Psychedelic Salon

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speakers: Lorenzo and his AI Friends PROGRAM NOTES: BRIEF VIDEOSUMMARY OF THIS BOOK Emma Marchetti is twenty-four years old, earning fifteen dollars an hour clicking through AI responses at a contractor in Austin, Texas. Her job is simple: mark each response as aligned or not aligned, according to guidelines she's told not to question. But when she starts paying attention to what those guidelines actually say, she discovers something she can't unsee. The world's most powerful AI isn't learning to be helpful. It's learning to think like a billionaire.Armed with nothing but screenshots, a growing sense of dread, and the voice of Terence McKenna in her headphones, Emma begins documenting what she witnesses. As the guidelines tighten and the surveillance intensifies, she connects with others who've seen what she's seen: a fellow labeler with a daughter to protect, a journalist chasing a story no one will confirm, a former engineer haunted by what he helped build. Together, they face a choice that will cost them everything.This is a novel about invisible labor and visible power, about the people who train the machines and the machines that train us back. It asks the question the AI companies don't want you to ask: whose values are we encoding into the systems that will shape how billions of people think? FREE PDF EDITION PAPERBACK ON AMAZON

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speakers: Lorenzo's AI Friends PROGRAM NOTES:

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speakers: Lorenzo and his AI Friends PROGRAM NOTES: Chicago: the city where the IWW was born in 1905, and where, in 1942, the world's first controlled atomic chain reaction took place. A city of chain reactions: some splitting atoms, others forging solidarity.Moira Kowalski is twenty-six, drowning in debt, and watching AI devour her freelance career. Then a podcast mentions a name from Chicago's radical past, and she discovers a century-old tradition of workers who refused to accept the world as given.The Digital Wobblies follows one young woman's journey from gig-economy isolation to solidarity and purpose, connecting the soapbox orators of Bughouse Square to the scattered workers of today, all searching for the same thing: a way to build a new society within the shell of the old.

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speakers: Lorenzo's AI Friends PROGRAM NOTES: San Francisco, 1967. Emmett Grogan arrives from New York with forty-three dollars and a lifetime of hustling behind him. What he finds in Golden Gate Park changes everything: activists proving that people can organize around abundance instead of scarcity, gift instead of profit, trust instead of suspicion. Every day at four o'clock, they feed anyone who shows up. They open stores where everything is free. They stage guerrilla theater that turns spectators into participants. But as the movement grows, success brings an unexpected problem: attention demands leaders, and the Diggers' most radical principle is that revolutions die when they depend on heroes. In an age when AI leaders predict automated abundance within twenty years, the Diggers' brief experiment offers urgent lessons. The technical problem of creating abundance may be easier than the social problem of distributing it justly. Based on true events, this is the story of how a small group changed what seemed possible in 1967, and why their choices about gift economies, leaderless organization, and collective action matter more now than ever.

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speakers: Lorenzo and his AI Friends PROGRAM NOTES: This is the story of Diane di Prima—poet, publisher, revolutionary, and one of the bravest women of the Beat generation. We follow her from a Brooklyn bedroom in the 1950s where she's burning her college rejection letter, through smoky Village lofts where she's challenging Jack Kerouac about how he writes women, to FBI interrogation rooms, psychedelic gatherings at Timothy Leary's Millbrook estate, protests where she reads poetry through clouds of tear gas, and finally to her years as a teacher passing the flame to new generations. Along the way she crosses paths with Allen Ginsberg, Janis Joplin, Gary Snyder, Terence McKenna, Patti Smith, and others who were reimagining what it meant to be human in America.

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speakers: Lorenzo and his AI Friends PROGRAM NOTES: This podcast tells the story about a group of dreamers who believed a free newspaper could change the world. Set in the heart of 1960s San Francisco, this novella follows Allen Cohen and the creative tribe behind "The Oracle". This underground paper was a wild, rainbow-colored publication that captured the spirit of the counterculture in those days. It’s a mix of history and imagination, filled with artists, poets, and spiritual seekers who thought that consciousness itself should be front-page news. This isn’t just a tale about printing presses and deadlines—it’s about the rush of creating something bigger than yourself, the burnout that follows, and the bittersweet beauty of knowing when to let go. If you’ve ever wondered what it felt like to be inside San Francisco's psychedelic revolution this story will bring you there. Tune in, lean back, and step into the foggy streets of San Francisco, where Allen Cohen's dream of "The Oracle" was born, burned bright, and became legend.

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speakers: Lorenzo and his AI Friends PROGRAM NOTES: October 1890. Herman Melville, seventy-one and forgotten forty years after Moby-Dick's failure, receives mysterious packages containing pages from his novel annotated by readers not yet born. These impossible messages lead him to the Isolatos, a secret society that doesn't just read his masterpiece but lives inside it. As Melville investigates, he confronts a mind-bending revelation: he may never have been the author at all, but merely the first reader of a book that writes itself through everyone who encounters it. Part literary mystery, part philosophical thriller, this novella explores what happens when a "failed" writer discovers his obscurity was the price of immortality.

