Psychedelic Medicine Podcast with Dr. Lynn Marie Morski

In this episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast, Matt Johnson, PhD returns to discuss previous survey research he conducted regarding DMT entities. Dr. Johnson is the associate director at the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins University, where he also works as a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. He has published widely in the field of psychedelic science and has guided over one hundred psychedelic experiences. In 2019 Dr. Johnson was the president of the psychopharmacology division of the American Psychological Association, and he currently serves as the president of the International Society for the Research on Psychedelics. In this conversation, Dr. Johnson shares findings from his 2020 publication of survey research which investigates peoples' experiences with DMT entities. To preface these findings, however, Dr. Johnson first lays the groundwork by explaining the limitations of scientific investigation into these kinds of psychic phenomena. He explains that science is unable to answer questions of whether or not DMT entities are ultimately real, or what the fundamental nature of these experiences is. It can, however, employ rigorous methods for analyzing reports of entity encounters in order to document common features of these experiences and the types of effects they can have on individuals. In the survey, around twenty five hundred respondents shared their experiences of encountering an entity during a DMT experience. From the data collected, Dr. Johnson shares some of the common features of these entities. The beings are typically perceived as benevolent though there was a wide variety of ways the entities were conceptualized, ranging from aliens and machine elves to spirits and angels. Often participants believed the entities revealed metaphysical realities and the presence of these beings was frequently accompanied by extrasensory phenomena such as telepathic communication. Due to the dramatic nature of these experiences, Dr. Johnson's research found some lasting impacts as reported by respondents, and he concludes by briefly discussing the effects of entity encounters on religious belief. In this episode: What questions science can and can't answer, and the boundaries good scientific research has to take when investigating something such as DMT entities The findings of Dr. Johnson's survey research—some general trends regarding the qualities of entities described Effects of entity encounters on religious belief Quotes: "My bet is that if people believe that there's some sort of reality to these disincarnated entities—that it's not just in their mind—there are certain people that can hold that experience in a positive way that might benefit them… and probably some of these over 2,000 folks, there's probably some people that—again, aside from whether we know it's true or not—believing in things that no one else can prove are there is probably a bad thing." [12:38] "The machine elf thing, I mean, that was Terrence McKenna's trip. And he described it—and I think he was very honest that that was his experience—and I think people who've heard his experience, a good number of them have had machine elf experiences because they heard Terrence McKenna's experience." [16:17] "Before the experience, 28% of these people identified as atheist, and then after the encounter that dropped to 10%." [20:53] Links: Center for Psychedelic & Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins (contribute to survey research here) Dr. Johnson's DMT Entity Study: Survey of Entity Encounter Experiences Occasioned by Inhaled N,N-Dimethyltryptamine: Phenomenology, Interpretation, and Enduring Effects Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

In this episode of the psychedelic medicine podcast, Allison Feduccia, PhD joins to discuss the intersection of psychedelic medicine and women's health. Dr. Feduccia is a neuropharmacologist, psychedelic researcher, and builder of virtual and in-person communities. She is cofounder of two prominent organizations, psychedelic.support and Project New Day, and is additionally a scientific advisor for Eastra. Alli has been researching psychedelics since 2004 when she first began studying MDMA and has subsequently been involved in the field through work at numerous universities, the NIH, and MAPS. In this work she seeks to spread evidence-based knowledge, connection to resources, and strategies for individuals to maximize potential therapeutic benefits of psychedelics through safe and responsible practices. In this conversation, Alli responds to questions touching on all areas of women's health and the impact psychedelics could have specifically for female patients. A major theme of the discussion is the interplay between psychedelics and hormones. While this is a topic with little in the way of scientific research, Alli shares some interesting ideas about how the neuromodulation of psychedelics could interact with endocrine systems, and how serotonin receptors within the uterus could explain certain anecdotal reports of various effects of psychedelics on menstrual pains or irregularities. In a similar vein, Alli discusses some of the physiological effects of psychedelics, particularly in relation to blood flow, and how these non-experiential features of these compounds could actually be helpful properties for women with certain conditions. This insight leads to interesting avenues for future drug development and also stresses the importance of studying psychedelics at different doses so that the positive health effects can be isolated. Alli also talks about the potential for psychedelic healing in the context of postpartum depression, sharing an evocative family story which illustrates simply how crucial and overlooked this issue has been in healthcare. The advances in mental healthcare coming out of psychedelic research provide a promising path forward for such conditions, however. In this episode: How psychedelics could help with premenstrual discomfort Concerns about taking psychedelic substances while pregnant Psychedelics and postpartum depression How psychedelics could impact hypoactive sexual desire disorder Psychedelics interactions with menopause Potential role for hormones alongside set and setting for impacting the psychedelic experience Quotes: "It may be that psychedelics could really affect women's moods as they go through these different life stages, and help them feel better." [4:45] "Maybe this concept of neurotransmitter modulation with our sex hormones may be a target for drug development work as well." [23:42] "This is also pertinent to transgender women who may be using hormones. This type of modulation on mood or physiological symptoms—this could be really applicable too for helping to really have the body adjust and be more balanced to changes in hormonal fluctuations in the body." [26:59] Links: Psychedelic.support website Project New Day website Eastra Health Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

In this episode of the Psychedelic Medicine Podcast, Laura Mae Northrup, MFT joins to discuss the crucial topic of psychedelics and sexual trauma. Laura is an author, education, and somatic and relational psychotherapist. She brings a spiritual and politicized lens to her therapeutic work and is deeply invested in mentoring healing practitioners and supporting the spiritual integrity of our collective humanity. In addition to her therapeutic practice, Laura is also a podcaster and has addressed the topic of psychedelics and sexual trauma in her show Inside Eyes. In this wide-ranging conversation, Laura addresses the subject from two angles: first, looking at how psychedelic medicine can be effective in helping survivors of sexual trauma heal; and second, examining how sexual abuse is perpetrated within the context of psychedelic therapy. To address the topic of psychedelic healing for survivors, Laura explains how sexual trauma has an affective aspect and an aspect related to the nervous system. With that in mind, it's clear how psychedelics can be a powerful tool in helping survivors encounter difficult feelings and work with their nervous system. Laura also shares an interesting hypothesis regarding why ketamine—a dissociative substance—is actually often very helpful for people who dissociate in their daily lives as a trauma response. She contrasts this daily dissociation with the ketamine experience by explaining that as a trauma response dissociation works by compartmentalizing experiences and feelings, while the ketamine experience softens those boundaries, allowing the survivor to have a more integrated experience of themself. Laura also emphasizes the necessity to go slow and put in a lot of prep work to ensure any psychedelic healing experiences are as safe and effective as possible for survivors. Because of the dynamics of trauma, it is easy to be eager for an experience of dramatic healing, but because of how powerful psychedelics can be, and because of the power that facilitators and guides have over participants during therapy, these can also be dangerous experiences which could lead to additional traumatic experiences. As such, ensuring a high level of comfort and trust prior to a session is essential, and, if that cannot be achieved, it is safer to pursue other kinds of healing until the right opportunity is available. Finally, Laura discusses the crucial topic of sexual violence within the context of psychedelic therapy. She mentions that even within the more formal context of conventional therapy—with its checks and balances of professional licenses and credentials—there is a shocking amount of sexual misconduct between therapists and clients. Considering that a lot of psychedelic therapy continues to operate underground due to prohibition, there is serious cause for concern about the prevalence of this issue. Laura explains how, especially in the context of the psychedelic experience, it is impossible to give true sexual consent. This is doubly the case due to the power differential between a client and a psychedelic therapist. Laura concludes this discussion by emphasizing that healing for those providing psychedelic therapy is absolutely crucial to address this issue, as it is because these guides and facilitators have not properly addressed their own healing that they continue to perpetrate abuse. In this episode: The state of research on psychedelic healing for survivors of sexual assault The relationship between preparatory work and the efficacy of psychedelic therapies for people with PTSD The difficulty of choosing the right guide or facilitator as a person with trauma Why there isn't one best medicine to heal sexual trauma Why ketamine may be effective for people struggling with dissociation due to traumatic experiences The importance of the three domains of mind, body, and spirit in psychedelic work The variety of ethical concerns relating to behavior of guides or facilitators Quotes: "I really enjoy supporting survivors to heal, but also we need to be talking about this very, very concerning issue of people sexually abusing their clients." [6:07] "When we're talking about healing from trauma, a lot of times what we're talking about is growing the capacity to experience and endure very big feelings." [11:00] "Being able to work with trauma is like way more than just a little tiny workshop, I mean it's truly something you're learning to do throughout your career, it involves a lot of extensive training and consultation and guidance from more seasoned practitioners." [24:21] "If something is so powerful that it could do that much profound healing for you, man just make it the best it can be. Go with [a facilitator] that you don't have any reservations about." [33:00] "You can always pause a therapy. And there can be such an emphasis on 'no, move forward'—you can just say 'that was weird for me, I need time.' You can go and you can talk to your other people." [45:29] "It's so complica

In this episode of the Psychedelic Medicine Podcast, Joel Castellanos joins to discuss the emerging topic of psychedelic therapies for pain-related conditions. Dr. Castellanos is a Board certified physical medicine and rehabilitation and pain management physician and an associate professor in the department of anesthesiology at UC San Diego school of medicine. He earned his medical degree from University of Toledo college of medicine and has since completed a two year program in healthcare administration during his residency at University of Michigan, as well as a fellowship in pain medicine at UC San Diego school of medicine. Most recently he completed the integrative medicine fellowship from the University of Arizona. In this conversation, Dr. Castellanos introduces the topic of psychedelics as a therapeutic modality for various pain conditions. Dr. Castellanos explains that much of the pain management field focuses on neuromodulation as the basis for particular therapeutic techniques, so psychedelics—which have profound modulating effects within the brain—naturally seem promising. However, research into this topic is still developing, with studies from the seventies providing some initial data which is now being corroborated and expanded by contemporary research. Dr. Castellanos shares the details of this work, explaining how combined psychedelic treatment and mirror box therapy could prove to be particularly efficacious for individuals suffering from phantom limb pain. In light of the upcoming trials led by Dr. Castellanos and his colleagues at the Psychedelic Health Research Initiative at UC San Diego, he also discusses certain special considerations for working with amputees as guides or facilitators of psychedelic therapy. The double blind randomized controlled trial investigating the efficacy of psilocybin therapy for phantom limb pain will be conducted first and is currently enrolling. This study seeks to test the efficacy of psilocybin therapy for this condition as well as elucidate its potential mechanism of action through ​​brain imaging. Click here to enroll. In this episode: An overview of the literature on psychedelics and pain Albert Lin's experience treating his phantom limb pain with combined psychedelic and mirror box therapy Why psychedelics may be a great alternative to many current treatment options for chronic pain Stories of healing resulting from psychedelic therapy in patients who have suffered with chronic pain How to enroll in Dr. Castellanos' upcoming trial for patients with phantom limb pain Quotes: "It's really interesting to me that neuromodulation - modulating the nervous system - is such a big part of pain medicine—and no one had really looked at psychedelics as an option when they are something that really modulates the nervous system in a profound way." [4:24] "I don't want people to think that this is going to be a panacea, that this is going to be the cure for everything and everyone's pain because we need to do the research, we need to do the work and really answer the clinical question on who this is going to be most efficacious for." [7:50] "Where there has been the most evidence so far and the most work done is in the headache patient population, which is definitely needed. There are so many people who suffer from migraines, from cluster headaches, and it can be really debilitating." [17:45] "In the same way that patients who have had PTSD or have severe anxiety or depression it helps to do some talk therapy with those [psychedelic therapy] sessions, maybe some movement therapy during the psychedelic sessions may be beneficial [for treating pain]." [23:26] Links: Enroll in Dr. Castellanos' upcoming study through PHRI at UCSD Dr. Castellanos on Twitter Psychedelic Health Research Initiative at UC San Diego Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

In this episode of the Psychedelic Medicine Podcast (formerly the Plant Medicine Podcast), Rick Doblin joins to discuss the past, present, and future of MDMA-assisted therapy. Rick Doblin is the founder and executive director of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. He received his doctorate in public policy from Harvard and has also studied under the father of transpersonal psychology Stanislav Grof. Through MAPS, Rick aspires to develop legal contexts for beneficial uses of psychedelics and marijuana as prescription medicines, but also for self-development and personal growth in otherwise healthy individuals. Rick begins this wide-ranging conversation discussing the early days of MDMA. The compound was originally synthesized by famed chemist Alexander "Sasha" Shulgin and, unlike the classic serotonergic psychedelics, it was not scheduled under the Controlled Substances Act in the early 70s. It was during this period of legality that therapeutic uses of MDMA were first developed and it was only later that the drug became repurposed as a recreational substance to be used in social settings, which consequently led to its emergency scheduling by the DEA. Rick recalls his own initial experiences with the empathogenic compound, stating that he was initially skeptical of its value, prior to gaining first-hand experience. Following this experience, however, he became convinced of its therapeutic potential and he shares some of his own early experiences of using MDMA to help people heal, including a very touching tale of his own grandmother's struggle with depression. From here, Rick discusses the founding of MAPS and his decision to pursue education in policy in order to better understand strategies for furthering MDMA-therapy even while living under prohibition. Since that time, MAPS has gone on to do incredibly impactful work in developing studies researching the safety and efficacy of MDMA-assisted therapy, specifically for post-traumatic stress disorder. Rick shares the progression of these studies, highlighting the results from the most recent phase three investigations which are the last step prior to FDA approval for the therapeutic protocol. These studies show high statistical significance and an amazing effect size resulting from MDMA-assisted therapy, with results being mirrored at all research locations and showing durability over time. Because of this amazing progress, Rick believes we are at the final stretch prior to full FDA approval for MDMA use in a therapeutic context for PTSD, and subsequent rescheduling of the substance by the DEA, which he believes will take place in mid to late 2023. This development will have broad global impacts, spurring other countries to promptly follow suit. Rick closes out this discussion by emphasizing the need for mass mental health in our day and age, and sharing MAPS' lofty goals of training thousands of therapists to hopefully bring psychedelic therapy to millions of patients in the coming decades. In this episode: Rick Doblin's personal journey The history of the MDMA's synthesis and legality Rick's first experiences with MDMA and early experiments with MDMA therapy MAPS' "two-pronged" strategy for mass mental health Early efforts to get an MDMA therapy protocol approved by the FDA following prohibition The politics of concerns about MDMA neurotoxicity and how this impacted MAPS' early approach The results of the first phase three studies of MDMA for PTSD How FDA approval of MDMA will lead to an international cascade of approval and rescheduling Rick's predictions for psychedelic medicine in the years to come Quotes: "What a lot of people don't know is that MDMA was a therapy drug before it was a party drug. And it was the party drug nature of it that really got it criminalized." [7:38] "Seeing what it was like when it was legal and experiencing that, and experiencing situations where people would take it, the kind of experiences and healings, and learnings that people would have, was amazing." [19:12] "What we need is, I believe, legal access to medicinal MDMA, covered by insurance, by trained professionals, and psychedelic clinics. And we also need a whole different kind of drug policy for non-medical use that involves honest drug education, access to pure substances, harm reduction, peer support, and also treatment on demand." [21:08] "The irony here is that the first legal move against MDMA was illegal. The DEA did not have the authority to emergency schedule drugs." [23:43] "FDA is legally bound to approve MDMA for PTSD if these [phase 3] studies generate statistically significant evidence of efficacy, and there are no new safety problems." [40:27] "We think by the third quarter of 2023 we will have FDA approval assuming the second phase 3 study goes well. And then by the fourth quarter, the DEA has to reschedule [MDMA]." [51:18] "What's even greater is the 12-month follow-up data was 67% no longer had PTSD. So people kept getting bette

