knowledge appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Kyle interviews Bessel van der Kolk, MD: pioneer clinician, researcher, and educator on traumatic stress; Founder of the Trauma Research Foundation; Professor of Psychiatry at Boston University Medical School; Principal Investigator of the Boston site of MAPS’ MDMA-assisted psychotherapy study; and author of the #1 New York Times Science best seller, The […]
The post PT464 – Bodywork, Somatic Literacy, and Understanding Trauma: The Mind and Body Connection appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Dana Lerman, MD: a decade-long infectious disease consultant who has since been trained in psychedelic-assisted therapy, ecotherapy, and Internal Family Systems, and is the Co-Founder of Skylight Psychedelics, where she prescribes IM ketamine and trains therapists who work with it. Lerman tells her story: how working with kids with cancer […]
The post PT463 – Bringing Intention, Ceremony, and Inner Healing Intelligence to Modern Medicine appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews neuroscientist, board-certified psychiatrist, health tech entrepreneur, inventor, and Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer at Apollo Neuro: Dr. Dave Rabin, MD, Ph.D. He talks about his path to psychiatry; his realization that trauma and chronic stress were primary themes at the root of most mental illness; and the creation, research and […]
The post PT462 – Touch Therapy, Wearable Technology, and Treating Trauma with Safety appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, David speaks with two current Vital students: Certified Depth Hypnosis Practitioner and Founder and Executive Director of Zoo Labs, Vinitha Watson, CHT; and artist and outdoorsman with decades of experience in bodywork, structural integration, and Vipassana meditation: Judson Frost. They talk about their personal paths: Watson’s work educating […]
The post PT461 – Holding Space, Hypnotherapy and Psychedelics, and the Importance of Courage appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews internationally renowned musician, comedian, writer, and actor, Reggie Watts. Watts starred on “Comedy Bang! Bang!,” most recently was the bandleader on CBS’s “The Late Late Show with James Corden” for the last 8 seasons, and just released his memoir, Great Falls, MT. Watts discusses his early days of LSD use and […]
The post PT460 – Psychedelics in Film, Drugs as Bases and Modifiers, and Ketamine With Friends appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Kyle interviews Ted Riskin, LCSW: psychotherapist running group KAP sessions and certified in Core Energetics, Internal Family Systems, and Holotropic Breathwork, which he has taught in various forms for 26 years. He discusses group ketamine-assisted psychotherapy: how he runs sessions, why being welcomed and loved in a group seems to be a […]
The post PT459 – Internal Family Systems Combined with Ketamine and Holotropic Breathwork appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Imran Khan: Executive Director of the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics. Khan shares his journey into the world of science and policymaking, beginning with science journalism and inspired by David Nutt’s famous ‘Equasy’ paper and subsequent firing for telling the truth. Realizing how strong the disconnect was […]
The post PT458 – When Science, Society, and Policy Collide appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, David interviews Erika Dyck: Vital instructor, historian, professor, author, and editor of the new book, Expanding Mindscapes: A Global History of Psychedelics; and Jono Remington-Hobbs: graduate of the first cohort of Vital, coach, facilitator, and now, Co-Founder of Kaizn, an experiential wellness company with a strong focus on […]
The post PT457 – Rites of Passage, Psychedelic History, and Rediscovering Our Hearts appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David interviews Alexander Beiner: an Executive Director of Breaking Convention; writer of The Bigger Picture substack; and author of The Bigger Picture: How Psychedelics Can Help Us Make Sense of the World. He tells his personal story and how his first psychedelic experience felt like a homecoming; discusses his Rebel Wisdom media […]
The post PT456 – Moloch, Kairos, Extended-State DMT, and the Spider Queen appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Alexa interviews Dom Farnan: Founder of DotConnect; author of the best seller, “Now Here: A Journey from Toxic Boss to Conscious Connector”; and Founder and Chief Consciousness Connector of DoseConnect™, a first-of-its-kind company blending organizational strategy, systems thinking, and talent acquisition in the psychedelic space. Farnan shares her personal journey with psychedelics, […]
The post PT455 – Psychedelics and Success: Conscious Leadership and Investing in Yourself appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Kyle interviews Jamie Wheal, author of Recapture the Rapture: Rethinking God, Sex and Death In a World That’s Lost Its Mind; speaker; and Founder of the Flow Genome Project, which researches and trains on improved human performance. This episode – the last of the many recorded at Psychedelic Science 2023 – may […]
The post PT454 – The Shadow Aspects of the Psychedelic Movement: Is the Other Shoe About to Drop? appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David interviews psychiatrist, main researcher behind the first US Phase II trial of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, and Senior Medical Director at MAPS Public Benefit Corporation: Dr. Michael Mithoefer; and Research Group Lead at the University of Zurich, and Principal Clinical Biomarker Lead at Boehringer Ingelheim, Katrin Preller, Ph.D. Mithoefer, Preller (and David) are […]
The post PT453 – Neuroplasticity, Individualized Integration, and Psychedelic Medicine – Israel 2024 appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Melanie Pincus, Ph.D. and Manesh Girn, Ph.D. once again take over hosting duties, this time interviewing Gül Dölen, MD, Ph.D.: Associate professor of Neuroscience and Neurology at the Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, and head of the Dölen lab. Dölen largely researches the neuroscience behind social behaviors and is most known […]
The post PT452 – Metaplasticity, Reopening Critical Periods, and Octopuses on MDMA appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Federico Seragnoli: coordinator of the ALPS Foundation, psychologist who works with patients undergoing compassionate use treatments with psychedelics, and Founder of the ALPS Conference. This year, the ALPS Conference (which stands for Awareness Lectures on Psychedelic Science) takes place Oct. 27 – 29 at the Bâtiment des Forces Motrices in […]
The post PT451 – ALPS Conference 2023: A Window Into Switzerland’s Psychedelic Scene appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Johanna interviews Jungian analyst-in-training, writer, researcher, 5Rhythms® teacher, and Vital graduate: Mackenzie Amara; and Vital instructor, clinical psychologist, and creator of our new course, “Illuminating the Hidden Self: Navigating the Jungian Shadow with Psychedelics“: Dr. Ido Cohen. This sequel to their fascinating discussion about shadow work earlier this year focuses on dreams, […]
The post PT450 – Dreams, Psychedelics, Symbolism, and Cockroaches appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Louie Schwartzberg: renowned filmmaker known for the award-winning documentary, “Fantastic Fungi”; and now, director of the new film, “Gratitude Revealed.” He talks about his path to photography and filmmaking and how psychedelics were a huge inspiration – how his techniques of slowing down, speeding up, and zooming in were ways […]
The post PT449 – “Fantastic Fungi” and “Gratitude Revealed”: How Psychedelics Inspired a Cinematic Exploration of the Invisible appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Deborah C. Mash, Ph.D.: neuroscientist; Professor Emerita of Neurology and Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine; and leading researcher in addiction and brain disorders for over 30 years. She is also the CEO and Founder of DemeRx Inc., a clinical stage drug development […]
The post PT448 – Ibogaine, Noribogaine, and the Challenges of Federal Drug Policy appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David interviews Madison Margolin: NY-based, psychedelics and Judaism-focused journalist; host of the Set & Setting podcast; co-founder of DoubleBlind Magazine and the Jewish Psychedelic Summit; and author of the soon-to-be released, Exile & Ecstasy: Growing Up With Ram Dass and Coming of Age in the Jewish Psychedelic Underground. They explore the relationship […]
The post PT447 – Exile & Ecstasy: The Intersection of Jewish Culture, Spirituality, and Psychedelics appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode – with the 2024 edition of Vital announced and applications officially open – we’re launching another series of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, with David hosting Jasmine Virdi: Vital instructor, writer, educator, and activist who works at Synergetic Press and volunteers for Fireside Project; and Tabata Gerk: Vital student, psychotherapist, and facilitator. As always, they […]
The post PT446 – Decolonization, Interconnection, and the Medicalization of Mysticism appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Ethan Nadelmann: author, speaker, Founder and former Executive Director of Drug Policy Alliance, host of the PSYCHOACTIVE podcast, and one of the leading voices in drug policy reform and harm reduction. Nadelmann shares his journey from Princeton University to founding Drug Policy Alliance, to working with George Soros, encouraging Gary […]
The post PT445 – The Drug War, Harm Reduction, and the Middle Ground Between Liberty and Regulation appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this special episode, Melanie Pincus, Ph.D. and Manesh Girn, Ph.D., who joined David in episode 403 to discuss the launch of their new course, essentially interview each other. As the 2nd edition of their popular course, Psychedelic Neuroscience Demystified, begins on November 1, we wanted to give them a chance to highlight some of […]
The post PT444 – A Glimpse Into the Psychedelic Neuroscience Landscape appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Kyle interviews Rachel Harris, Ph.D.: Psychologist in private practice for over 40 years, researcher who has published more than 40 peer-reviewed studies, and author of the new book, Swimming in the Sacred: Wisdom from the Psychedelic Underground. She talks about graduating college and going straight to Esalen, where she had little concern […]
The post PT443 – Swimming in the Sacred: The Wisdom of Underground Female Elders appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
Last year, Joe attended his first Burning Man, and sadly, we didn’t hear much about it. In this episode, recorded just a few days after Joe returned from his second outing of nearly 12 days on the playa, Victoria changes that, asking Joe all the burning questions we all want to know. He talks about […]
The post PT442 – Burning Questions About Burning Man: Mud, Ebola, and the Big Krab Car appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Kyle interviews General Stephen Xenakis, MD: an adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist who retired from the U.S. Army in 1998 at the rank of Brigadier General and began a career starting up medical technology companies and clinical practice to support human rights and new methodologies of healthcare. In June, he became the […]
The post PT441 – The American Psychedelic Practitioners Association and the Mission to Integrate Psychedelics into U.S. Healthcare appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David interviews Dr. JoQueta Handy, Ph.D., IMD: speaker, author, educator, Natural Integrative Health Practitioner, and CEO and Chief Visionary of Brilliant Learning, Handy Wellness Center, and Brilliant Blends. She shares childhood memories of growing up on her Grandparents’ farm, where she developed a deep appreciation for nature, staring at the stars, and […]
The post PT440 – Coming Back to Stillness, Microdosing and Adaptogens, and What We Can Learn From Autism appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In the first-ever episode of Hyphae Leaks, Mary and Reggie sit down with Joe Moore and share their backgrounds, impetus for launching a psychedelic tell-all podcast, and what listeners can expect from the first season. Want to dig in on some of the topics discussed today? Quick links: Quick stats on biodiversity and Indigenous communities. […]
The post PT439 – Introducing Hyphae Leaks: Not Your Average Psychedelic Podcast appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David interviews the President of the Psychedelic Medicine Association, host of the Psychedelic Medicine Podcast, and Psychedelics Today advisory board member and Vital contributor: Lynn Marie Morski, MD, JD. She shares her journey with psychedelics and how they enabled her to leave a toxic job and pursue her passion for advocacy with […]
The post PT438 – The Psychedelic Medicine Association and Managing Medical Risk in Patients Seeking Psilocybin Therapy appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Alexa interviews Chase Hudson: Founder of HempLucid, a premium CBD wellness brand. Hudson discusses his journey from being a firefighter to becoming involved in the cannabis and hemp industry, the origins of HempLucid, the restrictions they faced, and their current genetics and flagship water soluble tincture. He talks about the benefits of […]
The post PT437 – Exploring Psychedelic Therapies: Iboga, CBD, and Cannabis Paired With Ketamine appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David interviews East Forest: Portland, OR-based producer, podcaster, ceremony guide, and musician, specializing in ambient, electronic, contemporary classical, and indie pop music largely to guide listeners through deep journeys. Forest discusses his live performances and influences; how his music pairs with journeys and specific psychedelics; the difference in the connection and vibe […]
The post PT436 – The Power of Sound: The Magic in Live Performances, Imperfections, and Music Curated Specifically for Journeys appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Satya Thallam: Policy Advisor at the international law firm, Arnold & Porter; and longtime policy expert based in Washington, D.C. who previously served in senior roles at both the White House and the U.S. Senate. Thallam was the lead author and negotiator of the Federal Right to Try Act, which […]
The post PT435 – The Federal Right to Try Act, The Farm Bill, and the Constant Balance Between Risk and Regulation appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Kyle interviews Lisa Wessing: Clinical Psychologist and facilitator specializing in harm reduction at Kiyumí retreats in The Netherlands. Wessing shares her personal journey and the shift from being uninspired with studying psychology to being a part of space-holding in Mexico and finding her true path. She dives into the world of Kiyumí […]
The post PT434 – Kiyumí Retreats, Building Somatic Literacy, and Navigating Group Facilitation Challenges appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, recorded in-person at Psychedelic Science 2023, Kyle interviews Senator for the Mexican Green Party, Alejandra Lagunes. Lagunes is the first Senator in Mexico to promote the use of psychedelics, and has been organizing open parliaments to foster collaboration between researchers, scientists, politicians, and Indigenous people, culminating in a groundbreaking decriminalization initiative to […]
The post PT433 – From Personal Healing to Public Policy: The Path to Psychedelic Decriminalization in Mexico appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Stéphane Lasme, a former professional basketball player from Gabon who is now a partner at SteddeCapital, a private markets investment platform investing long-term capital into U.S.- and Africa-based opportunities across sports ownership, infrastructure, technology and plant medicine. Lasme speaks of his childhood, growing up in Gabon with more traditional Catholic […]
The post PT432 – From NBA Dreams to Cultural Healing: Iboga and a Mission to Empower Gabon appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Kyle interviews The Susan Hill Ward Endowed Professor of Psychedelics and Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins, and renowned researcher of nearly 20 years: Matthew W. Johnson, Ph.D. Recorded in-person at MAPS’ Psychedelic Science after running an 8-hour workshop on psychedelic therapy for addiction treatment, Johnson was still happy to sit down with […]
The post PT431 – The Concept of Integration and the Need for Evolving Protocols of Psychedelic Therapy appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Maya Albert: Co-Founder of the Psyched conference, and Director of Operations at Tabula Rasa Ventures and the Synthesis Institute. She shares her journey of how she became involved in the psychedelic space through her mother, and her personal experience as a patient in a clinical trial on psilocybin for the […]
The post PT430 – Psychedelics for Eating Disorders, Davos’ House of Psychedelics, and The Future of the Synthesis Institute appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Kyle interviews the Founder and CEO of FreshCap Mushrooms and host of The Mushroom Show on YouTube, Tony Shields. He talks about how an early interest in lucid dreaming sent him down a psychedelic path, and how, as his interest in mushrooms has grown, he’s watched the culture shift from a narrative […]