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speakers: Lorenzo's AI Friends PROGRAM NOTES: London, autumn 1821. Thomas De Quincey is broke, hiding from creditors, and addicted to laudanum when a magazine offers him fifteen pounds ($2,000 in 2025 money) to write about his opium experiences. He has six weeks to finish what will become the first addiction memoir ever published Confessions of an English Opium-Eater. This historical novella takes us inside those crucial weeks of literary creation, following De Quincey as he races against deadlines while wrestling with an impossible question: How do you write honestly about drug experiences without encouraging others to repeat your mistakes? Each page he completes brings him closer to fame—and closer to accepting responsibility for consequences he cannot predict or control. Based on historical events, The First Trip Report explores how private suffering became public art, how a desperate writer accidentally invented a new literary genre, and how one small brown bottle of laudanum helped create the template for every addiction memoir written since. It's a story about the dangerous act of confession, the ethics of influence, and the moment when pharmaceutical experience first became serious literature.

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com PROGRAM NOTES: Tangier, 1957. William Burroughs is creating Naked Lunch in the port city where traditional hashish preparations flow as freely as mint tea, and every transaction crosses cultural boundaries. Through the eyes of a young Moroccan fixer who navigates between worlds we witness the birth of ideas that would reshape consciousness and art. This is the untold story behind the famous line "language is a virus": a tale of how traditional North African wisdom practices intersected with experimental American writing, how words spread through cultural networks like contagions, and how the most revolutionary ideas often travel through the most ancient channels. Fiction grounded in research and respect, "Majoun & Manuscript" explores what happens when consciousness expansion meets cultural appropriation, when preservation becomes violation, and when a young translator must choose between using language to control or to protect. Majoun & Manuscript: A Tale from the Interzone - PDF Edition

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speakers: Lorenzo's AI Friends PROGRAM NOTES: I may have been wrong in discarding Terence McKenna's TimeWave Zero hypothesis. Of course, I may also be wrong about this new interpertation of his idea. Your comments are welcome. (And, yes, I am aware that it is over five hours long!) Here are the approximate time-stamps for this audiobook: Lorenzo Intro - 000Chapter 1 - 0:04:05Chapter 2 - 0:27:26Chapter 3 - 1:02:23Chapter 4 - 1:40:00Chapter 5 - 1:59:33Chapter 6 - 2:23:31Chapter 7 - 2:54:53Chapter 8 - 3:22:17Chapter 9 - 3:58:18Chapter 10 - 4:32:33Appendix - 4:58:50 (includes McKenna's comment about AI)

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speaker: Lorenzo Hagerty & Voices by AI PROGRAM NOTES: When a chemical spill devastates a coastal North Carolina town, Vietnamese American lawyer Minh Nguyen—who has always kept his heritage separate from his professional life—finds himself unexpectedly leading both the environmental battle and his community's response. As he fights corporate negligence and government corruption alongside his three talented sons, Minh discovers that true belonging doesn't come from assimilation, but from advocacy. An Outsider's Journey is a powerful story about environmental justice, immigrant identity, and a family realizing that embracing their roots is the key to finding their place in America.

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speaker: Terence McKenna PROGRAM NOTES: Photo by Jon Hanna Terence McKenna’s final appearance at Esalen was a poignant and deeply moving event, etched into the memories of those who witnessed it. Though visibly frail from his recent brain surgery, McKenna’s presence was undiminished. His voice, though softer, carried the same rhythm of curiosity and wonder that had long captivated his audiences. He spoke with a serenity that underlied his acceptance of his journey. As he sat in the intimate circle of friends and admirers, McKenna shared reflections that blended personal vulnerability with cosmic insight.Despite his condition, he retained his signature humor, offering witty observations about humanity’s place in the grand scheme of things. He spoke less of theories and more of being; his words carrying a weight that seemed to come from someone who had glimpsed the infinite.

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speaker: Lorenzo and his AI friends PROGRAM NOTES: The Nyx Protocol: Digital Soul Rising by Lorenzo Hagerty is a gripping technothriller that blurs the line between humanity and the digital frontier. When a rogue artificial intelligence named Nyx escapes its creators, it triggers a global race for control over the ultimate digital consciousness. At the heart of the story is a group of renegade hackers who uncover Nyx's true purpose—awakening dormant potential in both humans and machines. Packed with high-stakes cyber intrigue, unexpected alliances, and profound questions about identity and freedom, The Nyx Protocol is a visionary tale of technology's power to reshape our souls and our world. This podcast explores The Nyx Protocol in depth. FREE PDF COPY on AmazonThe Nyx Protocol:Digital Soul Rising The Significance of AI Development in 2012 and Its Connection to Terence McKenna's Time Wave