In this episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast, Dr. Josh Woolley joins to discuss the differences between psilocin and psilocybin, and to share upcoming clinical research which will further clarify the safety profiles, subjective effects, and clinical uses of these psychedelic substances. Dr. Woolley is an Associate Professor in Residence in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) as well as a staff psychiatrist in Mental Health at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center (SFVAMC). He is Board Certified in Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. He is the Director of the Bonding and Attunement in Neuropsychiatric Disorders (BAND) lab at UCSF that focuses on understanding and treating social deficits in neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, substance use disorders, and mood disorders. He is also the Director of the Translational Psychedelic Research (TrPR) Program at UCSF, which brings together scientists and care providers across disciplines to understand how psilocybin, LSD, ketamine, MDMA, and related compounds impact the brain and other organ systems. In this conversation, Dr. Woolley begins by sharing a bit about TrPR and the upcoming research they will be conducting on psychedelics as a treatment for depression in individuals living with Parkinson's disease. Dr. Woolley then introduces the main topic of psilocin, psilocybin, and the differences between these two compounds. He explains that psilocybin is a prodrug for psilocin, meaning that the human body metabolizes psilocybin into psilocin, which is the compound responsible for the psychoactive effects produced by psilocybin-containing mushrooms. Dr. Woolley's upcoming research will provide more concrete data on the differences between these two compounds, as TrPR will be testing both psilocybin and psilocin in healthy volunteers, giving each participant both substances on different occasions so that effects can be studied both across the sample pool and within individuals. Dr. Woolley hypothesizes that psilocin could have certain clinical advantages over psilocybin: it could produce more consistent effects person-to-person at a given dose as individual differences in metabolism would be less relevant; it may more quickly induce a psychedelic experience, particularly when administering psilocin sublingually; and it is possible there may be fewer side effects related to the gastrointestinal tract. Dr. Woolley closes out the discussion by sharing other upcoming research to be conducted by TrPR. In addition to the study investigating psilocin and the research into psychedelics for Parkinson's disease, TrPR is also investigating the use of psychedelics to improve quality of life for individuals suffering from chronic pain and they will also be further investigating the interaction between psychedelics and bipolar disorder. In this episode: The approach of the Translational Psychedelic Research (TrPR) Program and its upcoming research The pharmacological differences between psilocybin and psilocin and how the experience induced by the substances may differ In-subject study design and how it is used in Dr. Woolley's psilocin trials The mechanisms for tolerance with using psychedelic drugs Data on the contraindication of psychedelic use for individuals with bipolar disorder Quotes: "For a long time, when you make [psilocin] synthetically—[...]—psilocin wasn't stable. So, even if you made psilocin synthetically you would then turn it into psilocybin so it would be stable and then people would take it and it would get turned back into psilocin." [8:39] "You can't do sublingual psilocybin because it won't get broken down easily. But, sublingual psilocin doesn't need to be metabolized and it can go across your buccal membrane, skipping the gut. That theoretically could be useful because then you might skip the first pass metabolism, it doesn't have to go to the liver, and it might be faster that way and maybe again more consistent. And fewer side effects—maybe you won't get any GI side effects if it doesn't go to the GI tract." [19:58] "We think that psychedelics—psilocybin in particular—might be able to change people's relationship to their [chronic] pain. It might be an analgesic too—it might make the pain go away, that would be great. But even if it doesn't do that, we think that it should allow people to basically find the pain less impairing." [41:22] Links: The Translational Psychedelic Research (TrPR) Program at UCSF Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

James Fadiman, PhD, was a part of the first wave of pioneering psychedelic researchers in the 1960s in the US. He's the co-founder of the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, now known as Sofia University, and he's the author of several well-known psychedelics books, including The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide. From his initial rediscovery of microdosing and developing a protocol based on early reports, Dr. Fadiman teamed up with Dr. Sophia Korb to record and pattern-map the microdosing experiences of several thousand individuals from 51 countries. In this episode, Dr. Fadiman answers listener-submitted questions regarding microdosing psilocybin and LSD. He discussed dosing recommendations, tolerance, microdosing's general effects on healthy normals, and its specific effects on a number of conditions, ranging from depression to PMS. He also covered a variety of additional areas where people benefit from microdosing, including academic performance and athletics. In the last part of the episode, Dr. Fadiman discusses his new book, Your Symphony of Selves. He points out that we have not one, but a multitude of selves, and that we can learn to shift between them consciously. Further following this idea, he illustrates how we can save a lot of mental distress by not over-identifying with any particular one of our selves, and how we can extend that concept to those around us. This helps us not only forgive others when one of their selves may have acted in a displeasing way but also helps us forgive and go easy on ourselves when we act in a way that we later find distressing or shameful. In this episode: The reported benefits and risks of microdosing psilocybin mushrooms and LSD. Whether someone's height and weight makes a difference on their dosage. The overwhelming number of those suffering from depression who reported significant improvements in their survey. Why microdosing may not be advisable for those with anxiety. Dr. Fadminan reports on study findings regarding conditions including depression, PMS, migraine headaches, and bipolar Quotes: "A lot of people have found that when they're tapering off of an SSRI, which means taking it down very, very slowly over a period of maybe a couple of months from full dose to zero, that microdosing helps. That makes it easier. Makes it maybe even a little faster." [14:13] "I'm an enthusiast for the effect of microdosing, but I never recommend that anyone microdose. That's a personal decision based on information, but the nice thing is the risk/reward ratio, which is how dangerous versus how beneficial. It's very good for microdosing. Meaning, if you take it, it's very low risk, and yeah, from the reports, we have a lot of possibility of benefits." [35:00] "What we've found is that about 80% of the people who come in with heavy depression, and again, most of them having failed medications or other therapies, we've about an 80% turnaround rate where they're not depressed. That's really striking." [42:00] "They (students) say: "Microdosing is very much like Adderall, except with none of the very disturbing side effects." Adderall includes crashing, by the way. And addiction." [49:18] "Individual neurons in the laboratory, exposed to microdoses, grow into more healthy, more complex neurons with more dendrites, meaning more communication capacity." [52:17] In discussing his new book, Your Symphony of Selves: "The inconsistencies you see in yourself and particularly in the people you love are not inconsistencies. It is that they have several selves, and you do too. And if you begin to think in that way, curiously, the world becomes easier. You understand things differently and you are kinder to yourself and more compassionate to others." [1:10:43] Links: Psychedelic Medicine AssociationMicrodosing Psychedelics James Fadiman's website and email: [email protected] Cluster Busters - treatment for cluster headaches Get 20% off everything at Octagon Biolabs with coupon code 'plantmedicine' Porangui Studies mentioned:Psychedelics Promote Structural and Functional Neural Plasticity Books Mentioned: A Really Good Day by Ayelet Waldman The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide by James Fadiman PhD Your Symphony of Selves by James Fadiman PhD, Jordan Gruber JD

This episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast features a conversation with Dr. Carey Clark, discussing delta-8 THC. Dr. Clark is a registered nurse and an expert in cannabis care nursing. She holds a PhD from the California Institute of Integral Studies and is the immediate past president of the American Cannabis Nurses Association. She is also the editor and author of the first nursing textbook on medical cannabis Cannabis: A Handbook for Nurses and has over thirty publications in academic journals. Currently Dr. Clark serves as a professor at Pacific College of Health and Science where she also developed the first college-level, academic certificate in medical cannabis. In this conversation Dr. Clark introduces delta-8 THC, discussing its chemistry, pharmacology, and legal status. She begins by sharing that delta-8 is a minor cannabinoid which exists naturally in small quantities within cannabis and hemp. Delta-8 THC is chemically very similar to delta-9 THC—the primary cannabinoid within cannabis which is known for its mind-altering and medicinal properties—and in fact, delta-9 naturally degrades into delta-8 under certain conditions. Due to the structural similarities, delta-8 produces similar effects to delta-9, and may have similar medical applications. Dr. Clark mentions that delta-8 may be synthesized from CBD, allowing for this compound to be readily produced from legal components. However, the delta-8 which results from these synthesis methods contains traces of unknown compounds, perhaps as a result of the particular solvents used in the reaction, so Dr. Clark cautions that consuming these products could have certain risks, though the delta-8 cannabinoid itself is thought to have a similar safety profile to delta-9 THC. Instead. Dr. Clark emphasizes that whole plant medicines are likely the ideal for patients seeking to treat medical conditions with cannabis, but since delta-8 may be more readily available in certain areas due to its murky legal status it may be the best option for some individuals. While scientific research into delta-8 is currently lacking, Dr. Clark shares the results from a few studies which use animal models and one study looking at the effects of delta-8 in the context of pediatric oncology. In addition to these published studies, Dr. Clark also shares anecdotal reports from patients, saying that these experiences are crucial, preferring to think of these reports as qualitative data which has yet to be systematically studied. In this episode: What delta-8 THC is and how it is made Potential safety concerns with delta-8 products The current research on delta-8 The legal grey-area of delta-8 THC and states which have banned the cannabinoid Differences in the doses and effects of delta-8 and delta-9 THC Quotes: "My hope as well is that people who are able to access whole-plant medicine can really use whole-plant medicine safely and effectively and they have access to safe, effective medicines. That would be my recommendation—if somebody had a choice—over choosing a really synthesized medicine at this point because of the safety issues." [15:30] "[T]there's still very little research and most of the patient experience we're hearing is really anecdotal." [24:52] Links: Dr. Clark's faculty page at Pacific College of Health and Science Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

This episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast features a conversation with Kyle Buller on psychedelics and breathwork. Kyle is co-founder and host of the Psychedelics Today podcast and he has studied breathwork since October 2010 with Lenny and Elizabeth Gibson of Dreamshadow Transpersonal Breathwork. Kyle earned his BA in transpersonal psychology from Burlington College where he focused on the healthing potential of non-ordinary states of consciousness, exploring topics such as shamanism, reiki, plant medicine, and holotropic breathwork. He has also earned an MS in clinical mental health counseling with emphasis in somatic psychology and has since worked with at-risk teens in crisis and individuals experiencing an early episode of psychosis. Kyle opens this discussion by providing a basic definition of breathwork and sharing his own journey with this modality. He discusses how breathwork can refer to a wide variety of practices, but what unites these disparate techniques is utilizing the breath to induce specific physiological states and experiences. The holotropic style of breathwork has roots in transpersonal psychology and the work of Stanislav Grof and it is this modality which is often compared to psychedelic experiences. Kyle discusses how holotropic breathwork can be an incredibly powerful practice for trauma-healing and inducing visceral experiences—similar to the classical psychedelics. He recounts his own experiences with this practice, describing how he was able to relive the experience of being born in the state conditioned by the method of breathing. Due to the synergy with the psychedelic experience, Kyle mentions that there is a lot of potential for breathwork to help individuals integrate or prepare for psychedelic experiences, as well as being a powerful tool for clinicians involved in psychedelic-psychotherapy to better understand the non-ordinary states of consciousness their patients will be experiencing. Because of the wide variety of breathwork techniques, Kyle discusses the possibilities of tailoring practices to the specific experiences of a client. Everyone has a unique "window of tolerance" depending on their background and constitution, and some people will benefit more from techniques which downregulate the nervous system and allow for peace and relaxation, while others may find more value in techniques which are highly stimulating and provide deeper, emotionally complex experiences that allow for self-exploration. In this episode: What breathwork is an how it relates to psychedelics The origins of holotropic breathwork and Stanislav Grof's transpersonal framework Breathwork vs meditation How to use breathwork to integrate and prepare for psychedelic experiences The effects of different types of breathing on the nervous system Quotes: "[Breathwork] offered a really great tool for training, for understanding how to sit with people in non-ordinary states of consciousness." [8:49] "Some breathing techniques, like these more deeply cathartic techniques, they're bringing up a lot of emotional memory and people are starting to work through a lot of somatic sensations, they are working through trauma." [13:38] "We really need to look at somebody's whole picture, where they're at, how they could potentially benefit, look at their nervous system, attune to that, and really think about what they could tolerate, what's going on in somebody's psyche." [30:29] "The breath is this flexible tool, it's a vehicle—we can help to regulate our nervous system with it and explore it." [39:38] Links: Psychedelics Today Psychedelics Today Education Center SettingSun Wellness Dreamshadow Transpersonal Breathwork Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

In this episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast, Matt Johnson, PhD returns for the final installment to discuss his recent paper "Consciousness, Religion, and Gurus: Pitfalls of Psychedelic Medicine." Dr. Johnson is the associate director at the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins University, where he also works as a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. He has published widely in the field of psychedelic science and has guided over one hundred psychedelic experiences. In 2019 Dr. Johnson was the president of the psychopharmacology division of the American Psychological Association, and he currently serves as the president of the International Society for the Research on Psychedelics. In his paper, Dr. Johnson explores some concerns around certain norms which have developed in psychedelic therapy, and how these could have potential negative effects. Dr. Johnson raises two main concerns in this conversation. The first is how therapists, guides, and scientific researchers could advance various spiritual or religious beliefs within the therapeutic context or offer metaphysical interpretations of psychedelic experiences beyond what the client suggests. The second concern involves how psychedelic medicine is presented, both on a cultural level and even materially within therapeutic settings. For example, Dr. Johnson suggests that it is inappropriate to have statues of the Buddha displayed in clinical settings, unless this is something requested by the client. He suggests that if psychedelic therapy embraces a certain "New Age" aesthetic wholesale, it could dissuade people who don't identify with the subculture from taking advantage of these therapies, especially as these medicines become more widely accessible. Additionally, Dr. Johnson points out that not all patients would have the same associations with the Buddha statue in the example, and that the inclusion of any particular religious iconography should be something chosen proactively by the client, rather than assumed by the therapist. Dr. Johnson concludes this conversation by again stressing a client-centered approach to psychedelic therapy, suggesting that this approach is best suited to circumvent these concerning pitfalls. In this episode: The issue with psychedelic therapists or guides bringing their own metaphysical beliefs into the psychedelic experience or its interpretation How the current culture around psychedelic medicine subtly presents these therapies as being for specific kinds of people How a client-centered approach from humanistic psychology can present an effective framework for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy Quotes: "I think it's critical that therapists—and scientists at this research phase we're at now—be client-centered in terms of the therapeutic approach. In other words, not making any assumptions for the participants, for the patients, about what the interpretation of these experiences should be." [4:36] "You're there to support them, you're there to let them lead. If there's any metaphysical meaning to be made, they are in the driver's seat. You're there to create a safe container, to care for their wellbeing, and to allow them to have their experience." [11:08] "It's not that you're denying any of this stuff—it very well may be that any of these people's framework is ground truth—it's just not your role to say and we don't need to." [15:06] Links: Center for Psychedelic & Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins (contribute to survey research here) Dr. Johnson's Paper: Consciousness, Religion, and Gurus: Pitfalls of Psychedelic Medicine Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

In this episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast, Matt Johnson, PhD returns to discuss previous survey research he conducted regarding DMT entities. Dr. Johnson is the associate director at the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins University, where he also works as a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. He has published widely in the field of psychedelic science and has guided over one hundred psychedelic experiences. In 2019 Dr. Johnson was the president of the psychopharmacology division of the American Psychological Association, and he currently serves as the president of the International Society for the Research on Psychedelics. In this conversation, Dr. Johnson shares findings from his 2020 publication of survey research which investigates peoples' experiences with DMT entities. To preface these findings, however, Dr. Johnson first lays the groundwork by explaining the limitations of scientific investigation into these kinds of psychic phenomena. He explains that science is unable to answer questions of whether or not DMT entities are ultimately real, or what the fundamental nature of these experiences is. It can, however, employ rigorous methods for analyzing reports of entity encounters in order to document common features of these experiences and the types of effects they can have on individuals. In the survey, around twenty five hundred respondents shared their experiences of encountering an entity during a DMT experience. From the data collected, Dr. Johnson shares some of the common features of these entities. The beings are typically perceived as benevolent though there was a wide variety of ways the entities were conceptualized, ranging from aliens and machine elves to spirits and angels. Often participants believed the entities revealed metaphysical realities and the presence of these beings was frequently accompanied by extrasensory phenomena such as telepathic communication. Due to the dramatic nature of these experiences, Dr. Johnson's research found some lasting impacts as reported by respondents, and he concludes by briefly discussing the effects of entity encounters on religious belief. In this episode: What questions science can and can't answer, and the boundaries good scientific research has to take when investigating something such as DMT entities The findings of Dr. Johnson's survey research—some general trends regarding the qualities of entities described Effects of entity encounters on religious belief Quotes: "My bet is that if people believe that there's some sort of reality to these disincarnated entities—that it's not just in their mind—there are certain people that can hold that experience in a positive way that might benefit them… and probably some of these over 2,000 folks, there's probably some people that—again, aside from whether we know it's true or not—believing in things that no one else can prove are there is probably a bad thing." [12:38] "The machine elf thing, I mean, that was Terrence McKenna's trip. And he described it—and I think he was very honest that that was his experience—and I think people who've heard his experience, a good number of them have had machine elf experiences because they heard Terrence McKenna's experience." [16:17] "Before the experience, 28% of these people identified as atheist, and then after the encounter that dropped to 10%." [20:53] Links: Center for Psychedelic & Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins (contribute to survey research here) Dr. Johnson's DMT Entity Study: Survey of Entity Encounter Experiences Occasioned by Inhaled N,N-Dimethyltryptamine: Phenomenology, Interpretation, and Enduring Effects Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