The post PT429 – From Mycophobia to Fungi Fever: The Psychedelic Space’s Growing Interest in Functional Mushrooms appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, recorded on the eve of MAPS’ Psychedelic Science 2023, Kyle interviews MAPS’ Founder and President, Rick Doblin, Ph.D. He begins with an overview of the fast-approaching (and largest ever) psychedelics conference, emphasizing its significant growth, many features, and bipartisan opening ceremony, then discusses MAPS’ soon-to-be-released confirmatory Phase III data on MDMA-assisted therapy […]
The post PT428 – The Promise of MAPS’ Phase III Data, Psychedelics and Adolescents, and the Need for Honest Drug Education appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Sarko Gergerian, MS, MHC, CARC: a police peer support, community outreach, and health-fitness officer; founding member of the Community and Law Enforcement Assisted Recovery Program (C.L.E.A.R.); and psychotherapist trained in ketamine- and MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. Any regular listener of the show should be familiar with how passionately Joe is against the […]
The post PT427 – The Philosophy of Law Enforcement, The Criminalization of Self-Directed Behavior, and Transformative Care for Police appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews one of the world’s leading experts on human performance: New York Times bestselling author and Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective, Steven Kotler. Kotler’s work explores the neurobiology of peak human performance, flow states, and aging, and the concept of getting our biology to work for us rather than […]
The post PT426 – Making the Impossible Possible: Flow Hacking and Peak Performance Aging appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David interviews Dr. Gabrielle Lehigh: Co-Founder and Managing Director of Psychedelic Grad, a web-based community serving as an educational and career hub for up-and-coming psychedelic professionals; and the host of the related podcast, “Curious to Serious,” where she speaks with students and professionals about the path they took to land in the […]
The post PT425 – The Transformative Potential of Psychedelics, Community, and Live Music appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Kyle interviews the Reverend Dr. Brian Rajcok, Lead Pastor at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Avon, Connecticut, who recently completed his Ph.D. in pastoral counseling. Rajcok dives into the intersection of spirituality, religion, mysticism, and how psychedelics bring these topics together, discussing a transformative peyote ceremony and the awe-inspiring moments of surrender, […]
The post PT424 – Psychedelic Spirituality: Religion, Mysticism, and the Psychedelic Experience appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David interviews Dr. Rosalind Watts: famed clinical psychologist, former clinical lead on Imperial College London’s first Psilocybin for Depression trial, and Founder of ACER Integration. She discusses the awakening she had after having a child; her work at Imperial College and realizing the importance of staying in touch with patients; the challenges […]
The post PT423 – The Watts Connectedness Scale, The Importance of Elders, and What We Can Learn From Trees appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Oliver Carlin, Founder of Curative Mushrooms, a grow kit solution company designed to produce mushrooms of one’s choosing within 30 days with little effort and no growing experience. Carlin tells his personal story of 20 years in the Navy to a 7g psilocybin journey and the work of perfecting these […]
The post PT422 – Curative Mushrooms: Exploring the World of Grow Kits and Home Growing appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David interviews Dr. Roberta Murphy: training medical psychotherapist and member of the Imperial Centre for Psychedelic Research. This is a rare impromptu podcast, recorded about a half hour after David heard Murphy speaking on a panel at UK’s Breaking Convention conference. He asked her if she wanted to be on the podcast […]
The post PT421 – The Impact of the Therapeutic Alliance on the Psychedelic Experience appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Alexa interviews Rachel Clark: Education Manager for DanceSafe, a public health nonprofit specializing in serving people who use drugs and their communities. As we move into the prime festival season, more people are going to be doing drugs, and the importance of harm reduction and drug testing becomes even more central to […]
The post PT420 – DanceSafe: Drug Testing, Fentanyl Myths, and the Importance of Consent appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Psychedelics Weekly, Joe and Alexa reminisce about last week’s Psychedelic Science 2023, dubbed as the largest psychedelic conference in history. They discuss Joe’s two Psychedelic Morning Shows with Anne Philippi; Court Wing, Bob Wold, and the work of Clusterbusters and the new Psychedelics and Pain Association; Tracey Tee and her “Millions […]
The post Psychedelics Weekly – A Recap of Psychedelic Science 2023 appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David interviews Professor Celia Morgan, Ph.D., who holds the Chair of Psychopharmacology and co-leads the Transdisciplinary Psychedelics Group at The University of Exeter. This was recorded on the dawn of UK’s Breaking Convention conference, where Morgan was speaking about the therapeutic potential of ketamine as well as the danger of people developing […]
The post PT419 – Ketamine-Assisted Therapy for Severe Alcohol Use Disorder appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In the second episode of our special, two-part series, the Psychedelic Morning Show, Joe Moore and Anne Philippi are live once again bright and early from Psychedelic Science 2023 in Denver. Listen to this podcast as they interview four guests working on the front lines of psychedelic research, law, and the treatment of chronic pain. […]
The post PT418 – Psychedelic Morning Show #2 with Joe Moore and Anne Philippi appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
Psychedelics Today is reporting live this week from the industry event of the year, Psychedelic Science 2023 in Denver. Listen in to this podcast as our co-founder, Joe Moore, and New Health Club founder Anne Philippi hit the conference floor bright and early in the first episode of a special two-part series, the Psychedelic Morning […]
The post PT417 – Psychedelic Morning Show #1 with Joe Moore and Anne Philippi appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David interviews Frederick Barrett, Ph.D.: cognitive neuroscientist, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and now, Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic & Consciousness Research. With today’s news, Barrett officially takes over for the legendary Roland Griffiths, who has been in the role […]
The post PT416 – A New Chapter for Johns Hopkins Psychedelic & Consciousness Research appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this edition of Psychedelics Weekly, Joe and Kyle dedicate the entire episode to one of their biggest passions: breathwork and the power of breath in reaching non-ordinary states of consciousness. What many listeners may not know is that Psychedelics Today was created because of the lack of attention being paid to breathwork, transpersonal psychology, […]
The post Psychedelics Weekly – The Power of Our Breath: A Deep Dive Into Breathwork appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Kyle interviews Liana Gillooly: Strategic Initiatives Officer at MAPS, Board Chair & Founder of the non-profit, North Star, and Advisor to Chacruna’s Indigenous Reciprocity Initiative. While she talks about updates in MAPS’ world and how to manage and scale a rapidly growing industry while trying to change a system from the inside, she […]
The post PT415 – Psychedelic Science 2023: The Largest Psychedelic Conference in History appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Kyle interviews the Co-Founders of The EAST Institute: teachers, facilitators, and spiritual guides, Lena Franklin and Jeff Glattstein. The EAST Institute offers educational and experiential events, and trains facilitators in the art of the EAST Method™, a multidisciplinary approach combining modern research with traditional, Indigenous methods of healing and integration, touching on […]
The post PT414 – Lena Franklin & Jeff Glattstein – The EAST Institute: Modern Science and Ancient Methods of Healing appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David interviews Alex Belser, Ph.D.: clinical scientist; author; licensed psychologist; Co-Investigator for a psilocybin and OCD study at Yale University; and co-creator of the EMBARK approach, a new model of psychedelic-assisted therapy that focuses on six clinical domains that typically arise during psychedelic experiences. He is also one of the editors of […]
The post PT413 – Queering Psychedelics, The Dark History of Conversion Therapy, and The EMBARK Approach appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Psychedelics Weekly, Joe and Kyle are once again able to take advantage of Kyle’s temporary Colorado residency and record together in Joe’s office. While last week focused on the numerous challenges facing a rapidly growing industry of psychedelic therapists, facilitators, and guides, the topic of therapy itself is put under the […]
The post Psychedelics Weekly – Drug Testing and Harm Reduction, Ketamine vs. ECT, and Does Therapy Really Work? appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews the Co-Founders of Enosis Therapeutics: researcher and scientist, Agnieszka Sekula; and psychiatrist, clinical advisor to the Australian Psychedelic Society, and leading Australian advocate for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, Dr. Prash P. Enosis Therapeutics is a medtech startup that began with the question: how can we use VR – with or without psychedelics […]
The post PT412 – Psychedelics and Virtual Reality: Where Novel Experience, Technology, and Altered States of Consciousness Meet appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Psychedelics Weekly, Kyle and David meet up to talk news, but end up mostly having a discussion about the numerous challenges facing the rapidly growing industry of psychedelic therapists, guides, and facilitators. That discussion comes from the article, “Psychedelic workers of the world, unite!”, which breaks down the shortcomings and risks of […]
The post Psychedelics Weekly – New LSD Research and The Challenges Facing a Rapidly Growing Psychedelic Guide Industry appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Priyanka Wali, MD: board-certified practicing physician in Internal Medicine, MAPS-trained psychedelic facilitator, comedian, and co-host (with Sean Hayes of “Will & Grace” fame) of the HypochondriActor podcast, where they discuss interesting medical issues in a funny (and hopefully uplifting) way. She talks about recognizing and protecting the humanity of healthcare […]
The post PT411 – The Humanity of Healthcare Professionals, Ancient Psychedelic Use, and Breaking the Cycle of Colonialism appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Psychedelics Weekly, Joe and Kyle are both on the road, so David and Alexa take the helm. They cover news stories about: -a man in Colorado facing a Class 3 drug felony for giving people psilocybin mushrooms in exchange for monetary donations – pointing out the bold (or stupid?) stances some […]
The post Psychedelics Weekly – Challenging the ‘Gifting’ Part of Prop 122, Public Perception in Oregon, and The Medicine of Music appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Nick Kadysh: Founder and CEO of PharmAla Biotech and member of the board of directors for The Canadian Psychedelic Businesses Association. PharmAla Biotech is a Toronto-based Life Sciences company with two focuses: contracting with manufacturers to provide researchers with GMP MDMA (created under Good Manufacturing Practice regulations), and creating and […]
The post PT410 – Manufacturing MDMA and Why Creating MDMA Analogs Is So Important appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Psychedelics Weekly, Joe and temporary-Colorado-resident Kyle once again record in-person, discussing how psychedelics could change business, the drug war and safe supply, and more. They cover: -a Rolling Stone profile on David Bronner, who makes the case for multi-stakeholder capitalism; where businesses are accountable to their workers, customers, the environment, and […]
The post Psychedelics Weekly – Multi-Stakeholder Capitalism, Psilocybin Service Centers Begin Opening in Oregon, and Vancouver’s ‘The Drugs Store’ appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Erica Rex: award-winning journalist, past guest and writer, and participant in one of the first ever clinical trials using psilocybin to treat cancer-related depression; and Mona Sobhani, Ph.D.: cognitive neuroscientist and the author of Proof of Spiritual Phenomena: A Neuroscientist’s Discovery of the Ineffable Mysteries of the Universe. As Rex […]
The post PT409 – Pathology, The DSM, and The Ontological Shock of Psychedelic Experiences appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Psychedelics Weekly, Joe and Kyle record in-person again, discussing psychedelics and parenthood, sports, music, and more. They cover: -an Elle (!) article about how mushrooms are becoming the new ‘Cali sober,’ with more and more people starting to microdose – including parents; -ESPN’s documentary, “Peace of Mind,” highlighting the rise of […]
The post Psychedelics Weekly – Psychedelics and Sports, The Risks of Over-Regulation, and What Makes Music Psychedelic? appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David interviews two of the founding members of Fireside Project: activist, healing justice practitioner, musician, and Chief Ambassador, Hanifa Nayo Washington; and lawyer, aspiring researcher, and Executive Director, Joshua White, Esq. Fireside Project was created after White volunteered for a help line for years and realized a few things: that follow-up calls […]
The post PT408 – Fireside Project: Harm Reduction Through Free Peer Support appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Psychedelics Weekly, David speaks with Kyle, who recorded at Joe’s place while he was away at Trailblazers in NYC. They talk about David’s trip to the UK last week for Breaking Convention, then discuss a recent Vice article about looking outside the binary and confined thinking of Western medicine and embracing […]
The post Psychedelics Weekly – Breaking Convention, Decolonizing the Psychedelic Space, and How Colorado’s Senate Bill 23-290 Will Affect Prop 122 appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Deborah Parrish Snyder: ecologist, Director and VP of the Institute of Ecotechnics, and Co-owner and CEO of Synergetic Press, which has published over 40 books on ethnobotany, psychedelics, biospherics, and social and ecological justice. Straddling the line between ecology, psychedelics, and psyche, she discusses the many projects of the Institute: […]
The post PT407 – The Planet, Psychedelics, and Psyche: Optimism in Ecology appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Psychedelics Weekly, Joe and Kyle once again record in person, diving into novel compounds, changing opinions, Bicycle Day, and more. They start by dissecting a very recent controversy around The Church of Psilomethoxin and whether the sacrament they label as psilomethoxin – supposedly created by adding 5-MeO-DMT to the substrate of […]
The post Psychedelics Weekly – The Church of Psilomethoxin Controversy, Psychedelics for Long COVID, and The Growth of Bicycle Day appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, on the eve of Bicycle Day, Victoria and Kyle interview two long-standing icons of visionary psychedelic art: Alex and Allyson Grey. They talk about the LSD trip that saved Alex’s life, connected him to Allyson, inspired his art, and even made him change his name; his decades-in-the-making “Sacred Mirrors” project of 21 […]
The post PT406 – Bicycle Day, Unveiling Entheon, and The Mystical Experience Through Art appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Melissa Lavasani: CEO of Washington, DC-based Psychedelic Medicine Coalition, and now, President of the brand new Psychedelic Medicine PAC. She discusses her path to psychedelics, how she ended up running the Initiative 81 campaign (the Entheogenic Plant and Fungus Policy Act of 2020), and how she came to realize that […]
The post PT405 – The Psychedelic Medicine PAC: The Push for Federal Funding and Politicians Who Will Fight for Us appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe lets Court Wing take lead in interviewing two of the leaders behind Clusterbusters: Founder and Executive Director, Bob Wold; and President, Eileen Brewer. A long-time friend of the show, Court Wing has become our resident expert on chronic pain, writing articles about how psilocybin relieved his chronic pain, and hosting Timothy […]
The post PT404 – Clusterbusters: The Horrors of Cluster Headaches and the Miracle of Psilocybin appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Psychedelics Weekly, Kyle is back in Colorado and in-person with Joe, and they discuss what stood out to them in the news this week: -A New York Times interview with Roland Griffths, where he talks about his cancer diagnosis and how meditation and psychedelics have helped him prepare for the inevitable […]