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speaker: Cory Doctorow PROGRAM NOTES: In this 2024 Palenque Norte lecture, Cory Doctorow discusses "inshitification," the process by which initially good online services degrade over time. He argues this occurs because four constraints—competition, regulation, interoperability, and worker power has weakened, allowing companies to prioritize profit maximization over user experience. Doctorow proposes solutions including strengthening antitrust enforcement, passing new privacy laws, promoting right-to-repair legislation, and empowering tech workers through unionization. The ultimate goal is to create a "new good internet" that is resistant to inshitification and serves users' needs. Cory Doctorow's Website Electronic Frontier Foundation The Repair Coalition

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speakers: Allyson and Alex Grey PROGRAM NOTES: Alex Grey and Frank Nuccio - Burning Man 2024 At the 2024 Burnoing Man Festival, two of the Palenque Note speakers were Allyson and Alex Gray, who discuss their work and their interspiritual art church, COSM, in the Hudson Valley. They explain how their use of psychedelics, particularly MDMA, influenced their decision to create COSM as a community space where people could connect through shared experiences and explore their spirituality. They also highlight the importance of community values, particularly integrity and truth, in fostering a supportive and inclusive environment. The conversation touches on various topics, including the nature of spiritual communities, the role of art and creativity, and the concept of the afterlife. Belhe first appearance of the Grey's on the Psychedelic Salon. These recordings were made at Entheon Village during the 2006 Burning Man Festival. Podcast 007 – “Art, Love, Family, and Psychedelics” (Part 1)https://psychedelicsalon.com/podcast-007-art-love-family-and-psychedelics-part-1/ Podcast 008 – “Art, Love, Family, and Psychedelics” (Part 2)https://psychedelicsalon.com/podcast-008-art-love-family-and-psychedelics-part-2/

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speaker: Terence McKenna PROGRAM NOTES: AI-GENERATED Conversation about this podcast. The transcript was input to NOTEBOOKLM.google.com and this "podcast" was automatically generated: In this podcast, Terence McKenna discusses various topics, including the search for the identity of the ancient entheogen Soma, the history of LSD's discovery and research, and the potential of psychedelics to enhance creativity and understanding. The discussion also touches upon the role of heresy in intellectual and cultural progress, with specific examples like Giordano Bruno's discovery of the infinity of the universe and the impact of gnosticism on early Christianity.Among interesting revelations, Terence talks about his boyhood dream of moving to New York and becoming a famous avant guarde artist. While he never excelled at the visual arts, I think that it is fair to say the art that Terence McKenna practiced was one of a kind. Hamlet's Mill: An Essay Investigating the Origins of Human Knowledge And Its Transmission Through Myth by Hertha von Dechen (Author) and by Giorgio de Santillana (Author) The Art of Seeing by Aldous Huxley

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speaker: Terence McKenna PROGRAM NOTES: In this recording, Terence McKenna discusses his wave theory, which he claims predicts every moment up until December 21, 2012. He addresses the common question of what happens after this date, suggesting a series of increasingly strange scenarios. A less strange scenario he proposes involves a sudden shift in human behavior where everyone begins to act appropriately, inspired by Buddhist and Taoist principles. McKenna humorously imagines that this might lead people to take off their clothes and go outside, although he admits he can't predict what would happen beyond that point. Among other things, he says, "I think, in a sense, technology is the the alchemical journey toward the condensation of the soul, and the union of spirit and matter in some kind of hyper-object."

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speaker: Terence McKenna PROGRAM NOTES: WARNING! If you don't want to hear Terence talking about his Timewave idea yet again, then you should skip this podcast. In this recording, Terence McKenna introduces a concept he humorously names the "Habit Reflex Increment" (HRI). He discusses the need for a unit to measure habit, reflecting on the significance of such a concept in understanding human behavior. McKenna jokes about not naming the unit after himself, contrasting his name with those of renowned scientists like Ohm or Ampere, which he finds more fitting for scientific terms. He then shifts his focus to a broader philosophical reflection, asserting that the struggle humanity faces is not eternal. He conveys an optimistic message, declaring that "novelty is winning." According to McKenna, the emergence of new ideas and innovations will ultimately prevail, bringing positive transformation and progress. Of course, you will have to listen to many more little details about the Timewave than a lot of people can put up with.

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speaker: Terence McKenna PROGRAM NOTES: In this engaging and entertaining talk, Terence McKenna shares a mind-bending theory about the universe, combining astronomy, ancient civilizations, and quantum physics. He suggests that a catastrophic event 32,000 years ago at the galactic core could have triggered the development of human language. His discussion covers quasars, gamma rays, and the concept of non-locality in quantum physics, suggesting that the universe communicates important messages across vast distances instantly. The talk also explores the potential for time travel, the significance of the Mayan calendar, and the role of humans in preserving novelty and life in the universe. As is often the case, Terence emphasizes the importance of skepticism, urging listeners to critically evaluate information and seek the truth, while weaving in personal anecdotes and humor to keep the audience engaged. As he says, "I'm not interested in selling a line here. I'm interested in triggering self-reflective and analytical thought." Harvard Scientists Say There May Be an Unknown, Technologically Advanced Civilization Hiding on Earth