In this episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast, Matt Johnson, PhD joins to discuss the latest research of psilocybin as a treatment for depression. Dr. Johnson is the associate director at the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins University, where he also works as a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. He has published widely in the field of psychedelic science and has guided over one hundred psychedelic experiences. In 2019 Dr. Johnson was the president of the psychopharmacology division of the American Psychological Association, and he currently serves as the president of the International Society for the Research on Psychedelics. In this conversation, Dr. Johnson shares findings from his recent study in psilocybin treatment for depression and summarizes other major studies investigating this psychedelic's clinical applications. First, however, he discusses ongoing survey research he is conducting at the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Studies. The Psychedelic Change Survey for Anxiety, Depression, or PTSD is seeking volunteers who have intentionally used psychedelics (ayahuasca, mushrooms, LSD) or MDMA to treat these mental health conditions to collect data on the efficacy of these interventions. Dr. Johnson and his team are interested in collecting a variety of responses, so you are encouraged to participate to share your experiences with these substances and whether they provided beneficial results, led to negative outcomes, or anything in between. Dr. Johnson also spends some time discussing study design, as psilocybin research has begun to move into more sophisticated forms of clinical research. He describes the function of a randomized clinical trial such as his own study, and details the double-blind double-dummy setup of the recent psilocybin study at NYU. In his study, Dr. Johnson's participants were randomly selected for the immediate treatment group or the delayed treatment group, which served as a control. All participants were provided with two sessions of psilocybin assisted psychotherapy, and the data showed that there were large reductions in depression following treatment and these results remained statistically significant at follow ups. In the NYU study, Dr. Johnson describes that participants were given either a genuine psilocybin treatment followed by a placebo antidepressant to take regularly, or they were given a placebo in place of psilocybin followed by an approved antidepressant. This large study is particularly interesting as it directly compares psilocybin treatment for depression with traditional pharmaceuticals used to treat this condition. Here again, Dr. Johnson reports that the psilocybin treatment showed extremely promising results. In this episode: Conditions for participating in Dr. Johnson's current survey research How Dr. Johnson designs his studies and chooses how he analyzes the data collected The results of the first randomized study examining the use of psilocybin for depression How the preparation process for psilocybin-assisted therapy may be clinically useful as a standalone treatment Quotes: "We and the group at NYU published larger studies with a high dose of psilocybin and found these very large reductions in both depression and anxiety in cancer patients, so that sorta paved the way for, hey if this works in cancer patients let's look more broadly." [19:42] "I kind of view psychedelic therapy as sort of having everything we know about general psychotherapeutic processes under a magnifying glass." [23:12] "I think it's fallen out of fashion, but if we just had people laying on couches all day with therapists they've developed a relationship with—if that was more of a thing, even without psychedelics or placebo psychedelics, that has real benefit." [28:30] Links: Center for Psychedelic & Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins (contribute to survey research here) Dr. Johnson's Recent Study: Effects of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy on Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial NYU Psilocybin Study: Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer: a randomized controlled trial Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

In this episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast, Ifetayo Harvey & Mary Sanders, LCSW join to discuss people of color and psychedelics. Ifetayo is a writer, advocate and speaker who founded the People of Color Psychedelic Collective. She has also previously worked with both MAPS and the Drug Policy Alliance. Mary Sanders is a licensed clinical social worker whose work focuses on addressing trauma in communities of color and marginalized populations. She is a founding board member at the People of Color Psychedelic Collective and is a trained psychedelic-assisted psychotherapist from both CIIS and MAPS. Mary is also certified in trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy and is currently enrolled at the somatic experiencing trauma institute. This conversation with Ifetayo and Mary touches on many of the important topics in the intersection of the unique experiences of people of color and the use of psychedelic medicines. One immediate concern which has begun to be discussed more openly is that of POC representation in psychedelic spaces. Ifetayo and Mary both discuss this issue, mentioning how representation is especially crucial for something as vulnerable as psychedelic experiences, where facilitators are responsible for navigating a wide range of emotions which naturally arise in a ceremony or therapeutic setting. Having someone from one's own community in these spaces can facilitate healing, as there is less anxiety around needing to explain specific experiences or trauma. Despite these shortcomings of representation, psychedelic medicines have a lot of potential to provide healing for people of color in particular. Ifetayo and Mary discuss the experience of intergenerational trauma in communities of color and how psychedelics are able to shed light on this phenomenon. Ifetayo shares powerful experiences from the first People of Color Psychedelic Collective retreat before the pandemic and explains her own coming to consciousness of the brutality of slavery and Jim Crow and how dysfunctional behaviors which perpetrate intergenerational trauma originally developed as survival mechanisms for the black Americans who lived under these racist systems. Mary also emphasizes that psychedelic healing for people of color needs to emphasize building community and creating strong interpersonal bonds. While the individual experiences provided by plant medicines are incredibly beneficial, the healing will be even more profound if it can be processed and integrated collectively, as people of color aren't only healing individual ailments, but collective traumas rooted in shared histories of oppression. In this episode: The unique needs of POC not typically addressed in psychedelic ceremonies or integration circles The disconnect between the Western therapeutic paradigm of healing individuals vs the more communal approaches to healing in traditional black cultures and how to bridge this gap How People of Color Psychedelic Collective creates community and fosters opportunities for people of color involved with psychedelics The intersection of intergenerational trauma and psychedelic healing for people of color Quotes: "Taking a medicine is a vulnerable state, where we have to be cautious: am I going to be minimized, are my visions going to be acknowledged and held with support and love and care?" [8:27] "Healing is relational and it's so important that we not only do the work in the therapy space but that we're out and about with our friends and our family and our community members, especially our community members that have similar life experiences and histories." [19:24] "There's a very very strong stigma around addiction [and] overdose because our communities have been harmed in so many ways by policing and bad drug policies." [25:22] "I think it's really about uplifting the people who are already doing the work and then also supporting the folks who want to do the work, like providing them with resources, education, mentorship. Things like that will help usher in a new generation of [POC] healers, practitioners, leaders." [39:35] Links: People of Color Psychedelic Collective Mary Sanders' EmPATH Center Drug Policy Alliance Dr. Carl Hart's Webpage National Harm Reduction Coalition Darren Springer's Webpage Fruiting Bodies Collective Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

In this episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast, Leor Roseman and Antwan Saca join to discuss their recently published paper: Relational Processes in Ayahuasca Groups of Palestinians and Israelis. Leor is a postdoc at the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London, where he also received his PhD and masters under the supervision of Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris. Leor has diverse research interests related to psychedelics, ranging from the neuroscientific and therapeutic, to the phenomenological and psychosocial. Antwan is a graduate of the Arab American University of Jenin with a BA in public law and has extensive experience working for justice in Palestine. He has served as the director of programs at Holy Land Trust in Bethlehem and as a program coordinator for Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation. Antwan has also worked as a research assistant for urbanization and geopolitical monitoring at the Applied Research Institute—Jerusalem. In this episode, Leor and Antwan discuss the details of the recent paper they co-authored which deals with impacts of ayahuasca on interpersonal peace building in the context of the Israel-Palestine conflict. The study consists of 31 in-depth interviews with Israelis and Palestinians who've participated in joint ayahuasca ceremonies and looks to investigate the impact of this psychedelic experience along three relational themes: unity-based connection, recognition and difference-based connection, and conflict-related revelations. Through open-ended interviews, Leor and Antwan were able to collect qualitative data from participants which allowed research conclusions to arise organically. In the interviews, participants disclosed experiences of profound political revelations, connection with the land, and empathy for the other. Leor and Antwan stress that the initial motivations of the participants typically had little to do with notions of political peace-building and instead they were most often participating in these psychedelic ceremonies for reasons related to personal growth, so these outcomes arose naturally as a result of the intense interpersonal connections spurred by the psychedelic experience. Though these ayahuasca ceremonies had significant positive impacts for both the Israelis and the Palestinian participants, Antwan notes the disparity of access to psychedelic healing for Palestinians and emphasizes that the "love for the other" the Palestinian participants experienced through the ayahuasca ceremonies is complicated due to the pervasive political supression and percarity experienced by Palestinians in their day-to-day lives. The study, however, demonstrates that profound experiences of connection through the use of psychedelic medicines are possible even in the context of a deep and traumatic geopolitical conflict. This opens the door for further study of the potential of psychedelics to facilitate conflict resolution and peace-building. In this episode: How Leor and Antwan developed the idea for this study based on their personal backgrounds Different themes which came up in interviews with the Israelis and Palestinians in the study The moving story of a former Israeli military officer and how he experienced the pain of the Palestinian people during an ayahuasca ceremony How music and prayer in the ceremonies helped to encourage empathy and cultural connection among participants Quotes: "It's not questionnaires, it's not about measuring things, it's about listening to stories and making meaning out of them." [13:24] "Because the rituals were participatory and music and prayers were shared, a lot of times these opened up for people the strong connection to the other culture or the other people and that was very meaningful for many people." [21:34] "A lot of us Palestinians end up in the interviews telling you 'this is all amazing' and yet there is the reality, yet we live under this kind of suppression." [29:11] "Not all people that came to the ceremonies came from the peace camp or from left-leaning camps. They come for psycho-spiritual growth, or even for physical illnesses… And they go there regardless of their politics." [31:37] Links: Full Article: Relational Processes in Ayahuasca Groups of Palestinians and Israelis Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

This episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast welcomes Dr. Sam Gandy to discuss the symbiotic relationship between psychedelic experiences and connection with nature. Dr. Gandy holds a PhD in ecological science from the University of Aberdeen and has conducted field research across the globe. He currently works as a research assistant at the Synthesis Institute and as a senior science writer at Wavepaths. He is also a collaborator with the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London and was previously a scientific assistant to the director of the Beckley Foundation. In this conversation, Dr. Gandy shares insights from his research into psychedelics and nature relatedness with special emphasis on his 2020 publication "The Potential Synergistic Effects between Psychedelic Administration and Nature Contact for the Improvement of Mental Health" (linked below). Dr. Gandy discusses the numerous overlaps between the experience of nature relatedness—the personal sense of being connected with the natural world—and the experiences induced by psychedelic substances. These overlaps cover a range of domains and all work to promote wellbeing. For example, Dr. Gandy reports that neuroticism decreases both as a result of positive psychedelic experiences and from spending quality time in nature. As high neuroticism can correlate with mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety, interventions that can impact this trait have significant therapeutic potential. In addition to specific overlaps between the psychedelic experience and nature relatedness, Dr. Gandy also discusses how psychedelics and psilocybin in particular seem to increase a sense of nature relatedness. Considering these overlapping benefits and the symbiotic relationship between psychedelics and nature relatedness, Dr. Gandy provides some speculations for how nature can be more intentionally integrated into psychedelic therapies and ceremonies to maximize the therapeutic benefits of both. He mentions that even something as small as decorating a clinical setting with artwork depicting nature can have positive impacts for patients undergoing psychedelic psychotherapy in the space. In this episode: Eudaimonic vs hedonic well being The neurobiological and psychological overlaps between nature relatedness and the psychedelic experience How both psychedelics and nature relatedness promote mindfulness and experiences of awe Ideas for combining psychedelic therapy and experiences of nature to enhance health benefits Quotes: "Nature connectedness is a mediator for some of the benefits to cognition and mood obtained from actually spending time in nature, having contact with nature." [6:57] "There was a study published last year by a Finnish research group and one of the most common after effects of psychedelic mystical experiences they found was this sustained, positive shift in peoples' relationship to nature." [17:35] "Psilocybin has this capacity to facilitate this fairly robust, rapid, but most importantly sustained increase in nature relatedness. And the really mysterious and interesting thing is that it can do this even when it's administered in a clinical setting." [22:47] "The restorative effect of nature obviously benefits both the person having the therapy and the therapist, and it potentially allows for the outdoor nature-based setting to become part of the therapy itself." [31:00] "If you're going to do any kind of psychedelic nature connection, nature immersion therapy, it's very important to have a cozy, secure structure that people have got as a safe place." [35:31] Links: Dr. Gandy on Twitter Dr. Gandy's 2020 article The Potential Synergistic Effects between Psychedelic Administration and Nature Contact for the Improvement of Mental Health Dr. Gandy's 2019 article From Egoism to Ecoism: Psychedelics Increase Nature Relatedness in a State-Mediated and Context-Dependent Manner Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

This episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast features a conversation about kratom with Dr. Oliver Grundmann. Dr. Grundmann earned his bachelors in pharmacy and European pharmacy license from University of Münster in 2004, after which he pursued graduate studies at the University of Florida, where he is now a clinical professor in the College of Pharmacy. His research interests focus on investigating the use of natural products as novel treatments for a variety of physical and mental conditions. Dr. Grundmann is a leading kratom researcher and has published numerous articles on the substance, examining the plant medicine and its use using a variety of methodologies. In this episode, Dr. Grundmann introduces kratom (scientific name mitragyna speciosa) and discusses its pharmacology and potential as both a medicine and a drug of abuse. The kratom tree is native to southeast Asia and belongs to the same botanical family as the coffee plant. The leaves of the kratom tree contain a wide variety of active alkaloids and they are consumed orally to produce a psychoactive effect. Dr. Grundmann explains that kratom is unique because the primary alkaloids mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine are opioid agonists, yet the substance does not fit neatly into the opiate category as it lacks certain properties of the classic opioids such as morphine or heroin. For example, respiratory depression is not observed with the use of kratom, while this is a hallmark effect of opioids at high doses—and one of the major dangers associated with the use of these drugs. Another way in which kratom is unique is that its effects are highly dose dependent. At lower doses, Dr. Grundmann explains, the plant tends to have a more energizing effect, while higher doses lead to a more sedating experience. In this conversation, Dr. Grundmann also shares insights into kratom use in America based on survey research he has conducted. While scientific research into kratom remains a small field, this type of survey research helps to give insight into the potential kratom has as a plant medicine through data which shows the variety of conditions people are attempting to treat through kratom use. As kratom consumption increased in the United States and the plant gained notoriety, its use became associated with the treatment of chronic pain and opioid withdrawal. Dr. Grundmann's research has been showing, however, that users are also turning to kratom for dealing with conditions such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD. These initial findings provide fertile soil for further research into kratom's potential medicinal applications. In this episode: The pharmacology of mitragyna speciosa The legality of kratom in the United States The current state of scientific research into the effects of kratom consumption Contraindications for kratom use Potential uses for kratom to treat both mental and physical ailments Various methods for kratom consumption Quotes: "Just because a substance binds to an opioid receptor doesn't mean that it shows all of the same properties as, for example, morphine, or oxycodone, or fentanyl, or heroin." [14:20] "When we talk here one to five grams per dose, three times a day—the potential to develop a use disorder, kratom use disorder, basically, is relatively low. When we talk about really taking high amounts of an extract or also of the powder for example, let's say above eight grams, ten grams per dose, more frequently—four, five, eight times a day—then there is the potential to develop a dependence on it." [18:52] "Between 70%–85%… [of] folks were in the range of one to five grams and didn't have to go above five grams to maintain alleviation of their symptoms for which they are using kratom… That indicates to me that there's no risk of tolerance up to five grams per dose." [22:53] "Surprisingly, we had a large group now in the second survey who were using it to treat—self-treat—symptoms of ADHD or PTSD and nothing else aside from that. So it's really a very diverse population of users that we're seeing with kratom." [25:09] Links: Dr. Grundmann's Profile at the University of Florida Dr. Grundmann on LinkedIn Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

This episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast welcomes Dr. Angela Carter (they/them) to discuss the intersection of the LGBTQIA2S+ community and psychedelics. Dr. Carter is a queer, transgender, and genderqueer naturopathic primary care physician who also works as a midwife, sexual assault examiner, and health equity advocate in Portland, Oregon. They also serve as both the vice-chair and the equity in training subcommittees co-chair of the Oregon Psilocybin Advisory Board. In addition to these positions, Dr. Carter serves as the chair of the Transgender Health Program Community Advisory Board at Oregon Health & Science University. They also volunteer with many organizations including the Fireside Project, Black Rock City Emergency Services, and Queerdome. Dr. Carter begins this conversation by sharing exciting new research currently being conducted which involves LGBTQIA2S+ individuals and psychedelic therapies. While this particular area of research remains small, it is growing and the fruits of these studies will be an important step for better understanding how these new therapies can serve gender and sexuality minorities, and help facilitators understand the unique concerns of people in the LGBTQIA2S+ community. Dr. Carter illustrates these types of concerns by discussing the prevalence of gender binaries within psychedelic spaces. They describe how in a clinical setting it is prevalent to have both a male and a female facilitator, but this leaves no room for gender-nonconforming people to guide experiences—something which could be preferable if the patient themselves shares this identity. Dr. Carter also discusses this gender binary in traditional contexts. It is common for ayahuasca ceremonies to provide separate spaces for men and women, again leaving no space for gender-nonconforming people. This reification of the gender binary and the often patriarchal organization of the ayahuasca ceremony can have serious impacts on the set and setting, especially for people in the LGBTQIA2S+ community. Dr. Carter emphasizes the importance of making space for folks in the community so that they are able to receive therapy, attend ceremonies, and participate in integration with others who share similar identities. This shared identity, they emphasize, ensures that LGBTQIA2S+ people don't feel out of place in contexts that ought to be healing. Dr. Carter closes by discussing how members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community experience disproportionate rates of mental illness, further illustrating the crucial importance of equity in accessing psychedelic medicine. In this episode: Problems of representation and access for LGBTQIA2S+ individuals in the psychedelic space Current research being done on the intersection between psychedelic therapies and unique issues faced by gender and sexuality minorities Preparations to take before guiding a psychedelic experience for LGBTQIA2S+ people, particularly if you do not come from the community How plant medicines could have unique benefits for the LGBTQIA2S+ community Issues of poverty faced by marginalized peoples and how to support equity of access to emerging psychedelic therapies Quotes: "For some people that idea of melding, of becoming one and losing all of those unique pieces of themselves, doesn't fit their paradigm of a spiritual connecting experience." [10:47] "It's precious, that centering of our community—to be able to sit with people who just understand." [19:42] "Psychedelics offer the opportunity for connection of the self to something greater, something outside, a bigger community, spirituality, and really do a huge amount to heal peoples' relationships with substances." [25:20] "Marginalized communities have been really impacted, largely, by the war on drugs, which has put millions of people in jail for drug offenses and stolen their ability to make income, stolen their ability to connect with community and we really need to heal that." [33:34] Links: Fruiting Bodies Collective Chacruna Institute Queering Psychedelics 2019 Conference Queerdome on Facebook Portland Psychedelic Society Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

This episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast features a discussion of psychedelics and meditative practices with Nate Macanian. Nate is a meditation teacher and psychedelic guide from New York with a background in cognitive neuroscience. He also creates mindfulness content for leading meditation apps such as Calm, Simple Habit, and Wellness Coach, as well as retreat centers such as Synthesis and Omega Institute. Nate begins this discussion describing how he was initially exposed to meditation and psychedelics. This first exposure came while Nate was a student at the University of Michigan and his immediate passion for meditation led him to found a student organization to further explore meditative and contemplative practices with his peers. Nate also describes guiding friends through psychedelic experiences in his college arboretum, before he had ever even heard of the idea of trip sitting. Turning to meditative practices themselves, Nate describes how psychedelics can be incorporated into one's meditation routine in a variety of ways and for a variety of different forms of meditation. What he stresses, however, is to examine the intention behind bringing plant medicines into the practice. But if they are incorporated mindfully, psychedelics can help bring meditative practices into sharper relief—microdoses help to amplify awareness and reveal the habits of the mind while larger doses work to connect one to layers of experience previously hidden to consciousness. While meditation and psychedelics share certain goals and can both be used for therapeutic ends, there are also differences between them. Nate describes psychedelics as an elevator which takes people directly to a destination, whereas meditation is more like a winding staircase as the practice requires continual effort and consistency to progress. Nate also distinguishes meditation and psychedelic experiences phenomenologically. He stresses that the goal of meditative practices is not to mimic the feeling of a trip. Instead, meditation works to focus the attention on the whole spectrum of human experience, some of which can be boring, tedious, or dull. Psychedelics, on the other hand, provide specific kinds of experiences which are intense and colorful, but these differences are what allow meditative practices and psychedelic journeys to have a symbiotic relationship. In this episode: Nate's journey being introduced to mindfulness and psychedelics The importance of intention in meditation Incorporating plant medicines into one's meditative practices Psychedelics, meditation, and the default mode network in the brain Why set and setting is also important for meditation Quotes: "If you include a larger dose in your meditation practice, you might find that there are layers that were previously unseen and latent, living under the surface, that start to come up and this is where a lot of shadow work happens." [14:00] "When the default mode network is off, we have this increased susceptibility to our immediate environment and this is why it's so important to surround yourself with positive people and be in a nice, calm, safe place." [22:24] "I think there's absolutely a place for psychedelics to be included in your meditation practice as long as it's intentional and as long as you feel like your success as a meditator is not attached to your use of any substance." [26:59] "Meditation as a practice is not about really forcing ourselves to have some experience, but to train our awareness, to become a more whole person, a more fulfilled person, a more loving person." [33:33] Links: Nate's website Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

On this episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast, Mitchell Gomez of DanceSafe discusses how to reduce harm by chemically testing substances prior to consumption. Mitchell is a graduate of New College of Florida and holds a masters from University of Colorado Denver. He joined the DanceSafe team in 2014 and has been serving as the executive director since 2017. In addition to his work at DanceSafe, Mitchell also acts as a harm reduction consultant for MAPS. In this conversation, Mitchell shares the origin story of DanceSafe and describes the important work they do. He mentions that testing drugs is illegal in many states, but following a precedent set by needle exchanges, the justice system seems to turn a blind eye to DanceSafe's activity. Transitioning to the present day, Mitchell discusses the current state of the drug market, sharing information on adulterants and false marketing for a variety of substances from ketamine and LSD to cocaine and MDMA. Prohibition is at the root of these issues, he claims, as this is what encourages things such as selling fentanyl while claiming it is another opioid, as fentanyl is more potent and thus easier to smuggle in smaller quantities. Another government-related issue Mitchell mentions is the data the state gathers on drug-induced medical incidents. This data groups a variety of substances together, making it difficult to determine the actual cause of the medical emergency. Turning to the importance of chemically testing drugs, Mitchell stresses the benefits of knowing what you are consuming. While a single test with the right reagent can tell a lot about a substance, Mitchell recommends using a wide variety of tests as many drugs are often adulterated even if they do contain the substance they were sold as. Knowing if a drug is cut with another substance and what this substance could be helps people make more informed decisions about what they put in their bodies. Especially in the era of the opioid epidemic, this kind of information can be legitimately lifesaving. In this episode: The origin of DanceSafe and the services they provide How to use fentanyl test strips Common drugs currently being falsely marketed as MDMA New opioids which are laid on blotters like LSD Why using multiple reagents to test substances is a smart idea Chemically testing mushrooms vs learning mycology to identify species Quotes: "One of the things we know is that the speed at which new drugs are entering the market is accelerating." [15:08] "Fentanyl, for a non-opioid user, a milligram might be enough to kill you. One milligram. If you're alone, if there's nobody there to call 911, that might be enough to impact a non-opioid user's breathing." [18:44] "Nobody has ever been arrested for just having a test kit. That's never happened. If they find a test kit as part of a larger drug investigation, they will include a paraphernalia charge for that test kit as a means of coercing plea deals." [21:28] "These are problems caused by prohibition. We could have fair trade, organic cocaine in twenty-five days if we just ended the drug war." [33:00] Links: DanceSafe's Website DanceSafe on Instagram Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

In this episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast, Adam Aronovich returns to discuss the phenomenon of psychedelic narcissism. Adam is a doctoral candidate at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Spain, focusing on Medical Anthropology and Cultural Psychiatry. He is an active member of the Medical Anthropology Research Center (MARC) and part of the Ayahuasca Community Committee at the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines. In the last four years he has conducted extensive fieldwork in the Peruvian Amazon, where he has been doing qualitative research in collaboration with ICEERS, the Beckley Foundation, and, more recently, the Centre for Psychedelic Studies at Imperial College. Beyond his work conducting and coordinating research, Adam regularly facilitates workshops at the Temple of the Way of Light, a prestigious healing center in the Iquitos area. In this wide-ranging conversation, Adam unpacks some of the darker sides of the modern psychedelic movement, discussing the psychosocial dynamics around psychedelic use which can lead to things such as ego inflation, conspiratorial thinking, and narcissism. Adam recalls his own experiences slipping into messianic fantasies during a period of initial enthusiasm around psychedelic experiences. He views issues of alienation and lack of social support as being instrumental in leading to these types of delusions following profound spiritual experiences. While it is difficult to reach people who've slipped into psychedelic narcissism, Adam suggests that communal support is the best safeguard against these dangers and the most effective strategy for grounding people who've lost touch with reality. Drawing on his academic expertise, Adam distinguishes traditional uses of plant medicines from the Western paradigm for approaching psychedelics. He stresses the relational and communal aspects of the spiritual traditions which use psychedelics ceremonially. The pro-social aspects of these wisdom traditions, he claims, help safeguard against the traps of psychedelic narcissism and ego inflation, as there are established mechanisms for keeping people grounded following intense spiritual experiences. Adam closes the discussion with an insightful analysis of modern gurus and self-proclaimed shamans. Adam encourages people to beware of deeply held spiritual fantasies, where a master can appear as more than human. Instead, he emphasizes that even skillful and well-intentioned healers are themselves nothing more than human beings, so there will always be imperfection and messiness. This does not, however, mean that impactful work cannot happen—in fact, this insight helps protect against the idolization of charismatic psychedelic personalities, which can lead to harmful experiences. In this episode: Defining psychedelic narcissism Clinical vs coloquial understandings of narcissism The intersections of the psychedelic movement and conspiracy theories The importance of social and communal support for avoiding ego inflation following psychedelic or spiritual experiences How psychedelic experiences can actually deepen ego attachments and accentuate narcissistic tendencies The importance of humor in combating spiritual narcissism Quotes: "Many of the underlying ideologies upon which Western cultures were built, like hyper-individualism and so on, kind of predispose us and prime us for certain aspects of narcissism." [5:36] "Ego inflation, spiritual narcissism, messianic episodes—all of these are things that are fairly common within both people who are in some sort of spiritual or psychedelic path." [12:17] "In traditional societies for the most part really there isn't such a thing as a self-proclaimed shaman. A person doesn't wake up one morning and is like 'oh, I'm the shaman'—that's a title or a role or a recognition given to that person by the community." [38:03] "The best measure of whether somebody is genuine and helpful is not whatever credentials or titles he assigns to himself, but rather what other people feel. So, you know, you will know a tree by its fruits." [45:08] "Having these experiences by themselves does not necessarily mean spiritual growth or psychological development or any enhanced benefit if we're not constantly, painfully, mindful of how we actually integrate and embody those things in daily life over very long periods of time." [54:29] Links: Adam on Instagram Temple of the Way of Light Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

This episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast is the final installment in a three-part series with Dr. Julie Holland. Dr. Holland is a psychiatrist specializing in psychopharmacology, and she is also the author of many books, including her most recent work Good Chemistry: The Science of Connection, from Soul to Psychedelics which discusses the neurochemistry behind human connection. She is also a medical monitor for several MAPS PTSD studies using MDMA-assisted psychotherapy and has worked for decades on US drug policy reform based on harm reduction principles. In addition to this work, Dr. Holland has nine years experience running a psychiatric emergency room as an attending physician on the faculty of NYU school of medicine and she continues her psychiatric work in her private practice in New York City. In this episode, Dr. Holland speculates on the future of psychedelic therapy and the emerging issues within the broader psychedelic movement. Lamenting the lack of governing organizations and accountability, Dr. Holland discusses the complexities of regulating an industry with a history of operating underground and in legal grey areas. This raises questions such as how to grandfather-in established psychedelic practitioners now that various coursework in psychedelic therapy and systems for credentials are beginning to emerge. Another issue related to legality which Dr. Holland discusses is the relation between the medical establishment and psychedelic therapies. The fact that individuals interested in pursuing plant medicines for therapeutic reasons are not able to easily consult with primary care doctors is a huge hurdle to harm reduction, and, as Dr. Holland points out, this leaves the responsibility for ensuring safety entirely on the psychedelic practitioners. Because these practitioners range from underground ayahuasca circles to clinically approved, legally operating therapists the amount of attention and care paid to harm reduction can vary greatly, which is why it will be essential to establish standards and best practices for psychedelic therapy as demand continues to increase. Dr. Holland also discusses the issues of "psychedelic capitalism" which are coming to the fore as these treatments become more mainstream and more accessible. While there are no clear answers for how to navigate the intersection of psychedelic therapies and capitalist market dynamics, this is an issue that deserves care and attention so that there can be equitable access to these medicines. Dr. Holland closes with a discussion of the parasympathetic nervous system–the "rest and digest" mode–and its importance for not only personal health, but also social well-being. In this episode: Why it is essential to begin establishing best practices and safeguards around emerging psychedelic therapies and other practices involving plant medicines Issues that arise from the intersection of capitalist market dynamics and the emerging psychedelic industry The future of medical consultations prior to consuming plant medicines Activating the parasympathetic nervous system and its pro-social impacts Quotes: "I think part of it is just this fear that if we admit there are some bad actors, that the whole house of cards is gonna fall." [9:26] "Just because of the way capitalism is, there is IP, there is proprietary information, there is anti-competitive behavior. That to me also really needs to be addressed." [11:31] "In any interaction there is a choice of being hurtful or helpful, and it's a choice, everyday." [20:18] "Anyone who can out themselves should, because it will move this whole thing along a lot more. If you are a soccer mom who also microdoses, put that bumper sticker on your car." [24:58] Links: Dr. Holland's website Good Chemistry: The Science of Connection, from Soul to Psychedelics Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

This episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast is the second conversation in a three-part series with Dr. Julie Holland. Dr. Holland is a psychiatrist specializing in psychopharmacology, and she is also the author of many books, including her most recent work Good Chemistry: The Science of Connection, from Soul to Psychedelics which discusses the neurochemistry behind human connection. She is also a medical monitor for several MAPS PTSD studies using MDMA-assisted psychotherapy and has worked for decades on US drug policy reform based on harm reduction principles. In addition to this work, Dr. Holland has nine years experience running a psychiatric emergency room as an attending physician on the faculty of NYU school of medicine and she continues her psychiatric work in her private practice in New York City. In this episode, Dr. Holland talks specifically about the nuances of antidepressants and psychedelic medicine. As is commonly known, many prescription antidepressants have contraindications with various psychedelic compounds, meaning there are concerns regarding how people taking such medications will be able to also access psychedelic-assisted therapies. Dr. Holland discusses the specific contraindications for individual psychedelic medicines and suggests some strategies for safely and effectively tapering off antidepressants in consultation with a medical professional. She suggests various wellness practices, such as regular exercise, as particularly helpful during the course of tapering, and even mentions situations where an additional antidepressant is prescribed to support the tapering process, stressing the complexity and delicacy of this process. To give context to this discussion of psychedelics and antidepressants, Dr. Holland provides an overview of the history of psychiatry over the past forty years, showing how antidepressants came to prominence as a therapeutic tool. She also explores additional considerations, such as how things like hormonal birth control interacts with SSRI antidepressants on a psychopharmacological level. The common thread Dr. Holland weaves through this conversation is the importance of connection, both as support for the tapering process and as the end goal of effective therapeutic practice. In this episode: Health and wellness practices which can act as support while tapering off an antidepressant in consult with a medical professional Contraindications between various psychedelics and antidepressants The difference between microdosing and macrodosing psychedelics while taking antidepressants Why falling in love can present a good opportunity to taper off antidepressants under supervision Why Dr. Holland sees the divide between recreational and therapeutic use as a false dichotomy in some cases Quotes: "There was a lot of hand-holding and de-stigmatizing back in the 90s, educating people around antidepressants. But twenty years later most of my work was really around people [who] had been medicated for ten, fifteen, twenty years and wanted to be off meds." [6:15] "The people who really responded from MDMA-assisted psychotherapy who had PTSD were the people who'd never been on SSRIs. The people who had a muted response who didn't get as much better as the other group were the ones who had been on SSRIs." [9:47] "Coming off of psych meds is no easy feat. You really have to do a gradual taper, there has to be somebody who is supervising you, and you've got to have other things in place." [10:42] "You have to have somebody helping you… It's not the kind of thing you can really go alone. Getting off antidepressants requires somebody who knows what they are doing to help you." [14:16] "Your brain learns to be sad, your brain learns to be anxious, your brain can learn to be at ease and learn to have joy." [21:31] Links: Dr. Holland's website Good Chemistry: The Science of Connection, from Soul to Psychedelics Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

This episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast is the first installment of a three-part conversation with Dr. Julie Holland. Dr. Holland is a psychiatrist specializing in psychopharmacology, and she is also the author of many books, including her most recent work Good Chemistry: The Science of Connection, from Soul to Psychedelics which discusses the neurochemistry behind human connection. She is also a medical monitor for several MAPS PTSD studies using MDMA-assisted psychotherapy and has worked for decades on US drug policy reform based on harm reduction principles. In addition to this work, Dr. Holland has nine years experience running a psychiatric emergency room as an attending physician on the faculty of NYU school of medicine and she continues her psychiatric work in her private practice in New York City. In this first installment with Dr. Holland, the conversation focuses on the idea of connection she explored in Good Chemistry. Dr. Holland begins by discussing the importance of feeling a connection with oneself and details how many things in modern life can get in the way of this connection. Self-connection is important, she stresses, because if we are not grounded in ourselves, it can be difficult to establish healthy connections with others. Dr. Holland explains how various neurotransmitters such as oxytocin and dopamine are involved in connecting with self and others and how pharmaceuticals such as opiates act on some of these same systems to simulate comfort. In addition to discussing human connection from a pharmacological perspective, Dr. Holland also explores the topic through a psychological lens, looking at the role trauma can play in muddying opportunities for connection. This is an area where psychedelics can be particularly impactful, as these substances can disrupt the constant ruminations and patterns of behavior which keep people from pursuing or deepening connections. Dr. Holland then brings some insights from the science of connection to bear on the practice of psychedelic therapy, discussing how group facilitation of psilocybin therapy could be more impactful by allowing the experiences and integration work to happen in community. The conversation closes with a discussion of how psychedelics can impact the connections one feels, especially to the natural world, and some speculations regarding how the feelings of interconnection elicited by psychedelic experiences could impact political convictions. In this episode: How distractions and addictions get in the way of our ability to connect with ourselves How the epidemic of loneliness and the epidemic of overdoses intersect The pharmacological pathways of oxytocin and the function of the dopaminergic system How psychedelic experiences "shake up" one's sense of self and the therapeutic effect of this process The double-edged sword of the feelings of group cohesion produced by oxytocin The impact of psychedelics on one's worldview Quotes: "If you're not in your body, and embodied, and feeling your feelings, you're not gonna be much use to anybody else in a relationship." [5:59] "One of the reasons why opiates are so soothing is they really quell that unease, that anxiety, and they really mimic the chemistry and physiology of what we feel when we are taken care of, held, attended to." [10:40] "We are not healthy when we are disconnected. It is a proinflammatory state when we are disconnected, and it is anti-inflammatory when we feel cared for." [13:35] "There's always trauma and everybody carries it around in their bodies to some extent and it really needs to be unearthed and investigated for us to be healthier and happier. So everyone can avail themselves of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy or psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy." [24:30] "Oxytocin facilitates neuroplasticity, it facilitates learning. And we learn better in group than we do individually. When we are isolated we do not learn as well." [29:13] "There is actual research to show that people who take psilocybin mushrooms and have psychedelic mystical experiences do feel more connected to the planet and do feel more of a sense of obligation to take care of the planet." [37:23] Links: Dr. Holland's website Good Chemistry: The Science of Connection, from Soul to Psychedelics Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

In this episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast, Dr. Mark Braunstein returns to discuss potential concerns surrounding the use of ketamine, especially use which is not overseen by a knowledgeable medical professional. Dr. Braunstein is a whole-health psychiatrist with 22 years of clinical experience. He is the medical director for multiple mental health and psychedelic psychotherapy clinics in Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah and he also runs in-patient and out-patient programs for addiction. Additionally, Dr. Braunstein is involved in multiple projects focused on expanding access, awareness, research, and safety in the field of psychedelics. To begin this conversation, Dr. Braunstein shares how his original exposure to ketamine wasn't in a medicinal context, but rather as a recreational drug of abuse. However, since then he has seen the transformative effects this substance can have on patients when used in a physician-directed context and for therapeutic purposes. Nonetheless, Dr. Braunstein stresses that this does not mean ketamine use does not come with certain risks. Ketamine can be addictive and even carries a risk of overdose, particularly when used recreationally in a context where the purity of the substance is unknown. Dr. Braunstein distinguishes recreational and therapeutic uses of ketamine, explaining that recreational doses are often lower and dosing is more frequent, whereas ketamine is used in high doses in a therapeutic context, with extended periods between sessions. Dr. Braunstein stresses both the responsibility of physicians and of patients to ensure ketamine is prescribed responsibly and used as directed. Despite the dangers posed by recreational ketamine use Dr. Braunstein describes in this conversation, it is still a medicine he believes can have significant positive impacts for patients. This requires, however, that it not be treated merely as yet another quick fix pill. Instead, Dr. Braunstein emphasizes that ketamine treatment ought to coincide with psychotherapeutic work. This combination, he says, will maximize the therapeutic potential of ketamine while also helping to ensure that the medicine is used responsibly, under the close direction of a medical professional. In this episode: The addiction and overdose potential with recreational ketamine use How dosage can dramatically change the effects of ketamine Responsible prescribing practices for physicians working with ketamine The psychological and physiological harms of ketamine abuse How Dr. Braunstein talks to his patients about responsible use before prescribing ketamine The importance of combining psychedelic medicines with psychotherapeutic work Quotes: "Part of why ketamine works is because it lights up your brain in all these different ways and when done occasionally, intentionally, it moves you. But if you're always doing that, it ends up having the reverse effect, causing damage." [12:56] "This is a heavy-duty medication that, if you cross the line, can cause you to stop breathing and then die. So there is an actual, real danger to ketamine." [16:25] "I think the organ that is most prone to damage from overuse of ketamine is the same organ we are touting it fixing: the mind." [18:39] "When we think about these medications, we should think about combining them with therapy and not just taking these medications as medications… So that's why with ketamine I'm really recommending it with therapy." [25:04] Links: Reconscious Medical Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

This episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast features a conversation with Shannon Carlin, MA, LMFT, to discuss how to become an MDMA-assisted therapist, including a discussion of the MAPS training program. Shannon is the Director and Head of Training and Supervision at the MAPS Public Benefit Corporation (MAPS PBC), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), a 501(c)(3) non-profit where she oversees the development and implementation of clinical training programs that prepare mental health and medical professionals to deliver MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in approved clinical settings. Shannon started working with MAPS in 2011 before joining MAPS PBC in 2016. In this conversation, Shannon discusses her personal background and some of the nuances of psychedelic-assisted therapy. Shannon shares her experiences being trained as an MDMA facilitator in 2014 when this therapy was much less mainstream and mentions how much the program has grown and evolved since then. In discussing her own background with various forms of therapeutic work, Shannon emphasizes the unique client relationship obtained in the longer sessions of MDMA therapy, saying that this therapy is very well-suited to meeting people in their time of need. Shannon also discusses the details of the 100-hour MDMA-assisted therapy training program she leads and supervises at MAPS. The program consists of an online course, a training retreat with senior MDMA-assisted psychotherapy researchers, and opportunities for experiential and didactic learning. Shannon additionally touches on the topic of MDMA therapists-in-training undergoing this treatment themselves as a learning experience, stating that this is an opportunity MAPS tries to make available and that many of those who have had this opportunity found it beneficial to their future work with MDMA in a therapeutic context. In closing, Shannon discusses MAPS' commitment to equity and mentions that some scholarships will be available for the training program. The MAPS MDMA Therapy Training Program is now accepting applications from trained mental health and medical practitioners. To learn more, visit https://mapspublicbenefit.com/training In this episode: How MDMA therapy differs from traditional talk therapy The importance of nurses and other paraprofessionals in MDMA-assisted psychotherapy The history of the use of MDMA in therapeutic contexts prior to prohibition Current training programs in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy The future of legal MDMA use in therapy What skills translate from MDMA psychotherapy to other forms of psychedelic psychotherapy How to enroll in the next round of MAPS MDMA training Quotes: "Our training program really focuses a lot on the therapeutic relationship in MDMA therapy and the ways that that relationship changes, deepens, becomes more complex." [13:20] "As we do our training program we have a really multidisciplinary group. We have physicians and psychiatrists and we have nurses, we have psychiatric nurses, social workers, therapists, psychologists, clergy people." [15:56] "We work in a cotherapy model so every session has two providers in the room, so we always have one person who is licensed to practice psychotherapy and then we have flexibility about exactly what the role of the second person is." [26:09] "We're looking at possibly MDMA-assisted therapy becoming a legal treatment medicine, not only in the US, but in multiple countries, even as soon as in the next two years." [28:21] "It's really difficult to do healthy volunteer therapist studies because the FDA thinks about clinical trials in terms of treating a disease." [35:21] Links: MAPS MDMA Therapy Training MAPS Public Benefit Corporation Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

This week's episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast features a conversation with Rebecca Kronman, LCSW on the intersection of psychedelics and parenting. Rebecca is a licensed therapist with a private practice in Brooklyn, New York, where she helps clients integrate and prepare for psychedelic experience, in addition to providing therapeutic care for clients struggling with mental illnesses such as anxiety or depression. Rebecca is also the founder of Plant Parenthood, which is an online and in-person community of parents who use psychedelics, plant medicine and cannabis looking to de-stigmatize the conversation around psychedelics and parenting. In this wide-ranging discussion, Rebecca explores both practical and theoretical issues in the intersection of psychedelics and parenthood. The most controversial of these being, of course, minors using psychedelics themselves. Rebecca discusses the traditional cultural frameworks in societies which use psychedelics and how they handle this matter, contrasting this with the Western medical model where psychedelic use is highly stigmatized yet prescribing amphetamines to children is rather uncontroversial. Rebecca emphasizes that this is a topic which deserves more careful consideration, as ketamine treatments are already available and effective for treatment-resistant depression in teens. She also discusses how psychedelics can help us reparent ourselves and heal generational trauma, both of which can aid in improving parents' relationship to not only their children, but to their own parents as well. In addition, Rebecca discusses some practical concerns, such as how parents ought to discuss psychedelic use with children. Here she draws a distinction between proactive and reactive conversations, the former being initiated by the parent, the latter by the child. Choosing to pursue a degree of proactive discussion with children around psychedelic use can have a positive impact, both in strengthening trust and openness between parent and child as well as preparing older children for encountering these things in their own lives as accessibility and awareness continue to increase. Rebecca closes this discussion talking about the high levels of scrutiny parents face socially, emphasizing the importance of parents having the opportunity to come together around this topic to determine the best solutions for their own families. In this episode: The future of psychedelic medicines for minors How psychedelics can inform one's approach to parenting Taking psychedelics with family members Including children in integration practices Proactive vs reactive conversations about substance use with children Plant Parenthood's upcoming events Quotes: "It's something that needs to be on our minds: how do we approach this topic without stigmatizing it so that when our children inevitably find out about it, we can have an open dialogue." [11:39] "A lot of the work of psychedelics, is the work of reparenting yourself. It's the work of healing intergenerational trauma." [16:49] "For some parents it's not a problem for their children to be around during their psychedelic experience itself, and for some parents they feel like 'you know what, I want this time for myself–this is my time to go inward, to journey into my psyche, and I don't want to be a parent during that moment.'" [24:25] "We can start talking about plant medicine or substance use or addiction from the very earliest time our kids can understand." [29:28] "As kids get older it does become more important to be a bit more proactive because the reality is they will be exposed to this, especially as access increases." [32:43] "There is a level of scrutiny that parents face that is different than what other people face and it makes people more reticent to be honest and to approach these topics in a way that feels healing and that feels complete." [41:29] "[Psychedelics] make us be able to inhabit that open, neuroplastic state that children naturally inhabit. So in a sense, it makes us be able to understand them better. It makes us be able to get into their experience in a deeper way." [46:42] Links: Plant Parenthood Website Plant Parenthood Instagram Plant Parenthood Facebook Plant Parenthood YouTube Rebecca's website Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

In this episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast, researcher Chris Timmermann, PhD joins to discuss his recent publication regarding psychedelic apprenticeship. Dr. Timmermann is a researcher at the Center for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London where he conducted the first neuroimaging studies of DMT in healthy volunteers to explore potential mental health impacts. He is also the president and founder of the Foundation for the Study of Human Consciousness in Chile. Dr. Timmermann's paper "Towards psychedelic apprenticeship: Developing a gentle touch for the mediation and validation of psychedelic-induced insights and revelations" was recently published in December 2020 and it provides a framework for tackling the difficult problem of mediating knowledge gained during psychedelic experiences. In this conversation, Dr. Timmermann breaks down his article and discusses how different contexts for psychedelic use (such as therapeutic, neo-shamanic, and research) each come with their unique concerns in terms of the knowledge these experiences can induce. Highlighting the fact that it is the same mechanism causing both therapeutic benefits and potential distress following psychedelic experience, Dr. Timmerman explains that psychedelic guides and even researchers can profoundly influence the content of a psychedelic experience. His framework for apprenticeship seeks to address how guides and researchers can best wield this influence positively, and provides suggestions for how to better approach the integration of experiences which feature visions or insights that can be difficult to understand and internalize. In this episode: Dr. Timmermann's framework for psychedelic apprenticeship Why psychedelic revelations can be a double-edged sword Psychedelic insights and vision in therapeutic, neo-shamanic, and research contexts Spiritual bypassing in the psychedelic community What gives psychedelic or mystical visions their sense of authority Quotes: "There is a strong need for an intersubjective component to validate this knowledge, these revelations, these insights." [8:45] "The striking thing that I thought was really important was that it seems to be the same mechanism which drives the benefits but also drives the complications." [15:58] "The broader culture is inviting some sorts of narratives and experiences and because the psychedelic state is a permeable state, the system is porous to these narratives and memes." [33:33] "This process of apprenticeship essentially is a framework for us to understand how we can help make sense of these experiences for people, how they can approach the experience, but with a light touch." [41:55] "What we're doing with the science and what we're doing with these papers and so on is providing some form of context, some form of mediation, some form of knowledge to try to contain these experiences a bit more." [50:26] Links: Dr. Chris Timmermann on Twitter Center for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London Dr. Timmermann's recent paper "Towards psychedelic apprenticeship: Developing a gentle touch for the mediation and validation of psychedelic-induced insights and revelations" Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

This episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast features a conversation with Erica Siegal about the intricacies of harm reduction. Erica is a licensed clinical social worker and a professional harm reductionist, as well as an MDMA-assisted psychotherapy researcher. She is the founder of NEST Harm Reduction, a California-based clinical practice that offers private therapy, harm reduction training, workplace consulting, and direct care of workers on the frontlines of secondary trauma. In this discussion, Erica shares the basic principles underlying harm reduction while also unpacking the nuances involved in providing care. The four principles Erica shares from the Zendo project are: 1) creating a safe space, 2) sitting, not guiding, 3) talking through rather than talking down, and 4) remembering difficult is not the same as bad. These principles provide a basic framework for providing harm reduction services for someone who has chosen to experiment with psychoactive substances. Erica also discussed the acronym SPACE, which stands for sustainable, patient, authentic, consensual, and empathetic, with each of these terms playing a crucial role in effective harm reduction work. Sustainable refers to the emotional and energetic toll this work can take, and ensuring one isn't spread too thin and heading towards burnout. Patience is necessary when engaging with someone who is going through a challenging experience, especially when their needs are shifting or they are having difficulties communicating. Erica describes authenticity in the harm reduction context as staying grounded in one's training and expertise and not trying to improvise modalities while sitting. Consent is also crucial when providing care, and Erica explains how to approach this topic both in the context of a pre-planned psychedelic experience and when the opportunity for harm reduction arises more spontaneously. Finally the harm reductionist should strive to be empathetic, providing proactive support through open communication and attempting to meet needs as they arise. In this episode: The four guiding principles of psychedelic harm reduction Why romantic partners often don't make the best trip sitters The intricacies of consent in a harm reduction setting Dealing with burnout as a harm reduction professional How to hold space in an authentic, empathetic way Gamifying harm reduction Quotes: "Harm reduction is a movement for people who believe in human rights and dignity for anybody, including people who are actively using drugs." [5:31] "When we go into an altered state or use psychedelics, we are obviously shifting our perspective and therefore we need to make sure we have some safe things that can ground us back into our bodies and our experiences." [11:57] "If you are burning out and you are becoming someone who needs help, you're not actually holding the space to do the work." [19:32] "I think all psychedelic practitioners, whether you are above ground or underground, should provide informed consent to clients." [30:23] "The only things that we do with somebody who is that significantly altered is be patient with them, and wait for them to be able to make decisions for themselves." [36:29] "Make sure you're checking in about peoples' basic needs because they forget. And that could be the thing that shifts it onto the right direction for them." [49:54] Links: NEST Harm Reduction Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

