Psychedelics Today

In this episode, Joe interviews Joost Breeksema from the Netherlands to talk about the Interdisciplinary Conference on Psychedelic Research. In the show they cover topics on ICPR 2020, and the importance of accessibility. 3 Key Points: The Interdisciplinary Conference on Psychedelic Research takes place April 24-26, 2020 in the Netherlands. It's important to acknowledge the indigenous, ethical, and political dimensions to psychedelic use at conferences. Although this conference will be catered toward mainstream science and research, personal experiences and stories are important too. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Show Notes About Joost Joost is a part of the OPEN Foundation ICPR is a huge conference Nobody before was doing research on psychedelics in the Netherlands William James work sparked Joost's interest in psychedelics ICPR Starting with the OPEN Foundation, the conference has been very scientific It is interdisciplinary, but also taken very seriously This field is so broad, you could really never get bored Wade Davis, Alicia Danforth, Matt Johnson and more will be speaking at the conference There will be over 80 speakers Joost expects it to be a pretty international conference, half local, and half from abroad Psychiatrists are usually short on time, and they like things compressed more It's really easy and cheap to grow psilocybin as mushrooms or truffles Even in Mexico, they need to use GMP Psilocybin Accessibility "If this is going to be the treatment, how are we going to help people afford it?" - Joe There is some tricky stuff happening, companies trying to patent different parts of psilocybin to use it for therapeutic use Ketamine has been off patent for years, but you can develop a new route of administration, patent that, and make a ton of money Spravato is making it to the UK Conference Themes Joost is both excited and scared that they are bringing indigenous practitioners to the conference It's important to acknowledge the indigenous, ethical, and political dimensions to psychedelic use Talking about concepts and approaches to healing is going to be an important aspect The goal would be to do research with the indigenous communities to be able to address the needs of psychedelic use There are also a few neuroimaging people coming For mainstream scientists, the conference has to be as close to a scientific conference as possible, they may be turned off to the cultural aspects of psychedelics It's the conservative nature of psychedelia Joost also says that although the scientific research is important, it is really cool to hear the personal experiences Joe brings up a previous episode of a therapist and patient from the MDMA trials Stories are much more convincing than just data People's experience with psychedelics may be completely different from each other It's important to share the bad stories with the good stories If we don't share the stories and data and research, then we can never learn Joe hopes that there will be a growth of citizen science in the near future Links ICPR About Joost Joost Breeksema is a part of the OPEN Foundation, which from it came the Interdisciplinary Conference on Psychedelic Research. His current research focuses on the experiences of patients that are undergoing therapy assisted by psychedelic substances. His aim is to better understand psychological mechanisms of action/change, to tease out salient themes, and finally to learn about what works and what does not work in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Use code PSYTODAY at Onnit for a discount on all products except fitness equipment Get a 30 day free audible trial at audibletrial.com/psychedelicstoday

In this episode, Kyle invites a guest interviewer, Hallie Rose of the Thought Room Podcast, to interview him on his recent experience at Soltara. In the show, they talk about Soltara, Kyle's experience with the plant medicine, and important topics like privilege. 3 Key Points: Eastern attendees have a different integration need than Western attendees. In the West, attendees come back to more hustle and bustle, more time is needed for integration. Soltara does a really good job at providing that time for integration. With Psilocybin and other psychedelics, there is this one big door, you eat the mushrooms and open the door and get to experience it heavily. With Ayahuasca, there is a smaller doorway to penetrate through, you have to create a relationship with the medicine first. If the people that really need the help can't even afford it, then how do we have mass healing? Peer support movements are a way forward in this issue. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Show Notes About Hallie Hallie interviewed Kyle after his first 4 experiences with Ayahuasca Kyle's episode on The Thought Room Podcast about his Near Death Experience The Thought Room Podcast was inspired by Hallie's first Ayahuasca experience She had typically pushed away anything psychedelic in nature, even alcohol before coming to Soltara as a guest "A lot of the paradigms I had been working with were flipped upside down on their head" - Hallie The message that really spoke to her was to create a podcast 2 ceremonies later she had some things come up about family and career, and again, the message 'podcast' came up again When she went over her integration notes from her experience at Soltara, she kept coming back to the podcast thing She describes her journal entry message as a black hole, a void She felt like she was in rooms, some were bright and rainbow-y, and others were dark and lonely The rooms were rooms for thoughts, thought rooms She owns the start up company Lunar Wild Soltara Hallie mentions that she was blown away by the amount of effort that it takes to uphold a medicine center like Soltara Kyle says right from the start from arrival to the location, he was greeted with such warmth and it reminded him of his breathwork background The ground rules that they laid down right at the start made him feel so safe She said it's amazing to see the amount of healing that happens in that space "When it comes to your own medicine work, your own journey work, only you know what's right for you" - Hallie Hallie is part of a mastermind group through Aubrey Marcus, the CEO of Onnit She is connected to a bunch of people as a part of this group She was introduced to Dan Cleland, a co-founder of Soltara, who invited her to come down Yes they had the traditional Shipibo aspects, but they also did a fantastic job of adding in the Western concepts to cater to the western needs Hallie mentions that coming from the West, we have the need to integrate the experience in a different way than those coming from the East, and Soltara does a really good job with that kind of integration The First Session Kyle said the tea was actually tasty You drink a lot of it where you override the system to where the body wants to purge Kyle drank 5 cups of the tea over all the nights The purging is to clear the system out of toxins and clean it out energetically Soltara built in pre-ceremony sessions like yoga or meditation to help ease into the actual sessions Kyle said that the Ayahuasca experience was familiar Everything felt very green behind his eyes There was a serpent weaving in and out of his DNA The experience felt so healing Kyle didn't purge (vomit) but did do a little crying He said he did not experience much anxiety The serpent was healing him and stitching parts of himself back together "There is something intelligent here working on very subtle levels" - Kyle The next two ceremonies were very gentle, some crying, going through family dynamics, but always in the background, there was that same serpent Kyle said the first 3 sessions felt really easy, compared to previous experiences with psychedelics The spirit said to him "oh you think this was going to be easy, that you would just drink this and that I would show you all this stuff. Well we have to get to know each other first" With Psilocybin, there is this one big door, you eat the mushrooms and open the door and get to experience it heavily, with Ayahuasca, there is a smaller doorway to penetrate through, you have to create a relationship with the medicine first Final Ceremony It was during the full moon in Cancer and lunar eclipse, the energy was already intense For the 4th ceremony, Kyle was already feeling high energy, and did not want to go too strong, so he started with ¾ of a cup Kyle felt like he was sober, the medicine t

In this episode, Kyle and Joe interview previous guest of the show, Daniel Greig. In the show, he goes in depth into the meaning of enlightenment and previews the new book he is writing with Dr. John Vervaeke, The Cognitive Continuum. 3 Key Points: Insight, flow and mystical experiences are all facets of working toward enlightenment. Enlightenment is really a fundamental grip on reality. It's about maintaining a relationship with the transcendent, it's not about just constantly escaping this body life. The mystical experience is a glimpse at consciousness. The most important part of having a mystical (psychedelic) experience is coming back into our bodies and developing better relationships with ourselves, others and the world. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Show Notes The Cognitive Continuum There will be a crowdfunding campaign launched for the book The book will be a combination of art and science He is writing it with Dr. John Vervaeke Youtube - Awakening for the Meaning Crisis The core of cognitive continuum is insight There is also the flow state There are also mystical states Insight, flow and mystical experiences all have something to do with enlightenment If we can train people on how to access this cognitive continuum, they can become enlightened Enlightenment It is important to see the truth "How can we take our natural ability to attach to things, and learn to step back and care about the greater good?" - Daniel Cognitive flexibility is important to understand the needs of the greater collective "Enlightenment means to apprehend truth and act in relation to truth" - Daniel Mind does not equal brain Gut Feeling EGG - electro gastro grams There is a singular resting state network between the brain and the stomach You're never really able to access this network, but when we have 'gut feelings' it's typically coming from neurons in your stomach Being grounded in those sensations of the stomach is a huge part of problem solving and guidance in truths We need to get back to 'feeling' something as actually meaning something Mystical Experience Enlightenment is really a fundamental grip on reality It's about maintaining a relationship with the transcendent, it's not about just constantly escaping this body life Daniel uses a lot of Roberto Unger's theories in his new book There is the absolute reality and illusory reality The mystical experience is a glimpse at consciousness The most important part of having a mystical experience is the coming back into our bodies, having better relationships with ourselves and others Psychedelics don't do anything by just sitting there, they take a perceiver to matter and make a difference It's the person, the body, that really holds the power to embodiment Psychedelics and Enlightenment People say that psychedelics are a shortcut to enlightenment Daniel says that psychedelics can help take people out of depression style states A mystical experience can help you, but you're going to hit a plateau if you don't integrate and interpret these experiences For those practicing a lot of psychedelic work, they should balance with body work like yoga There needs to be a balance in all practices in order to keep escalating toward enlightenment Links Website About Daniel Greig Daniel is an educator, organizer and artist living in Toronto. He studied Cognitive Science and Philosophy at the University of Toronto, specializing in wisdom, consciousness, and spiritual belief and experience. In 2015, he founded the Mapping the Mind conference that occurs annually in Toronto, which raises much needed funds for psychedelic research. Daniel regularly host lectures and workshops, on topics in cognitive science. He is currently writing a book with Dr. John Vervaeke on the science of enlightenment, which will be published in 2020. When not contemplating the realm of the intellect, Daniel delves in the sonic perturbations of music, writing and producing progressive metal. Use code PSYTODAY at Onnit for a discount on all products except fitness equipment Get a 30 day free audible trial at audibletrial.com/psychedelicstoday

In this episode, Kyle and Joe interview Chris Bache, author of LSD and the Mind of the Universe. Chris went through 73 high dose LSD sessions and talks about his experience in the show. 3 Key Points: Chris went through 73 high dose LSD sessions, but he says that pushing the edge of high dose and high frequency use brought on increasingly intense difficulties. He does not recommend high dose sessions like he did. The mind of the universe is where someone goes when one completely dissolves. In the show, they discuss psychedelic therapy and the debate on whether or not therapists should have to have psychedelic experience to do the therapy. Chris believes that the level of experience a therapist has had will impact the type of support they will be able to give. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Show Notes Psychedelic Interest It was at the time Chris had just finished grad school and was looking where to take his research as a university professor He was introduced to the work of Stan Grof, and his book Realms of the Human Unconscious: Observations from LSD Research (Condor Books) He was the professor of Religious Studies, sticking to his traditional life He knew there would come a time for him to share his experiences with a larger audience Chris says he's always been locked into his body and his physical experience He had no background in psychedelic states of consciousness Protocol He said you're always working with a sitter and same context/setting As the dosage increased, he began creating a more intense music playlist Chris thinks music is very important for psychedelic sessions Chris does not recommend working with high doses "When you're working with opening consciousness that radically, music has a tremendous effect, it has an amplifying effect by 5 or 10x than doing it without music" - Chris Chris said he has experienced all the common layers of the psychedelic unconscious that's talked about Consciousness Levels Chris experienced 4 different death/rebirths Chris differentiated 5 levels of the universe The first is at the personal mind, where an ego death happens The second takes places at the collective mind, about species The third level is an archetypal mind, the high subtle mind, moving beyond the species existence The fourth level is causal mind, causal oneness, profound states of non-dual reality The last is Diamond Luminosity, its absolute clarity, pureness Psychedelic Therapy Chris says that there is a certain level of support that one needs to truly let go of themselves and let go to the experience He says that he thinks the level of experience will impact the type of support a therapist will be able to give Subtle Level The mind of the universe is where someone goes when one completely dissolves Pushing the edge of high dose, high frequency use brought on increasingly intense difficulties Chris says he was very secret about his psychedelic use, his students didn't know about it But he said after he had gone deep and touched these different levels of consciousness, his students became alive The deeper he went in his own work, the more it touched the students at a deeper level Potency Chris thinks that LSD is a little cleaner than other psychedelics His basic sense is that psilocybin tends to be less evocative, disruptive Ayahuasca is more disruptive in opening up to deeper levels LSD is the most disruptive in opening people up to really deep levels of consciousness With LSD is was less about his personal experience, and more about the collective unconscious experience Realizations With one of his experiences, he had seen everything in his whole life all at once He then entered into archetypal experiences, the platonic domain beyond the time-space reality The beings he 'met' were as large as universes, responsible for creating time and space He went into 'deep time', different magnitudes of time experiences in a broader frame of reference (where we are in the history of time, what our future looks like) He reached that diamond luminosity level only 4 times out of all of his LSD sessions "If we keep this up, sooner or later, the totality of this consciousness is going to wake up" - Chris "We are moving toward a collective wake up, it's not a personal experience, it's a collective experience. An evolution of our species." -Chris If Chris has one tip, is to let go of our fear of death, when we die, we go back home After so many sessions, and not taking the time to stop to integrate, after years, his body was screaming for community, and he felt this deep existential sadness and felt as if he was just waiting to die It took 10 years to integrate his deep exploration, and to finally feel okay and comfortable again in his body suit and in this life The universe is an infinite ocean of possibilities, we will never rea