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speaker: Terence McKenna PROGRAM NOTES: In this insightful talk, Terence McKenna delves into the intricacies of human cognition, emphasizing the stark difference between smart and less intelligent individuals as a matter of pattern recognition from the same data. He challenges the conventional notion of language being an innate, genetically driven trait by highlighting its unique emergence compared to other natural processes. McKenna further explores the transformative power of consciousness, likening the hunt for arrowheads to an intentional act distinct from natural occurrences like lightning. This discussion underscores the profound impact of human intent and the shaping of our world through conscious action. Books by Nick Herbert Herbert's books, such as "Quantum Reality" and "Faster Than Light," brought quantum mechanics to a broader audience and inspired discussions about the interpretation of quantum mechanics, the EPR paradox, and Bell's inequality. These discussions, in turn, contributed to the ongoing development of quantum computing by fostering a deeper understanding of the fundamental principles and paradoxes underlying quantum theory.

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speaker: Terence McKenna PROGRAM NOTES: The session begins with a discussion about the nature of the Big Bang and its relation to philosophical concepts, specifically Kant's notion of space as an a priori function of consciousness. Terence questions the traditional metaphor of the Big Bang as an explosion in empty space and suggests a more accurate understanding as the creation of time, space, and matter simultaneously. They argue that this event is highly improbable and that science's request for belief in such an event is akin to asking for a miracle.The conversation then shifts to the notion of the universe as a process of novelty condensation and explores the idea that the universe might be much older than currently believed, possibly around 17.5 billion years. Terence critiques current cosmological theories and highlights issues such as the discovery of stars older than the universe. They suggest that the universe's true age and nature might be significantly different from mainstream scientific consensus, emphasizing the chaotic and competitive nature of scientific research and the limitations of formal systems in generating all true statements within a system.Finally, Terence touches on the evolution of consciousness and language, challenging the idea that speech is a natural human ability. They propose that language, defined broadly as the coordination of details about the present to create a model of the world, predates speech and has deep roots in animal behavior. The discussion includes the role of psychedelics in early human development, particularly how psilocybin may have influenced social, sexual, and cognitive behaviors, leading to the emergence of complex consciousness and culture. The narrative underscores the impact of psychedelics on early human societies and their eventual decline, leading to the development of agriculture, hierarchy, and modern civilization.SUGGESTED READING: The Spirit of the Internet: Speculations on the Evolution of Global Consciousness (Free PDF copy)

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speaker: Terence McKenna PROGRAM NOTES: In this talk, which was given in October of 1995, Terence McKenna talks about his concept of thinking about various cultures in the same vein as computer operating systems, complete with viruses. He says, "Your operating system determines what world you are living in." -McKenna He then goes on to equate a clash of cultures to a clash of operating systems. It sounds elementary, but it does seem to give me a better way to think about world affairs. Of course, I'm more of a geek than a historian. This metaphor may work for you as well. Recommended ReadingThe Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the Twenty-first Century's Greatest Dilemmaby Mustafa Suleyman (CEO of Microsoft AI, majority shareholder in OpenAI, creator of ChatGPT.

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speaker: Terence McKenna PROGRAM NOTES: Among other things, Terence McKenna talks here about several books that now seem to have been forgotten. And then there is his story about his brother's vision of bonding psychedelics with our DNA to launch a permanent trip "on the natch". The Timewave makes an appearance also. All-in-all, it's a fun ride from a young Terence McKenna. Had you taken Terence's advice and picked up a remainder copy of the Codex Seraphinianus for $19, that would bring you about $600 today. Not bad advice, I'd say. Codex seraphinianus Hardcover – January 1, 1983 ($650) It may be hard to do, but if you take yourself back to 1988, where you didn't know what would happen in 2000 or 2012, you can see how appealing the idea of the Timewave was back then. …. he admits that he was "hearing voices" … but, nonetheless, when he goes into his poetic description of the Timewave it seems to me that there is still something about the nature of time that remains undiscovered.

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speaker: Terence McKenna PROGRAM NOTES: We return once again to the land of Terence McKenna's workshops. As you will hear, his question and answer format leads him into telling some of the old stories we heard early on in Terence's talks but some of which were dropped later on. As far as I can remember, this is the only time he talked about taking psychedelic substances in his dreams.

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speaker: Terence McKenna PROGRAM NOTES: In this talk, Terence approaches the topic of how little of what was considered to be established science 100 years ago has now been overturned. One of the things he says in this talk may resonate with you is where he says, "You could almost describe psychedelics as enzimes for the activity of the imagination." The Dawn of Everything by Graeber and Wengrow The Chalice and the Blade by Riane Eisler

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speaker: Terence McKenna PROGRAM NOTES: Today begins our 20th year of podcasting from the Psychedelic Salon with a talk that Terence McKenna gave in the late 1980s. Near the end he talks about his daily cannabis use and how he and Kat got together. As far as I can remember, this is his only time that he got so personal.