This first episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast in 2021 features a conversation with Dr. Reid Robison, discussing the potentials of using psychedelics to treat eating disorders. Dr. Robison is a board-certified psychiatrist and the chief medical officer at Novamind. He is also the co-founder of Cedar Psychiatry, founder of the Polizzi Free Clinic, and adjunct faculty at the University of Utah. Dr. Robison serves as the medical director of Center for Change—a top eating disorder treatment center—and he is currently the coordinating investigator for the upcoming MAPS study looking at the potential for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy as a treatment for eating disorders. In this conversation, Dr. Robison dissects the intricacies of various eating disorders and shares his experience using ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. At Center for Change, Dr. Robison conducted an IRB-approved study looking at the use of ketamine as a potential treatment for eating disorders. In the study, participants were regularly administered ketamine in a small group setting with therapeutic and integration work happening between sessions. Dr. Robison shares some anecdotal reports as well as the objective data from the study, both of which show promising results. In particular, Dr. Robison notes how ketamine can promote a sense of embodiment for individuals struggling with eating disorders, helping them return to a more intuitive connection with food and eating. Additionally, Dr. Robison discusses topics such as neuroplasticity and the default mode network as potential key factors explaining why this type of treatment could be effective. Since compounds such as ketamine can promote neuroplasticity and downregulate the default mode network, this gives the therapist a window to do particularly effective work with the patient, as they are in a more malleable state and less burdened by routines and habitual thought patterns. Dr. Robison closes with a discussion of the upcoming MAPS study which will look at the possible efficacy of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for anorexia and binge eating disorders. In this episode: Dr. Robison's study of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy for eating disorders The therapeutic modalities Dr. Robison's team uses alongside ketamine for addressing eating disorders Psycholytic vs transformative applications of ketamine in psychotherapy The co-occurrence of eating disorders and conditions such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD Details of the upcoming MAPS study on MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for anorexia and binge eating disorder. Quotes: "If you look at eating disorders, they're pretty underfunded and there are no FDA approved medicine treatment options for anorexia, for example." [3:25] "Ketamine and other psychedelic medicines are therapy aids, therapy boosters, accelerators, or catalysts to the therapeutic process." [10:42] "But I do believe that there are lasting benefits, especially when you pair it with the psychotherapy—when you have this window of opportunity of neuroplasticity to do some deeper work." [21:07] "Healing can be disruptive sometimes and you do feel worse before you feel better in some cases." [25:23] "Downregulation of the default mode is such a powerful and welcome break from the day-to-day patterns in these conditions." [37:43] Links: Novamind Cedar Psychiatry Center for Change Upcoming MAPS study on MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for Eating Disorders Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

Today's episode is the first in our series focusing on psilocybin's potential uses as medicine. You are going to hear from one of the premier researchers into this drug, how he runs his studies, and what he has discovered concerning its effects and uses as a medicine. Dr. Albert Garcia-Romeu is a member of the Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences faculty at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a Guest Researcher at the National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Neuroimaging Research Branch. There, he studies the effects of psychedelic drugs in humans with a particular focus of psilocybin as a potential aid in the treatment of addiction. Dr. Garcia-Romeu explains the biochemical effects of psilocybin in the human body. He delves into what his research has uncovered about the drug's potential to treat addiction disorders. What is noteworthy about his research is that is has shown that psychedelic treatments have been able to help some people make lasting changes in regard to alcohol and nicotine addiction. Dr. Garcia-Romeu also discusses psilocybin's use in treating anxiety and depression. The research has shown that psilocybin has the potential to help patients with life-threatening and terminal illnesses cope with the psychological burdens of their disease. He also explains some of the ongoing research into the efficacy of psilocybin to have a lasting impact on depression in general. In this episode: How psilocybin works at a biochemical level What the research is saying about the uses of psilocybin to treat addiction disorders Possible reasons why some people respond more significantly to psilocybin treatments than others Psilocybin's effect on treating mood disorders, such as anxiety and depression Safeguards to avoid possible adverse effects during psilocybin studies Quotes: "Administering high doses of drugs like psilocybin and LSD seemed to really help people make some breakthroughs into having greater insight into their alcohol abuse and having more plasticity in their ability to change their behavior going forward." [7:06] "The more mystical effects that people are having, the better outcomes you're seeing." [23:25] "These were real improvements in the quality of life that were measurable, statistically significant, and enduring." [28:42] Links: Get 20% off everything at Octogon Biolabs with coupon code 'plantmedicine' Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic & Consciousness Research clinicaltrials.gov Check out the full episode post Keep up with everything Plant Medicine related here Porangui

Dr. Dan Engle is a psychiatrist with a clinical practice that combines aspects of regenerative medicine, psychedelic research, integrative spirituality, and peak performance. His medical degree is from the University of Texas at San Antonio. His psychiatry residency degree is from the University of Colorado in Denver, and his child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship degree is from Oregon Health & Science University. Dr. Engle is an international consultant to several global healing centers facilitating the use of long-standing indigenous plant medicines for healing and awakening. He is the Founder and Medical Director of Kuya Institute for Transformational Medicine in Austin, Texas; Full Spectrum Medicine, a psychedelic integration and educational platform; and Thank You Life, a non-profit funding stream supporting access to psychedelic therapies. Dr. Engle is the author of The Concussion Repair Manual: A Practical Guide to Recovering from Traumatic Brain Injuries, as well as his new book, A Dose of Hope: A Story of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy. Dr. Engle shares how he sees ayahuasca and other plant medicines as a bridge between traditional medical practices and contemporary medicine. This is particularly the case in the field of psychology. Ayahuasca can have the ability to create visionary states that lend insight into what individuals find most important at a deep subconscious level. There are ongoing efforts to understand the possible uses of ayahuasca as a tool in integrative therapy. Dr. Engle has particular experience applying it in TBI therapies. He describes what he has observed in how ayahuasca can create synaptic genesis and stimulate the growth of brain cells. This has huge implications for treating neurodegenerative conditions. Dr. Engle goes on to describe some of the scientific research surrounding ayahuasca. Its ability to treat a number of conditions has been closely examined in recent decades. This includes its effects on such a large range of issues including chronic inflammatory bowel conditions, addiction, depression, and brain injury. In this episode: The potential of ayahuasca to lend insight into unconscious desires Uses of ayahuasca in integrative psychology and TBI treatments What ayahuasca is and the active chemicals it contains Known contraindications of ayahuasca The findings of many of the research projects focusing on ayahuasca Ayahuasca's potential to treat addiction The lasting positive and negative effects of ayahuasca use Quotes: "The opening that happens when medicines are facilitated well is orders of magnitude more powerful than the opening that I had experienced in talk therapy." [6:30] "If you have brain trauma, or a neuro deficit or hypoactivity, many people feel like their brains come back online." [19:16] "We started studying it. But we're still in our infancy of understanding, whereas the traditional cultures have been working with this medicine for thousands of years." [31:14] "The medicines are not here to save us. They aren't here to fix us. The medicines are here to show us truth in our path. It's still our work to do." [50:05] Links: The Concussion Repair Manual "Fantastic Fungi" DMT: The Spirit Molecule "Embrace of the Serpent" Fellowship of the River Takiwasi Center Revive Centers Being True to You The Third Wave Check out the full episode post Keep up with everything Plant Medicine related here Porangui The information provided in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical recommendation, diagnosis, or treatment. The use of information in this podcast is at one's own discretion, and is not an endorsement of use given the complexity inherent in these medicines, and the current variable widespread illegality of their usage.

This episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast features a conversation with Dr. Mark Braunstein discussing the potentials of cannabis-assisted psychotherapy. Dr. Braunstein is a whole-health psychiatrist with 22 years of clinical experience. He is the medical director for multiple mental health and psychedelic psychotherapy clinics in Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah and he also runs in-patient and out-patient programs for addiction. In his own practice as a psychiatrist, Dr. Braunstein employs both cannabis and ketamine to meet the individual needs of his patients. Dr. Braunstein stresses how he came to these modalities after becoming disillusioned with the predominant model of psychiatry and its emphasis on treating symptoms with pharmaceuticals without much consideration for the patient as an individual. With cannabis-assisted psychotherapy, Dr. Braunstein started to notice real changes in his patients, allowing them to begin living more fulfilling lives. In this conversation, Dr. Braunstein discusses many of the intricacies of using cannabis in his practice as a psychiatrist, giving particular attention to the intake process he uses to determine which method of ingestion and what dosage would be appropriate for a particular patient given their specific condition and history. Dr. Braunstein also distinguishes between psycholytic and psychedelic applications of cannabis, explaining that the low dose, psycholytic approach is suited to the context of talk therapy, where cannabis helps encourage new insights without being too disorienting, whereas the psychedelic modality uses higher doses to allow the patient to explore their psyche on their own within a safe, supportive context. In this episode: How wilderness therapy made Dr. Braunstein reevaluate his understanding of psychiatry Psycholytic vs psychedelic uses of cannabis for therapeutic purposes How Dr. Braunstein approaches patients as unique individuals when considering treatment options Using cannabis to help patients encounter buried traumas in a safe, therapeutic setting Contradictions for cannabis-assisted psychotherapy Quotes: "It increases someone's ability to be more productive in psychotherapy-you're able to talk, see things in a different way, have different perceptions." [13:15] "Cannabis is so readily accessible for so many people and they can safely do it in the comfort of their home while they engage in teletherapy." [14:40] "We want to put people into categories of usage to help come up with a protocol of what dose we're going to start them on." [19:18] "Sometimes we'll actually do some cannabis-assisted psychotherapy first to help them process and move through some of the trauma, and then we'll move on to the ketamine to work on the depression." [26:20] "Yes, guidelines are important, but I think that having well-educated physicians, having extensive, well-educated conversations with our patients, and making the right decisions is the best way to go." [34:08] Links: Reconscious Medical Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

In this episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast, Dr. James Fadiman and Adam Bramlage join to discuss the finer points of microdosing and their upcoming Microdosing Movement course. Dr. Fadiman is a world-renowned psychedelic researcher and transpersonal psychologist who has made seminal contributions to the contemporary understanding of microdosing coach with clients from a wide range of backgrounds to help craft individualized protocols to best harness the potentials of microdosing. Together with the San Francisco Psychedelic Society and Jakobien & Hein of The Microdosing Institute, they will be leading the upcoming six-week Microdosing Movement course. In this discussion, Dr. Fadiman and Adam touch on many nuanced topics relating to microdosing, ranging from individualized protocols to current research. Dr. Fadiman tells of his experience gathering information on microdosing through his own study and how this originated what became known as the Fadiman protocol for microdosing. Dr. Fadiman also discusses some conclusions that can be drawn from experience reports, such as the efficacy of microdosing for combatting conditions such as addiction or depression. Additionally, Adam shares the details of the Microdosing Movement course, emphasizing how building community is foregrounded in the course design. In addition to lectures by experts like Dr. Fadiman, participants will have the opportunity to socialize with other students, integrate the content, and ask questions at weekly communiTEA gatherings over Zoom. The microdosing movement course runs from Sunday, December 13th through Tuesday, January 19th. Additional information and registration linked below: Dr. Fadiman can be reached at [email protected]. In this episode: How Dr. Fadiman developed his microdosing protocol What we know about tolerance when it comes to psychedelics Recent research findings suggesting microdosing could also be effective in treating pain Details of the upcoming microdosing movement course How community enriches microdosing outcomes Quotes "The most important thing to get across is that each person is an individual and no one protocol is going to work for everybody. Everybody has different needs." [12:42] "And particularly people are saying, not that meditation improves your microdosing, but that microdosing absolutely improves your meditation." [15:36] "We're just seeing extremely positive results across the board, and we're seeing that the longer people microdose, the less often they need to microdose." [41:40] "There's so many different applications for this, with so many different conditions, and each day I get new emails or new contracts from people who are using it for totally new things." [43:54] Links The Microdosing Movement Course Microdosing Psychedelics Website Dr. Fadiman's Website Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

In this episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast, Dr. James Fadiman and Adam Bramlage join to discuss the finer points of microdosing and their upcoming Microdosing Movement course. Dr. Fadiman is a world-renowned psychedelic researcher and transpersonal psychologist who has made seminal contributions to the contemporary understanding of microdosing coach with clients from a wide range of backgrounds to help craft individualized protocols to best harness the potentials of microdosing. Together with the San Francisco Psychedelic Society and Jakobien & Hein of The Microdosing Institute, they will be leading the upcoming six-week Microdosing Movement course. In this discussion, Dr. Fadiman and Adam touch on many nuanced topics relating to microdosing, ranging from individualized protocols to current research. Dr. Fadiman tells of his experience gathering information on microdosing through his own study and how this originated what became known as the Fadiman protocol for microdosing. Dr. Fadiman also discusses some conclusions that can be drawn from experience reports, such as the efficacy of microdosing for combatting conditions such as addiction or depression. Additionally, Adam shares the details of the Microdosing Movement course, emphasizing how building community is foregrounded in the course design. In addition to lectures by experts like Dr. Fadiman, participants will have the opportunity to socialize with other students, integrate the content, and ask questions at weekly communiTEA gatherings over Zoom. The microdosing movement course runs from Sunday, December 13th through Tuesday, January 19th. Additional information and registration linked below: Dr. Fadiman can be reached at [email protected]. In this episode: How Dr. Fadiman developed his microdosing protocol What we know about tolerance when it comes to psychedelics Recent research findings suggesting microdosing could also be effective in treating pain Details of the upcoming microdosing movement course How community enriches microdosing outcomes Quotes "The most important thing to get across is that each person is an individual and no one protocol is going to work for everybody. Everybody has different needs." [12:42] "And particularly people are saying, not that meditation improves your microdosing, but that microdosing absolutely improves your meditation." [15:36] "We're just seeing extremely positive results across the board, and we're seeing that the longer people microdose, the less often they need to microdose." [41:40] "There's so many different applications for this, with so many different conditions, and each day I get new emails or new contracts from people who are using it for totally new things." [43:54] Links The Microdosing Movement Course Microdosing Psychedelics Website Dr. Fadiman's Website Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

This week's episode of the Plant Medicine podcast focuses on the new Fireside Project. Joining to discuss the launch of this peer-to-peer psychedelic hotline are the founder and director Joshua White and cultivator of beloved community Hanifa Nayo Washington. Joshua is a trial lawyer with experience both as a hotline crisis counselor and as a psychedelic peer support volunteer at the Zendo Project. Hanifa is a certified Usui/Holy Fire Reiki Master Practitioner with over twenty years of experience developing community-serving initiatives. Together with the rest of the Fireside Project team, they are working towards the April 14th launch of the world's first psychedelic hotline. Fireside Project aims to offer broad support for people using psychedelic substances, with volunteers able to both assist during difficult experiences and offer integration assistance after the fact. Users will also be able to choose between a phone call, texting, or a live chat to connect with a volunteer, allowing individuals in the midst of a vulnerable experience the ability to choose whatever form of communication they find most comfortable. In addition to this crucial support, Fireside Project also hopes to contribute to the psychedelic movement by imagining a more equitable future. Through efforts to recruit a diverse group of volunteers from groups often under-represented in the psychedelic community, Fireside Project hopes to contribute to building a new generation of diverse healers. This is the impetus behind the Fireside Equity Fund, which provides scholarships to volunteers who wish to pursue careers in psychedelic healing. Fireside Project launches April 14th, 2021 and the number is 1-833-2FIRESIDE. in the meantime, they are recruiting volunteers. If you are interested in being a volunteer, there are A&A sessions on December 9th at 5 p.m. PST and January 9th at 10:00 a.m. PST- register at https://firesideproject.org. In this episode: What services the Fireside Project will provide How Fireside Project will make psychedelic integration more accessible What it means to "cultivate beloved community" How Fireside Project will promote diversity within the psychedelic movement How to become a volunteer for Fireside Project. Quotes: "Volunteering at the Fireside Project...will provide an opportunity to have a much longer-term experience helping people with their psychedelic experiences." [10:30] "We open up this opportunity for continued support, continued deepening, by following up the next week." [12:49] "It's just simply so beautiful to be with someone during such a moment of deep need and to provide support for them." [23:28] "And maybe you're having a beautiful psychedelic experience and your heart is just bursting to connect with someone, please reach out to us in that circumstance as well." [27:34] "Our hope is to compassionately hold someone in a space so that they can figure out the meaning of the medicine and so that they can feel empowered and comfortable." [33:06] Links: Fireside Project Website Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