In this episode, Joe interviews Dr. Peter Addy, Licensed Mental Health Counselor out of Washington. In the show, they talk about the research and therapeutic use of Salvia. 3 Key Points: Salvinorin A is the active molecule that causes the psychedelic experiential reports, although there are at least a dozen unique compounds in the Salvia plant. In a recreational setting, Salvia is usually smoked, but in the Mazatec culture, they do not smoke it, they use a sublingual method. The clinical applications of Salvia are tricky right now. It's not easy to get funding for psychedelic research. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Show Notes About Peter Peter helped found the Yale Psychedelic Speaker Series The main goal was to normalize talking about psychedelic research as research Peter joined the pharmacology lab for his post doctoral research on Salvia The team was mainly studying THC but were also studying Ketamine He wanted to bring in MDMA and Psilocybin research Peter attended The Institute of Transpersonal Psychology As a psychologist, Peter focused heavily on feedback and experience Transpersonal Psychology It all started when Peter stumbled across a dusty book in the library as a Freshman, States of Consciousness by Charles Tart The book talked a lot about meditation Joe says he has been practicing non-drug transpersonal states (breathwork) for years You can have a psychedelic experience without drugs, and you can also take psychedelics and not have the psychedelic experience at all, it's not about the drug "Everyone has an innate desire towards transcending who they are, moving towards wholeness, and personal and societal transformation" - Peter "If I'm kind, then people around me are more likely to be kind, it's about the transformation of groups and societies than about having a cool trick" - Peter Salvia "Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy is proven to do a lot of really good things, but it's not the only way and it's not necessarily the right way. There are wrong ways to do it, but not one culture owns this experience." - Peter "Having a healthy critique of science in the modern world is helpful because its a series of provisional truths, it's a good tool to get closer to objective reality, but its not perfect, it's all we have so far" - Joe Peter says that art is an amazing tool as well Verbal language is limiting, he has seen images that can convey an experience way better than words can Salvinorin A is the active molecule that causes the psychedelic experiential reports There are at least a dozen unique compounds in the Salvia plant There was going to be a bill to make Salvia illegal in 2008 or 2009 Now it's just illegal for minors Salvia Study Peter recruited 30 people who had all used psychedelics He used a controlled set, setting and intention He used either a Salvia extract or just the unadulterated leaf No one in the real world is using Salvinorin A, they are smoking the leaf or using extracts of the leaf The participants smoked it when they desired, Peter was not enforcing the smoking It was a very relaxed setting Once the participants smoked, they then had an experience for 10 minutes, and then he came together with them and just listened to their experience 2 people got up and moved, the rest just sat there in the experience Interoception (the inner feelings of your body) is the internal form of proprioception (the feeling of your body in space) Every time you smoke something it is going to hit you quickly and be over quickly By the time you realize what's going on in a Salvia experience, you're already on your way out In the Mazatec culture, they do not smoke it, they use a sublingual method Advice The clinical applications of Salvia are tricky right now It's not easy to get funding for psychedelic research Peter says if you do get funding, attach it to something else MDMA research didn't just begin to 'see what it could help', PTSD sucks, and there isn't a whole lot that works to treat it, but MDMA does and it just happens to be a type of psychedelic Links Website About Peter Peter is both a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Washington and a Licensed Professional Counselor in Oregon. He earned a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Sofia University in 2011, including certification in biofeedback and Process Oriented Psychodrama. There, he studied non-ordinary states of consciousness, holistic and all-encompassing views of a person, and ways that these experiences can transform a person and society. Peter then engaged in post-degree specialty training at Danville State Hospital, Yale University School of Medicine, and the Connecticut Mental Health Center. As faculty at Yale University he engaged in research and training. Some of his clinical training is in mindfulness-based therapies, Motivational Interviewing,

In today's episode, Joe visits Naropa in Boulder, CO to sit down with Rafael Lancelotta and Alan Kooi Davis. Alan is a Clinical Psychology Professor at Ohio State and Rafael is a legal Psychedelic Therapist operating out of Innate Path in Colorado. 3 Key Points: Facilitation is a huge problem in the 5-MEO-DMT space. Some people take it without the intention of working on it afterward, they are commonly given too much, and also in a poor context. This recipe of poor facilitation and guidance leads to a lot of challenging experiences and a lot of integration work. The feeling of oneness typically arises when taking 5-MEO-DMT. It can be great for some, but for others, it can be extremely overwhelming and harmful when not provided the correct intention, context and tools to work through it. Privilege is a huge issue in the psychedelic space. The goal in this space is to make everyone's voice heard, not just those of privilege. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Show Notes Rafael Rafael studied Mental Health Counseling at the University of Wyoming He is currently at Innate Path in Lakewood, CO doing Ketamine and Cannabis assisted Psychotherapy Alan Alan is on the Faculty at John's Hopkins He is a Clinical Psychologist He is currently doing clinical research on psychoactive substances 5-MEO-DMT It is a psychoactive substance that comes from the Sonoran Desert Toad It's a fast acting and powerful psychedelic substance that is challenging to predict Some have amazing, beautiful and transcendent experiences, but it also has the ability to bring up challenging and dark things to deal with It isn't as visual as other psychedelics, it has to deal a lot more with consciousness itself "It may feel like being shot right into the center of love, or the center of the universe" - Alan DMT can be more visual, while 5-MEO-DMT can be more spiritual, not that they can't dip into each other 5-MEO-DMT Harms Alan did a talk on 5-MEO-DMT at Horizons There are a lot of harms when using 5-MEO-DMT Both Alan and Rafael have been contacted numerous times about looking for facilitators or about trying to integrate massive and difficult experiences An ego death, in the right context, can be transformative, but in the wrong context, can be extremely harmful. The facilitators are the problem If the facilitators are delivering the medicine in a shamanic practice, and the people using it are coming from a Western mindset, then with goals misaligned, there can be some major issues People have these grand, god-like experiences when using psychedelics, then feel like they need to become shamans and facilitate these experiences for others and have literally no clue or education on how to properly care for these people using the Toad Joe says facilitators commonly overdose their users because the toad venom is hard to predict potency Alan says that the fear response needs to be initiated when extracting the venom from the toad He thinks it can come up as a huge problem when using 5-MEO-DMT from a fear-stricken animal Alan says there is a lot of reports of feeling abducted by aliens, and it could be related to the fear response from the toad being hunted for its venom It's a similar concept to the traumatization of any other animal by the way it is killed and then eating the meat of that traumatized animal On average, there is roughly 10-20% of 5-MEO-DMT in the venom Oneness When someone becomes 'one' with everything, it takes a lot of detailed integration When someone becomes 'one' with everything, that would also mean that they experience the suffering of everything around them When the rational mind comes back online, if the person does not decide to take action, it can be seriously overwhelming to feel that oneness Integration has part to do with the experience but then the other part is everything before it, our family, relationships, job, our personality, etc. "Yeah its cool that we are one with the universe, but so is everything else" - Rafael Power and Privilege Privilege means having a voice, but it also means position in society, gender, race etc In psychedelics, for so long, it has been so hard to find a voice But with this psychedelic renaissance, it has become so much easier to speak up about psychedelic use, research, etc The people within the scientific community get put on a pedestal to speak about psychedelic research Alan says his goal as someone in the middle of the research role, is to create community, to bring every voice to be heard Being connected to psychedelics in anyway, used to mean prosecution There are still imbalances that need to be looked at The psychedelic renaissance is a chance to look at systemic issues We need to determine what our personal values are, and values of the whole community, and whether or not they are aligned Final Tho

In today's episode, Joe interviews Mike Jay, Author of the book, Mescaline: A Global History of the First Psychedelic. In the show they discuss Mescaline's origins and the history of Peyote use. 3 Key Points: Mike Jay is a Cultural Historian and Author whose topics include science, medicine, drugs, madness, literature and radical politics. Mike's recent book, Mescaline, is a definitive history of mescaline that explores its mind-altering effects across cultures, from ancient America to western modernity. Over time, Peyote has been used by spiritual seekers, by psychologists investigating the secrets of consciousness, artists exploring the creative process, and by psychiatrists. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Show Notes About Mike Mike Jay is a freelance writer, an author and cultural historian Mike has been interested in Mescaline for a really long time Indigenous Use James Mooney is a crucial figure in the transition from indigenous use of peyote to the more current applications The New Deal made religions respected, protected under the First Amendment for freedom of worship History There is a ton of literature before the 60's on psychedelic use It was obvious that if people were interested in psychoactive drugs, they would take it themselves Back then, science was much more proactive than it is today, but it is becoming more popular again Peyote Experience It's hard to find an ethical source of Peyote Mike says its unpleasant but warm and tingly and euphoric By 1970, Mescaline was this legendary substance, but it was hard to find on the streets unless you knew an underground chemist On the Erowid site, they have a bulletin that the DEA created about all of the street drug seizures He wrote a book 20 years ago called Emperors of Dreams 2CB is not as intense as Mescaline Mescaline is a phenethylamine It does not cross the blood brain barrier as easily. So you need to take more of it It is a body and mind drug Indigenous Use The Comanches were in a reservation in the Wichita mountains He was notified by the Comanches on some history He went to meet with them, and they told him stories on the history Peyote use originated inside of a Tipi "The way that we see psychedelics in modern Western culture, is not the only way of thinking about it:" - Mike Native American Church There is an interesting thing that happened between Mexican/South American Shamanic practice and Native American Church In the ceremony, the facilitator is made to not ask like a priest, everyone is their own priest It is a healing modality for everybody The very first peyote experiences in the west encouraged artists to make art Salvador Dali was apparently anti-drug use The surrealist movement had a number of rules Huichol art is a very psychedelic inspired art The plant Peyote is so fast growing, in some places it is growing naturally San Pedro is way more sustainable than Peyote There is a lot of demand for Peyote currently Joe says he thinks that Peyote is not scheduled in Canada Accounts The western story is full of first-person experiencesIts based on the personal experiences and visions In the indigenous accounts, there are very little stories on experience or personal matters, its more recording on the collective experience Links Website Twitter About Mike Mike Jay is a leading specialist in the study of drugs across history and cultures. The author of Artificial Paradises, Emperors of Dreams, and The Atmosphere of Heaven, his critical writing on drugs has appeared in many publications, including The Guardian, The Telegraph, and The International Journal of Drug Policy. He sits on the editorial board of the addiction journal Drugs and Alcohol Today and on the board of the Transform Drug Policy Foundation. He lives in England. Use code PSYTODAY at Onnit for a discount on all products except fitness equipment Get a 30 day free audible trial at audibletrial.com/psychedelicstoday