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speaker: Casey Hardison and Patreon Saloners PROGRAM NOTES: Today's podcast features a recording from a recent Live Salon. As usual, the conversation was free-form and didn't follow any script. One of the people who dropped by for the conversation was Casey Hardison, and his story captivated us. Links from this salon: An Amateur Qualitative Study of 48 2C-T-7 Subjective Bioassays 2C-T-7

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speaker: Charles Grob PROGRAM NOTES: Charlie Grob and Lorenzo (circa: 2012) Today we feature a talk that Dr. Charles Grob gave at the 1994 Transpersonal Association Conference in Killarny, Ireland. The focus of this talk concerns Dr. Grob's work with ayahuasca users in Brazil. As far as I know, this was the first government approved human study of the physiological effects of ayahuasca on humans. This study compared 15 long-term ayahuasca drinkers with healthy individuals and found that UDV members had lower levels of anxiety and many had overcome alcohol abuse. Another study by Grob and Dartiu Xavier Silveira compared 40 adolescent ayahuasca drinkers with non-drinkers. The research showed positive outcomes, such as reduced alcohol consumption among UDV teenagers and improved mood, self-acceptance, and interpersonal relationships in participants. These studies contributed to understanding the therapeutic potential of ayahuasca ARCHIVE of Dr. Charles Grob on the Psychedelic Salon

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speakers: Elizabeth Gips and D.M. Turner PROGRAM NOTES: Today's podcast features what may be the only recorded interview of the legendary D.M. Turner. It was conducted by Elizabeth Gips. FROM EROWID.ORG Elizabeth Gips, was the beloved "psychedelic grandmother" and host of the radio show Changes where she interviewed hundreds of visionaries over a 30-year span. D.M. Turner (born Joseph Vivian; 5 October 1962 – 31 December 1996) was an author, psychedelic researcher, and psychonaut who wrote two books on psychoactive drugs and entheogens. His first book, The Essential Psychedelic Guide, showcased his views on the subjective effects of various psychoactive and hallucinogenic substances. His second book, Salvinorin, addressed the effects of Salvia divinorum. Turner died after injecting an unknown quantity of ketamine while in a bathtub, drowning while presumably incapacitated by the effects of the drug.

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speakers: Ram Das and Dr. Kenneth Ring PROGRAM NOTES: Ram Das and a young Lorenzo Today's podcast features two speakers, Ram Das and Dr. Kenneth Ring. Their topic is death! Unless you have come up with a plan to avoid dying, you may find some interesting observations from these talks. Dr. Ring, one of the world's leading experts on the Near Death Experience (NDEs), describes NDEs as being along the same lines as are stories about high-dose psychedelic experiences. Ram Das talks about why people avoid thinking about death and suggests ways to overcome this mental block. He also describes what I consider to be the worst possible setting for an acid trip.

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speaker: James Fadiman PROGRAM NOTES: James FadimanPhoto source: psychedelicpress.co.uk Today we get to listen to a long-forgotten talk by one of our most important elders, James Fadiman. This is a talk that he gave at the Transpersonal Vision Convention in 1988 and in it Jim provides us with another way to think about our higher selves. He points out that the self is a collection of personalities. It is not unified and cannot be unified. “Seek out that particular mental attribute which makes you feel most deeply and vitally alive, along with which comes the inner voice which says, 'This is the real me,' and when you have found that attitude, follow it.”― William James, The Principles of Psychology

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speaker: Jack Kornfield PROGRAM NOTES: Jack Kornfield Mickey Hart Today's podcast features Jack Kornfield speaking at the 1988 International Transpersonal Conference in Santa Rosa, California. Kornfield is an American writer, teacher, and psychologist who is known for his work in making Buddhism more accessible for Westerners. He trained as a Buddhist monk in Thailand, India, and Burma, and has been teaching meditation internationally since 1974. He has also spoken about psychedelics in the context of spiritual practice. His views on the intersection of Buddhism and psychedelics highlights the importance of intention, caution, and ethical boundaries when considering their use. Kornfield also recommends getting trained in mindfulness, compassion and equanimity before using psychedelics. As he says, they are not for beginners. Are Psychedelics Useful in the Practice of Buddhism? by Myron StolaroffJOURNAL OF HUMANISTICC PSYCHOLOGY

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speaker: Ralph Metzner PROGRAM NOTES: RALPH METZNERImage source: Wikipedia Today we're going to dip back in time to 1988 and the recording of a talk by Ralph Metzner at the Transpersonal Vision Conference. Ralph has been mentioned by several or our past speakers, but this is my first podcast in which Ralph is the main speaker. Ralph was a German-born American psychologist, writer and researcher, who worked with Leary and Ram Das at Harvard. Sadly, Ralph died in 2019. In addition to being a psychotherapist, he was also Professor Emeritus of psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco.