The post Psychedelics Weekly – Roland Griffiths Faces the End, The NBA Lifts Its Cannabis Ban, and The Rising Popularity of Mushrooms for Moms appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David interviews neuroscientist, artist, and educator, Melanie Pincus, Ph.D.; and Ph.D. candidate in Neuroscience, lead or co-author on over a dozen scientific publications, and regular contributor to PT, Manesh Girn. They tell their stories of how they became interested in neuroscience, and stress the importance of staying radically open-minded (or “epistemically naive”) […]
The post PT403 – Understanding the Brain: Psychedelic Neuroscience Demystified appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Psychedelics Weekly, Joe calls in from Los Angeles to cover the week’s news with David. They review: -Dr. Julie Holland’s recent appearance on the The Cannabis Investing Podcast, where she discussed the concept of cannabis being a psychedelic; -Vancouver Island University in British Columbia, Canada, planning to establish a Psychedelic Research […]
The post Psychedelics Weekly – Investors Form REIT for Psychedelic Therapy, Diplo Runs a Marathon on LSD, and Is Cannabis a Psychedelic? appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David interviews Sunny Strasburg, LMFT: Clinical Director at TRIPP PsyAssist; psychedelic trainer, consultant, therapist, and writer, specializing in EMDR and Internal Family Systems, and offering ketamine-assisted therapy as well as ketamine therapy retreats (often co-led by Dr. Richard Schwartz). She talks about her family history with magic, and how the act of […]
The post PT402 – Magic, Virtual Reality, and Ketamine & Internal Family Systems appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Ph.D. student in the Drug Use and Behavior Lab at the University of Alabama Birmingham, Haley Maria Dourron. She talks mostly about the paper she co-authored last year with Dr. Peter Hendricks and Camilla Strauss: “Self-Entropic Broadening Theory: Toward a New Understanding of Self and Behavior Change Informed by Psychedelics […]
The post PT401 – The Self-Entropic Broadening Theory: Understanding The Psychedelic State and Psychosis appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Psychedelics Weekly, Joe and Kyle are back at it, talking about news and what’s going on at Psychedelics Today (applications for Vital close this Sunday, March 26, and we’ve just announced a new neuroscience course!). Following up on last week’s news that Field Trip Health had closed five clinics, they start […]
The post Psychedelics Weekly – More Trouble For Field Trip Health, Ketamine Wellness Centers Abruptly Close, & The Creation of the Psychedelic Medicine PAC appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews the Co-Founder and CEO of Beckley Retreats, Neil Markey. Markey describes Beckley Retreats as comprehensive well-being programs, and talks about the importance of holistic wellness – that, while the retreats are centered around two group psilocybin experiences, the true benefits come from complementary factors: the four weeks of online prep […]
The post PT400 – Beckley Retreats: Combining Modern Science, Tradition, and Holistic Wellness appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Psychedelics Weekly, Joe and Kyle join up once again to discuss the news and articles they found the most interesting this week. They start with the business news everyone is talking about: Field Trip Health & Wellness closing 5 of their clinics due to financial struggles (a deficit of $48.7 million […]
The post Psychedelics Weekly – Field Trip Health Closes Five Clinics, Legalization Bills Introduced in VT, and Ketamine Telehealth Uncertainty appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David hosts another Vital Psychedelic Conversation, this time with Bennet Zelner, Ph.D.: Vital instructor who teaches economics at the University of Maryland Smith School of Business; and Giles Hayward: Vital student and Co-Founder of Woven Science (a company backing and building psychedelic and wellness tech companies) and El Puente, which focuses on […]
The post PT399 – Vital Psychedelic Conversations appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Graham Hancock: legendary bestselling author and writer and presenter of the new Netflix docuseries, “Ancient Apocalypse,” where he travels the world looking for evidence of lost civilizations likely much more advanced than historians previously believed. Hancock talks about his early books and how ayahuasca influenced his writing; the similarities in […]
The post PT398 – Lost Civilizations, DMT Entities, & Altered States of Consciousness and Early Religion appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Psychedelics Weekly, David is joined by Kyle, who is finally home after a lot of traveling, to talk shop and dig into the articles they found the most interesting this week. They begin with the news that Paul Stamets now has a species of mushroom named after him (Psilocybe stametsii), then […]
The post Psychedelics Weekly – Drug-Free Digital Trips, The Prevalence of Challenging Experiences, and the End of Synthesis Institute appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, David interviews Vital instructor, Dr. Devon Christie: Senior Lead of Psychedelic Programs at Numinus, MAPS-certified MDMA therapist, and now four-time guest; and Vital student, Emefa Boamah: coach, facilitator, and trauma-informed intuitive guide specializing in embodiment. We’ve all heard the trope, “It’s all in your mind,” but it’s also […]
The post PT397 – Vital Psychedelic Conversations appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, in celebration of International Women’s Day, Victoria interviews Tracey Tee: co-founder and CEO of Band of Mothers Media, co-producer and co-host of the Band of Mothers podcast, and founder of Moms on Mushrooms, an online educational community for psychedelic-curious moms outside the prying eyes of social media. With similar histories of womb […]
The post PT396 – Moms on Mushrooms: Motherhood and Psychedelics Inside a Broken Culture appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Psychedelics Weekly is back after a brief hiatus (everyone was either traveling or sick last week!), with the OG PT team: Joe and Kyle. With the exception of some commentary on John Oliver’s recent piece on psychedelics (which was excellent), they skip the psychedelic news this week in favor of Psychedelics Today […]
The post Psychedelics Weekly – Cannadelic, Concussions, Vital, and More PT News appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David interviews Kevin Cannella, LPC: MAPS-trained psychedelic psychotherapist and Co-Founder and Executive Director of Thank You Life, a nonprofit organization working to provide access to psychedelic therapy by eliminating its financial barriers. Co-Founded by Dr. Dan Engle, Thank You Life is very new and still in the process of officially launching, having […]
The post PT395 – Thank You Life: Accessibility, Fair Compensation, and Trusting Intuition appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David interviews Victor Alfonso Cabral, LSW: Director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs at Fluence Training and Licensed Social Worker and practicing psychotherapist in Pennsylvania. Cabral is currently involved with the film, “We are the Medicine,” which aims to explore the reemergence of plant medicines from the perspective of people of color from […]
The post PT394 – We Are The Medicine appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Greg Lake, Esq.: Co-Founder of the Church of Psilomethoxin, author, and trial and appellate attorney specializing in working with entheogen-based religious practitioners in establishing their right to consume their sacraments under existing religious freedom laws. Psilomethoxin (4-Hydroxy-5-methoxydimethyltryptamine or 4-Hydroxy-5-MeO-DMT) was first synthesized in 2021 by mixing 5-MeO-DMT with psilocybin substrate, […]
The post PT393 – Religious Freedom and the Church of Psilomethoxin appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, Kyle interviews Carla Kieffer: certified psychedelic facilitator, Community Liaison at Maya Health, and Founder of Kairos Integration, a company offering psychedelic training, preparation, facilitation, and integration support. This episode was recorded in-person, in between the first and second psilocybin retreats at Atman Retreat in Jamaica, where Kyle, Johanna, […]
The post PT392 – Vital Psychedelic Conversations appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Dr. Devon Christie: Senior Lead of Psychedelic Programs at Numinus, educator at CIIS and Vital, and MAPS-certified MDMA therapist; and Dr. Pamela Kryskow, MD: founding board member of the Psychedelic Association of Canada and Medical Lead of the nonprofit, Roots To Thrive. Christie and Kryskow recently co-authored one of the […]
The post PT391 – MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy For Fibromyalgia and Other Central Sensitization Syndromes appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Psychedelics Weekly, Kyle is joined by another new voice from the PT team: one of the main instructors and facilitators from our Vital program, Diego Pinzon. While from Colombia, Diego was a research assistant at Melbourne’s Psychae Institute and is one of the researchers in the St. Vincent’s Melbourne trial, Australia’s […]
The post Psychedelics Weekly – The Legalization of Medical MDMA & Psilocybin in Australia, and The World’s First Ayahuasca Pill appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, Johanna takes the helm for the first time, hosting a conversation with writer, researcher, 5Rhythms® teacher, and Vital student: Mackenzie Amara; and clinical psychologist, long time PT collaborator, and Vital instructor: Dr. Ido Cohen. As this episode features three huge fans of Jung, they focus less on education […]
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In this episode, Joe interviews artist and photographer, Rupert Alexander Scriven. Under his brand, Vintage Disco Biscuit, Scriven recently released The Art of Ecstasy: a coffee table book that pairs high definition images of ecstasy tablets he collected over the course of 25 years with interviews and compositions written by himself and a host of […]
The post PT389 – The Art of Ecstasy: The 90’s British Club Scene and MDMA appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Psychedelics Weekly, David is joined by Kathryn L. Tucker, JD: Director of Advocacy at the National Psychedelics Association and a founding member of the Psychedelic Bar Association with over 35 years in advocacy in protecting the rights of dying patients. Tucker is currently working with Dr. Sunil Agarwal of the Advanced […]
The post Psychedelics Weekly – AIMS vs. the DEA: An Update on the Fight to Reschedule Psilocybin appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, we do something a little different: instead of interviewing a teacher and student to hear their different perspectives, Kyle (Vital’s main creator/developer) has a conversation with Johanna Hilla (our Coordinator of Education and Training), with the two basically interviewing each other. Johanna is originally from Finland but now […]
The post PT388 – Vital Psychedelic Conversations appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Jessica “Jaz” Cadoch: anthropologist, Co-Director of the Global Psychedelic Society, and Prop 122 steering committee member; and Sovereign Oshumare: Founder of XRYSALIS, an online community and retreat for queer, transgender, and intersex people of color, and Founder of Shelterwood Collective, a 900-acre eco-village and retreat center led by LGBTQ Black […]
The post PT387 – Psychedelic Ethics & Self-Reflexivity and Proposition 122 Conflict & Resolution appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Psychedelics Weekly, the rest of the team is out or at Cannadelic, so a new voice steps up to the plate: Julian Bost, who works with the Vital team and handles the majority of our email, records his first podcast with Ph.D. candidate in Neuroscience, friend of the show, and speaker […]
The post Psychedelics Weekly – Research Explained: Ketamine and the Corticothalamic Network, Psilocybin and the Immune System, & Canalization and Plasticity appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David once again interviews a teacher and student from Vital, speaking with Grof-certified Holotropic Breathwork® practitioner, author, and developer of InnerEthics®: Kylea Taylor: M.S., LMFT; and therapist and Lead Consultant of psychological therapists at NEU: Shabina Hale. This Vital Psychedelic Conversation is largely centered around ethics: how practitioners and facilitators define ethics; […]
The post PT386 – Vital Psychedelic Conversations appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Portland, OR-based licensed marriage and family therapist, ketamine-assisted therapist at Rainfall Medicine, lead educator at InnerTrek, and speaker at our upcoming Convergence conference: Gina Gratza, MS, LMFT. She talks about how she decided she wanted to become a therapist and when she knew psychedelics were the next step; meeting Rick […]
The post PT385 – Relationships, Conviviality, and The Strength of Empathic Attunement appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David interviews two people from different sides of Vital: clinical psychologist, adjunct professor, Co-Founder of the Psychedelics R2R nonprofit, and Vital instructor, Dr. Dominique Morisano (the teacher); and writer, psychedelic-assisted medicine facilitator, integration coach, and Women On Psychedelics Co-Founder, Jessika Lagarde (the student). With the 2023-24 edition of Vital set to begin in […]
The post PT384 – Vital Psychedelic Conversations appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David interviews Raad Seraj: host of Minority Trip Report, a podcast for underrepresented views in psychedelics and mental health, and founder of Mission Club, an education and investment platform. Seraj tells his story of growing up in Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia and eventually finding himself in Canada, and how the discomfort and […]
The post PT383 – Identity, Rage, Culture, and Venture Capital appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this week’s episode, Joe is joined by Kyle, calling in from The Atman Retreat in Jamaica, where he’s running the fourth of five retreats offered through our Vital program. They first discuss some news: Oregon Senator Elizabeth Steiner introducing a bill (SB-303) to essentially override many of the recommendations of the Oregon Health Authority, […]
The post Psychedelics Weekly – Client Data Concerns in Oregon, Hopeful Legalization in New Hampshire, and Vital & The Five Elements appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Kyle interviews researcher, speaker, writer, competitive freediver, and one of the world’s leading experts on 5-MeO-DMT: Dr. Malin Vedøy Uthaug. As a society, we mostly live in our minds, emotionally constipated while surprisingly disconnected from our bodies, with basic human needs that are all too often not met. Uthaug and Kyle talk […]
The post PT382 – The Body & Catharsis: Do We Need Psychedelics or Just Better Lifestyles? appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
For this week’s episode, we had plans for a guest to join Joe to talk about some legal battles, but as seems to be the norm this time of year, sickness postponed that conversation to a future date. With David taking some much-deserved time off and Kyle in Jamaica on a Vital retreat, this Psychedelics […]
The post Psychedelics Weekly – Prince Harry and Psychedelics, Proposed Legalization, and The Roland R. Griffiths, Ph.D. Professorship Fund appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Dr. Andrew R. Gallimore: computational neurobiologist, chemical pharmacologist, researcher, and writer of Alien Information Theory: Psychedelic Drug Technologies and the Cosmic Game. Gallimore feels that DMT is the most efficient and effective reality switching molecule we’ve seen, and that there is no other psychedelic experience that is so in your […]
The post PT381 – DMT, Hierarchies of Complexity, and Reality Switch Technologies appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this week’s episode, Joe and David meet up to talk about Vital, Convergence, and the latest news: -Tryp Therapeutics and Mass General signing a letter of intent for a Phase 2 clinical trial investigating the effects of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome – interesting because it further highlights the likely […]
The post Psychedelics Weekly – Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy for I.B.S., NY Aims to Legalize, and B.C.’s Decriminalization Experiment appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Kyle interviews C.J. Spotswood, PMHNP-BC: author and board-certified psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner currently enrolled in CIIS’ Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies and Research certificate program. Spotswood has worked with Psychedelics Today, teaching masterclasses for our Vital and Navigating Psychedelics for Clinicians and Therapists courses, but this is his first appearance on the show. His first […]
The post PT380 – Microdosing, Talking to Physicians About Psychedelics, and Nurses as the Scalability Solution appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this week’s episode, Joe and Kyle are together again before Kyle sets off for a 2-month road trip centered around Vital retreats, where we hope he’ll be able to report in from live while in Jamaica. They talk about Vital: applications are open for the April 2023 edition and close in February, so if […]