In this episode, Joe interviews Dena Justice from the Ecstatic Collective. Dena and Joe talk about Neuro Linguistic Programming and how it is beneficial to use with non-ordinary states of consciousness. 3 Key Points: NLP is Neuro Linguistic Programming. Dena Justice is a Lifestyle Design Strategist that uses NLP to help people create their dream, ecstatic life. 93% of communication happens at the subconscious level. NLP training focuses on how we use communication tools to help people in non-ordinary states of consciousness. Perception is Projection. Our belief of someone else, is a projection of ourselves onto them. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Show Notes About Dena Dena grew up with NLP in her life NLP is Neuro Linguistic Programming "You get to create your reality, what are you choosing consciously?" - Dena She became impacted by Tony Robbin's events, and decided to teach NLP NLP is about language and communication and things that are happening subconsciously 93% of communication happens at the unconscious level Neuro Linguistic Programming Perception is projection "If I have a belief about someone else, that is my projection of myself onto them" - Dena The big no-no in NLP is to say things like don't or not Say it the way you intend it What messages do you want to enforce when in an altered state? You want it to be positive "What is someone creating in their reality based on their unconscious communication?" - Dena It's important to take NLP and combine it with non-ordinary states because they are more powerful together than the sum of them separately The 'aha' moment happens because we have neural networks in every single cell in our body Resistance is always a sign of a breakthrough Virginia Satir is known for translating people's representational systems In the Hierarchy of Ideas, Virginia was all about 'chunking down' When someone says "I'm upset" then you ask "how specifically?" On the opposing side, Milton Erickson focuses on abstraction, chunking higher to get to trance Dena uses the Milton model of hypnosis to bring people into trance states NLP Training Dena offers NLP training that focuses on how we use communication tools to help people in non-ordinary states of consciousness It's so important to understand the 93% of communication that is happening at an unconscious level Timeline therapy is a process that utilizes the unconscious mind to get rid of negative emotions such as anger, sadness and guilt Every part of her training concludes with NLP coaching The Milton model and hypnosis is really beneficial when focusing on its delivery specifically Hypnosis is important because its using everyday words but with intention and volition to put people into a trance state We reduce resistance in communication when we move up in abstraction Links Website About Dena Justice As a master manifester, Dena has created a beautiful life for herself. She been financially responsible since age 15 including putting herself through college, two masters degrees and purchasing her own home in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has made over $1M in her life through a fulfilling career as a facilitator, educator, trainer, mentor and coach working with thousands of people across the country. She loved her career, yet hit a point where she felt empty. Near the top of her career ladder, she was a classic case of a high performer and leader hitting burnout. She chose a powerful pivot out of her J-O-B and into her own business. Now, she helps other high performers who have hit burnout and are scared to admit they've hit a plateau or a wall. She helps them get the eff out of their own way and move to the next level to increase their impact so they feel fulfilled and inspired again, as well as helping them create more wealth and the relationships they want in their lives. She helps people experience new levels of success, increase/improve focus and performance, abolish FOMO, evolve communication skills, develop transformational leadership skills, create amazing relationships, increase financial abundance and live life on their own terms. Use code PSYTODAY at Onnit for a discount on all products except fitness equipment Get a 30 day free audible trial at audibletrial.com/psychedelicstoday

In this episode, Kyle sits down with Raquel Bennett to recap on the KRIYA Conference. Kyle attended the conference, which is to bring people together with dedication to understanding the better use of Ketamine. 3 Key Points: The more recent KRIYA Conference was the last of its kind. The goal is to make information on ketamine more accessible to more people in the future. At KRIYA Institute, they believe that there is not one right way to use ketamine, different patients are best served by different treatment strategies. Intramuscular ketamine is usually 93% bioavailable, while nasal and lozenge based ketamine is usually only 40% bioavailable. The less variability the better when working with a powerful medicine for therapy. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Show Notes KRIYA KRIYA is an international conference focused on ketamine and its therapeutic potential The goal of KRIYA is to get people of all different ketamine backgrounds in the same room Different people benefit from different things, and different doses and methods matter There is a symbiotic relationship between therapeutic and spiritual practice of ketamine She wanted to create a place where researchers and clinicians could come together This last conference was the last one The conference is CME accredited, which means physicians can get units for their education Raquel picks people from different backgrounds, therapists who use low dose ketamine for therapy, to those who do full blown spiritual work with ketamine Ketamine is a relational medicine - which is about having a relationship with the substance Ketamine Therapy Ketamine Therapy Lessons Wisdom Teaching A Loving Relationship The Medicine The medicine is adjunct to the entire process, it's not just about the ketamine, it's about the relationships, the wisdom teaching, etc. And each are powerful on their own, and even more powerful when all combined When people are using ketamine in absence from the other components, people are not getting the full effect that they could "Ketamine when done correctly, when administered in the right setting, with the correct support, enhances resilience." - Raquel Therapy is an important mechanism to teach coping skills needed in psychotherapy Highlights of KRIYA When Raquel first started running this conference in 2015, the clinicians were afraid to even come, they were afraid to talk about Ketamine This past year, there were hundreds of applicants and so much excitement around talking about ketamine In 2014, a whole bunch of psychiatrists stood up and said they have been using ketamine for their patients and it worked A doctor talked about combining meditation with ketamine to heal substance use disorder When ketamine is offered in a structured context, its highly beneficial Another doctor talked about using ketamine to treat those who are acutely suicidal People who are severely psychiatrically distressed benefit from ketamine treatment Another doctor talked about combining ketamine with EMDR to treat patients with PTSD Bioavailability Raquel says she prefers intramuscular ketamine over lozenges It's the cheapest way of doing it Its super precise, you have a great control of the bioavailability of the ketamine to the patient With IM, 93% is bioavailable With nasal and lozenge ketamine, usually 40% makes it to the patient's brain, which is a huge range of variability when working with a powerful medicine Progression Clinicians are on the fence for prescribing for at home use A doctor talked about 4 different tiers of ketamine experiences related to dosage Other doctors talked about measurement tools of pre and post experience ways to take data when administering ketamine to patients There is a lot of ketamine use outside of the medical context The field is stuck in the question "Should ketamine be allowed to be used by people who aren't psychiatrically fragile?" Everything good that is going to come out of ketamine usage and assisted therapy, will come It's a slow process, but it is all moving forward Final Thoughts Raquel encourages people to are interested with using ketamine in therapy to get together regionally and learn from each other She is thinking about creating a video series, as well as a retreat for ketamine providers The KRIYA Conference is over, but the KRIYA Institute isn't going anywhere She is looking at ways to get the information out faster and to more people, than to limit it just to conference attendees Links Website About Raquel Bennett Dr. Bennett is a Post-Doctoral Fellow in Clinical Psychology (PSB 94022544), working under the supervision of Dr. Bravo. Dr. Bennett primarily works with people who are experiencing severe depression, who are on the bipolar spectrum, or who are contemplating suicide. She has been studying the therapeutic properties of

In today's episode, Joe sits down with Andy Frasco, a touring rock musician with the band, Andy Frasco and the UN. In the show, they cover what is it like to be a touring rock musician with drugs so available and how to live more healthfully in the space. 3 Key Points: Andy Frasco is a talented, touring music artist a part of the band, Andy Frasco and the UN, as well as a podcast show host. Andy uses psychedelics to help cope with the anxiety that the rock star lifestyle brings. Psychedelics open us up to the possibility that everything we know is wrong. Finding truth and clarity for some people is hard, and people resort to alcohol and other harmful behaviors to suppress the painful reality we live in. Cocaine and uppers only keep a rock star up for so long. It keeps you awake for the partying, but it suppresses all the stresses of the lifestyle. Psychedelics and meditation can help with the balance needed in a stressful, lifestyle of traveling and fame. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Show Notes Intro Joe attended a bunch of his live shows and was able to catch up with Andy in his hotel room while he was in town Life is tough for a traveling entertainer, so the healthier they are, the better they are to perform for their audience Andy Frasco's World Saving Podcast Micro-dosing Microdosing is typically 6 weeks on, two weeks off, dosing every 3 days 1/10-3/10ths of a gram (of mushrooms) is the typical microdose Once you feel it, it's more of a macro-dose Paul Stamets has made mushrooms popular Mushroom Evolution Mushrooms did not leave a mark on bone structure, so it's hard to tell if they actually made a difference in human evolution Drugs have been around for a long time, and people in the past have definitely used them There are studies of mushrooms helping to grow nerve cells and brain neurons back We are only 50-100 years in on science "(Psychedelics) open you up to the possibility that everything you know is wrong." -Terence McKenna Joe says he's been to a therapist a bunch of times, and he says he has enjoyed it Joe's main form of therapy has been Breathwork His most intense experiences have been just as powerful as his Ayahuasca experience About Andy Andy says he is open about taking psychedelics, he takes mushrooms, he doesn't really use cocaine He says he feels more anxious when he isn't taking them than when he is He says he gets really anxious on weed now as he gets older Psychedelics show us a lot of truths "We are all trying to figure out life, it's hard. Psychedelics help us create a better relationship with our mind." - Andy Andy says he has been anxious his whole life He has had very scary panic attacks He became addicted to sex as a crutch for his anxiety He woke up one day, and sex didn't give him the thrill anymore Andy started in the music industry because rock stars get the chicks Teen years are just about being super insecure about everything Shame is a huge influence on our relationships with other people "The majority of effects from drug use for people are good." - a quote from Carl Hart, a Psychology Professor who studies drug use Andy's first psychedelic experience was an 8th of mushrooms at 18 years old Rock Star Lifestyle Andy says he used to be really into coke because he just had to stay up for the shows But he says he doesn't take anything anymore that feels like speed He was coping his exhaustion with drugs and alcohol "When you're in a band you're the party for one day of the year in that city." - Andy Life for a rock star can't just be the 2 hour show, the trick is figuring out how to be mindful for the other 14 hours of the day after the party The lifestyle is really hard, its very common to use drugs, sex and alcohol to suppress it Humans were not designed for this Andy has begun using transcendental meditation to help with this lifestyle He also mentions having his first DMT experience recently Links Use code PSYTODAY at Onnit for discount on all products except fitness equipment Get a 30 day free trail at Audible About Andy Frasco Andy Frasco, a Los Angeles, CA native singer, songwriter, band maestro, entrepreneur, party starter and everyday hustler, tours with his band, "The U.N." The music has elements of Soul, Funk, Rock and Roots and the shows have been described as orchestrated chaos, an overall great time. Frasco average 200+ dates a year, touring the country dozens of times, creating a loyal following everywhere he goes.