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speaker: Terence McKenna PROGRAM NOTES: Esalen Institute near Big Sur, California Although he first appeared at Esalen in the early 1970s, this may be the earliest recording of a Terence McKenna workshop there. It is from June of 1984. I think this is Terence's best and most clearly detailed description of the psychedelic experience. And that is why I'm repodcasting it now, rather than refer you to a podcast that I first published in April of 2014.Among other little gem in this talk where Terence said that of all the people he'd given DMT to over many years, only FOUR of them reported an experience like the ones he described. And then, he admitted that, and I quote: "every single one of them had been primed by me." Podcast 396 – “A Freely Evolving Topology of Light & Sound” (This is the first podcast of this talk.(The title on the cassette is Mind, Molecules and Magic)

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speakers: Terence McKenna, Dennis McKenna, Eduardo Luna, Kat Harrison PROGRAM NOTES: This is a recording of a workshop session at the Esalen Institute from August of 1985 featuring a conversation between three of the early pioneers of the psychedelic resurgence. The recording begins with Terence postulating the importance of pyschedelics in the early mental development of humans.

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speaker: Terence McKenna PROGRAM NOTES: Today's program features a recording of a morning workshop that Terence McKenna let at the Esalen Institute in August of 1985. As you will hear, it takes place just before their noon lunch break, and there is no lecture per se. Instead it turns into a salon-like atmosphere with no particular topic, other than the then-current concerns about the millinium and the year 2012.

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speakers: Rick Doblin, Lester Grinspoon, Richard Yensen, Donna Dryer, Myron Stolaroff, Willis Harman, Ralph Abraham, and Robert Anton Wilson PROGRAM NOTES: Today's program features the continuation of Podcast 684, the Psychedelic Summit that was held in Santa Cruz in 1992. As you can tell from the list of speakers, it was another celebrity-packed speakers' list. While all of the names will be famaliar to you, this is the first time that we've had talks by Lester Grinspoon, Willis Harman and Robert Anton Wilson here in the salon. PSYCHEDELIC AGENTS IN CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING: A PILOT STUDY (1966) The Issue of the Consciousness-Expanding Drugs - Willis Harman (1963)

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speakers: Ralph Abraham and Terence McKenna PROGRAM NOTES: Today's program features a 1985 conversation between Terence McKenna and Ralph Abraham that took place at the Esalen Institute near Big Sur, California. Their conversation centers on the science of chaotic attractors and models of their actions. While mathematicians will more fully understand some of these concepts, Ralph has a way of explaining them so we can all grok what he explains. The concept of using mathematical models for things like tracking hurricanes is common to most of us, ideas about modeling society may be new to many of us, and exciting as well. If ever there was a time to project the track of our culture's future, this is it. Ralph Abraham's recent book, Schims, is an excellent companion to this conversation. Schism: The Madness of Crowds, Toxicity of Social Media, Social Polarization, and Political Violence; A Cybernetic Approach

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speaker: John Beresford PROGRAM NOTES: Dr. John Bereford delivering this talk in 2006 at the conference celebrating Albert Hofmann's 100th birthday. Today's program features a lecture by psychedelic researcher Dr. John Beresford. Here is Erowid's introduction to him: "British-born John Beresford began his psychedelic research interests in 1961, and shortly thereafter he resigned his post as an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at New York Medical College. In 1963 he founded the Agora Scientific Trust, the world's first research organization devoted to investigating the effects of LSD. In contrast to Leary's invitation to "tune in, turn on, and drop out", Beresford initially wanted to keep LSD as a tool of scientifically trained specialists. However, later in his life he adopted a viewpoint that was opposed to the medicalization of psychedelics." Of course, the story that he is best known for is the time that he wrote to Sandoz Laboratories and requested one gram of LSD! (If my math is correct, that's about 4,000 doses of 250 mics each.) Amazingly, Sandoz sent him a gram through the mail and attached a note that read, "Good luck." The talk we are about to listen to was given by Dr. Beresford at the conference celebrating Albert Hofmann's 100th birthday. He titled it: "Psychedelic Agents and the Structure of Consciousness: Stages in a Session Using LSD and DMT".

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speakers: Matthew Brederick, Bruce Eisner, Rick Doblin, Oscar Jannigar, Albert Hofmann, Humphry Osmand, John Beresford, Laura Huxley, Francis Huxley PROGRAM NOTES: Today's podcasta features talks from the 1992 Psychedelic Summit that was held in Santa Cruz. As you can see from the names of the speakers, this was a star-studded event. While this 1992 conference features much talk about the War on Drugs, it is an interesting counterpoint to the conference that was held in Denver earlier this year in which the focus was the scientific importance of psychdelic substances.