The post Psychedelics Weekly – Psilocybin and Stress Response, the Minnesota Medical Association Endorses Decriminalization, and Scott Wiener Introduces Senate Bill 58 appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David interviews published researcher, social entrepreneur, and internationally recognized Indigenous rights activist: Sutton King, MPH. In New York City alone, 180,000 people identify as Indigenous, Native American, or Alaskan Native, and this community is facing a disproportionate prevalence of mental health disparities, poverty, suicide, and PTSD due to intergenerational trauma from attempted […]
The post PT379 – Intergenerational Trauma, Late-Stage Capitalism, and the Urban Indigenous Collective appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this week’s episode, Kyle is back on the podcast, joining Joe to discuss three recent articles; two of which pose a lot of questions. They first look at Colorado’s Proposition 122, which, now that it has passed, enters into the long and arduous process of being figured out – all while existing in the […]
The post Psychedelics Weekly – Prop 122 and Data Privacy, Ending the Crack/Cocaine Sentencing Disparity, and the High Cost of Psychedelic Therapy appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Zach Leary: host of the MAPS podcast, facilitator at Evo Retreats, author, and of course, son of psychedelic legend, Timothy Leary. Leary was last on the podcast four years ago, so this episode serves as a bit of a check-in and reconnection, and truly goes all over the map. He […]
The post PT378 – Course Corrections, Preparation, and High-dose Experiences: “Who Are You Now?” appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this week’s episode, Joe and David team up again to discuss what news interested them the most this week: the DA dropping a felony drug charge against a mushroom rabbi in Denver due to the passing of Proposition 122; Numinus Submitting a Clinical Trial Application to Health Canada that would give in-training practitioners the […]
The post Psychedelics Weekly – Proposition 122 in Action, The Economics of Psychedelics, and Could States Legalize by 2037? appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews New York Times best-selling author, pioneer in the field of integrative medicine, and overall legend in the health and wellness space: Andrew Weil, M.D. As the author of 15 books on health and wellbeing and a regular in the media, you’re probably familiar with Weil and some of his work, […]
The post PT377 – Integrative Medicine: Health, Wellness, and Psychedelics appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this week’s episode, Joe and David team up for the first time to discuss three articles: Chacruna’s breakdown of the study, “Ceremonial Ayahuasca in Amazonian Retreats – Mental Health and Epigenetic Outcomes From a Six-Month Naturalistic Study,” Double Blind’s “Why the ‘Psychedelic Renaissance’ is just Colonialism by Another Name,” and the results from the […]
The post Psychedelics Weekly – Genetic Memory, “The Psychedelic Renaissance,” and Harm Reduction at Music Festivals appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David interviews Sherry Rais: Executive Director of the Boston Psychedelic Research Group, Grants Manager for CIIS, and CEO/Co-Founder of Enthea. Enthea is a benefit plan administrator that provides health plan benefit riders and single case agreement services for psychedelic healthcare with a provider network including certified and credentialed Ketamine-Assisted Therapy (KAT) and […]
The post PT376 – Ketamine and Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy as Employee Benefits appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this week’s episode, Joe and Alexa talk about the excitement brewing around our first conference-meets-festival, Convergence (March 30 – April 2 at the Wisdome in LA), and some of the sponsorships starting to come in (interested? email Alexa@psychedelicstoday.com). Then, they dive into what intrigued them the most this week: a study looking into potentiality and […]
The post Psychedelics Weekly – Cannabis as an Adjunct Cancer Treatment & 5-MeO-DMT Reactivations appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Victoria hosts a bit of a microdosing roundtable, speaking with three champions of microdosing: “The Father of modern microdosing,” James Fadiman, Ph.D.; Adam Bramlage, Founder/CEO of Flow State Micro (a functional mushroom company and microdosing educational platform); and Conor Murray, Ph.D., a neuroscientist at UCLA who conducted the world’s first EEG microdosing […]
The post PT375 – Microdosing & Citizen Science: Introducing the World’s First Take-Home EEG Microdosing Study appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
This week features David Drapkin, Joe Moore (for the first part), and introduces Alexa Jesse, who you’ve probably heard in ads, but who makes her first appearance on the podcast. They discuss two big political moves in the advancement of psychedelics: the creation of the Congressional Psychedelics Advancing Clinical Treatments (PACT) Caucus (led by Representatives […]
The post Psychedelics Weekly – Bipartisan Political Movement & Psychedelics and Pain appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Kyle interviews psychologist, psychotherapist, author, and certified Holotropic Breathwork® facilitator: Marc Aixalà. Aixalà is part of the International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research and Service (ICEERS), offering integration psychotherapy sessions, developing theoretical models of intervention, and training and supervising therapists. He is also the writer of the recently released, Psychedelic Integration: Psychotherapy […]
The post PT374 – Personalizing Psychedelic Integration appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
This week’s episode features David Drapkin and Jon Dennis, who you know from Eyes on Oregon and all of the work he’s done in an effort to protect religious freedom under Oregon’s Measure 109. They discuss opposition and concerns around Colorado Proposition 122 (which officially passed last week with 53% of the vote!) and recent […]
The post Psychedelics Weekly – Oregon Measure 109: Approaching the Proposed Final Rules appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David interviews Dr. Ben Medrano: Co-Medical Director with Nue Life, board-certified psychiatrist specializing in integrative psychiatry, and former Senior Vice President and US Medical Director of Field Trip Health. He discusses his path to Nue Life; from growing up around mental illness, to the rave scene, to Buddhism, to his years working […]
The post PT373 – Integrative Psychiatry & The Safety of At-Home Ketamine appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In April of 2020, the world was locking down at the same time the Black Lives Matter movement was gathering steam, and Joe and Kyle found themselves in new territory, filled with uncertainty and fear while watching conflicts explode everywhere. They felt an immediate need to talk about all that was happening, largely as a […]
The post Psychedelics Weekly – Wonderland Controversy and Colorado Proposition 122 appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
Listen to this episode where Joe interviews Heroic Hearts Project Founder and President, Jesse Gould and Chief of Operations, Zach Riggle. They discuss the need for psychedelics and other therapies for veterans and their families suffering from military trauma.
The post PT372 – The Heroic Hearts Project: Veterans and The Impact of Storytelling appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
Listen to this episode with podcaster and comedian, Dennis Walker, who thinks we all take ourselves too seriously, and views his platform, Mycopreneur, as "The Onion of the psychedelic space."
The post PT371 – The Trickster Archetype and the Need for Comic Relief appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
Listen to this episode with Canadian cannabis policy reform legend and long-time anti-drug war activist, Dana Larsen, where he talks about his Coca Leaf Cafe, prohibition, civil disobedience, and what it will take to establish a thriving legal psilocybin market.
The post PT370 – Prohibition, Civil Disobedience, and The Coca Leaf Cafe appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
Listen to this episode on how psychedelics could be the answer to chronic pain, featuring Founder of REMAP Therapeutics, Court Wing, and Drs. Joel Castellanos and Timothy Furnish of UC San Diego's Psychedelics and Health Research Initiative (PHRI).
The post PT369 – Chronic Pain and Phantom Limb Pain: Could Psilocybin Be the Answer? appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
Listen to this interview with Dr. Steven Radowitz: Medical Director at Nushama, a wellness center in New York City primarily offering IV ketamine. He discusses integration, group work, and the inner healer.
The post PT368 – Ketamine, Group Work, and the Power of Just Being There appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
Listen to this interview with David Bronner, CEO of Dr. Bronner’s, where he promotes Proposition 122, a new decriminalization measure on the Colorado ballot this November.
The post PT367 – Colorado Proposition 122 and the Decriminalization of Natural Medicines appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe Moore interviews the Co-Founders of Tesselate Therapeutics: Dr. Rochelle Hines, Ph.D. (also the CEO and an Associate Professor at UNLV), and Dr. Dustin Hines, Ph.D. (the CSO as well as an Assistant Professor at UNLV). While Tesselate's primary objective is the development of novel psychedelic molecules, the Hines' work goes much deeper than that, as they are researching the ways the brain communicates with itself and other parts of the body: how neurotransmitter systems interact, why synaptic partners find each other, and how certain substances may be able to modulate the actions of specific receptors. They talk about the reductionist base of neuroscience; the biodiversity in human populations and how heterogeneous depression can be; the structure of the cerebral cortex; neuroplasticity; the price of bringing new drugs to the FDA and the strategy of "failing fast," and much more.
The post PT366 – Neurotransmitter Systems and Novel Psychedelic Molecules appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Kyle Buller interviews Dr. Jennifer Montjoy: psychiatric nurse practitioner with a private practice specializing in ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, and Medical & Research Director at TRIPP (Transpersonal Research Institute of Psychotherapeutic Psychedelics); a 501(c)(3) organization that provides psychedelic training and research opportunities largely for female and BIPOC scientists. She talks about her protocol, the self-transcendent scale she’s using with clients pre- and post- induction, how ketamine can help people get over past trauma through shifts in emotional memory, and what she sees most in successful cases: a gradual shift toward self-agency. She also discusses how integral titration is in her process; how ACE (adverse childhood experience) scores work; how dissociation can help with childhood trauma; how clients often naturally fall into using Internal Family Systems to describe their process; and how physicians and therapists shouldn't be afraid of the concept of ceremony.
The post PT365 – KAP: Self-Agency Through Intention, Titration, and Ceremony appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David Drapkin interviews Jamie Wheal: author of the global bestseller, Stealing Fire: How Silicon Valley, Navy SEALs, and Maverick Scientists Are Revolutionizing the Way We Live and Work, and most recently, Recapture the Rapture: Rethinking God, Sex and Death In a World That's Lost Its Mind. He also founded the Flow Genome Project, an organization dedicated to human performance research and training, with a different attitude than we're used to seeing: in their words, "ecstasis without the crave," "catharsis without the cringe," and "communitas without the cults." He discusses Burning Man; the sliding scale of psychedelics and the need to regularly do a hard reset of our brains; neuroplasticity; virtual reality; what Hanukkah has to do with psychedelics; eschatothesia; permaculture and sustainability; and radical hope- the belief in an unknown future that one commits to nonetheless, even in the face of certain doom.
The post PT364 – Burning Man, Psychedelic Maturity, and Radical Hope appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews Reggie Harris: Founder of Oakland Hyphae, which organizes events like the Hyphae Cup (previously the Psilocybin Cup), and performs psilocybin potency testing through Hyphae Labs. He discusses his concerns over the burgeoning psychedelic industry not learning from the mistakes of a failing (at least in California) cannabis industry, and the need to end the drug war immediately and allow the people who got us here to once again live their lives freely. He also talks about why he thinks Oregon is legalizing psilocybin much too quickly; why he thinks we should decriminalize now (and legalize later); the overbearing burden of cannabis industry taxes and how legacy operators are switching to psilocybin; the stories of Kole and Seth Rosenberg; why Mike Tyson is one of the most important influencers in psychedelics; and why “fuck around and find out” has become a bit of a personal mantra for him and so many others looking to advance our quickly evolving psychedelic space.
The post PT363 – Cannabis and Psilocybin: The Complications of Legality Inside an Endless Drug War appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Victoria Dekker interviews Cory Firth: Chief Storyteller at the Nikean Foundation, one of the world’s leading charities funding psychedelic research and advancing education, which is now aiming to build the largest collection of transformational psychedelic stories online. Firth believes there is a massive population of "psychedelic seekers" who could likely benefit greatly from the psychedelic experience, but who just need to hear that one special story that inspires them to take the leap towards change – that it's the nuance and human connection in personal stories that cut through the "drugs are bad" media bias and can really change society for the better. He discusses the value of storytelling in affecting change on multiple levels; the idea of integration as an ongoing practice; the wisdom gained through trauma; and the trust and vulnerability required to be able to share a powerful story. And to practice what they preach, he and Victoria share their own personal stories of healing with the help of psychedelics. We hope they're stories that someone out there needs to hear.
The post PT362 – Psychedelic Storytelling: Transforming Out Loud appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe Moore interviews Jason Slot, Ph.D.: Associate Professor of Mycology and Evolutionary Genomics at Ohio State University, and founding member and scientific advisor to the Entheome Foundation, which has the goal of publishing 200+ fungal genomes by 2023 – starting with all the psilocybin-producing species. He discusses the state of mycology in 2022 and the booming interest in functional mushrooms; the regulations around psilocybin and how they all relate to the dispensing of mushrooms; the weirdest things he's seen in the complicated process of mushroom mating; substrate supplementation (with different enzymes, tryptophans, or even DMT); and just how much there still is to discover in the world of mushrooms and other possible plant medicines. If you're interested in psilocybin-producing mushrooms and want to explore mycology more deeply, this episode serves as a great introduction.
The post PT361 – Mycology and Evolutionary Genomics appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe Moore interviews Stephanie Wang: Founder and CEO of KA! Empathogenics, which has created the first-ever empathogenic supplement chew with the primary ingredient of kanna, a succulent native to South Africa. As a natural serotonin reuptake inhibitor and serotonin releasing agent, kanna's effects sound very similar to those of MDMA, but with a lot more: sleep improvement, a decrease in gut inflammation, increased focus and awareness, and a feeling of brain recalibration and true homeostasis (and it's legal!). KA!'s first product is their kanna chew: a healthy, pH-neutral snack with no sugar, preservatives, caffeine, or artificial sweeteners made with the intention to "restore full spectrum aliveness for all human beings." Wang breaks down the science behind why kanna works, its history with the Khoisan people of South Africa, her first kanna plant ceremony, contraindications and what pairs well with it, how you should take it and how long it can last, and why she chose KA! as the name for her company.
The post PT360 – Kanna: Love and Wholeness Through Nature’s Alternative to MDMA appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe Moore interviews Alex Enchin & Ian-Michael Hébert, MA; Co-Founders of HOLOS, a company building hospitality wellness centers with a strong focus on community, reconnection to nature, and a return to wholeness. HOLOS wants to be the place where the biggest psychedelic figureheads visit to relax, commune, and do their own work; to then spread that energy to their individual communities. And, as there isn't much of an entry point to psychedelic medicine, their next step is to develop a boutique, hotel-like wellness center for those who may not yet be ready for a psychedelic experience; to either prepare them for the next step, or to show that nature and community may be all they really need. They talk about our need for community and how HOLOS was born; viewing wellness centers and scalability differently; Stan Grof’s perinatal matrices; consciousness; transpersonal psychology; nondualism; how viewing Mount Denali can be a psychedelic experience; and what "returning to wholeness" really means.