In this episode, Kyle and Joe sit down to cover questions from listeners of the show. They discuss topics that include psychedelic use for exorcisms, cluster headaches, athletic performance, processing grief and more. 3 Key Points: There are a few examples where psychedelics are used to increase athletic performance. Psychedelics can also be used to help realign those who are using sports as a form of distraction from internalized issues. When eliminating variables for psilocybin consistency in mushrooms for therapeutic use, freeze drying helps. But there are so many variables in mushrooms versus synthesized psilocybin. When addressing the sustainability of the Toad, according to the data, there isn't a real difference between 5-MEO-DMT from a toad and synthesized 5-MEO-DMT Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Show Notes Kratom Warning Joe brings up an issue that was brought up to him by a physician from the Wholeness Center, Dr. Craig Heacock, out of Fort Collins, CO Dr. Heacock warns about Kratom It is safer than opioids, but it can be physically addictive and getting off of it can be horrible Kratom withdrawal closely imitates opioid withdrawal The receptor site activity is the same as opioid pills Using Psychedelics for an Exorcism Kyle thinks of shamanic uses for plant medicines, and with the idea of purging and spiritual emergence, working in non-ordinary states can exacerbate these states and maybe help with this kind of work Joe and Kyle go into writings from Stan Grof, explaining the physical appearance of those going through LSD psychotherapy or breathwork, and how it assimilates to an 'exorcism' of releasing the bad The purging during a psychedelic experience may feel evil, or alien Joe and Kyle say, do not perform an exorcism, leave it to the trained people Treating Cluster Headaches with Psychedelics Cluster Busters is an organization for the research on cluster headaches LSD works for some as well as oxygen treatments work for others We know a lot more about migraines than cluster headaches The migraine is where neurons in the brain start misfiring and create a firing storm How can Psilocybin Mushrooms be Standardized in Production for Therapeutic Use? Joe says the practical solution is to have a really large amount of psilocybe cubensis, all blended up, and then split in even doses There are potency differences between species, strains, etc There are so many variances with mushrooms versus synthetic psilocybin Freeze drying also promotes close to 0% loss of psilocybin when drying mushrooms Psychedelics and Athletic Performance There may be psychological blocks that are getting in the way of a person reaching the peak performance of their genome It could be trauma, or psychological blocks Athletic performance could be a distraction from what you're really here to do Athletes have a lot of dysfunctional behavior Psychedelics may show us our bad behavior and help us align Kyle says he had this passion to snowboard and dedicate his life to snowboarding, and then he received a message in journeywork that told him snowboarding is simply a hobby and he needs to focus his life on other things "Sports are a great way to cover up our emotions" - Joe Kyle mentions tow other episodes that cover similar topics Ben Eddy Shane Lemaster How to get the Ball Rolling on Psychedelic Liberty Start a club Joe says he's been incubating a Psychedelic Club in Phoenix Clubs are great for harm reduction Is There a Humane or Conservative Way to Harvest the Toad Without Disrupting its Habitat? Joe says yes, roadkill, pick them up off the road If you touch a living one, there is a chance you'll be doing harm Even touching the toad can transmit harmful fungus to them According to the data, there isn't a real difference between 5-MEO-DMT from a toad and synthesized 5-MEO-DMT How Psychedelics Might help with Processing Grief Kyle says when he thinks about grief, he thinks about trauma Psychedelics may be really beneficial when treating trauma Kyle says he loves breathwork, because it creates the container to process things and even just simply cry Kyle recommends a really great book on grieving, The Smell of Rain on Dust: Grief and Praise by Martin Prechtel Our culture does not contain grief very well A lot of people internalize it instead of breaking down and letting it go Links Use code PSYTODAY at Onnit for discount on all products except fitness equipment Get a 30 day free trail at Audible About Kyle Kyle's interest in exploring non-ordinary states of consciousness began when he was 16-years-old when he suffered a traumatic snowboarding accident. Waking up after having a near-death experience changed Kyle's life. Since then, Kyle has earned his B.A. in Transpersonal Psychology, where he studied the healing potential of non-ordinary states of

In this episode, Kyle sits down with Jac Harrison, a grammy nominated music producer. Kyle and Jac talk about music as therapy, how DMT mimics the near death experience, and how Jac produces music based on frequencies of mystical experiences. 3 Key Points: Jac shares his story about his near death experience, and how DMT has been a therapeutic option for him to cope with his crippling anxiety and PTSD. Jac is a music producer, who uses frequencies from mystical experiences to produce music. His music helps people with addiction, sleep issues, anxiety, and more. Music is not an FDA approved medicine, but if there is music that tricks your mind into thinking you have taken a medicine, then it should be an option for those suffering. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Show Notes About Jac In 2008, Jac was newly married with a baby on the way He needed a new job, and accepted one with Whole Foods Magazine Around 2011, the owner of the company became ill, and gave his company to his daughter, who was awful Jac said that he knew something had to change He started his music career, went under a lot of stress, and went through a divorce Everything started to go okay with his music career, money was pouring in His first album was Musicians Collection Project He had a ton of anxiety after the divorce, and had high blood pressure He took some cold medicine, on top of his blood pressure medicine, totally forgot about it, then decided to have a glass of wine with a friend The next thing he knew, he was in an ambulance getting his chest pounded on They told him he was in and out all night, and practically died After this near death experience, he felt amazing! But the feeling of greatness only lasted about 3 weeks, and then his anxiety came back, and it was crippling A Synchronistic Event Jac says he doesn't believe in magic or witchcraft or any woo woo For his 39th birthday, he was working a trade show He ran around his hotel in Las Vegas, screaming that he felt he was going to die He didn't know how, but he could feel it Everyone thought he was crazy Moments later, was the shooting right outside of his hotel It was the Las Vegas shooting He does believe in coincidence He had this overwhelming feeling that something bad was going to happen, it was his intuition Understanding the Experience After trying to figure out what this all meant, he took a 2000mg bar of chocolate to blast off, trying to relive his near death experience He said, there was a lot of frequency, and as a musician, he felt like he could mimic it His first album, and first song on the album, Relief, was about his experience when he died His music is found at MindToyBox Each song he did after that, catalogs the DMT experience he had "An old projector TV, I had one for a while, it was great. The light came on and told me I needed to change the bulb. I changed the bulb and saw in a new and clear way forever. That's what DMT is like." - Jac Kyle says that when he attended COSM for the DMT Spirit Molecule release party, Rick Strassman was there and said that the idea that DMT comes out of the pineal gland is just a hypothesis, and people took it and ran with it as truth Frequency for Healing After he smoked DMT, he heard this humming, and so he started humming and recording it as a frequency for the album He took opium, and then figured out the frequency that substance performs at He wrote music, based on the mathematical equation on how opium works and releases He says it has helped others detox off of opium Jac cant take mushrooms because he is allergic, so he takes DMT Jac worked with a man who had gone through a ton of trauma, he had gone through combat He kept reliving his combat trauma when he would try to go asleep He smoked DMT, and really relived the experience, and was able to let go of it after that "Your mind is a bitch." - Jac "If you can lock onto a memory, and dissociate it with something, and re-associate it with something else, Every time you can go back to that memory,you can relive it in a way that it's tolerable, and get over it." - Jac Jac says without this, he would not be able to function, and he would be institutionalized Jac's music is Alex Grey's form of art creation It is made to go with journeywork experiences It is supposed to mimic taking a pill, so you don't need to take the actual pill It is supposed to guide people when taking different psychedelics His tracks match the frequency of specific psychedelics Malta Hypogeum The Malta Hypogeum, the oracle chamber, is a cave with naturally occurring frequencies Raymond Reif is an underestimated person in history He beat cancer using frequencies in the 30's and 40's "If we're not going to someone to get drugs for something that we need drugs for, and solving our problems using plant based medicines, mus

In this episode, Kyle and Joe sit down to explore psychedelic integration. They cover different frameworks, resources and benefits of integration and coaching services. 3 Key Points: Integration is commonly confused as post-session only, but it includes pre-session, self care, and really begins at the point you decide to engage in self-work. It is important to remember the GPA framework when determining where you are at in the integration process, G - grounding, P - processing, A - action. Psychedelics Today offers many resources to assist with the integration process; Navigating Psychedelics Online Course (and Live Course), Coaching and Integration Calls, and books, Trip Journal and Integration Workbook. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Show Notes Updates Kyle will be attending the ACISTE Conference this November He is speaking and doing a breakout session with Michelle Hobart Kyle is going to present on using technology for support with spiritual emergence Kyle and Joe will not be offering any major workshops until spring. They will be attending a conference in Exeter UK - Psychedelics and Philosophy Psychedelic Integration Kyle says his near death experience shows up in his life everyday Integration is not only post session, it is also pre-session Integration, at its root means bringing parts together into wholeness Joe says you don't need support to do integration, although it is helpful Kyle's analogy of a psychedelic experience as a big hallway with a lot of doors, and a ton of magical stuff, even scary monsters, are coming through the doors and wandering through the halls The goal is to realize and say "this is a part of me" and learn to be okay with all of the stuff in the hall Self care works until it doesn't, and that is when integration comes in Integration Framework Kyle uses a framework and asks, what is your GPA? G - grounding, post session, how are we getting re-connected to ourselves? P - processing, once energy feels stable and centered, how can we process the material? It could mean journaling, therapy, body or somatic work, breathwork, yoga, etc. A - action, moving it forward, breaking the leanings down into goals of things to work on Kyle says that these things do not need to be done in order necessarily, but its a good framework to check in after an experience and see where you're at Joe reminds listeners of 'pre-hab', that preparation can make a world of a difference and weigh a lot more than post work in a lot of cases "Life is integration, call your mom, pay your rent." - Joe Joe mentions the quote that "the opposite of addiction is connection" Climate change can bring up a lot of existential dread, the connection piece, and other topics can be addressed with psychedelic integration Resources The Psychedelics Today, Navigating Psychedelics Course is a great way to learn more about integration We offer two books, the Trip Journal and the Integration Workbook We also offer Psychedelic Integration coaching calls and services You don't need an integration coach all the time, but for someone to just be there helps If you have a retreat planned, integration and coaching can really help mitigate the risks Integration within the psychedelic community is somewhat understood Kyle says he gets tons of emails asking for medicine sessions Psychedelic Integration and coaching services do not include medicine or guiding or providing of medicine, its simply pre and post session guidance Psychedelics Today does not suggest underground or illegal psychedelic sessions/therapy and makes a significant effort to be ignorant of underground work, there are legal options to choose from Links Psychedelics Today About Kyle Kyle's interest in exploring non-ordinary states of consciousness began when he was 16-years-old when he suffered a traumatic snowboarding accident. Waking up after having a near-death experience changed Kyle's life. Since then, Kyle has earned his B.A. in Transpersonal Psychology, where he studied the healing potential of non-ordinary states of consciousness by exploring shamanism, plant medicine, Holotropic Breathwork, and the roots/benefits of psychedelic psychotherapy. Kyle has co-taught two college-level courses. One of the courses Kyle created as a capstone project, "Stanislav Grof's Psychology of Extraordinary Experiences," and the other one which he co-created, "The History of Psychedelics." Kyle completed his M.S. in clinical mental health counseling with an emphasis in somatic psychology. Kyle's clinical background in mental health consists of working with at-risk teenagers in crisis and with individuals experiencing an early-episode of psychosis. Kyle also facilitates Transpersonal Breathwork workshops. About Joe Joe studied philosophy in New Hampshire, where he earned his B.A.. After stumbling upo

In this episode, Joe and Kyle sit down to cover highlights from the Horizons Conference. In the show, they discuss the presentations and topics they heard at the conference. 3 Key Points: Joe and Kyle attended Horizons: Perspectives on Psychedelics Conference in NYC, it is a forum that examines the role of psychedelic drugs and plant medicines in science, medicine, culture and spirituality. Carl Hart gave a compelling talk; Dispelling the Lies that the Psychedelic Community believes about Drugs. Greater than 80% of the effects of drugs used are positive. Another popular topic was on the economics around psychedelics, and discussion on companies trying to monopolize on psychedelics. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Show Notes Horizons Kyle mentions he loves to attend because it's a great social event to connect with others interested or involved in the psychedelic field Kyle says the videos of the talks from the conference will be released soon They presented neuro-imaging data 5-MEO-DMT Dr. Alan Davis did a talk on 5-MEO-DMT and its challenges People have a hard time letting go into the experience because its so fast and overwhelming He talked about a term, reactivation, similar to flashbacks that happen between 1-2 weeks after the experience People were reporting it as positive experiences, 80% of people enjoyed the reactivations He did say that there were some bad players in the 5-MEO-DMT space There is no control in the dosing in underground facilitation A lot of people eyeball their dosage in 5-MEO-DMT Joe suggests to buy a milligram scale Carl Hart Carl Hart did a talk; Dispelling the Lies that the Psychedelic Community believes about drugs Greater than 80% of the effects of drugs used are positive PCP is a psychedelic drug, but the psychedelic community chooses not to own it Ketamine was derived from PCP Hamilton Morris said that no drug is bad, it comes down to the dose and how its being used Poison can be a medicine, and medicine can be a poison, it all depends on dose No drug should be illegal, drug scheduling should just go away Some states are starting to ban private prisons Joe says the drug war is the war on race, the war on class, etc Joe suggests looking up the Portugal drug law; less overdoses, less HIV, less incarceration, etc Kyle mentions that in some cultures they would drink alcohol to get into a trance state and dance around all night and then chill for 3 days afterward because they would all be recovering from the hangover Talks and Topics Shelby and Madison, co founders from Doubleblind Magazine did a talk Fiona Misham did a talk on the use of psychedelics for festivals and fun She talked about having on-site drug testing facilities and how they heighten safety In 2018 in Europe the MDMA contents were tested at 168milligrams 1 in 5 substances are mis-sold 1 in 20 MDMA samples were long lasting N-ethylpentylone, a drug that keeps you up for 3 days straight There was also an Economics panel Kyle says it was a heavy and hot debate There was a lot of conversation on companies making money on psychedelics There was worry from some on Compass Pathways monopolizing on psychedelics Kyle says big and fast growth can be dangerous for mental health It's possible that these companies will just push for results to pay off the investment than to really take the time to have slow meaningful sessions and include the therapeutic model When therapists have more congruence with their client, they get better results Links Website About Kyle Kyle's interest in exploring non-ordinary states of consciousness began when he was 16-years-old when he suffered a traumatic snowboarding accident. Waking up after having a near-death experience changed Kyle's life. Since then, Kyle has earned his B.A. in Transpersonal Psychology, where he studied the healing potential of non-ordinary states of consciousness by exploring shamanism, plant medicine, Holotropic Breathwork, and the roots/benefits of psychedelic psychotherapy. Kyle has co-taught two college-level courses. One of the courses Kyle created as a capstone project, "Stanislav Grof's Psychology of Extraordinary Experiences," and the other one which he co-created, "The History of Psychedelics." Kyle completed his M.S. in clinical mental health counseling with an emphasis in somatic psychology. Kyle's clinical background in mental health consists of working with at-risk teenagers in crisis and with individuals experiencing an early-episode of psychosis. Kyle also facilitates Transpersonal Breathwork workshops. About Joe Joe studied philosophy in New Hampshire, where he earned his B.A.. After stumbling upon the work of Stanislav Grof during his undergraduate years, Joe began participating in Holotropic Breathwork workshops in Vermont in 2003. Joe helped facilitate Holotropic and Tr