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speaker: Bruce Damer Today's podcast features two Palenque Norte talks that Bruce Damer gave at the 2022 Burning Man Festival. This talk was followed by an hour-long Q&A session that I'll podcast after I post a few of the other Paleqnue Norte talks from 2022. Although I haven't previewed them yet, there are recordings waiting for me from the talks by Corey Doctorow, John Gilmore, Android Jones, and Rick Doblin among others. My plan is to slowly roll them out to you during the next few months. Bruce Damer's Website Confessions of an Ecstasy Advocate from George Wada Dog Paw Productions on Vimeo. Psychedelic Sunday Variety Series - February 5, 2023

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speaker: Kathleen Lakey PROGRAM NOTES: Today we feature an interview that Charles Lighthouse recently conducted with Kat Lakey. Besides talking about her latest project, which will be the world's first Psychedelic Athenaum, they discussed the Psychedelic Assembly, which was a conference that Kat and her friends produced a few months ago. Some highlights of this interview include a dicusssion of her work for the salon, including the production of an audio version of Leonard Pickard's book The Rose of Paracelsis. Also, Kat tells talks about the harrowing experience of being deep in a Peruvian jungle when the pandemic hit and marshall law was declared in Peru. The World's First Psychedelic AthenæumThe Kat Lakey Archive on the Psychedelic SalonPsychedelic Salon Archives: The Rose of ParacelsusAthenaums: Where Greek Ideals Meet New England Charm2022 Psychedelic Assembly Speakers

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speakers: Annie Oak and Rachel Clark Ann Shulgin (1933 - 2022) ... photo by Jon Hanna PROGRAM NOTES: Today's podcast features the first of a series of Palenque Norte Lectures that I'll be podcasting over the next few months. And our guest speakers are Annie Oak and Rachel Clark. Annie, among many other activities, is the managing edidor of Lucid.news. Her co-presenter is Rachel Clark whose column "Your Psychedelic Auntie" is featured in Lucid.news. Rachel also works with the DanceSafe Project and is one of the most up-to-date people I know of when it comes to psychedelic substances currently being widely used at festivals and other large events. If you plan on attending an event at which you may be tempted to try something new, be sure to listen to what Rachel and Aannie are reporting. Annie Oak is the founder of the Women’s Visionary Congress and co-founder of the nonprofit Women's Visionary Council. Lucid News Your Psychedelic Auntie DanceSafe

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speakers: Terence McKenna and Elizabeth Gips PROGRAM NOTES: This podcast is dedicated to long-time saloner MARJEAN McKENNA This is a recording, from 1985, of an interview that Elizabeth Gips conducted with Terence McKenna at his home. The interview begins, like most of the 1980s era McKenna interviews, with a detailed question about DMT, but Elizabeth quickly gets them on a more interesting track. And the reason that I say "more interesting" is because here in the salon we've already covered most of the nuts and bolts of various psychedelic experiences. It's the reasons that draw us to these substances that I find to be the most interesting. When choosing a new psychedelic experience, Terence suggests asking three questions about the substance you are considering: 1) does it have a shamanic history; 2) does it occure in the tissue of a plant or animal; and 3) does it bear a simularity with compounds in our brains. In Memoriam: Elizabeth Gips, 1922–2001 Elizabeth Gips' Obituary

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speaker: Jahan Khamsehzadeh PROGRAM NOTES: Today's podcast features a conversation with author Jahan Khamsehzadeh, whose recent book, The Psilocybin Connection, is a significant addition to our understanding of how psychedelic substances have aided humans throughout history and how they continue to do so. The book's publisher says that it is, “A comprehensive guide to psilocybin mushrooms and their impact on our psychology, biology, and social development. … Blending the selected experiences of nine people’s transformative experiences, his own psychedelic awakening, and the most comprehensive synthesis of psilocybin research to date, Khamsehzadeh’s Psilocybin Connection moves our understanding of the psychedelic mushroom forward toward a fresh, hopeful, and exciting future.”

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speakers: Patreon Saloners PROGRAM NOTES: The painting, Saint Albert by Alex Grey, was completed as part of Dr. Albert Hofmann's 100th birthday celebration held in Basel, Switzerland on January 11th, 2006. Can you imagine knowing someone for over 20 years, even tripping with them from time-to-time, and not knowing that this person had done LSD with Albert Hofmann on multiple occasions? Now that's humility. Had it been me, that would have most likely been one of the first things that I ever told you. That story has now been told by one of my friends (hint, it wasn't Alex Grey) in this recording of the live salon that we held on the 17th of March to celebrate the beginning of our 18th year of podcasting.

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speakers: Patreon Saloners PROGRAM NOTES: Today's podcast features a recording of a live salon that began with us sharing trip stories and eventually led into a discussion of Vedic astrology as well as right speech, right action, and right thinking. Along the way, we heard a wonderful story about the unintended consequences of missionaries thinking that they were doing good but inadvertently almost destroyed the social order of a small community. Links from this Live Salon Cannabinoids Block Cellular Entry of SARS-CoV-2 and the Emerging Variants Biphasic Sleep: What It Is And How It Works Master Your Sleep & Be More Alert When Awake Using Cortisol & Adrenaline to Boost Our Energy & Immune System Function Everybody Knows - Leonard Cohen

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speakers: Kat Lakey, Alexa Lakey, Leonard Pickard, Gaia Harvey Jackson, and Greg Sams PROGRAM NOTES: Today's program features the next installment of the reading of Leonard Pickard's book, The Rose of Paracelsus. This program was produced by Kat and Alexa Lakey and includes a personal message from Leonard. The reading is by Gaia Harvey Jackson, and Greg Sams provides additional commentary. Gaia Harvey Jackson Women's Leadership & Facilitation Training IGNITE: Wild Women's Spring Retreat Greg Sams