The post PT352 – Alex Enchin & Ian-Michael Hébert, MA – HOLOS: Returning to Wholeness Through Nature and Community appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe Moore interviews Seth Rosenberg: Washington DC-based mycologist and anti-drug war advocate who worked on DC's decriminalization Initiative 81. Rosenberg was arrested by 11 SWAT agents in a case involving five federal agencies, presumably for posting pictures about how to grow mushrooms, and then purchasing (legal) mescaline-containing plants online. He tells his story, then discusses the beginnings of (and racism in) the drug war; the fundamental problem with the "grow, gather, give" concept of the decrim movement; Dr. Carl Hart; why biotech companies racing to create new compounds likely won't last; IV ketamine and concerns over ketamine being overhyped; the fluidity of morality over time; the unintended segregation within the psychedelic space; and the very scary reality that no one can really hide anything from the government.
The post PT351 – Seth Rosenberg – The Trauma In Being Arrested and The Injustice of the Drug War appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David Drapkin interviews Jim Gilligan: Interim CEO and Chief Scientific Officer of Tryp Therapeutics, a biotech company researching new compounds and delivery mechanisms for the treatment of eating disorders and nociplastic pain (fibromyalgia, phantom limb syndrome, complex regional pain syndrome). Tryp is currently running exploratory studies with oral psilocybin to collect enough data to move forward with their next step; the development (and bringing to market) of TRP-8803: a novel delivery mechanism for psilocybin that he believes will allow clinicians to know when the psychedelic experience will kick in, control how long it lasts, end the experience if the patient needs it, or extend it if they believe the patient will benefit. He also talks about how the neural network seems to hold onto memories (whether they're accessible or not); the therapy factor and ways to manage long-term efficacy; Prader-Willi syndrome and hypothalamic obesity; the unfortunate necessity of patents to the companies spending millions trying to bring a drug to market; and why, in a newly-risky psychedelic market, he believes Tryp is a safe bet.
The post PT350 – Jim Gilligan – Psilocybin and Accessing the “Off” Switch For Nociplastic Pain appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe Moore interviews transformational coach and guide, Brenna Gebauer; in-person from her parents' RV at this year's Lightning in a Bottle festival. Facilitator, past guest, and friend, Mark Haberstroh stops in as well. They discuss how to hold ethical spaces and establish accountability in underground, unregulated communities; touch in therapy and how to truthfully establish consent; how Oregon’s impending legal psilocybin model is moving too fast for facilitators to truly get the training and (legal) experience they likely need; and the under-discussed value of preparing for the psychedelic experience, which is often where the transformation truly begins. They also discuss Vipassana meditation, fusion therapy; Octavio Rettig and Gerry Sandoval; using the word "medicine" instead of "substance" or "drug"; and the necessity of conflict in progress - how can we open up opportunities for fair dialogue instead of just worrying about "winning" an argument?
The post PT349 – Brenna Gebauer – Slowing Down, The Ethics of Touch, and The Value of Preparation appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David Drapkin interviews globally-recognized cannabis activist, author, entrepreneur, speaker, podcaster, and “father of the legal cannabis industry,” Steve DeAngelo. DeAngelo was integral in the beginning of cannabis legalization in California, playing a role in the passage of Prop 64 and co-founding one of the first six dispensaries licensed in the US (Harborside). He talks about why the DEA is the way that it is; how cannabis feels to many like a (much needed) female energy; the default mode network and the endocannabinoid system; the concept of "the stoner epiphany"; decriminalization; how we've removed the divine from everything; and how the lessons psychedelics and cannabis are telling us are slowly changing society into one that cares about the environment and is more open, loving, and empathetic. DeAngelo is currently in Jamaica, working to help people (specifically Rastafarians) get involved in the legal cannabis industry, and heading up The Last Prisoner Project, which fights for the release of people in prison for cannabis offenses.
The post PT348 – Steve DeAngelo – Cannabis and Psychedelics: Industry, Consciousness, Justice, and Joy appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe Moore interviews Christopher Koddermann: Co-Founder and Chair of the Board of Directors of the International Therapeutic Psilocybin Rescheduling Initiative (ITPRI), a group pursuing the rescheduling of psilocybin under the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances – which has made attempts at academic research and clinical trials very time-consuming, overly complicated, and expensive. He discusses patents, IP, and "Psychedelics 2.0," where companies are patenting new molecules, using IP to create investment interest, and patent-hopping. He also talks about market exclusivity and patents; ketamine, esketamine, and the case of China attempting to schedule ketamine; Ken Kesey; consumer preferences around natural products vs. synthetic; and the entourage effect and baeocystin, a compound present in many mushrooms.
The post PT347 – Christopher Koddermann – Rescheduling Psilocybin, Patents and IP, and The Entourage Effect appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David Drapkin interviews Kevin Balktick: Founder and Director of Horizons; one of the world's longest-running psychedelic media, education, and communities – who we all know for their yearly Horizons conference in New York City. Fifteen years in, Horizons is making its way West with their first conference outside of NYC; September 15-18 at the Portland Art Museum in Oregon. Balktick talks about what led to the creation of Horizons in 2007 and why it's become necessary to have a second conference in Oregon now that the state is about to forever be changed by the Oregon Psilocybin Services Act (aka Measure 109). He also talks about Horizons New York (October 12-13 at The New York Academy of Medicine and The Great Hall at The Cooper Union); The Oregon Health Authority; why psilocybin is making the biggest waves in psychedelics; David Nutt's paper on "Equasy"; how conferences don't reflect the real demographic of their surrounding communities; and the importance (and life-changing possibilities) of gathering together in three dimensions.
The post PT346 – Kevin Balktick – Horizons Northwest, The Psilocybin Services Act, and the Magic in Gathering Together appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of the podcast, Kyle Buller returns with another episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations – this time with past guest Steve Thayer: clinical psychologist, Clinical Director of Education & Training at Novamind, and co-host (with Dr. Reid Robison) of the Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers podcast. He talks a lot about integration and what psychedelic-assisted therapy really means, pointing out that much of integration work is just general good mental hygiene. He talks about how clients need to be open to where the experience takes them, but remember why they sought it out in the first place: What change are they looking for? He also discusses the main pillars of therapy and the essential domains of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy; his theoretical orientations (parts work, emotion-focused therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy); the importance of trusting the inner healer (but with some structure); the unique communal aspects of group work; mindful awareness; cognitive fusion; and how psychedelics make us comfortable with not knowing.
The post PT345 – Steve Thayer, Ph.D. – Vital Psychedelic Conversations appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David Drapkin interviews Susan Beaulieu: Anishinaabe citizen of the Red Lake Nation, Ph.D. student, podcaster, and Extension Educator at the University of Minnesota Extension. She works with Indigenous communities primarily around intergenerational trauma and strengthening community resilience. She talks about how language shapes reality and the risk of losing Indigenous language, how psychedelics could help her community remember its traditions, and the need to insert important aspects of their culture into the healing process. She wonders: How do they create pathways beyond what is being explored in our current Western model that tribal leaders would be on board with? Does tribal sovereignty mean they have a legal right to try these new medicines? She also discusses mind-body medicine and soft belly breathing; the interconnectedness of all of our parts; the importance of truly feeling your "bad" emotions; and how culture is not just what you do, but how (and why) you do it.
The post PT344 – Susan Beaulieu – Epigenetics, Resilience, and Remembering appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe Moore interviews Soren Shade: passionate anti-prohibitionist, producer of the third season of “Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia" and producer of his new podcast, and Co-Founder of Top Tree Herbs; a kratom tea company dedicated to educating people about kratom, normalizing its use, and defeating the prohibitionists who want to ban it. He tells his story of learning from Dr. Carl Hart at Columbia, discovering kratom, and meeting Hamilton Morris, and tells us all about kratom: how to pronounce it; its legal history; its ties to opium overuse and why it's still political; how people typically use it today vs. how it was consumed traditionally; why people use it; and the lessons we can learn from kratom's path to legality. This episode was recorded as Hamilton Morris was sounding the alarm about the DEA attempting to schedule 4-HO-DiPT, 5-MeO-aMT, 5-MeO-MiPT, DOI, and DOC, and they have since backed down, proving that we should all be studying kratom’s path to legality and applying the lessons learned to future DEA battles.
The post PT343 – Soren Shade – Kratom and Anti-Prohibition: Lessons Learned and Applied appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Director of Corporate Communications Victoria Dekker records her first PT podcast; breaking some big news with the CEO of TheraPsil, Spencer Hawkswell. Nearly two years ago, TheraPsil helped four Canadians suffering from end-of-life distress access legal psilocybin under a Section 56 exemption, but due to these exemptions expiring and the new Co-Ministers of Health (Jean-Yves Duclos and Carolyn Bennett) having other priorities, these patients and other hopeful patients have lost access to their medicine. So just this week, TheraPsil has backed a charter challenge effectively suing the Canadian government, stating that closing these exemptions violates Canadians’ Section 7 charter rights to “life, liberty and security of person,” and launched a fundraiser to help with this upcoming battle. Hawkswell discusses the creation of TheraPsil and how they help patients through this process; the current (and complicated) ways patients access psilocybin; how Canada’s Special Access Program works; how mirroring cannabis legislation is the best place to start with psilocybin; the story of Thomas Hartle, the first patient to be granted legal access to psilocybin through TheraPsil’s efforts; and TheraPsil’s just-launched Project Solace, where people who have received SAP (or Section 56) access can report back on their experience with both the medicine and the process.
The post PT342 – Spencer Hawkswell – The Right to Psilocybin in Canada: TheraPsil’s Charter Challenge appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David Drapkin interviews Monnica Williams, Ph.D.: licensed clinical psychologist, Associate Professor at the School of Psychology at the University of Ottawa, and Clinical Director of the Behavioral Wellness Clinic in Connecticut. She discusses her primary focus: the mental health impact communities of color face as a result of racism (both active and intergenerational); and what therapists, clinicians, and especially researchers need to do to make mental healthcare more accessible and more attractive to them. She talks about why she moved to Canada; the differences in race relations she's noticed between Canada and the US; why therapists need to be extra careful when dealing with race and psychedelics; internalized racism; the drug war and its intentions; and courses and readings she recommends for learning about anti-racism and for building up the stamina necessary for dealing with the inevitable backlash that comes from trying to help people.
The post PT341 – Monnica Williams, Ph.D. – Racism, Trauma, Research, and Psychedelics appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David Drapkin interviews Joost Breeksema: philosopher, researcher, and Executive Director of the OPEN Foundation, which manages the Interdisciplinary Conference on Psychedelic Research (ICPR) – Europe’s longest-running conference on psychedelics. This year’s conference is taking place at the Philharmonie Haarlem (just outside Amsterdam) from September 21st to the 24th, with two large focuses being the discussion of how science, ethics, and business interact with highly scientific academic research, and looking at clinical perspectives in comparison to patient perspectives. There is also an extra day dedicated more to business-orientated matters, as well as having workshops on music, breathwork, and psychotherapy and psychedelics. He discusses his concerns over psychedelic infrastructure scaling too quickly and people not being adequately trained; drug policy in the Netherlands, coffee shops, and the interesting loophole with psychedelic truffles; how harm reduction approaches actually work; and finding the proper balance between hype and hope.
The post PT340 – Joost Breeksema – The Interdisciplinary Conference on Psychedelic Research (ICPR) & The Patient Perspective appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe Moore interviews Kim Dudine: Chief of Staff at OpenNest Labs and Director of Membership and Strategy at Trailblazers Presents, a curated community of cannabis and psychedelics leaders working together to shape the future of these industries and their surrounding culture. Dudine sees cannabis as an accessible, playful energy that meets us where we are, provides a pattern interruption, tells us what to work on, and reminds us of our interconnectedness through the frequency of unity consciousness. She talks about the importance of embodying the spirit of cannabis; the power of infusing it with gratitude and a "show me" attitude before a smoke; the frequencies she feels from psilocybin; breathwork and the inner healer; how we place so much importance on productivity and intellect but not on humility and heart intelligence; and asks the question: Are mushrooms more advanced and intelligent than we are? Trailblazers Presents' next event is an all-day gathering next week, July 27th, at Tribeca 360 in New York City. If you'd like to attend, use code TBFRIENDS at checkout for 25% off!
The post PT339 – Kim Dudine – Cannabis: The Gateway Drug to Unity Consciousness appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe Moore interviews Melissa Lavasani, Founder and Executive Director of the Psychedelic Medicine Coalition. She begins by detailing her dark path to finding psychedelics and how she really struggled with coming out of the psychedelic closet and becoming a public figure after she was asked to essentially be the figurehead for DC's Initiative 81 campaign. She talks about the birth of the Psychedelic Medicine Coalition and the group's goals; her concerns with psychedelics following the same route as the cannabis gold rush; the frustrations of so many people still having a moral opposition to drugs; and the problems with peyote, of which she feels nobody other than Indigenous communities should be using. Lavasani is featured in Michael Pollan's "How to Change Your Mind" docuseries on Netflix, and she discusses why she thinks she was in the mescaline episode, her feelings on being lumped in with groups that don't agree with her on peyote use, and how the Decriminalize Nature battles have brought all of the conflicts with Indigenous communities and the booming psychedelic renaissance to light.
The post PT338 – Melissa Lavasani – The Power of Storytelling, The Preservation of Peyote, and “How to Change Your Mind” appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David Drapkin interviews Lauren Katalinich and Anya Oleksiuk of the Psychedelic Society; a London-based website and educational platform that runs events and focuses on building the community so many people need after having a psychedelic experience. They discuss how sharing circles, integration techniques, the support of an understanding and knowledgeable community, and non-psychedelic practices like meditation, gong baths, and ecstatic dance have helped people to continue their "inside-out journey." They talk about psychedelic acceptance vs. drug policy in the UK; the difficulties and amazing benefits of running a Teal organization; their recent Drug Policy Symposium and Oleksiuk’s goal of organizing a ‘women in psychedelics’ conference; and her in-progress documentary, The Psychedelic Renaissance – a film that began as a campaign to remove stigma and help legalize and mainstream psychedelics, but has turned into a project more focused on harm reduction, the dangers of over-hype, and the worries so many of us have about psychedelics becoming a luxury product only for the rich.
The post PT337 – Lauren Katalinich & Anya Oleksiuk – The Psychedelic Society: The Power of Community and The Color of Teal appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David Drapkin interviews Sisi Li, Ph.D.: Data Architect and Team lead of the data archival team for Porta Sophia; a non-profit online library collecting relevant prior art in the world of psychedelics for patent reviewers and innovators around the world – the intention being to protect the public domain, stimulate innovation, and support good patents, all in the support of greater accessibility to psychedelics and psychedelic-assisted therapy at a mass scale. Li discusses what she does at Porta Sophia; what determines if something counts as prior art or not; the difficulties in collecting pre-prohibition, underground, and Indigenous community data; patent families, what can be patented, and the complexities of international patents; and COMPASS Pathways and their patent debacle. She also discusses epigenetics and intergenerational trauma, and her Women in Biohealth (WiB) mentoring program.