In this episode, Joe interviews Cody Swift from the Riverstyx Foundation. In the show, they talk about Peyote and the troubles for Native Americans and their church not having access and preservation of Peyote. 3 Key Points: RiverStyx is a small family foundation that funds projects that demonstrate the potential for healing and beauty. RiverStyx has funded the preservation of land to protect the sacred Peyote plant. The Portugal Model shows that decriminalization works. Portugal faced unprecedented overdoses and drug abuse, typically with heroine, and when they turned to decriminalization and treatment, overdoses and incarceration dropped significantly to almost none. The Native American churches have held onto their ceremonial practices very tightly, and they struggle to find legal and sustainable access to Peyote, their sacred plant medicine. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Show Notes About Cody and RiverStyx Foundation RiverStyx is a small family foundation Cody's grandfather was the CEO of UPS, and before his grandmother passed, she put a large share of the stock into a small family foundation Cody and his father took their quarter of the Foundation and created RiverStyx "How do you use a million and a half dollars a year for remarkable good?" - Cody He fell into philanthropy along with the burden/blessing of making decisions to change the world with a lot of money He started LEAD (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion) It is a program that aims to help those struggling with addiction rather than punishing them with prison time The Portugal Model In the early 2000's, Eric Schlosser's book, Reefer Madness Reefer Madness: Sex, Drugs, and Cheap Labor in the American Black Market eluded to Portugal having decriminalized all drugs Portugal faced unprecedented overdoses and drug abuse, typically with heroine They realized that they couldn't arrest their country out of the drug addiction problem, so they turned to decriminalization and treatment They de-stigmatized treatment and drug users didn't have to feel ashamed and use drugs in the shadows This lowered HIV rates to almost nothing It was highly successful "Not everyone needs drugs, but not everyone should be at risk to go to jail if they get caught with them." - Joe Joe encourages psychedelically inclined folks to look deeper into harm reduction and drug decriminalization "Let's provide these people safe access to a clean supply where they can stabilize again" - Cody Joe mentions a book by Jeremy Narby, Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge, Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge The drug war is causing danger to the plants Cody says, if cane syrup was made illegal because it is killing people, we wouldn't ban the growth of corn, because it is sacred and used for so many other things "Jail is one of the biggest problems for mushroom users" - Joe Joe mentions that he was a little frustrated that Michael Pollan was able to take mushrooms and not go to jail, but the average person could go to jail Cody says that he highly respects Michael Pollan and what he has done for the psychedelic revolution, and that he thinks that Pollan wouldn't want anyone to go to jail for this People like Michael Pollan and Tim Ferriss have done a tremendous job securing funding for Psychedelic Research Peyote Native American people had always been close to Cody's heart As a philanthropist, he didn't know where to begin There is a myriad of problems facing Native American communities About 5 years ago, it just came into consciousness He got connected to Sandor of the Native American church He learned about ceremony and it became absolutely clear that he had to be a part of it It was an unclear path on how to support the community in the beginning, there was no 501C-3, there were no other philanthropists, the community is so large "How to support them in the continuance and empowerment of their using of a highly potent and healing substance to treat communities that have suffered so much, that was the key question" - Cody Looking at the threat and endangerment of the Peyote plant was the most important part of securing the preservation of this sacred plant Synthetic Mescaline is difficult to access and expensive Ceremony It's hard to track the ancient original threats to the traditions The Native American churches have held onto the ceremonial practices very tightly It's important that white people don't just come in and tweak the ceremony The average life expectancy for Native Americans is only in their 50s They have gone through so much suffering, and they are very awake, sensitive people that are holding this culture and practice close to them Alcoholism is one of the largest problems in Native American communities, and Peyote has shown to be a highly tangible benefit and cure

In this episode, Joe sits down with Jordan and Lou from Mycology Now, a company that makes and sells spore syringes for microscopy use. In the show, they talk about the start of Mycology Now, the culture change caused by psychedelics, and personal stories on how psychedelics changed their lives. 3 Key Points: Mycology Now is a company that produces premium spores for microscopy use. The goal is to spread knowledge about mycology, one spore at a time. We are living in an age of information that has never been experienced before, people have the tools to break the stigma on their own just by educating themselves. Psychedelics are becoming a culture change agent, more and more people are becoming accepting of psychedelics, and psychedelics are helping people come together to create positive change. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Show Notes Mycology Now Jordan and Lou are co-owners and creators of Mycology Now The company runs out of Florida Mycology Now is a company that sells spores for microscopy They have two locations in Denver The mission of the company is to spread spores and knowledge Lou shares how his interest in mycology began He says it began with his struggle with depression and suicidal tendencies Psilocybin had ended up being the only thing that helped with the struggle, the depression was completely erased Jordan shares his story His mother was in a relationship when he was about 10 years old with an abusive man This man abused narcotics, opioids He was abusive mentally, physically and emotionally He grew up being convinced that he wasn't worthy of love, and he blamed himself About 2 years ago, he discovered mushrooms, and was able to go into the painful parts of his childhood and forgive himself and heal from his trauma "Although negative things did happen to me, and to my family, I was not the cause of it, and I should not have to carry that around with me." - Jordan He wants to do everything in his power to bring that to the rest of the world Shattering the Stigma One thing that they have noticed about the younger generation is that they are way more open and have way more acceptance of psychedelics and an interest in self care and mental health "We are living in an age of information that has never been experienced before, people have the tools to break the stigma on their own just by educating themselves." - Jordan Joe mentions that in Colorado, psychedelics are a bit normalized to have conversation about In Florida, the median age is 55, so there is more of a challenge because people that age grew up in the taboo time of psychedelics The start of Mycology Now It organically grew into a website Lou says it was an entity that grew on its own Joe predicts that in 2020, we are about to see the Psilocybin movement really take off Joe brings up the Paul Stamets Stack, which is Cubensis, Lions Mane and Niacin There are testimonials about auditory changes that you can measure, you can increase your ability to hear frequencies They bring up an example of a deaf man being able to hear the waves of the ocean for the first time after practicing the Stamet's stack Psychedelics as a Culture Change agent Some people say its the worst time in history, and other people say this is the best time in history There is a hunger of more digestible ways of receiving information Psychedelics can help us understand the impermanence of things Lou brings up that Paul Staments and Dennis McKenna were the catalysts to his understanding of mycology Jordan says that his inspiration and influence came from people at music festivals People are very open and authentic when on psychedelics Meeting real people with real lives who had profound change in their lives because of psychedelics are his major sources of inspiration Psilocybin for Cancer and Depression Lou's sister was diagnosed with Metastatic breast cancer with a double mastectomy and was diagnosed with depression afterward After talking about the health benefits, she took psilocybin, and laid down and disconnected with her body Afterward, she was able to come out of it and talk about her ease with death The experience felt like death itself, and having felt what death might feel like, she no longer experiences depression about her cancer Final Fun Fact Johns Hopkins psilocybin study on smoking cessation 80% of people were abstinent from smoking cigarettes on a 6 month followup Those people smoked an average of 19 cigarettes per day for an average of 31 years of their life Links Website Instagram About Mycology Now Mycology Now is a humble small business dedicated to spreading awareness. They are a company that makes and sells spore syringes for microscopy use. Their Mushroom Spore prints and syringes speak for themselves; always having a heavy spore count.

In this episode, Kyle joins in conversation with Dr. Daniela Peluso, Cultural Anthropologist and Associate Director at Chacruna. In the show, they discuss guidelines for the awareness of against sexual abuse in Ayahuasca ceremony. 3 Key Points: Ayahuasca settings bring together shamans and participants, and with the increasing occurrence of such encounters, there is an alarming rate of incidences where shamans make sexual advances toward participants during or following ceremonies. Ayahuasca is a commonly used substance for seducing participants looking for healing, whom then return from their retreats needing additional healing from sexual abuse. This guideline reviews some of the key behaviors to look out for and ways to prepare before attending an Ayahuasca retreat to avoid and protect oneself against sexual abuse. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Show Notes Daniela Daniela has a PhD in Anthropology She was living with Indinenous people in Amazonia She conducted field work in the Amazonian regions of Peru over the last two decades, particularly Ese Eja She is on the board of Directors at Chacruna's Institute for sexual abuse She wrote an article on Ayahuasca and was noticed Guidelines There was an initiative that made a guideline for doing Ayahuasca but it was held back because there are so many different ways ceremony can be performed and it wasn't accurate Drinking with friends is wise Drinking with experienced women or a couple is another wise move Abuse mainly happens to women but it does happen to men as well There is a higher chance for a person to speak up when they have someone they know and trust there with them Ayahuasca tourism is why sexual abuse is such a problem When someone doesn't know that touch is out of the norm in ceremony, they might accept it because they were never informed that it's wrong They may think that being touched sexually is just a part of the ceremony, and it's not AyaAdvisors and Tripadvisor are both decent resources for reviews on Ayahuasca centers/ceremonial retreats Unless something goes terribly wrong, you will usually get good reviews Places also change over time It's not necessary for healers to touch intimate parts of your body or any area to which you do not consent There are forms of healing where the body is touched, so it's important for the person to make known what is okay and not okay from the start Curaciones, Sopladas and Limpiezas do not require you to remove your clothes If a shaman removes clothing, that may be a warning sign because that is not a part of tradition Look out for warning signs that a healers intentions with you might be sexual When healers start to talk about how they aren't married or that they can give you 'special treatment' or that sexual or 'love magic' is necessary for healing, that is a warning sign Use common sense and draw the line immediately if anything sexual comes up Sexual Intercourse between healer and patient during ceremonies or directly after the ceremony is not acceptable in Ayahuasca tradition Sexual intercourse with a healer does not give you special power or energy Consider cultural differences and local behavioral norms when interacting with native healers, letting go of ethnocentrism Having an understanding of what is culturally normal is important Consider cultural differences and local clothing customs Protect your personal space, physically and spiritually Each person has a right to know their body and know what feels right and wrong to them No means no Be wary if healers offer psychoactive substances other than those used during ceremonies He is a Shaman, not a Saint! There is a lot more "I am a Shaman" these days, where it used to be more of "I am not a Shaman" Ayahuasca tourism definitely romanticized what being a Shaman really is If violation occurs, get support People should speak up as quickly as they are able to, vocally or physically "There is no need to suffer in silence" - Daniela Beware of what might appear to be consensual sex It has a lot to do with having the same form of communication, trust, and power dynamics Beware of getting romantically involved If you are aware of or witness sexual abuse, speak up Final Thoughts "Individuals have to accept that Ayahuasca has become a business and an industry as much as it is a spiritual practice, and that it includes the trappings of capitalism like exploitation and inequality." - Daniela Links Website Chacruna.net Email: [email protected] About Daniela Peluso, PhD Daniela Peluso is a cultural anthropologist whose current research focuses on indigenous Amazonian communities. She has worked over the last two decades in Lowland South America, mostly with communities in in the Peruvian and Bolivian Amazon. She is actively involved in various local efforts on issues relating