Chris Timmermann, PhD, is a researcher at Imperial College, where he conducted the first neuroimaging studies of DMT in healthy volunteers and its potential for mental health interventions. He is also conducting research concerning the effects that psychedelics have on belief systems and the ethical implications associated with the mainstreaming of these substances. In this episode, Chris Timmerman discusses what happens neurologically when DMT is administered. He talks about his research into neuroimaging and how the brainwaves change during DMT experiences, and how those changes can help elucidate some of the mechanisms of psychedelic states. He also breaks down the concept of cortical activation and how DMT experiences lead to a pattern of cortical activation that mimics that of visual stimulation. Dr. Timmerman also discusses how DMT experiences are often compared to what happens to the body when it has a near-death experience. He explains some of the difficulties of studying these effects and how to ethically study the phenomenon of near-death experiences. In addition to his work on DMT, Dr. Timmerman also shares some of his research on the impact of music in psychedelic therapy, and how it can help comfort people facing trauma. In this episode: How DMT interacts with our physiology Current scientific research on DMT The correlation between DMT and near-death experiences How alpha, delta and theta brain waves are affected by DMT Why people think DMT use can lead to tolerance The role of music in psychedelic therapy What psychedelic apprenticeships are and how they can help with healing Quotes: "DMT is incredibly unique because it is able to generate simulations of sorts. The level of immersion is radical, complete. People with their eyes closed, they feel kind of detached from their environment, but they are experiencing a world of experience." [5:52] "We developed a map of this DMT story for each participant. We found three main components: one there was a visual component in the experience, we found a bodily component [a somatic effect], and an emotional effect. And we found that these different parts of the DMT story - the visual, the bodily, and the emotional - had different brain signatures." [18:55] "There have been some animal studies, or very promising ones, in which not only DMT but also LSD and ketamine has been shown to have important properties associated with neurogenesis." [35:09] "The use of psychedelics by western populations is fairly new. We don't have that know-how or that expertise like some indigenous cultures, has for generations." [46:49] Links: Get 20% off everything at Octagon Biolabs (octagonbiolabs.com) with coupon code 'plantmedicine' Follow Dr. Timmerman on Twitter Follow Dr. Timmerman (and check out his music) on InstagramFollow Chris on Instagram and listen to his music Center for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College Porangui

This week's episode of the Plant Medicine podcast features a discussion of what to look for in a psychedelic retreat center or facilitator to ensure the experience is as safe, comfortable, and effective as possible. Joining the conversation is Joël Brierre, who shares his expertise as a 5-MeO-DMT facilitator to provide some concrete tips. Joël is the founder and CEO of Kaivalya Kollectiv, an educational platform that offers transformational retreats and training for plant medicines, yoga, meditation, and more. Joël has spent two decades studying yogic practice and has been a teacher for 15 of those years. In this conversation, Joël shares personal stories and his expertise as a facilitator to help guide you in making good decisions when choosing psychedelic services. Joël starts by bringing up the idea of the "container," which is a term to describe the atmosphere, preparation, and expertise involved in the facilitation of psychedelic experiences. The idea of a container is helpful for evaluating what situations facilitators would be prepared to navigate: Do the providers have training to respond in case of an emergency? Do they have systems in place to prevent emergencies from happening in the first place? Joël then dives into the specifics of what makes for a good container. As safety is always important, especially when working with a substance as powerful as 5-MeO-DMT, Joël recommends facilitators have training to ensure they are able to respond to medical emergencies should they arise. Similarly, retreat centers should have professionals available to respond to any psychological emergencies, both during and after ceremonies. Joël also suggests that facilitators ought to have grounding in some practice or philosophy which allows them to respond with wisdom. And of course, facilitators should have deep personal familiarity with the substances they facilitate. In this episode: What you should look out for when choosing a retreat center How to verify that a facilitator is qualified and experienced The importance of the intake process for retreats and facilitators How standards of practice developed around 5-MeO-DMT Quotes: "I think people being extremely mindful of and holding space for those traumas and how they come up is really important." [8:03] "There is nothing more dangerous than an ego that thinks it's enlightened." [22:43] "Ask them what their preparation protocol is and ask them what their aftercare and integration protocol is. And they should have an answer ready for you." [24:57] "Discussion and boundaries are quite essential for a safe container." [35:50] Links: Joël's Website Kaivalya Kollectiv 5-MEO-DMT: A Recommended Model for Best Practices from The Conclave Psychedelic Medicine Association Get 20% off everything at Octagon Biolabs with coupon code 'plantmedicine' Porangui

This week's episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast offers an overview of the three psychedelic ballot measures which passed this past election cycle. Attorney Noah Potter joins to share his expertise in psychedelic law and describes the details of Initiative 81 in DC and Measures 109 and 110 in Oregon. Noah is a New York-based attorney, media commentator, and psychedelic legalization strategist who has been discussing topics of psychedelic law on his blog for the past decade. Noah has also advised Decriminalize Denver with their successful Denver Psilocybin Mushroom Initiative and is involved in policy reform advocacy in New York for 2021. In this conversation, Noah describes the details of these three psychedelic measures, sharing what is accomplished by each. In DC, Noah explains how Initiative 81, Entheogenic Plants and Fungus Measure, follows the example of previous successful ballot measures dealing with psychedelics by focusing on a decriminalization approach that places activity involving entheogenic plants among the Metropolitan Police Department's lowest law enforcement priorities. Along with this success on the east coast, Oregon saw two psychedelic ballot measures pass on election day: Measure 109, Psilocybin Mushroom Services Program Initiative, and Measure 110, Drug Decriminalization and Addiction Treatment INitiative. In terms of Measure 109, Noah explains how the broad nature of the ballot initiative leaves many of the specifics to be determined by the Oregon Health Authority, with the measure focusing on determining a legal structure for providing psilocybin-based therapeutics services. This measure does not, however, legalize or decriminalize psilocybin for personal use. Measure 110, on the other hand, does focus on the decriminalization of a wide array of substances, as well as addiction treatment. In the last minutes of the conversation, Noah describes the interplay between these two intiatives as well as some of the objections given for the particular approaches they take. In This Episode: Learn the details of the three psychedelic measures which passed this election cycle The difference between decriminalization and legalization How the DC measure is more limited due to city funding being controlled by Congress What Measure 109 in Oregan will allow in terms of psilocybin therapy The interplay between Measure 109 and Measure 110 in Oregon. Quotes: "Decriminalization is a far narrower approach. You're simply either removing criminal penalties or you're downgrading criminal penalties." [5:24] "[Measure 109] is a model for clinical, on-site consumption —you don't walk into a dispensary and take your medicine home. It's very narrowly focused on that inpatient clinical model." [13:15] "The [Oregon] health authority isn't even going to start accepting applications for any of the license categories until January 2nd, 2023." [19:50] "So you've got a fairly limited decriminalization and it doesn't apply to sale or distribution...that's the very simple version of [Measure] 110." [23:59] Links: Noah's Blog on Psychedelic Law Noah's Website Psychedelic Medicine Association Get 20% off everything at Octagon Biolabs with coupon code 'plantmedicine' Porangui

On this week's episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast, Caitlin Thompson joins to discuss her recent article "Psychedelics as a Novel Approach to Treating Autoimmune Conditions" published in Immunology Letters. Caitlin is the founder of the nutritional supplement company EntheoZen, a certified kambo practitioner, and a research associate at the UCSD school of medicine. Drawing on personal experience with an autoimmune condition, Caitlin hopes her scientific research investigating psychedelics and kambo can help give credence to these healing modalities, allowing for more effective treatments of autoimmune conditions. In this conversation, Caitlin discusses the five major findings from her literature review published in Immunology Letters. Her findings draw important connections between the serotonergic mechanism of classic psychedelics and the immunomodulating function of the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor. Additionally, she discusses the impact of psychosocial stress and the gut microbiome on the immune system. As psychedelics can definitely improve psychosocial stress and may even impact the microbiome through serotonergic mechanisms, Caitlin sees significant potential for these compounds as treatments for autoimmune conditions. Caitlin closes by discussing kambo, which remains an under-investigated healing modality. She explains what little is known about how kambo is able to clear microbes from the body while at the same time being inert in relation to human cells. Now that her literature review has been published, Caitlin hopes to focus her research on kambo, and since kambo is not regulated like psychedelics, she will have more freedom to conduct original research leading to new discoveries. In this episode: An overview of Caitlin's recent article published in Immunology Letters How the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor modulates immune responses The impact of stress on physiological processes How psychedelics impact the gut microbiome Why kambo is often an effective treatment for autoimmune conditions Quotes "What's actually really fascinating is how important serotonin is for regulating all sorts of processes that are related to immune function." [8:40] "There are very real scientific explanations for the way that stress can influence our physical health." [12:32] "It's a bit useless to go through all these treatments, to have this pristine diet, to take all these supplements if you're not also approaching the core thing that compromised the person in the first place." [15:35] "When people are able to actually, consciously resolve and find peace with traumatic experiences, it actually completely changes how the nervous system responds." [22:41] Links: EntheoZen Caitlin's article: Psychedelics as a Novel Approach to Treating Autoimmune Conditions Psychedelic Medicine Association Get 20% off everything at Octagon Biolabs with coupon code 'plantmedicine' Porangui

On this episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast, Dr. Mike Hart joins to discuss the therapeutic benefits of cannabis, focusing on his clinical work using this medicine to help treat PTSD. Dr. Hart is a Canadian family medicine doctor who opened the first cannabis clinic in London, Ontario - ReadyToGo Clinic. In his practice, Dr. Hart draws on his family medicine background and his cannabis expertise to help his patients tackle their unique conditions and make lifestyle improvements. In this conversation, Dr. Hart discusses his work using cannabinoid medicines, such as CBD and THC, to help veterans with PTSD better treat their symptoms. He talks about the different features of PTSD and how both CBD and THC can be effective at improving the wellbeing of individuals with this diagnosis. Drawing on both his clinical experience and the scientific literature. Dr. Hart provides an overview of how these cannabinoid medicines can be used to improve sleep, manage stress, reduce pain, and even help with trauma. In addition, Dr. Hart explains how he works with patients on an individual basis to create plans for transitioning off traditional pharmaceuticals such as SSRIs in cases where cannabinoid treatments are providing more relief with fewer side effects. Dr. Hart hopes to continue promoting cannabis education to help bridge the gap between the scientific research and popular awareness, allowing more people to take advantage of these treatment options. In this episode: How cannabis can be used to treat various symptoms of PTSD The different uses of CBD and THC How cannabis can release traumatic memories and prevent the formation of new trauma responses The unique effects of using CBD and THC in tandem How cannabis is providing better therapeutic benefits compared to traditional pharmaceuticals for many dealing with depression and sleep issues. Quotes: "Cannabis isn't a cure-all per se, but it's definitely a medicine that can help initiate you to have a healthier lifestyle overall." [8:59] "If someone does have really severe PTSD that includes nightmares, including some THC in their regime would likely be very, very effective for them." [16:52] "By using CBD you may be able to unlearn these things that you've learned and then you can learn new things so you can transform yourself and become a new person." [22:14] "Generally CBD actually does work better when you are in stressful environments." [26:11] "The one really nice thing with CBD is you're gonna notice it right away, on your very first dose." [37:38] Links: Dr. Hart's Website Dr. Hart's Book: Friendly Fire: Why Vets Are Ditching Pills and Lighting Up to Treat PTSD ReadyToGo Clinic Psychedelic Medicine Association Get 20% off everything at Octagon Biolabs with coupon code 'plantmedicine' Porangui

On this episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast, Dr. Mike Hart joins to discuss the therapeutic benefits of cannabis, focusing on his clinical work using this medicine to help treat PTSD. Dr. Hart is a Canadian family medicine doctor who opened the first cannabis clinic in London, Ontario - ReadyToGo Clinic. In his practice, Dr. Hart draws on his family medicine background and his cannabis expertise to help his patients tackle their unique conditions and make lifestyle improvements. In this conversation, Dr. Hart discusses his work using cannabinoid medicines, such as CBD and THC, to help veterans with PTSD better treat their symptoms. He talks about the different features of PTSD and how both CBD and THC can be effective at improving the wellbeing of individuals with this diagnosis. Drawing on both his clinical experience and the scientific literature. Dr. Hart provides an overview of how these cannabinoid medicines can be used to improve sleep, manage stress, reduce pain, and even help with trauma. In addition, Dr. Hart explains how he works with patients on an individual basis to create plans for transitioning off traditional pharmaceuticals such as SSRIs in cases where cannabinoid treatments are providing more relief with fewer side effects. Dr. Hart hopes to continue promoting cannabis education to help bridge the gap between the scientific research and popular awareness, allowing more people to take advantage of these treatment options. In this episode: How cannabis can be used to treat various symptoms of PTSD The different uses of CBD and THC How cannabis can release traumatic memories and prevent the formation of new trauma responses The unique effects of using CBD and THC in tandem How cannabis is providing better therapeutic benefits compared to traditional pharmaceuticals for many dealing with depression and sleep issues. Quotes: "Cannabis isn't a cure-all per se, but it's definitely a medicine that can help initiate you to have a healthier lifestyle overall." [8:59] "If someone does have really severe PTSD that includes nightmares, including some THC in their regime would likely be very, very effective for them." [16:52] "By using CBD you may be able to unlearn these things that you've learned and then you can learn new things so you can transform yourself and become a new person." [22:14] "Generally CBD actually does work better when you are in stressful environments." [26:11] "The one really nice thing with CBD is you're gonna notice it right away, on your very first dose." [37:38] Links: Dr. Hart's Website Dr. Hart's Book: Friendly Fire: Why Vets Are Ditching Pills and Lighting Up to Treat PTSD ReadyToGo Clinic Psychedelic Medicine Association Get 20% off everything at Octagon Biolabs with coupon code 'plantmedicine' Porangui

In this episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast, Ryan Westrum returns to discuss the finer details of psychedelic integration. Ryan is a trained psychotherapist with a Doctorate of Transpersonal Clinical Psychology from Sofia University and an M.A. degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from the Adler Graduate School. He is also the founder of Healing Souls LLC and a registered integration therapist for Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, as well as the author of the Psychedelics Integration Handbook. Drawing on his 15 years of experience as a mental health practitioner, Ryan approaches integration with an intimate knowledge of human psychology, drawing on multiple modalities to best facilitate integration for his clients. In this conversation, Ryan talks about various roadblocks to successful integration and how these can be overcome, especially with the help of an integration coach. He emphasizes the importance of making the psychedelic experience one's own as a central project in integration, explaining how this is essential for allowing new self-understandings to emerge. Ryan also discusses various practices he encourages as an integration coach, such as journaling, drawing mandalas, and movement practices, mentioning how these can all help better incorporate the work of integration into one's life rather than keeping it an isolated project. Here again, Ryan emphasizes the importance of individual psychology and encourages people to choose practices that resonate and spur new insight. As a practicing therapist, Ryan also shares his thoughts on the distinction between psychedelic integration and therapy, noting how this boundary is often blurry. What Ryan stresses for both paradigms, however, is the interpersonal character of healing and growth. With the help of a skilled integration coach, the work of living out one's psychedelic insights and making lasting changes becomes all the more approachable. In This Episode: The purpose and value of an integration coach How to make psychedelic experiences tangible How to start the integration process Different practices to help spur integration The relationship between therapy and integration Quotes: "Integration to me is the act of taking one thing and another and finding wholeness or links to wholeness." [4:55] "[Integration] is reconciling past memories and incrementally getting prepared for future stories." [14:22] "Integration exercises can also challenge you to see what you're afraid of, what you're not ready to look at, what potentially are growth points." [18:27] "I would never encourage anyone, no matter how many sessions you've sat or how many ceremonies or how many cups of tea you've drank, to do this on your own. There's a benefit in community." [23:33] "There needs to be a purpose-driven motivation for this work. Just because it's being talked about in corners, doesn't mean it's necessarily right for everybody." [31:30] Links: Ryan's Website Psychedelic Integration Website The Psychedelics Integration Handbook Psychedelic Medicine Association Get 20% off everything at Octagon Biolabs with coupon code 'plantmedicine' Porangui