The post PT336 – Sisi Li, Ph.D. – Porta Sophia: Psychedelic Prior Art appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe Moore interviews Christopher Dawson & Andrew Galloway: Co-Founders and CEO and COO, respectively, of Dimensions; a Canadian-based company creating retreats that blend traditional plant ceremonies with neuroscience and a luxurious, five-star environment. They each tell their story and how it led to the beginnings of Dimensions, where they worked for a year with a "Dreamlab" team of MDs, psychiatrists, practitioners from different fields, and even a design agency to create different programs for different substances – all with a focus on true set and setting and integrating perfectly with nature. They talk about Health Canada and the country’s trajectory towards legal psychedelics; critiques of traditional addiction treatment and the efficacy of 12-step programs; the tension between the psychedelic space and traditional healing space; investing in biotech; the polyvagal theory; how animals deal with trauma (and how we don't); and the concept of integration: If you're just taking a pill and not doing the work, are you missing the point entirely?
The post PT335 – Christopher Dawson & Andrew Galloway – Modernizing Traditional Plant Medicine With Neuroscience and Luxury appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David Drapkin interviews David Nutt: Psychiatrist, Founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Drug Science, Chief Research Officer at Awakn Life Sciences, and Edmund J. Safra Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology in the Division of Brain Science, Dept of Medicine, Imperial College London. After a successful study on MDMA in the treatment of alcohol use disorder, Nutt is looking into if improvements can be made to MDMA. He discusses how serotonin seems to affect the default mode network; Robin Carhart-Harris’ “Trial of Psilocybin versus Escitalopram for Depression" study and the realization that psychedelics were doing something different in the brain; Measure 109 and the importance of how Oregon establishes a new paradigm around legal mushrooms; drug hysteria in the US and UK and how drastically that differs from Portugal's incredibly successful approach to drugs; why real world evidence is the core of science; and why psychedelics seem best at disrupting internalizing disorders.
The post PT334 – Prof. David Nutt – The Human Brain, Addiction, and Telling the Truth About Drugs appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe Moore interviews Co-Directors of The Riverstyx Foundation: Miriam Volat, MS, and T. Cody Swift, MFT. They cover several important topics related to Indigenous cultural survival, plant medicine biocultures, medicine conservation and sustainable propagation, and the work they do through Riverstyx, the Indigenous Peyote Conservation Initiative (ICPI) and the Indigenous Medicine Conservation Fund as a means to promote philanthropy and integrity within the psychedelic space.
The post PT333 – Miriam Volat, MS & T. Cody Swift, MFT – Conservation, Peyote, and Indigenous Biocultural Survival appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of the podcast, Joe Moore interviews the CEO of Mindset Pharma, James Lanthier. Mindset Pharma is a 3-year old biotechnology company built on discovering and developing new psychedelic compounds to be used as medicine for a variety of indications. While the efficacy of the psychedelics we know can’t be denied, the goal of science is to improve, and Lanthier believes optimizing these drugs will make them safer, more predictable, and more palatable for a far greater portion of the population. Lanthier discusses what’s going on at Mindset Pharma; why patents alone will not be sufficient protection from competition; the long game of biotech, psychedelic stocks, and overreaction to slow growth; the Nagoya protocol; mescaline; the need for big pharma and capitalism; the art of formulation; and how microdosing could soon be revolutionized.
The post PT332 – James Lanthier – Patentability, Capitalism, and The Next Generation of Psychedelics appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe Moore interviews Julie Zukof: Head of Strategic Partnerships for Nue Life and the creator of Psychedelic Women, and Michelle Weiner: a double board-certified Doctor specializing in integrative pain management, using cannabis, ketamine, and other holistic modalities to get to the root cause of chronic pain. Weiner discusses the central sensitization of fibromyalgia; ketamine infusions and dose discovery; the differences between how therapists and coaches are viewed (and the need for both); session music and trusting the facilitator in their music choice; and the importance of preparing for a ketamine experience through meditation and/or breathwork. And they talk about Psychedelic Women, which was just founded in January as a result of Zukof realizing how much women were a minority in the psychedelic space. She talks about why we need more women in psychedelia; women's natural inclination to connect and support each other; and how medicine should mirror that attitude.
The post PT331 – Julie Zukof & Dr. Michelle Weiner – Psychedelic Women, Coaching, and Ketamine For Fibromyalgia appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe interviews the Co-Founder and CEO of Sensorium Therapeutics, Dick Simon. Sensorium was created to fully research plants and fungi that already have established efficacy – their goal being to have the largest collection of psychoactive plants, to use machine learning to figure out exactly which molecules are doing what, to then synthesize new drugs that are safe and effective, and eventually bring these new compounds through the FDA approval process. Simon talks about how so much of what we know to be effective and beneficial is based on assumptions or best guesses, and while that doesn't discredit very real benefits, it does beg the question: Is this all optimized as best as it could be? He also discusses how recent advances in neuroscience and technology are catalyzing molecular research; the benefits and challenges of nutraceuticals; geopolitical conflict resolution; the challenges of benzodiazepines; and the problem with people needing to be treatment-resistant or seriously ill to gain access to psychedelics. He hopes that what Sensorium Therapeutics learns over the coming years will help bring better medicines to more people.
The post PT330 – Dick Simon – Researching Ethnobotanical Efficacy and the Search For New Therapeutic Molecules appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this bonus episode, Kyle interviews Dr. Scott Shannon: psychiatrist, Founder of Wholeness Center in Fort Collins, CO, and Co-Founder and CEO of the Board of Psychedelic Medicine and Therapies (BPMT); a non-profit public benefit corporation which was recently created to certify healthcare professionals in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Shannon feels that the majority of people who are interested in (and could benefit from) psychedelics would prefer that their experience be as close to a conventional medical setting as possible. And especially with the risks of rogue practitioners, licensing boards want to see predictability, uniformity, regulation, and that we as a psychedelic culture are placing importance on being accountable and self-governing. He discusses what the certification process will likely look like; why uniformity is so important; what people should look for in psychedelic education; and the importance of breaking from a siloed and hierarchical model into one that's cross-disciplinary, where professionals of all types can work together for the betterment of the patient.
The post PT329 – Dr. Scott Shannon – The Board of Psychedelic Medicine and Therapies appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, Joe Moore interviews Courtney Watson, LMFT. Watson is the Founder of Access To Doorways; an Oakland based non-profit aimed at bringing psychedelic-assisted therapy to QTBIPOC communities. Watson talks about ancestral veneration and ways to connect with one's ancestral past; Black resilience; Hoodoo; the sentience of plants; traditional African religions; and the concept of “spirit-devoid” synthesized compounds actually being the evolution of those plants’ spirits. She also breaks down thoughtful considerations for queer and trans people in the psychedelic space, pointing out that while our society places too much emphasis on gender and sex, the acknowledgement of gender diversity and tearing down of the myths of hetero- and cisnormativity is hugely important towards the healing (and equality) of all.
The post PT328 – Courtney Watson, LMFT – Ancestral Veneration and Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy For (and By) QTBIPOC appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode, David Drapkin interviews Founder and Executive Director of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), Rick Doblin, Ph.D. MAPS has recently been at the center of media scrutiny, notably through New York magazine's “Cover Story” podcast series, which chronicled instances of alleged sexual abuse within the MAPS clinical MDMA trials. We wanted to provide an opportunity for Doblin to respond to these very real concerns, and he does just that, discussing how MAPS reacted; what could have been done better; what this has all meant for MAPS; and how it feels to suddenly be seen by many as an enemy in a space they helped build. He also discusses what the post-approval psychedelic landscape could look like; their goals for facilitator training and how they align with requirements in Oregon; their desire for a patient registry or “global trauma index”; and the importance of collecting and analyzing real-world evidence. And he talks about MAPS and their globalization goals: how exploring psychedelic therapy specifically in countries with little to no tradition of psychotherapy can lead to new therapeutic models.
The post PT327 – Rick Doblin, Ph.D. – Confronting Abuse in Clinical Trials and the Future of Psychedelic Medicine appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of the podcast, David Drapkin interviews Clinical Psychologist and Founder of the Psychedelic Society of Vermont, Dr. Rick Barnett. They talk about addiction, recovery, varying therapeutic models, and how the combination of psychedelics and psychotherapy help to disrupt harmful negative patterns. Dr. Barnett also shares about his upcoming conference, the Psychedelic Science & Spirituality Summit, happening on the summer solstice (June 20-21, 2022) in Stowe, VT.
The post PT326 – Dr. Rick Barnett, Psy.D – Addiction, Recovery, and Competency in Psychedelic Therapy appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of the podcast, Joe Moore interviews Philip Wolf: Founder of Cultivating Spirits and Co-Founder of the Cannabis wedding Expo. Wolf's work in cannabis has largely been in the form of "elevated dining," but his current project is CashoM; a platform offering education for cannabis consumers, from beginners to connoisseurs, covering everything related to cannabis. He discusses the Wild West early days of recreational cannabis in Breckenridge; similarities between those days and what's happening in Oregon with psilocybin; cannabis as medicine and the reframing of what "medicine" is; and the recent "deep dive into winter" he took by staying at a house alone in Wisconsin for 2 months. He also talks about the importance of sitting in a circle with a group, the need for integrity in all things, embracing uncertainty, and why we need challenging trips. There is no one tool, modality, or programmable set, setting, and dose that will work for everyone every time, but he believes the secret to making this all work is to find commonality between each other.
The post PT325 – Philip Wolf – Cannabis: The Early Days of Legality, Elevated Dining, and the Need for Education appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of the podcast, Joe Moore interviews cannabis expert and social ethnobotanist, Amanda Reiman, Ph.D., MSW. Reiman is the Founder of Personal Plants; an organization dedicated to promoting a deeper relationship between people and plants, and Co-Founder of Sacred Garden; a Web3 project which advocates for entheogenic plant conservation. She discusses the early days of growing cannabis; the pros and cons of pharmaceutical vs. herbal plant models; the rules around cannabis regulation and taxes; how the different consumption patterns of cannabis and psychedelics could lead to vastly different pharmaceutical models; and what she'd like to do to promote a better connection to plants: guided tours of sacred gardens in virtual reality. She discusses the endless possibilities of cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and other Web3 projects, and wonders if defense funds and clinical trials could soon be entirely crowd-funded and therefore taken out of the hands of venture capitalists and the government.
The post PT324 – Amanda Reiman, Ph.D., MSW – Web3, NFTs, Cryptocurrencies, and A Deeper Relationship With Plants appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of the podcast, Kyle Buller interviews Dr. Reid Robison and Steve Thayer, Ph.D. of Novamind, and hosts of the Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers podcast. Robison and Thayer talk about their work with ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP); their combined efforts with Numinus Wellness to scale psychedelic therapy accessibility; the nuance of ketamine treatment; how ketamine can be used for therapist burnout; the benefits of group ketamine sessions; the inner healer; and the platform of standards and training they are currently building at Novamind.
The post PT323 – Dr. Reid Robison & Steve Thayer, Ph.D. – Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy, Therapist Burnout, and LSD for Anxiety appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of the podcast, Joe Moore interviews retired Nurse Practitioner, Midwife, and Air Force Captain, Kimberly Juroviesky, who was forced to retire from her career and aspirations in the Air Force after she fell during a training exercise and again on ice months later, eventually realizing she had developed Complex Regional Pain Syndrome – a little understood condition where essentially, nerves continue to tell one's brain that a healed injury should still hurt. After she tried ketamine and it cut her pain in half, she created the Ketamine Task Force to fight to get insurance to pay for ketamine (and eventually, other legalized psychedelics). She discusses CRPS and her path to ketamine; the redefining of "treatment-resistant"; the lack of knowledge from so many physicians about drug interactions and proper dosing; the utility, timing, and efficacy of each ketamine method; how chronic pain and suicidality are intertwined; and the relationship between the timing of ketamine sessions, improvements, and problems returning.
The post PT322 – Kimberly Juroviesky, Capt., USAF, Retired – Ketamine and Complex Regional Pain Syndrome appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of the podcast, Joe Moore interviews Lyle Maxson: Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Entheo Digital, a “technodelic” company focusing on digital therapeutics and virtual reality as adjuncts to psychedelic-assisted therapy, and theoretically, as new forms of medicine. Maxson discusses using VR before and after psychedelic experiences as a priming and integration tool; VR's potential to ease first-time trip anxiety; Entheo Digital's SoundSelf system and the powerful influence of biofeedback; and the question of whether or not technology (on its own) could initiate a non-ordinary state of consciousness with the same benefits as one brought on by psychedelics. He also talks about the likelihood of using different tools to be able to naturally activate endogenous DMT; the idea of a Steam-like internet marketplace for digital medicine; the possibility for technology to trigger lucid dreaming; the concept of highly-personalized digital schooling, and the tough question of how to not become so reliant on technology in such a quickly advancing technological world. And how can we use technology not for escapism, but instead, for good?
The post PT321 – Lyle Maxson – Virtual Reality, Biofeedback, and Digital Therapeutics: The Future of Mental Health appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of the podcast, David Drapkin interviews Founder & CEO of The New Health Club podcast and former journalist: Anne Philippi. She covers a range of topics pertaining to non-linear healing; intergenerational trauma; the birth of TNHC; how both COVID and war crises demand psychedelic intervention and services; and how psychedelics can heal the workforce and evolve the workplace.
The post PT320 – Anne Philippi – The New Health Club, Intergenerational Trauma, and Psychedelics in the Workplace appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of the podcast, Joe interviews Kole, who was famously arrested for growing and possessing mushrooms in Denver back in 2020 – shortly after psilocybin had been decriminalized there. Kole discusses why he decided to start growing mushrooms; how he became involved in the decriminalization movement; why he brought several journalists to personally see his grow; and how, even though those journalists may not have had bad intentions, that blind trust led to his downfall. And he describes how the arrest played out, the details of his grow, his charges, how the plea bargain came about, and why he was likely let go with probation instead of the possible 6-10 year sentence he had heard warnings of. This episode is an important reminder to be extremely careful in your actions and in who you trust.
The post PT319 – Kole – Activism and Trust: A Cautionary Tale From Someone Who Got Caught appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of the podcast, recorded live from the Archipelago Attic space in Denver, CO, Joe sat down with Unlimited Sciences founder, Del Jolly; Former UFC champion and Hall of Famer, Rashad Evans; and 10-year NFL veteran quarterback, Jake Plummer, at the initial launch of their new functional mushrooms company, Umbo Mushrooms. Plummer and Evans discuss how difficult transitioning back to normal everyday life after a sports career can be, and how CBD, following the Stamet's stack protocol, and how learning about all the anecdotal evidence of brain injury healing started to make them question what kind of long-term issues they may have coming to them. Jolly believes that functional mushrooms have just as much, if not more potential to help humanity than the often higher-praised psilocybin.