In this episode, Kyle interviews Laura Northrup, Marriage and Relationship Somatic Psychotherapist and creator of the podcast, Inside Eyes; an audio series about people using psychedelics to heal from sexual trauma. www.psychedelicstoday.com

In this episode, Kyle and Joe interview Ben Sessa, a Consultant Psychiatrist. Ben comes on the show to talk about preliminary results from the first ever, MDMA assisted therapy for alcohol use disorder (AUD). 3 Key Points: Ben Sessa plays a role in leading the current MDMA assisted therapy study for alcohol use disorder, and shares preliminary results. In the current stage, out of the first 12 patients, 2 have turned back to drinking, 5 have stayed completely dry and another 5 who have had a drink or two but have not relapsed back to their typical levels of consumption. Most people with a long term substance addiction have a history of trauma. MDMA can help people feel safe, in order to work through and heal trauma. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Trip Journal Integration Workbook Show Notes Preliminary Results They had 13 people in the study, and they took data on 4 people The first caveat in these results is that there was no blinding and no placebo in this study There is no way to tell that it was solely the drug that resulted in the effects In terms of tolerability, everyone preferred it to other treatment, there were no bad reactions to the MDMA, there were no negative reactions, it was a total success in terms of tolerability In the current stage, out of the first 12 patients, 2 have turned back to drinking, 5 have stayed completely dry and another 5 who have had a drink or two but have not relapsed back to their typical levels of consumption They did a similar study previous to this one except without the MDMA and they had 11 patients, 9 of them went back to their full level of consumption They chose alcohol use disorder because it's so difficult to treat All patients are recruits from local drug and alcohol services Ben picks them up after they have detoxed, after they have been cured of the physical dependence, but when they have yet to be cured of the psychological dependence They receive 2 dosing days within their 8 week therapy (usually weeks 3 and 6) They do 125mg and then half that size dose 2 hours later, which sustains the high Ben mentions that recruitment is difficult, a lot of people have a drinking problem, but they can't have patients that are depressed, suicidal, pregnant, epileptic, etc. Future for the Study Up until next March, they are continuing to take in new patients for the study to have more data The next step is to have a randomized control study This current study is sponsored by Imperial College of London It's not a MAPS sponsored study, it's the first non MAPS, MDMA study The main papers, with all the data are over a year and a half away from publishing Addiction and Trauma "MDMA addiction is as rare as a hen with teeth." - Ben "Most people with a long term substance addiction have a history of trauma." - Ben Trauma and PTSD is highly treatment resistant There are certain drugs that inhibit fear response, such as alcohol, heroin, etc They make you forget the pain but you can't work with them and do therapy with them, with MDMA you can MDMA can help people feel safe, in order to work through and heal trauma "We are all the products of our attachment relationships." - Ben Breaking Convention This past year was the 5th one There were 1300 attendees from all over the world What's wonderful about Breaking Convention is how multidisciplinary it is There's the guy in the gray suit in one room talking about high level neuroscience and a hippie with dreads in the other room talking about the spirits that live in the Salvia leaves Ben says they work really hard to make that balance work There's a lot of debate and conflict in the psychedelic movement right now, Breaking Convention is very important for creating space for this debate Looking ahead Ben is looking into opening a clinic He mentions academia is not his area of study, he is a clinician, but this research is an excuse to treat patients Links Breaking Convention About Ben Sessa Ben Sessa is a consultant psychiatrist in adult addictions, working part-time at Addaction in Weston-Super-Mare and is senior research fellow at Bristol, Cardiff and Imperial College London Universities, where he is currently taking time off clinical medical practice to study towards a PhD in MDMA Psychotherapy. He has specialist training as a child and adolescent psychiatrist and is interested in the developmental trajectory from child maltreatment to adult mental health disorders. Dr Sessa's joint interests in psychotherapy, pharmacology and trauma have lead him towards researching the subject of drug-assisted psychotherapy using psychedelic adjuncts. He is the author of two books exploring psychedelic medicine; The Psychedelic Renaissance (2012) and To Fathom Hell or Soar Angelic (2015) and is currently conducting research with Imperial College London and Cardiff u

In this episode, Joe and Kyle interview Rachel Anderson and James Franzo, founders of the EDELIC Center for Ethnobotanicals. In the show, they talk about the benefits of creating a healing practice using botanicals such as Kratom and the need to decriminalize all plants. 3 Key Points: EDELIC is a non-profit in Eugene, Oregon that began as a public lending library that has grown to a community of information, events, and conservatory of psychoactive botanicals. Kratom can sometimes get a bad rep, commonly thought of as an opioid. But Kratom is not an opioid, it just affects the opioid receptors in the brain, respiration never changes, and it's actually in the same category as the coffee family, so it gives a boost of energy. There is not an economic incentive that puts the botanical research on the same level as synthetic research. At EDELIC, the goal is to create scientific evidence that validates citizen-led research, authentic scientific information, and create a scientifically valid, open science and praxis oriented, non-commodified access pathway, to and from the direct human & botanicals/fungi relationship while protecting the bounty emerging from therein. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Show Notes EDELIC EDELIC is a non-profit in Eugene Oregon that has been operating for 4 years They started as a public lending library They put on a weekly discussion group and host events What started as a library, grew to a conservatory to protect plants, and now includes research Conservatory They have 15-16 psychoactive species, such as Salvia, Kratom, San-Pedro, etc. Volunteers are able to help out in the garden They are interested in growing the conservatory to have different climates that cater to each individual plant Events They have done both a CBD event and Kratom event, and have brought the plants from the conservatory The events that they have been holding are based on community desire for more information on those plants Kratom Kratom has the potential to prevent deaths in the opioid crisis with less initial stigma than ibogaine, psilocybin, etc The symptoms of withdrawal from Kratom are similar to withdrawal from coffee Kratom is a plant and the benefits can be harnessed along with a practice when habits are formed, a person doesn't need to have a dependency on the Kratom Kyle mentions that creating a practice is a foreign concept to some people, they think their healing comes solely from the substance and not the practice The best way to take it is in tea form, and let all the intelligence centers of the body take the medicine in James says he hears news and TED Talks on Kratom tinctures and extracts, and he thinks that leans Kratom toward that abusive behavior again Using it continuously and re-upping on the go makes it less of a practice "In all cases, were encouraging folks to focus on the whole botanical, letting the intelligence of the body to form the relationship with the plant will keep you safer than going in the other direction" - James The goal is to use the Kratom to take away the pain to a point where the individual has more energy and to say, "what can I do to improve my health in this moment?" That may look less like taking 100% of the pain away and taking it away just enough to have the energy to create a practice of healing without the reliance on another substance Its generally safe, it has a predictable response in individuals, and it is legal Kratom is not an opioid, it just effects the opioid receptors in the brain, respiration never changes, and its in the same category as the coffee family, so it gives a boost of energy "Botanicals, integration practice, and realizing our internal intelligence centers can really influence and inform our decision making process" - James Kratom can be tested, and there are industry standards similar to how cannabis is tested Kratom is highly unregulated and you are taking a risk when not testing it for quality Decriminalize Nature In 1994, the World Trade Organization introduced this piece of legislation that says in US Patent Law, minor scientific alterations to natural botanical plants can be patented Patent law protects scientific adaptations to botanicals, and therefore, the US claimed that third world countries owe us royalties for agricultural products In Canada, they said to patent an indigenous plant is to steal from the third world country, and i n that case, the US owes other countries over 300 million and in pharmaceuticals, billions That is why in the US, there is an urge to make money on synthetic versions of these plants There is not an economic incentive that puts the botanical research on the same level as the synthetic research The WTO does not recognize technology or innovations by farmers, artisans or grassroots innovators that happen in a grassro

In this episode, Joe interviews Tep, a chemical engineer and educated, psychedelic enthusiast. They dive into rich conversation regarding drug use education and creating a cohesive meaning among recreational, medical and therapeutic substance use. 3 Key Points: There is a disconnect between drug education and drug use. There are a lot of people who use drugs, but not a lot of people who are educated on how to use them. There is a huge advantage of isolating the property of the drug when using them for therapy. For example, using isolated psilocybin vs mushrooms. Learning on site at festivals and music events may not be super successful, drug education and harm reduction may look more like preparation. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Trip Journal Integration Workbook Show Notes About Tep Tep listens to all sorts of music, whether that's rave style with lights, or jam bands, or a music festival with camping, or even rap and jazz There is a whole spectrum of drug use in the music environment She points out that some people are very mindful of what and how much they are taking, and other people are just taking anything they can find, and sometimes a lot or too much She started to talk to people at festivals and realized that people really didn't know about the benefits and power of psychedelics There definitely is a place for harm reduction education at festivals Drug Use Assistance Groups Joe brings up the Zendo project and other initiatives that help people who are having a difficult drug experience to walk them out of it Some festival 'families' go around and have missions to hydrate people or make sure people are having a good time They aren't staff or paid to do it or anything but they do it for the good of the whole Vision Learning on site may not be super successful, most festival goers have an agenda for adventure and music and not for learning at a booth or speaker Drug education and harm reduction may look more like preparation Tep mentions Diplo doesn't allow any drug use at his shows, alcohol is the only allowed substance Tep thinks that he probably doesn't know that alcohol is far worse than psychedelics and other drugs Theraputic Use When someone goes and has a vacation, they have certain chemicals released in their mind, it is still therapeutic, even if it's not a psychedelic experience "Not only can psychedelics be fun, they can also be therapeutic." - Tep Tep started going to camping style festivals and started hanging out with a crowd of people 10 years older than her, where their drug use was mature and mindful and safe Then when she would hang around her younger friend group again, she realized how unsafe and unmindful their drug use was It led her to be more active in wanting to educate everyone on how to use drugs properly Exotic Compounds Shulgin's magical half dozen includes 2CB, 2CT2, and others Tep mentions preference of truffles over mushrooms Her and Joe bring up the decrease in potency of most drugs with exposure to moisture and time and other variables Compound Isolation There is a huge advantage of isolating the property of the drug when using them for therapy For example, using isolated psilocybin vs mushrooms The therapy is just as important as the substance There is a way to find information in this community without getting a degree in it About Tep Tep is a chemical engineer who had an interest in modern psychedelic research. She is passionate about the EDM and music culture and finding new ways to educate drug users on harm reduction and drug use education.