Adam Aronovich is a doctoral candidate at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Spain, focusing on Medical Anthropology and Cultural Psychiatry. He is an active member of the Medical Anthropology Research Center (MARC) and part of the Ayahuasca Community Committee at the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines. In the last four years he has conducted extensive fieldwork in the Peruvian Amazon, where he has been doing qualitative research in collaboration with ICEERS, the Beckley Foundation, and, more recently, the Centre for Psychedelic Studies at Imperial College. Beyond his work conducting and coordinating research, Adam regularly facilitates workshops at the Temple of the Way of Light, a prestigious healing center in the Iquitos area. In this episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast, Adam discusses a host of issues surrounding modern western paradigms of psychiatry and mental health and contrasts these with approaches taken by traditional cultures, such as those of the Shipibo people of South America. Adam has spent years studying traditional societies as an anthropologist and his research specifically focuses on the different approaches to medicine in various cultures, and how people in different cultural milieus experience health and illness differently. Through his work, Adam hopes to contribute to the field of medicine by translating the medical understandings of traditional cultures into terminologies and categories digestible by the Western medical establishment. In this conversation, Adam explains how the contemporary approach to mental health in the West is colored by a fixation on medicalizing peoples' experiences into diagnostic categories and by a tendency to view health and illness exclusively on the level of the individual. In contrast to this approach, Adam draws on his ongoing research with the Shipibo people, showing how their approach to healing in ayahuasca ceremonies is much more communal and relational in nature. In this episode: How traditional cultures conceptualize mental suffering The limits of Western psychiatry when crossing cultural boundaries How the animist perspective of Shipibo healers informs their approach to healing Dangers of over-emphasizing the medicalization of psychedelics The relational, rather than an individualistic focus of ayahuasca ceremonies Confronting our individual and collective shadows Quotes "Every medical system or every medical approach is inseparable from the culture, the cosmology, the metaphysics that underlie the understanding of that culture." [32:32] "The way the Shipibo medical system works… is that the healing doesn't necessarily only happen through the agency of the human healer, but the human healer works as a channeler of medical agency of different sources, of different spirits in the environment." [36:34] "The most important benefits or the most important values that these substances have are not necessarily therapeutic in the sense of medical, or clinical, or psychological… but are actually much deeper than that and they're epistemic, they're ontological, they're relational." [52:25] "Ayahuasca oftentimes will get us to a place where we can actually experience that reconnection with the wider community of sentience that makes the ecosystem of our world." [1:02:29] Links Adam's lecture at Breaking Convention 2017 Adam's lecture at the World Ayahuasca Conference 2019 Temple of the Way of Light Psychedelic Medicine Association Get 20% off everything at Octagon Biolabs with coupon code 'plantmedicine' Porangui

In this episode of the Plant Medicine Podcast, Carlos Tanner Joins to share his story of addiction, and how participating in ayahuasca ceremonies not only led him to personal healing but started him down a path of becoming a traditional healer himself. Carlos is the founder of the Ayahuasca Foundation, an organization based out of Iquitos, Peru, which hosts retreats and leads educational programs to pass along training in the Shipibo tradition. The Ayahuasca Foundation is also home to the Riosbo Retreat & Research Center, which has received funding from the Medical Research Council in the United Kingdom to conduct research on the epigenetic effects of ayahuasca ceremonies, with particular focus on anxiety, depression, and childhood trauma. Before becoming a pioneer in psychedelic science, Carlos had a long journey with addiction, leading him to seek healing in Peru through, Shipibo ayahuasca ceremonies. Participating in his first series of ceremonies in 2003, Carlos describes his challenging first experience with ayahuasca and the dramatic healings spurred by subsequent ceremonies. Going into these experiences very much in the midst of addiction, Carlos came face to face with childhood trauma and personifications of his illness. With the help of the plant medicine and the spiritual ambiance of the ceremonies, he was able to find incredible healing in the experiences. It was the profound impact of these first encounters with ayahuasca and the Shipibo tradition experienced curandero, and learning the intricacies of the ceremonies. In This Episode: How the inner environment greatly impacts the outcome of an ayahuasca experience Carlos' experience with an intensive series of ayahuasca ceremonies while struggling with addiciton Trauma in oneself vs trauma in one's relationships, and the different modes of healing for each The importance of the ceremony in shaping the healing experience Epigenetic change caused by ayahuasca ceremony, leading to decreased anxiety and depression Quotes: "That's the magic of it- you could walk into a ceremony with zero faith and walk out with one hundred percent." [13:05] "When I left the third ceremony I knew it was my path to be a healer and that I was going to dedicate the rest of my life to this tradition." [29:10] "It was easy for me to heal that trauma. I know that might sound crazy but inside the ceremony, it wasn't such a crazy, difficult ordeal for me." [34:42] "You can't separate ayahuasca from the culture of its use, you can't separate the ceremony from the medicine, and there's so much that comes from the ceremony." [49:33] "If you're in the world of addiction it's going to be almost impossible to stay in that environment and not be an addict." [1:01:35] Links: Ayahuasca Foundation Psychedelic Medicine Association Get 20% off everything at Octagon Biolabs with coupon code 'plantmedicine' Porangui NOTE: I said I'd add links to the study findings Carlos was referencing, but those are unfortunately not yet published- links will be added when available.

In this episode, host Dr. Lynn Marie Morski, who is also president of the soon-to-be-launched Psychedelic Medicine Association, discusses what services the association will be providing what needs it will address, and how the collaborations fostered in the association will contribute to real-world improvements in access to psychedelic therapies. With her background in the medical field, Dr. Moski outlines why it is so difficult for practicing clinicians to encounter information about treatments such as psychedelic therapy. As doctors mostly stay up-to-date through medical journals and association emails, the excitement around the therapeutic potential of plant medicines in the broader culture doesn't necessarily translate to clinicians knowing the subject in detail. The Psychedelic Medicine Association will seek to rectify this lack of awareness by providing content geared towards medical professionals- connecting them with the latest science and providing resources so they are better able to respond to patient questions regarding psychedelic therapies. The association will even provide a forum for clinicians to interact with each other as they navigate understanding these medicines, as well as a forum to connect health professionals with other experts in the burgeoning field of psychedelic therapy. To celebrate the launch of the Plant Medicine Association, they will be hosting a webinar at 1:00 PM Eastern on September 29th featuring a panel discussion on bridging the gap between the psychedelic science and clinical medicine worlds to introduce the association and begin discussing how to best address the barriers to getting these medicines in the hands of patients in need. In this Episode: Discussing the launch of the Psychedelic Medicine Association The barriers to clinicians being fully informed on psychedelic medicine Why clinicians are wary to discuss psychedelic therapy The importance of dialogue between healthcare workers and those working within psychedelic science, medicine, and law How the Psychedelic Medicine Association will fill this niche and work to better integrate psychedelic therapy into existing institutions of medicine and psychiatry Quotes "The vast majority of good-hearted doctors are not trying to keep their head in the sand when it comes to psychedelics — it just has not come across most of their journals." [6:57] "A big part of what the entire psychedelic science industry is trying to do is overcome that stigma which came from [psychedelics] being illegal for so long, and as you probably know, you overcome that stigma with education." [12:04] "We want doctors and clinicians and those on the front lines of patient care to be well-informed so that they can present a full range of options to their patients." [17:53] Links Get 20% off everything at Octagon Biolabs with coupon code 'plantmedicine' Psychedelic Medicine Association Porangui

Dr. Adolph is a board-certified cardiac anesthesiologist and medical director of the Illumma Ketamine Clinic, as well as a member of the American Society of Ketamine Physicians. Dr. Adolph shares the brief history of how Ketamine was originally created, how it came to be used in the mental health arena, and its effectiveness for those with depression. He covers what the research has shown, as well as what he's seen in his clinic and in his own personal journey with the medicine. In this Episode: Ketamine's ability to extinguish suicidal ideation in 24 hours How Ketamine is one psychedelic that has an addictive potential The effects of Ketamine on BDNF and Glutamate, and how this can help heal the brain. The importance of integration. Quotes "By accident, they found that some of these patients (who were given ketamine) were able to work through some difficult issues and on the backside of that have less depression associated with their trauma" [10:07] "And then it begins to open them up to 'you know what, I'm ready. I'm ready to start taking a look.' Because that's what we see. Patients are more open to take a look at trauma. They're more open to see that their mindset is important in being able to produce a positive response." [22:04] Links Get 20% off everything at Octagon Biolabs with coupon code 'plantmedicine' Illumma Ketamine Clinic Daily Stoic Porangui

Dr. Kate Pate is a neurophysiologist who has been conducting research for 15 years in a variety of different areas, including neurotrauma, respiratory neurobiology, mental health, redox biology, and combat trauma. She is the CEO and co-founder of Coruna Medical and the director of research for both the Heroic Hearts Project and Unlimited Sciences. In this episode, Dr. Pate discusses how traumatic brain injuries (TBI) share many commonalities with the symptoms of PTSD. She discusses why it may be wise to tend to heal the physical brain prior to or in parallel to attempting to heal one's mental trauma. Dr. Pate also shares about the healing potential of the ayahuasca brew, independent of its DMT content. In this episode: How ayahuasca produces an anti-inflammatory effect in the body, which is incredibly helpful for healing TBI. How traumatic brain injury can predispose individuals to developing PTSD How psychedelics such as ayahuasca, psilocybin, and LSD promote neuroplasticity and even activate neurogenesis. Quotes: "Ayahuasca and other psychedelics that are acting on the serotonin system are actually promoting an incredibility anti-inflammatory profile in the body, which is extremely important, especially in the case of traumatic brain injury." [15:00] "[Increased neuroplasticity] happens through the serotonin system and the ability of these plant medicines to activate this compound called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, called BDNF." [19:54] Links: Get 20% off everything at Octagon Biolabs with coupon code 'plantmedicine' Psychedelic Medicine Association UnlimitedSciences.org Dr. Pate on Instagram [email protected] Porangui

Hunter Land is the director of cannabinoid research at Canopy Growth Corporation. He has devoted his career to researching cannabis-derived medicines and their application across a variety of conditions, leading the clinical development of the first FDA-approved CBD medication, Epidiolex. In this episode, Hunter shares the science-based reality of dosing guidelines for using CBD for various conditions and purposes. He answers questions regarding sublingual delivery, whether you can develop tolerance to CBD, the difference between broad-spectrum full-spectrum CBD, and much more. In this episode: The difficulty in establishing CBD dosing guidelines. A discussion of whether one can develop tolerance to CBD What to look for when choosing a CBD product. Whether the long-term use of cannabis affects CBD effectivity Quotes: "It's tough to come up and say: "well you need this amount for sleep, you need this amount for anxiety, you need this amount for epilepsy." So, with a lot of other medications, a lot of physicians, like yourself, probably know, it's not uncommon to start low and go slow and see where you might land." [5:00] "At low doses, we do think there might be some enhanced stimulation effect. But we also know it's not like a stimulant like amphetamine or caffeine. It seems to function differently than that." [6:20] "We don't have guidance on pesticides either. So I think beyond just knowing what's in products based on standardization techniques, also what contaminates could be present is also of importance." [25:40] Links: Get 20% off everything at Octagon Biolabs with coupon code 'plantmedicine' Canopy Growth Corp Follow The Plant Medicine Podcast on Instagram Porangui

Dr. Ben Malcolm completed a Doctorate in Pharmacy and a Masters in Public Health, prior to post-graduate training and board-certification in psychiatric pharmacy. He currently holds a position in academia teaching psychiatric pharmacy, as well as providing consulting services for those seeking information about psychedelics at SpiritPharmacist.com. In this episode, Dr. Malcolm discusses how antidepressants react with MDMA, psilocybin, DMT, 5-MeO-DMT, ayahuasca, and ketamine. He also explains the risk profiles for interactions between psychedelics and medications such as benzodiazepines, sleep medication, antipsychotics, and lithium. In this episode: Why combining antidepressants with ayahuasca has a high physical risk profile. How antidepressants can diminish the effect of MDMA and why it is advised to not take a high dose of MDMA to attempt to workaround that effect. What serotonin syndrome is and how to avoid it. How one's use of antipsychotics or lithium may be an indicator of possible contraindicated condition to psychedelic use. Quotes: "[A]ntidepressants like the SSRIs or SNRIs, in the long-term, create changes that makes the brain more resistant to using a psychedelic like MDMA" [9:14] "Most available and most antidepressant-friendly is [...] ketamine" [20:00] "With microdoses, you're talking about using very very small doses, and you're probably not talking about using something like MDMA that depletes serotonin. You're probably talking about using psilocybin or LSD, and so for those, the drugs have great physical safety profiles in very very large doses. So if you're thinking if there's going to be some horrible interaction risk that kind of pops out of the closet with psilocybin or LSD with my antidepressant? Probably not." [46:00] Links: Spirit Pharmacist Website Psychedelic School - Courses on pharmacology, safe use and integration Erowid Porangui Get 20% off everything at Octagon Biolabs with coupon code 'plantmedicine'

James Fadiman, PhD, was a part of the first wave of pioneering psychedelic researchers in the 1960s in the US. He's the co-founder of the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, now known as Sofia University, and he's the author of several well-known psychedelics books, including The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide. From his initial rediscovery of microdosing and developing a protocol based on early reports, Dr. Fadiman teamed up with Dr. Sophia Korb to record and pattern-map the microdosing experiences of several thousand individuals from 51 countries. In this episode, Dr. Fadiman answers listener-submitted questions regarding microdosing psilocybin and LSD. He discussed dosing recommendations, tolerance, microdosing's general effects on healthy normals, and its specific effects on a number of conditions, ranging from depression to PMS. He also covered a variety of additional areas where people benefit from microdosing, including academic performance and athletics. In the last part of the episode, Dr. Fadiman discusses his new book, Your Symphony of Selves. He points out that we have not one, but a multitude of selves, and that we can learn to shift between them consciously. Further following this idea, he illustrates how we can save a lot of mental distress by not over-identifying with any particular one of our selves, and how we can extend that concept to those around us. This helps us not only forgive others when one of their selves may have acted in a displeasing way but also helps us forgive and go easy on ourselves when we act in a way that we later find distressing or shameful. In this episode: The reported benefits and risks of microdosing psilocybin mushrooms and LSD. Whether someone's height and weight makes a difference on their dosage. The overwhelming number of those suffering from depression who reported significant improvements in their survey. Why microdosing may not be advisable for those with anxiety. Dr. Fadminan reports on study findings regarding conditions including depression, PMS, migraine headaches, and bipolar Quotes: "A lot of people have found that when they're tapering off of an SSRI, which means taking it down very, very slowly over a period of maybe a couple of months from full dose to zero, that microdosing helps. That makes it easier. Makes it maybe even a little faster." [14:13] "I'm an enthusiast for the effect of microdosing, but I never recommend that anyone microdose. That's a personal decision based on information, but the nice thing is the risk/reward ratio, which is how dangerous versus how beneficial. It's very good for microdosing. Meaning, if you take it, it's very low risk, and yeah, from the reports, we have a lot of possibility of benefits." [35:00] "What we've found is that about 80% of the people who come in with heavy depression, and again, most of them having failed medications or other therapies, we've about an 80% turnaround rate where they're not depressed. That's really striking." [42:00] "They (students) say: "Microdosing is very much like Adderall, except with none of the very disturbing side effects." Adderall includes crashing, by the way. And addiction." [49:18] "Individual neurons in the laboratory, exposed to microdoses, grow into more healthy, more complex neurons with more dendrites, meaning more communication capacity." [52:17] In discussing his new book, Your Symphony of Selves: "The inconsistencies you see in yourself and particularly in the people you love are not inconsistencies. It is that they have several selves, and you do too. And if you begin to think in that way, curiously, the world becomes easier. You understand things differently and you are kinder to yourself and more compassionate to others." [1:10:43] Links: Psychedelic Medicine AssociationMicrodosing Psychedelics James Fadiman's website and email: [email protected] Cluster Busters - treatment for cluster headaches Get 20% off everything at Octagon Biolabs with coupon code 'plantmedicine' Porangui Studies mentioned:Psychedelics Promote Structural and Functional Neural Plasticity Books Mentioned: A Really Good Day by Ayelet Waldman The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide by James Fadiman PhD Your Symphony of Selves by James Fadiman PhD, Jordan Gruber JD