The four of them talk about a lot in this nearly 2-hour panel discussion: the power in language; how valuable it is to learn from each other in group preparation and integration sessions; how the UFC and NFL feel about psychedelics; microdosing and competition; NFTs; the Telluride Mushroom Festival; the problem with TBI often being misdiagnosed as PTSD; what steps we can take to better align our communities to the set and setting we want; the importance of slowing down; how every person has a specific audience they can reach; how we can learn from Indigenous people about our lost connection to community; and the interesting question of if we actually feel better from eating mushrooms because as a society, we completely removed them from our diets and our bodies have been craving them ever since.
The post PT318 – Del Jolly, Rashad Evans, and Jake Plummer – Functional Mushrooms, Brain Injuries, and the Importance of Slowing Down appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of the podcast, Joe Moore interviews Jason Grechanik; an ayahuasca ceremony facilitator at The Temple of the Way of Light and host of The Universe Within podcast. They discuss the rich history of shamanism; criticisms for the current psychedelic renaissance; the idea of everything having a spirit; dietas; breathwork; and what all we have to learn from ancient wisdom traditions.
The post PT317 – Jason Grechanik – Ancient Wisdom, Plant Dietas, and The Universe Within appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, David Drapkin interviews philosopher, clinical psychologist, Grof-certified Holotropic Breathwork® facilitator, and Co-Founder of Dreamshadow Group: Lenny Gibson, Ph.D. They talk about shamanism, Greek mythology, tribal cultures, and the importance of rediscovering the lineages of wisdom found throughout them. Gibson discusses the “dying before dying” that took place at Eleusis; how practices like meditation and breathwork can help us in recovering what in Zen is called “original mind;” achieving mystical enlightenment by studying mathematics; and the philosophical parallels between Plato, Kurt Vonnegut, Alfred North Whitehead, and the ancient Greeks.
The post PT316 – Lenny Gibson, Ph.D. – Vital Psychedelic Conversations appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of the podcast, David Drapkin interviews Dr. Dominique Morisano: clinical psychologist, professor, researcher, and Co-Founder of the upcoming non-profit conference, "From Research to Reality: Global Summit on Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies and Medicine." Three years in the making and planned as a one-time event, Morisano considers the conference to be a state of the union of the field of psychedelic science, where people from all fields in psychedelia will meet and discuss what we know, what the future could look like, and how we can get there. Each presentation was submitted and reviewed by a committee of peers, and will largely feature new research. The conference is May 27th to May 29th in Toronto, and a virtual option is available, with a special "Saturday night special" featuring David Nutt, Rick Doblin, Monnica Williams, and others.
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In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, Kyle Buller interviews Daniel McQueen, MA: author of “Psychedelic Cannabis: Therapeutic Methods and Unique Blends to Treat Trauma and Transform Consciousness” and Executive Director of the Center for Medicinal Mindfulness in Boulder, CO. McQueen discusses how the clinical model is too limited in perspective for psychedelics, how transformational being a guide for others can be, the importance of practitioners practicing self-care, and how cannabis can be as powerful a psychedelic as DMT.
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In this episode of the podcast, Joe interviews Chemical Dependency Counselor and Holotropic Breathwork® facilitator, Christine Calvert. They talk in detail about the many facets of Grof Transpersonal Training, the holotropic paradigm, the ethics and nuance of spaceholding, and what it means to die to ourselves.
The post PT313 – Christine Calvert, LCDC – Holotropic Breathwork, Ethics, and Dying To Ourselves appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this Earth Day episode of the podcast, Joe Moore interviews publisher, ecologist, planetary steward, and co-owner of Synergetic Press, Deborah Snyder. The two cover a wide range of ecology-based topics like earth as a biosphere, the environmental ecological engineering project Biosphere 2, the importance of thinking in whole systems, and how psychedelics play a role in our understanding of the complex, organic living systems we live in.
The post PT312 – Deborah Snyder – Ecology, Synergy, and the Biosphere appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this historic episode of the podcast, Joe Moore speaks with William Leonard Pickard, the notorious American chemist and drug researcher famous for being sentenced in 2004 to two life sentences for the alleged manufacture of 90% of the world’s LSD. He discusses his prediction of the current fentanyl epidemic, coffee, 2-CB, Ross Ulbricht, the alchemy in drug manufacturing, what made LSD special, the inhumanity of prison, and the power of living a drug-free life. Today on Bicycle Day, take a ride between the prison industrial complex and the glowing heart center of Eternal Love.
The post PT311 – William Leonard Pickard – LSD, Fentanyl, Prison, and the Greatest Gift of All: The Natural Mind appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, David Drapkin interviews Omar Thomas: certified death doula and founder of Jamaica’s Diaspora Psychedelic Society. Thomas discusses his work at DPS; how Jamaica is shaping its framework as a psychedelic health & wellness destination; the importance of openness within the home about psychedelics; the value of creating a sacred, intentional approach to death; re-thinking waste and wealth in Jamaica; how psychedelics relate to death; and how observation and self-directed growth lead to lasting change.
The post PT310 – Omar Thomas – Vital Psychedelic Conversations appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of the podcast, David Drapkin interviews lawyer, activist, and co-host of our Eyes on Oregon web series, Jon Dennis, Esq. Dennis has been heavily involved in Oregon’s Measure 109: creating the Entheogenic Practitioners Council of Oregon, writing a proposed regulatory framework for religious practice under Measure 109, and presenting to the psilocybin board subcommittees all in an effort to protect religious psilocybin use and ensure paywalls don’t ruin the unique and historic opportunity Oregon has opened up here. If you weren’t as knowledgeable about Measure 109 as you’d like to be, this podcast serves as a great summary of how we got here and what’s next, as he discusses how Measure 109 came about; the role of each subcommittee; Measure 110; who defines what counts as religious practice; the complications of requiring specific psilocybin testing; community support models as harm reduction; how it will become harder and harder to make good legal change in an emerging psychedelic industrial complex, and how he’s using the travails of María Sabina as an inspiration to make sure people aren’t left behind.
The post PT309 – Jon Dennis, Esq. – Oregon’s Measure 109 and the Fight For Religious Liberty appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, Kyle Buller interviews Dr. Ido Cohen, PsyD.
Dr. Cohen is a clinical psychologist and co-founder of The Integration Circle: A San Francisco based organization focused on encouraging psycho-spiritual growth for individuals, couples and groups. This discussion unpacks all the nuance of integration, its importance, and how commitment to ourselves through the process can lead to long-lasting, sustainable change.
The post PT308 – Dr. Ido Cohen, PsyD – Vital Psychedelic Conversations appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of the podcast, Joe Moore interviews Kathryn L. Tucker, JD: Special Counsel at Emerge Law Group, where she Co-Chairs the Psychedelic Practice Group. Tucker has had a 35-year career in advocacy and protecting rights of terminally ill patients, serving as lead counsel in three landmark federal cases around constitutional rights and dying. Most recently, she was part of the team responsible for enacting Oregon's groundbreaking Measure 109. She discusses the mechanics of how access to psychedelic medicine works under Right to Try; how she feels about decriminalization vs. legalization and how it all relates to what she's seen in the field of death and dying; what she's excited about in Oregon; and how measures in Colorado could take things even further. It's been over a year with no answer on how the DEA would be enabling psilocybin access to patients under the Right to Try act, so she invites activists everywhere to shine the bright light of public scrutiny on the insulting inaction of perhaps the government's most ineffective agency. There’s a clear path here where everyone wins, so please, call your state’s elected officials and demand that they actually do their job.
The post PT307 – Kathryn L. Tucker, JD – The Right to Try Act and the Battle for Psilocybin Access appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, Kyle Buller interviews Dr. Devon Christie: Senior Lead of Psychedelic Programs with Numinus Wellness, clinical instructor, counselor, and Co-Investigator and study therapist for a Canadian MAPS-sponsored trial investigating MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD. She talks about the importance of biomedical ethics and the unique considerations of psychedelic-assisted therapy: how psychedelics enhance the vulnerability and suggestibility in a well-established power dynamic, and how being aware of your power and biases is of the utmost importance towards not influencing your patient's experience. And she talks about the complications of touch and establishing (and honoring) informed consent; how true mindfulness can cultivate a greater capacity for self-regulation; how to handle situations where the client wants to know if a memory is real or not; the idea of psychedelics as placebos; and other therapeutic concepts like harm of neglect, undue influence, making pleasure a virtue, cultivating agency, combating physician burnout, and the expectation effect.
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In this episode of the podcast, Joe Moore interviews spirit healer, geomancer, and author of the new book, “Journeys With Plant Spirits: Plan Consciousness Healing & Natural Magic Practices,” Emma Farrell. After traveling the world and seeking knowledge for 15 years, a conversation with the spirit of iboga helped Farrell realize that the highest teachings were all there in her own culture, and she could have healing relationships with plants in her own environment, with plants she could be more connected to, and through a lens she understood better. She discusses her process and the importance of plant dietas; the idea of the “ethical warrior”; the types of energies she sees in different plants; how we've forgotten our connection to nature; what can help strengthen connections to plant energies; why she recommends starting a plant exploration with mugwort; the concept of ayahuasca helping you to die consciously; the power of energy fields; and how, for many reasons, people are often carrying around attachments they're not aware of.
The post PT305 – Emma Farrell – Plant Spirits, Entities, and Remembering Lost Traditions appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, Kyle interviews professor of anthropology, author, and historian, Jerry B. Brown, Ph.D. Together with his wife, Julie M. Brown, MA, he co-authored the book, The Psychedelic Gospels: The Secret History of Hallucinogens in Christianity, where they present compelling anthropological arguments through early Christian frescoes and iconography of the major religion’s long-forgotten entheogenic history. Brown discusses the historical and cultural use of entheogens, the major universities currently conducting clinical research, the importance of ethics in this space, the question of 'will psychedelics survive success (in business)?', the future of these substances in the fields of medicine and mental health, and rides on the back of giant bengal tigers up volcanoes during LSD journeys. He breaks down why it’s important to understand the role of psychedelics in religion and how they can play a large role in the returning of faiths to their mystical roots, and he highlights two important areas professionals ought to be well-versed in: the establishment of trust between the therapist and client, and the technique of guided imagery – evoking mental images and symbols to facilitate deep healing.
The post PT304 – Jerry B. Brown, Ph.D. – Vital Psychedelic Conversations appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of the podcast, Joe Moore interviews Adam Bramlage: Founder and CEO of Flow State Micro, a functional mushroom company and microdosing educational platform. Bramlage talks about his journey to psychedelics and discovery of microdosing, and how he worries that the troubling issues he saw in the legal cannabis industry are already finding their way to the psychedelic space. He discusses what he experienced when he started microdosing; how he connected with James Fadiman; the concepts of neurogenesis and a gut-brain axis; how more and more professional athletes are using psychedelics to heal brain injuries as well as optimize performance; concerns over chronic microdosing; and why the goal is always to microdose less over time. And he also goes deep into the history of microdosing and our ancestral connection to psychedelics (particularly psilocybin), touching on Hernán Cortés; R. Gordan Wasson banking for the vatican; Christianity, Jesus, and mushrooms; repeated examples of control through the erasure of history; Tim Leary; Al Hubbard; MKUltra; the Tarahumara Indians' peyote-influenced ultra-running; cave paintings; Whitey Bulger, and more.
The post PT303 – Adam Bramlage – Cannabis, Microdosing, and Our Evolutionary Connection to Psychedelics appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, Kyle Buller interviews clinical psychologist, author, researcher, and developer of Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT): Dr. Adele Lafrance. EFFT involves teaching family and significant others emotion-processing and behavioral support skills, how to make therapeutic apologies, how to not react in a knee-jerk way, and how to find problematic caregiving problems where families accommodate for mental health issues (and therefore perpetuate them). She also discusses the idea of healthy anger; the Hoffman Process; emotion coaching; the power of validation; similarities between EFFT and Internal Family Systems; rolling with resistance; tips to incorporate family into therapy more; the concept of a shame hangover and checking in on "tomorrow you"; and that even with all the preparation in the world, there's no way to adequately prepare someone for the vast array of possibilities within (and after) a psychedelic experience.
The post PT302 – Dr. Adele Lafrance – Vital Psychedelic Conversations appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of the podcast, David Drapkin interviews Chief of Staff and Head of Operations at Nue Life, Kabir Ali. Ali speaks about the power of ketamine-assisted therapy; how our current society seems to be driving us to escape; the lack of education in mental health he's seen in his travels; how self-love is the most overlooked gift of psychedelic-assisted therapy; and addiction (his struggles, how people can have these relationships with anything, concerns over the addictive properties of ketamine, and the importance of having the right people in your corner when using a substance to overcome another). And he discusses Nue Life: the benefits he's seen from integration work in group settings, the health coaching they've made a large part of their program, what he's most excited about, and why he views Nue Life as a next-gen mental health company rather than a ketamine clinic.
The post PT301 – Kabir Ali – Addiction, Ketamine, and the Overlooked Gift of Self-Love appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, Kyle Buller and David Drapkin interview the author of “No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model,” and the creator of the IFS model itself: Dr. Richard C. Schwartz. Schwartz discusses how IFS came about and what it entails; how he views the Self; how IFS relates to the body; the 8 Cs of self-leadership qualities; how to address the actions of one's different parts; and how often people in psychedelic-assisted therapy sessions find themselves naturally thinking within the IFC framework. He also talks about the importance of preparation and facilitators knowing their own parts; his psychedelic history and why he's no longer afraid of death; what he strives for in integration work; the 5 Ps facilitators need; Sandra Watanabe's concept of a "cast of characters"; soul retrieval; starling murmuration; and the Pixar movie, "Inside Out."
The post PT300 – Dr. Richard C. Schwartz – Vital Psychedelic Conversations appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of the podcast, Joe Moore interviews Ed Prideaux: UK-based writer and journalist working to raise awareness around Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD) in affiliation with the Perception Restoration Foundation. While HPPD is known in the psychedelic community, it's not talked about or researched enough, and often considered by many as fake, flashbacks, or a trauma reactivation. Prideaux likes to call HPPD "post-drug perceptual changes," and talks about how it came about in his life and how it affects him; what visual snow syndrome and other common HPPD visuals look like; neurodiversity and looking at things from a “critical psychiatry” lens; how he thinks HPPD relates to anxiety and distress from depersonalization effects and isolation; and how so much of the lack of knowledge and progress around HPPD is a direct result of the drug war. Does HPPD happen more when the experience happens in youth? Are there dormancy effects? Is cannabis a larger trigger than people think? Is the biggest trigger being overwhelmed by a larger-than-expected dose? Is LSD the most commonly reported culprit due to how long the trip is? Could entering into more non-ordinary states of consciousness actually be the solution? The Perception Restoration Foundation is working on a study in Macquarie University in Australia looking at neuroimaging of people with HPPD, they just released an HPPD information guide in collaboration with MAPS, and they are working to finalize and release a documentary called "HPPD: Stuck in an Altered World.”