In this unique episode, Dr. Peter Sjöstedt-H joins together in conversation with Dr. Andrew Gallimore, Author of Alien Information Theory: Psychedelic Drug Technologies and the Cosmic Game. In the show, these two Englishmen discuss Peter's critique of Dr. Gallimore's recent book. 3 Key Points: Dr. Andrew Gallimore's recent book, Alien Information Theory: Psychedelic Drug Technologies and the Cosmic Game, explains how DMT provides the secret to the very structure of our reality. Based on a recently published review of Andrew's book, Dr. Peter Sjöstedt-H sifts through and confronts Andrew's idea that DMT allows one access to, and existence in a hyperspatial world. They discuss Peter's critique, covering topics on information, consciousness, dimensions, dreams and theory. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Trip Journal Integration Workbook Show Notes Peter's review on Alien Information Theory Peter mentions 3 'problems' The first problem is a critique on what information is The second point regards consciousness The third point talks about dimensions and theories Information The first problem Peter states says that the originality of the work pushes the ideas further toward art and further away from truth Andrew says he is a fan of making things a work of art, and he says at the start of the book that it isn't something scientific In philosophy it's called speculative metaphysics "It's cliche isn't it, that science fiction eventually becomes science fact." - Peter Minkowski Space Time, the theory that Einstein supports, HG Wells wrote about a half a century before Minkowski wrote about it Peter says that a person could be defined by a set of numbers, weight, height, age, etc. Andrew says that the information is the electron, and how it interacts with other information How do we know that there is not more to anything than that which we can know about it? How matter creates/is mind is a mystery Consciousness Peter asks, 'does information at a high level produce subjectivity?' Andrew says consciousness is fundamental Panpsychism holds a distinction between an aggregate and a hold-on Andrew says that integrated information is consciousness Information doesn't emerge from consciousness, information actually is consciousness Andrew says that he is an idealist, he thinks that the world is structured Peter says that information always has to be about something Andrew disagrees and says that information is substantiated You could say, the fundamental digits of our reality are ran by an 'alien computer', the physics completely different than our understanding of reality Andrew says that the absolute self is not only aware of itself, its aware that it is aware of itself He also says that these ideas are all musings, all things he has thought about as possibilities Peter asks Andrew if he thinks brains are required for consciousness Andrew says, consciousness is not a property of matter, it is an organization of things Dimensions and Theories Andrew says we don't need senses to experience other worlds The DMT experience is not mind dependent, it shows another reality When you're dreaming, it's independent of the sensory experience, but its not entirely independent of the waking world "The dream state is informed by the waking state." - Andrew Peter asks, 'If the brain creates dreams, why does the brain not create the DMT world?' "We know how the brain learns to construct worlds, but we don't know how the brain learns to construct DMT worlds." - Andrew When looking at a machine elf, is he equally as able to deny his consciousness as we are able to? Final Thoughts Peter concludes that Andrew is a Realist/Panthiest Peter and Andrew think that they don't disagree with each other, but Peter believes Andrew would have to go into extremely deep detail on all of his points in his book, and the book is thick enough as it is Peter agrees Andrew's book is a great narrative for mapping the DMT space Andrew likes to think of it as computational idealism Links Alien Information Theory: Psychedelic Drug Technologies and the Cosmic Game Peter's Review About Dr. Andrew Gallimore Dr. Andrew Gallimore is a computational neurobiologist, pharmacologist, chemist, and writer who has been interested in the neural basis of psychedelic drug action for many years and is the author of a number of articles and research papers on the powerful psychedelic drug, N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), as well as the book Alien Information Theory: Psychedelic Drug Technologies and the Cosmic Game (April 2019). He recently collaborated with DMT pioneer Dr. Rick Strassman, author of DMT: The Spirit Molecule, to develop a pharmacokinetic model of DMT as the basis of a target-controlled intravenous infusion protocol for extended journeys in DMT space. His current interests focus on DMT

In this episode, Joe and Kyle sit down to have a conversation about the 39th Annual Telluride Mushroom Festival, Healing the Mind, Healing the Planet. Joe attended the conference and heard from many amazing speakers. 3 Key Points: Joe attended The 39th Annual Telluride Mushroom Festival last weekend, a festival and conference that celebrates all things fungal and brings together a cohort of enthusiasts, experts, and scientists. There was a lot of talk on the topic of microdosing. Opinions ranged from the feeling that there isn't enough valid data to prove that microdosing is effective, to some testimony on how microdosing has helped relieve cluster headaches or help with traumatic brain injuries. There was some exciting news on innovative ways that mushrooms can be used medically to help fight disease or agriculturally to fight insects without using pesticides. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Trip Journal Integration Workbook Show Notes The Telluride Mushroom Festival took place August 14th - 18th This festival is is a placeholder Psychedelic conference In the mycology world, the psychedelic topic isn't typically included in events Attendees and Talks Brick Bunyard, who runs psychedelic magazine Tradd Cotter of Mushroom Mountain, an excitable mycologist Larry Evans of Blue Portal Teresa Egbert of Herbal Visionz, a Psychedelic enthusiast Peter Hendrix and Sara Lappan spoke on a study for using psychedelics to curb cocaine use David Nichols, chemist, was pretty optimistic about where the psychedelic movement is heading He gave a super scientific talk around receptor sites and LSD Music and Psychedelics Joe says that there is a long history of music and psychedelics Kyle mentions a podcast he listened to about someone bringing in their own music for a Ketamine therapy session Psychedelic Therapy There was someone at the conference that said psychedelic therapists should have psychedelic experiences and should be open about it It was an interesting conversation at the conference Joe says, "you don't need PTSD to treat someone with PTSD, it's not the most important factor. The most important factor is safety." Scientist Conference Joe mentions a conference coming up in the fall in New Orleans that is a Scientist only conference If a scientist has published serious, quantitative data they are invited It'll be the first gathering of its kind where there is finally enough data Microdosing David Nichols shared his opinion on microdosing, that there isn't real data on it and that importance should be put toward medical uses Folks in the audience were making claims about microdosing for migraines and traumatic brain injuries, etc Are people taking sub-perceptual doses or a threshold dose? Joe says a macro dose is a dose you can see (maybe the size of an ant), micro dose is something you need a microscope to see The majority of people microdosing aren't educating themselves on dose size Interesting Moments from the Conference Joe was surprised was how charismatic Tradd Cotter was Tradd has plans to do mushroom retreats in Jamaica The most exciting news is a new method of pulling out the antibiotic resistant 'stuff' in a person, culturing it out and introducing it to sterilized/colonized grain bag and then reintroducing it to the person so they aren't antibiotic resistant anymore This would be a mushroom bi-product that fights disease in humans in less than 24 hours This same model could be used in cancer treatments or even agricultural applications, using mushrooms to fight disease or bugs that kill plants, etc There were mushroom foraging walks and mushroom identification tables at the festival Vendors included mushroom kombucha, mushroom jerky, festival clothing, etc There was a guy from outside of Arizona who casts real psilocybin mushrooms and makes detailed metal jewelry out of them The town is small and surrounded by super tall mountains, and the festival is dispersed around the town It's a small festival and a great way to make connections "This is where you quit your job and dedicate your life to mushrooms" - Tradd Cotter Mushroom farming is one of the few businesses you can start with under $5,000 Links Website About Kyle Kyle's interest in exploring non-ordinary states of consciousness began when he was 16-years-old when he suffered a traumatic snowboarding accident. Waking up after having a near-death experience changed Kyle's life. Since then, Kyle has earned his B.A. in Transpersonal Psychology, where he studied the healing potential of non-ordinary states of consciousness by exploring shamanism, plant medicine, Holotropic Breathwork, and the roots/benefits of psychedelic psychotherapy. Kyle has co-taught two college-level courses. One of the courses Kyle created as a capstone project, "Stanislav Grof's Psychology of Extra

Download In this episode, Kyle interviews Daniel Shankin, Founder of Tam Integration. They cover topics including the Psilocybin Summit, child rearing, and integration practice. 3 Key Points: The Psilocybin Summit is an online conference on the myth, magic and science of psychedelic mushrooms. Psychedelic Integration is really a form of reparenting ourselves. We need to learn to ask ourselves how we can connect deeply without becoming codependent. Child rearing is an important topic. Nurturing a child with care and love is similar to the way we use psychedelics, meditation and yoga for healing. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Trip Journal Integration Workbook Show Notes About Daniel Daniel came up in the psychedelic space in the 90's Recreational use turned into therapeutic use He explains that as enlightenment called to him, it also called him to do shadow work He said the transformational work began in his 20's He said there was no community so he used Ram Dass books to help with integration Daniel says that psychedelics made him feel a deeper sense of life, more responsibility in his role on earth, feel more connected, etc. His calling from these feelings led him to practice yoga, open a studio, provide trainings and more "People gain so much by being heard" - Daniel Child Rearing Daniel mentions talking to his wife about conscious child raising The conversation is about how to heal, not just talking about how to raise ourselves so we need less healing "How do I raise a baby with as little trauma as possible?" - Daniel Grof talks about the birth process in his books but kind of stops talking about trauma after the baby is out The baby is designed to be held by the mother, and to put that child in a box with other children in boxes without parents, in a cold and sterile environment is a horrible idea We project our own anti-social tendencies onto babies A baby is meant to have constant connection and attention, and when we give a baby neglect, we wonder why they have addiction, depression, etc. Psychedelic Integration is really a form of reparenting ourselves "How much deep connection can you offer and can you stand? How can I connect deeply without becoming codependent?" - Daniel Attachment and Healing As a yoga teacher for 20 years, he has found that there is a type of reparenting, that it is helping people to learn to help themselves "Caring for people is a good thing to practice, one of our greatest problems is self-centeredness" - Daniel Money isn't the problem, "my money" is the problem Samskara is a subtle tendency of the mind (like an eroded river) The tendency to prove that we exist, or to prove that we are right, is something that the ego promotes It takes energy to tame the ego and recondition ourselves "Am I trying to prove that I exist in order to feel loved?" If our needs are met and we feel safe and loved, we don't need to prove ourselves We tend to look for the quickest and easiest way possible for the least amount of suffering, we look for the quick fix, but there is a lot of work to be done typically It's important to introduce a meditation practice into a psychedelic practice Babies will cry into an endless void because they don't understand time, just like in breathwork or psychedelic sessions, where time is distorted Mindfulness of Enthusiasm Enthusiastic consent is where you can press someone into giving you consent Are they enthusiastic about engaging with you? If not, then don't Learn how to gauge enthusiasm Psilocybin Summit September 19-22, 2019 The 920 Coalition is doing for psilocybin what 420 is doing for cannabis There has never been a conference that is just psilocybin, and never fully online and live It allows people to attend a conference from home There is no venue to pay for, no tickets for travel, making it more accessible The goal is to get as much traditional information as possible Daniel says he's not advocating psychedelics, he is advocating meditation for those who use psychedelics Daniel hopes that with this conference, that he didn't choose the speakers to just spit facts, hopefully this is heart and mind education that helps people feel like there is something possible in their lives that makes them feel greater, and that may or may not include psilocybin Coaching vs. Therapy Some people do not need therapy, they need coaching and accountability We live in a world where our context does not always work to serve us How do we change our context to better serve us? Links Website Tam Integration The Psilocybin Summit About Daniel Shankin After a profound and intense awakening experience in 1998, Daniel dove deep into his yoga and meditation practice to stabilize his realization in his body and the world. He began teaching in 2002, and took over leadership of his neighborhood yoga s

In this episode, Kyle sits down to chat with Greg Kieser, Founder of think-tank, Supersystemic.ly and author of Dear Machine, a book written as a letter to a future super-intelligent entity. Topics covered include blockchain, AI, money, Psychedelic Investments and how psychedelics can help humanity prepare for the emergence of super-intelligent entities. 3 Key Points: Blockchain offers an enormous amount of opportunity, by taking data that would otherwise be protected by government or big corporations, and making it accessible to the general population for a more accessible information source. Money is this interesting concept, that we are storing our time, our energy and our goods in a piece of paper. Psychedelics can help with this, be rewiring the way we think about money and the overall exchange for goods and services. Psilocybin is a cure, its use does not need to be continued for it to work, so Compass Pathways is highly incentivized to continue to heal new people, which is what we want, healing at scale. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Trip Journal Integration Workbook Show Notes About Greg Greg worked at a foundation in NYC aimed at reducing the rate of poverty He started an angel investment firm/think tank, Supersystemic.ly He wrote the book, Dear Machine, a letter to a future, super-intelligent entity Looking to the Past Our nutrition narrowed when we became farmers "The truth is, we can't go back to where we came from, we have to go to a new place, so how do we do that?" - Greg There is such difficulty with people living in clusters (cities) and transporting all of the food in from the country It's important for the psyche to get back to nature and even taking on a hobby as simple as gardening can be so healing Children's immune system has been shown to become stronger when living on farms and playing with animals and in the dirt Psychedelics are helpful in understanding how interconnected everything is Integration of Technology Blockchains have the capacity to take data and pull it into a place where we have more control over it (can't be bought or sold) When we combine our knowledge of technology with psychedelics, we will really start to progress as a species Block Chain The creator of Bitcoin created BlockChain, which is a type of database that lives out on the internet that no one can own It offers an enormous amount of opportunity, by taking data that would otherwise be protected by government or big corporations, and making it accessible to the general population for a more accessible information source Greg mentions a block chain that will be a regeneration of land Maybe all the members donate $50 to the block chain, and those members then can follow the progress of a pond or the growth of a tree, etc Its a good example of a block chain being used for good Money Money is this interesting concept, that we are storing our time, our energy and our goods in a piece of paper Psychedelics can help with this, be rewiring the way we think about money and the overall exchange for goods and services AI AI is going to get more and more powerful and corporations and governments are going to want to get their hands on AI for more power In Dear Machine, Greg wrote about a super aware machine that helps us to make super intelligent decisions based on what food to eat (based on our microbes, our genetics, what is the most sustainable for the environment, etc)\ Greg fears that the government will try to take control of it and have its own agenda, but he thinks that with super awareness for decision making, that good will win Kyle mentions that the Western mind is so obsessed with Apocalypse AI and Superintelligence are going to accelerate whatever systems we already have in place If it happened right now, it would look ugly But, if we create a world that appreciates interconnectedness and the diversity and complexity of our minds and our bodies, then we will be in a much better place Psychedelics have a huge role to play, it allows us to appreciate things, it helps get our ego out of the way, it helps us break addiction Monoculturization has led to a lot of bad things "Don't try to change the system, just make a new system" - Buckminster Fuller Human well being and environmental stability are two metrics that we need to work on Interest in Psychedelics Greg's interest in psychedelics began when we was invited to Psilocybin ceremonies He said it just 'clicks' "You really don't understand what psychedelics are until you take them" - Greg He then began to invest in psychedelics, microbiomes, agriculture, etc Compass Pathways The main problem with the health system is that we get into the idea of patenting molecules Psilocybin is a molecule that can't be patented, so he's not worried Greg wants to see psilocybin use at a larg