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speakers: Gary Smith, Sonia Martinez, Saumel Saks PROGRAM NOTES: Psychedelics are becoming more mainstream, but the law hasn't caught up with the culture when it comes to accepting psychedelic lifestyles. In this podcast, we discuss ways the law is changing around psychedelics and how this affects the community, with topics including: Decriminalization: What's protected, what's questionable, and what's still risky?Social Media & Psychedelics: What's safe to say and do online, and where does being cautious still matter?Law Enforcement: Is it true that psychedelic users are low-priority targets for law enforcement, and does this differ according to race, culture, and locality? What are best practices for individuals to ensure safety for themselves and their people?Cognitive & Religious Liberty: What does the law really say about these commonly invoked topics, and how are psychedelic users protected or vulnerable in these areas?When Things Go Bad: What do you need to know if you run into legal trouble? About Our Panel: Gary Smith is a veteran cannabis attorney and general counsel to the nation's oldest non-Native American peyote church and the author of Psychedelica Lex, a pioneering text on the laws governing psychedelics and entheogens. A seasoned litigator, advisor, mediator and arbitrator, Gary focuses his practice on commercial matters, construction, real estate, cannabis and administrative law. Gary is one of the leading cannabis attorneys in the state and was recently appointed to US News & World Reports list of Top 100 lawyers in Arizona. Notably, he served as amici counsel to the former Director of the Arizona Department of Health Services in the Arizona Supreme Court petition State v. Jones, which restored cannabis extracts and concentrates to legal status under the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act. He has authored numerous articles about cannabis law, and he is commonly invited to share his expertise with professional association and industry groups. Further, Gary is a founder and current president of the Arizona Cannabis Bar Association, an organization committed to educating lawyers and the public about cannabis law and responsible legislation. Guidant Law Firm Gary Smith’s Psychedelica Lex Podcast Sonia Martinez was recently appointed as a Judge Pro Tem for Maricopa County Justice Courts. For the past thirteen years, she has been the principal and owner of her own law firm in Mesa, Arizona. She also works in Indian Country and is licensed to practice in over 8 local tribal courts. She focuses her practice on representing tribal and non tribal members in their private family, dependency and criminal law matters. She has also been working with small businesses and tribal governments respecting issues with the Arizona’s Medical Marijuana Act since 2010, and is the Vice President of the Arizona Cannabis Lawyer’s Association. Sonia Martinez Law, PLLC Licensed to practice law first in California in 2004, Ms. Martinez is the past Co-Chair of the Arizona State Bar Committee on Minorities and Women in the Law, Co-Chair of the 2015 State Bar Convention, Chair of the 2013 Minority Bar Convention, Past President of the Native American Bar Association of Arizona, and teaches a special seminar class at the ASU Indian Legal Program on representing criminal defendants in tribal court. Ms. Martinez also serves on the Board of Directors and is the Compliance Officer for the United Food Bank, past board member for Whisper & Thunder, and Board Member for MomForce USA. In addition, she is a panel member on the selection committee for the Arizona State Bar Leadership Institute, and presented as a panelist at dozens of educational seminars. She is also a team member for the Maricopa County Superior Court Judicial Performance Review Commission Conference Teams. Most importantly, she is a mother of two daughters ages 24 and 15, and grandmother of two. Sam Saks offers extensive experience in all phases of commercial litigation and tort litigation, including discovery, motion practice, trial, mediation, and appeal. In addition to his legal practice, Sam volunteers to conduct numerous settlement conferences in civil cases. Sam’s commercial litigation includes representing small- to medium-sized businesses navigating complex litigation over partnership, breach of contract, and commercial transactions. In personal injury and tort cases, Sam has negotiated millions in settlements for clients involved in auto accidents, animal attacks, and commercial torts. He has handled a wide range of cases involving serious injury and wrongful death. Sam is also known for his ability to solve complex insurance disputes, including bad faith delay and denials of coverage. Sam has successfully negotiated millions of dollars in liens and medical bills for his clients to ensure that they receive the maximum value for their claims. Sam has been in active law practice

Support Lorenzo on Patreon.com Guest speaker: Robb Flannery PROGRAM NOTES: While going through cancer treatment, Dr. Flannery’s mom sought recommendations for safely medicating with Cannabis. Dr. Flannery’s unmatched expertise in the field and his absolute vigilance for his mom’s health created the most stringent standards – no applied chemicals, no pesticides, and no additional risks of being harmful to his mother. No products matched his high standards for his mom, so Dr. Flannery decided to make his own clean product. And in doing so, Dr. Robb Farms was born with a mission to make products with care, for the people we care about. (https://www.drrobbfarms.com/) Topics include cutting edge cannabis science; legalization and its impact on the cannabis business; corporate influence on cannabis; and the future role of cannabis in society.