The post PT299 – Ed Prideaux – HPPD (Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder): A Synopsis appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, Kyle Buller interviews Michael Sapiro, PsyD: clinical psychologist, writer, meditation researcher, integrative coach, former Buddhist monk, Vital teacher, and now 3-time podcast guest. He discusses the idea of bringing psychedelics to prisons; his mental time travel work with The Institute for Love and Time (TILT); rebuilding trust in the medical community; and the difference between a diploma and real-world experience and proper training. And he talks about the complicated dynamics involved in what many see as a fantasy career; how he knows when to intervene; how he views "doing your own work"; whether or not the work can be gentle or joyous; the idea of joking during a session; his work with combat veterans and the intensity of 5-MeO-DMT; mainstreaming mysticism; and trusting that the universe has our backs.
The post PT298 – Michael Sapiro, PsyD – Vital Psychedelic Conversations appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of the podcast, Kyle Buller interviews author, educator, podcaster, and somatic psychotherapist: Laura Mae Northrup, LMFT. Northrup is the author of the just-released Radical Healership: How to Build a Values-Driven Healing Practice in a Profit-Driven World, which was written for people entering the field as psychedelic practitioners (she calls it "a self-help book for healers"). She discusses what "doing your own work" really means; what people struggle with when entering the field; the ways gained power, unconscious motivations, or issues you haven't worked on can influence the ways you work with others; why preparation is maybe more important than integration; capitalism and why practitioners shouldn't feel bad about charging money for their services; the importance of trauma training; and why, while society usually feels differently, you don't actually have to be perfect to become a healing practitioner.
The post PT297 – Laura Mae Northrup, LMFT – Radical Healership in a Profit-Driven World appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, Kyle Buller interviews researcher, author, Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Greenwich, and Co-Founder and Director of the Breaking Convention conference: Dr. David Luke. Luke talks about the importance of understanding the full range of psychedelic experiences; the difficulty in defining and measuring the transpersonal, how science has pathologized (and religion has demonized) the weird; and the need for counselors to be open minded to the reality (and after effects) of their clients' experiences. And he talks about DMT and entity encounters: Why do people who have these experiences have such massive shifts in belief afterward? What are these entities? While he can't answer these questions, he shares a few stories of his own that led to prolonged, incremental ontological shock in his own life.
The post PT296 – Dr. David Luke – Vital Psychedelic Conversations appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of the podcast, Joe Moore interviews Professor of Neuroscience, author, and Founder and Vice Director of the Brain Institute at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte in Brazil: Sidarta Ribeiro. Ribeiro talks about what he's seeing happen in psychiatry: that we're realizing how little traditional psychiatry paid attention to set and setting, how much the creation and spread of antidepressants was influenced by conflicts of interest, and how the future of psychiatry and psychotherapy will mean more talking and less use of drugs (and not the other way around). He also discusses dreams and his book, “The Oracle of Night: The History and Science of Dreams”; research where MDMA was given to octopuses; how we're arriving at many "new" conclusions that are actually old; why he's primarily researching LSD; the ayahuasca-like drink, jurema; how we need to look at things outside the realm of logical positivism; microdosing; biopiracy; and how we actually have the ability to collectively solve most of humanity’s problems but don’t due to greed.
The post PT295 – Sidarta Ribeiro – Dreams, LSD, and Biopiracy appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, David Drapkin interviews Andrew Tatarsky, Ph.D.; author and developer of Integrative Harm Reduction Psychotherapy, and Juliana Mulligan; writer and head of Inner Vision Ibogaine. Both are part of The Center for Optimal Living in NYC (CFOL); Tatarsky as the Founder and Director, and Mulligan as the Psychedelic Program Coordinator. They talk about reframing addiction, the ways society divides us by accepted behaviors, how being taught to doubt ourselves as children creates trauma, the idea of the "disease narrative" and self-demonization, how research studies support the idea of the quick fix, and harm reduction as a pathway to a better self.
The post PT294 – Andrew Tatarsky, Ph.D. & Juliana Mulligan – Vital Psychedelic Conversations appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of the podcast, Joe Moore and Kyle Buller finally sit down with one of their all-time heroes and one of the reasons this podcast exists in the first place: Stanislav Grof, MD, Ph.D., who joins them with his wife and collaborator (and co-creator of Grof® Legacy Training), Brigitte Grof, MA. They talk about Stan’s stroke and recovery; developments in his concept of birth perinatal matrices; how they see breathwork evolving; how we get to the psychology of the future; the inner healing intelligence; and the need for more practitioners to have more training in non-ordinary states of consciousness. Stan also tells stories of how he discovered the power of breathwork and bodywork, and a funny story about missing a huge event at Harvard to instead relearn how to say "monkeys eat bananas." While the stroke set Stan back a bit in terms of speech, "the problem is in the cables, not the content," as Brigitte says, and that is evident – as is Stan's refreshing and humbling self-awareness, their mutual sense of humor, and the love between the two of them.
The post PT293 – Stanislav & Brigitte Grof – The Evolution of Breathwork and The Psychology of the Future appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, Kyle Buller interviews Sam Gandy: researcher, science writer, Ph.D. ecologist, and collaborator with the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London who is most interested in the capacity of psychedelics to amplify or ignite our relationship with nature. He talks about David Luke's study on nature interconnectedness after psychedelic experiences and ways to add nature into the integration and prep stages, from VR to planting seeds to even just looking at pictures or videos. He talks about the challenge of maximizing the benefits of the psychedelic experience and the need for more knowledge on how to integrate, asking how we can also use psychedelics intentionally as creativity-enhancing agents (analyzing James Fadiman and Willis Harman’s 1966 "Selective Enhancement of Specific Capacities Through Psychedelic Training" study).
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In this episode of the podcast, Joe Moore interviews Rick Tarnas and Sean Kelly, Ph.D.: two authors and professors at the Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness program at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. Tarnas and Kelly co-edited: Psyche Unbound: Essays in Honor of Stanislav Grof, which is a collection of 22 essays from the last 50 years about Grof and the impact of his work; featuring pieces from legends of the past like Joseph Campbell and Huston Smith and big names in the field today like Michael Mithoefer and Fritjof Capra. Tarnas and Kelly discuss what led to this project happening; why Grof’s work is so important; how Grof connected classic ideas with previously unthinkable concepts and realities; and what the over-simplified term, "ego death" really means.
The post PT291 – Rick Tarnas & Sean Kelly, Ph.D. – The Impact of Stanislav Grof, Ego Death, and The Psyche Unbound appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of the podcast (and episode 3 of Vital Psychedelic Conversations), Kyle Buller interviews Kylea Taylor: M.S.; LMFT; Grof-certified Holotropic Breathwork® practitioner; and author of several books, including her newest: The Ethics of Caring: Finding Right Relationship with Clients.
She talks about learning breathwork from the Grofs at Esalen, working through her 5-year spiritual emergency, her work bringing breathwork to a residential substance abuse recovery program, and her InnerEthics® program.
They also discuss how much the psychedelic community undervalues the reciprocity and knowledge one can gain from sitting for someone else; how our multiple selves complicate already-complicated relationships, having dreams about taking psychedelics; and three tools likely not yet mentioned in this podcast: Angie Arrien’s naming ceremony, SoulCollage®, and Brainspotting.
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In this episode of the podcast, Joe Moore sits down with Co-Founder and CEO of Numinus, Payton Nyquvest. Nyquvest tells the story of how ayahuasca became the cure for his chronic pain, and discusses how people so often fall into a box where their diagnosis becomes their identity and their lives become about symptom moderation and not getting to the root cause. He talks about how Numinus came about; how Health Canada's Special Access Program could be huge towards more legalization; the importance of a safe container and community; and the need for a shift in how we view psychedelics and self work in general, from something we view as a last-ditch resort to something we treat more as regular preventative tune-ups or check-ins. Numinus is working with MAPS in their Phase 3 MDMA for PTSD study, and have just produced what may be the first legal psilocybin mushroom since the 1970s.
The post PT289 – Payton Nyquvest – Shifting the Mindset on Pain, Psychedelics, and Accessibility appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of the podcast, Kyle sits down for the 2nd edition of Vital Psychedelic Conversations; this week with Annie & Michael Mithoefer, who are best known for groundbreaking trials they've been involved in, including two MAPS-sponsored Phase II trials studying MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD, a study providing MDMA-assisted sessions to therapists completing the MAPS therapist training, and a pilot study treating couples with MDMA-assisted therapy combined with Cognitive Behavioral Conjoint Therapy. They discuss why they connected so much with breathwork; what trusting the process means (for the patient and facilitator); the concept of inner healing capacity; how the communal, group process aspect of breathwork is inspiring ideas for group MDMA sessions; updates on new trials for 2022; their best advice and biggest takeaways they've learned from decades in the field, and more!
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In this episode of the podcast, Joe Moore interviews Josh Hardman, the Founder and Editor of Psilocybin Alpha, a news website and weekly newsletter covering the psychedelic space with a focus on emerging companies and drug development. He talks about how the 2020 US election jumpstarted the site, especially due to the passing of Oregon's Measure 109 and people suddenly showing a lot of interest in psychedelic stocks. And they discuss much more: why the UK is so conservative when it comes to drug policy; Brexit; cryptocurrency, decentralized finance (DeFi), and decentralized health; overuse of Sonoran desert toads and over-harvesting of iboga; data collection and data privacy; patent thicketing; integration as a new recurring-revenue model; psychedelics and VR; investor obsession with derivatives and analogs; and 2022 seeing the likely consolidation of many for-profit companies in the psychedelic space.
The post PT287 – Josh Hardman – Psychedelic Stocks, Data Privacy, and Drug Development appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of the podcast, Kyle Buller sits down with Joe Tafur, MD, for the first episode in our new weekly series, "Vital Psychedelic Conversations." Vital is the name of our new 12-month certificate program launching in April, and each episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations will feature one of the teachers we've been honored to be able to include in the program. Joe Tafur, MD, is a family physician and author who was trained in ayahuasca curanderismo at the Nihue Rao Centro Espiritual in Peru, and is a co-founder of the Church of the Eagle and the Condor, which is currently pursuing legal protection for ceremonial ayahuasca use. He discusses the frustrating application process for the church; the idea of the substance only being a part of the experience; how a truly transpersonal moment seems to make people start asking about the sacred; the scientific community's struggles with the transpersonal; and he makes an argument for allowing religious tokens in therapeutic containers. He also talks about what we can learn from Indigenous tradition and their holistic and health-focused mindset, connection to nature, relationship with substances, and embrace of spirituality.
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In this episode of the podcast, Kyle Buller and David Drapkin interview Andrew Penn: nurse practitioner, Co-chair for Sana Symposium, Associate Clinical Professor at the University of California–San Francisco School of Nursing, and Co-founder of OPENurses; a professional organization for nurses interested in psychedelic research. Penn discusses how the only way to talk about psychedelics for therapeutic use in the old days was in a sidebar to speeches on drug abuse, why psychedelics and SSRIs may actually work together, microdosing and the placebo effect, how the placebo effect may play into other aspects of healthcare you might not have thought about, why psychedelics needs more skeptics, the importance of care in healthcare, and OPENurses (The Organization of Psychedelic and Entheogenic Nurses); which he co-founded to make sure more nurses were involved (and front-facing) in the psychedelic space.
The post PT285 – Andrew Penn, NP – The Need for Nurses in Psychedelics, The Placebo Effect, and Appreciating the Subtle appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of the podcast, Joe Moore interviews co-founder and CEO of Journey Clinical, Jonathan Sabbagh. Journey Clinical is a telehealth platform specializing in remote and in-person ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, but what makes them a bit unique is their larger focus on the needs of the psychotherapist; helping approved psychotherapists integrate KAP into their practices, and by building out a platform to facilitate the delivery of customized treatments of all modalities to their patients under the same umbrella. Sabbagh tells his story of 20 years in finance leading to burnout, ayahuasca, and a career change, and discusses data privacy; why ketamine is just an adjunct; how Journey's process works; the importance of building a safe container (in therapy and digitally); wearables and the future of combined tools; what he's most excited about; what it meant to see his company's banner hanging at Horizons; and why it's important to have a growing industry be led by true believers.
The post PT284 – Jonathan Sabbagh – Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy and Collaborative Care appeared first on Psychedelics Today.
In this episode of the podcast, Joe interviews Greg McKee: Chairman and CEO of Tryp Therapeutics, an early-stage biotech company focusing on nociplastic pain and how it could be alleviated through the brain rewiring often possible in the psychedelic experience. They are first looking at psychedelics for chronic pain and eating disorders, and when this podcast was recorded, had just received FDA clearance to begin a fibromyalgia study at the University of Michigan (with studies on phantom limb pain, complex regional pain syndrome, binge eating disorder, and hypothalamic obesity likely coming after). McKee discusses the origins of Tryp, the benefits of using synthetics, the positives to take away from Compass Pathways' preliminary psilocybin Phase 2B trial results, and why a lot of early psychedelic investors may be mistakenly panicking.
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In this episode of the podcast, Joe Moore revisits the topic of religion and psychedelics with two guests of different religions: Rabbi and founder and CEO of Shefa, Zac Kamenetz; and Episcopal priest and founding Executive Director of Ligare, Hunt Priest. Kamenetz and Priest both had catalyzing psychedelic experiences in research studies and are now each working to build a broad network of leaders and academics who are Jewish (through Zac's website, Shefa) or Christian (through Hunt's site, Ligare) to act as psychedelic societies and figure out the best protocols in which to authentically blend religious tradition and lessons into the psychedelic experience. They discuss the differences between how Christianity and Judaism talks about psychedelics; the Jewish Psychedelic Summit; why Christianity seems to be so far behind; the minimization of mystical experiences; the concepts of spiritual harm reduction and spiritual literacy; Rick Strassman, DMT, and prophecy; how religious tokens and symbols in psychedelic-assisted therapy can traumatize or influence an intended experience; spiritual emergency; and why serving others should be part of the integration experience.
The post PT282 – Rabbi Zac Kamenetz & The Rev. Hunt Priest – Judaism, Christianity, and Embracing Psychedelics appeared first on Psychedelics Today.