In this episode, Joe interviews Dr. David Nichols, American Pharmacologist and Chemist. Dr. Nichols has made many contributions to the psychedelic space and is recognized as one of the foremost experts for his outstanding efforts in medicinal chemistry of hallucinogens. 3 Key Points: Dr. David Nichols is the founder of The Heffter Research Institute, which promotes research of the highest scientific quality with the classic hallucinogens and psychedelics in order to contribute to a greater understanding of the mind leading to the improvement of the human condition, and to alleviate suffering. Dr. Nichols has a strong opposition toward the DMT/pineal gland theory. The assumption is that DMT is released during birth and death, but Dr. Nichols presents opposing arguments as to why it isn't true. David doesn't believe in the research of microdosing psychedelics. He believes there are many other diseases and disorders that research money could be put toward discovering drugs for than the potential for heightened creativity with microdosing. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Trip Journal Integration Workbook Show Notes About David When he was a kid he was into pyrotechnics He synthesized a lot of MDMA for MAPS He is the founding President of Heffter Research Institute He was introduced to psychedelics before he went to graduate school David's work was never interrupted during the drug war because he wasn't doing any clinical work He proposed the study for MDMA testing on rats for a micro-dialysis of chemicals being released from the brain David's History of Substances David attended a meeting at the Esalon Institute He met Rick Doblin, a young kid at the time, who was enthusiastic about MDMA and Marijuana Rick decided he wanted to develop MDMA as a drug, and asked David to make it with him Then David met Rick Strassman, who asked him to make DMT So he made the DMT and then DMT Spirit Molecule came out as a result David made the first batch of psilocybin for John Hopkins "The only way to use these substances, is to use the medical model." - David Microdosing David doesn't agree with microdosing, he thinks its all just a big hype He says that there is a huge placebo effect with microdosing He says there isn't a lot of proven results and literature to make him believe in it He thinks that there are far too many other things to research and create drugs to cure (like eating disorders for example) vs. just heightening creativity with microdosing David edited Torsten Passie's book, The Science of Microdosing Psychedelics DMT Rick Strassman's DMT hypothesis is that upon birth and death, the Pineal gland produces DMT, which produces an outer-body experience David says that the pineal gland is too small, it's only 180mg It produces 25 micrograms of melatonin in 24 hours, so there is no way for it to produce 25 milligrams of DMT, the amount needed for a DMT trip Heffter Origins Heffter Research Institute was David's idea Arthur Heffter was a scientist with a PhD in Pharmacology and Chemistry He was one of the most well respected Scientists in Germany He got samples of Peyote, and knew there were alkaloids in it, and he separated all the alkaloids, and took each alkaloid himself to find out that mescaline was the active component in Peyote He was the expert who invented hair tests to find out if people were suffering from lead poisoning Heffter Research Institute The effects that they discovered from Psilocybin blew them away They knew LSD had powerful effects, but they weren't expecting to find the therapeutic benefits that they did with Psilocybin Psilocybin has a great timeline too, LSD is really long lasting, and 5-MEO-DMT is super short and really powerful Psilocybin is great for use in therapy because of the time it allows for integration GMP Psilocybin Patent Joe mentions the patent of GMP Psilocybin and asks if there are other ways to make psilocybin David says that he believes there are other ways to make Psilocybin The cost of psilocybin is trivial in comparison to the cost of therapy, David doesn't think that the drug itself will have a monopoly Links Heffter.org Donate About Dr. David Nichols Dr. Nichols originally conceived of a privately funded Institute as the most effective mechanism for bringing research on psychedelic agents into the modern era of neuroscience. This vision led to the founding of the Heffter Research Institute in 1993. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC, where he continues his research. The focus of his graduate training, beginning in 1969, and of much of his research subsequent to receiving his doctorate in 1973 has been the investigation of the relationship between molecular structure and the action of psychedelic agents and other substances that modify

Download In this episode, Kyle sits down with Dr. Torsten Passie, Professor of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy with the Hanover Medical School in Germany. In the show, they cover a range of topics on Dr. Passie's studies on microdosing. Dr. Torsten Passie will be taking part in a special panel dedicated to microdosing at Breaking Convention 2019 (August 16-18, Greenwich, London), also featuring Amanda Fielding of the Beckley Foundation, Dr David Erritzoe of Imperial College, London, Dr Devin Turhune (Goldsmiths), and Dimitris Liokaftos, exploring myriad aspects of microdosing, including its effects, unknowns, and media representation presented by BC director Nikki Wyrd. Find out more about Breaking Convention: https://www.breakingconvention.co.uk/ 3 Key Points: Psychedelic research in the University setting died off after 2004, but is finally seeing an increase as the psychedelic revolution continues to grow. There is very little to no documentation of doctors doing self-experimenting with psychedelic drugs. It's becoming popular for therapists to use the substances used on their patients, more common to do the self-work before doing the work on others. Even if microdosing does not produce any significant effects and it is all placebo, the trend is a new way to introduce it into our society. The Science of Microdosing Psychedelics Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Trip Journal Integration Workbook Show Notes About Dr. Passie Dr. Passie has been researching psychedelics for 25 years He specializes in the therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs He has found difficulties in researching psychedelics during prohibition Dr. Passie had a mystical experience before using psychedelics and then became interested in psychedelic use He had grown up as an atheist, a materialist, and his experience required him to change his psychological state His perception of reality was irritated and he had to see a therapist to integrate this experience He said that this was frustrating because he was young and still in search for his identity Through all of this, he decided to study medicine and become a psychedelic doctor He became very conscious that he was on the right track Research Studies The researchers were the only ones doing studies on psychedelic states, there wasn't much happening at the Universities He did studies with cannabis, ketamine and even laughing gas The research then was on how cannabinoids can help with psychosis They were not successful with that, but it came to be that CBD was a neuroleptic and an anti-psychotic Research pretty much stopped after 2004 due to new laws and the cost of the research Dr. Passie does mention that in the past 10 years research has really taken off again and that we are really seeing the renaissance of psychedelic culture In most of the literature of doctors doing self-experimenting, there is very little to no documentation of doctors doing self-experimenting with psychedelic drugs Kyle mentions that MAPS has included into their training protocol to allow for therapists to have self-experiments with the substances that they are using on patients Kyle also mentions he can't imagine trying to hold space in breathwork without having had his own experiences with breathwork Dr. Passie says that the history of self-experimentation with psychedelics has shown that the participants can become 'gurus' and lose their objectivity, he uses Timothy Leary as an example But with only a few times of self-experimentation, maybe 2-4 times, he doesn't see risks HPPD Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD) is a disorder in which a person has flashbacks of visual hallucinations or distortions experienced during a previous hallucinogenic drug experience Dr. Passie thinks there is a selection bias in what is published about HPPD Its more common to have a study published that talks about an adverse effect of LSD than a benefit of it Hundreds of thousands of studies were conducted in the 50's, and no one claimed that this phenomenon came up And now one person has conducted a study, claiming that this phenomena exists Dr. Passie says that this pattern happens among people who are prone to anxiety and who are dissociative He says that most subjects that claim to experience HPPD, have experienced visuals even before ever taking LSD Microdosing It has been known to not have any effects from 15-20 micrograms of LSD 20-50 micrograms of LSD is considered mini-dosing, where you can feel some type of effects from it, but not as much as the full dose Dr. Passie says it is strange for people to claim to have increased cognition during microdosing based on conventional data that shows that LSD produces poor cognitive function He thinks that whatever the effects are of LSD at a high dose, that the effects at a low dose are the same

In this episode, hosts Kyle and Joe sit down with Psychologist, David Luke, Executive Director of Breaking Conventions, a conference on the better understanding of psychedelics. In the episode, they cover research on psychedelics and transpersonal ecopsychology. 3 Key Points: Transpersonal experiences are super powerful and can be valuable if integrated properly. Getting access to drugs at affordable prices for research is difficult for the progression of the psychedelic movement. There is a lot of red tape in studying psychedelics. There is a growing field for mapping altered states of consciousness using science and research. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Trip Journal Integration Workbook Show Notes About David David is a Psychologist He works at the University of Greenwich He is a co-founder of the Breaking Convention Conference Breaking Convention August 16-19, 2019 in London England There are over 180 speakers, a variety of workshops, and more David will be speaking about Shamanic perspectives and mapping altered states of consciousness The topic of David's speech for the conference is Ecodelia: Towards A Transpersonal Ecopsychology Through Psychedelics. Parapsychology Parapsychology is a study of phenomena that questions what we think we know about science David has conducted pre-cognition experiments with ayahuasca, san pedro, mescaline Research David says it's tricky doing this work because there is a serious amount of red tape around psychedelic studies Getting access to the drugs and to get a lab to make them specifically for research is outrageously expensive David says that Compass Pathways is making the research side of things easier He says that he wants the proper research to be done so that it can be available for all those who need it, and for that he supports Compass Pathways, but if they were to pull something like what happened with Esketamine and making an isomer of Ketamine extremely expensive, then he will not support it Nature and Psychedelics Psychedelics provide a feeling of connectedness with nature People prefer to take psychedelics outside, but overall prefer to have amazing, transformative experiences, which in turn makes them more tuned in to nature Transpersonal Experience An experience that is genuinely transpersonal can be useful Typically after a transformational experience, people question their sanity, they have cognitive dissonance, their world view just isn't suitable enough to contain a normal sense of reality anymore Its common for a lot of experiences to need a lot of integration afterward David leads breathwork sessions He sees people who have taken loads of psychedelics come in with skepticism about Breathwork, and then leave having the most transformative experience they've ever have "There are no limits to the human mind, and there are many ways to get there, and psychedelics are just the more obvious route." - David We get further and further away from figuring out psychedelics as a whole the more hyper-specialized we become in our individual fields The psychedelic space is a really interesting territory The things that Terrence McKenna would talk about years ago, we are finally starting to explore with science Links Otherworlds: Psychedelics and Exceptional Human Experience (Muswell Hill Press) About David David is Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Greenwich where he teaches the Psychology of Exceptional Human Experience. He was President of the Parapsychological Association between 2009-2011 and has published more than 100 academic papers on the intersection of transpersonal experiences, anomalous phenomena and altered states of consciousness. He has co-authored/co-edited four books on psychedelics and paranormal experience, directs the Ecology, Cosmos and Consciousness salon at the institute of Ecotechnics, and co-founded Breaking Convention.

In this episode, Kyle interviews David Krantz, Certified Epigenetic Coach, and an expert in nutritional genomics. In the show, they talk about the effects of substances via the implications on an individual's genetics. 3 Key Points: Epigenetic testing is a bio-hack for boosting cognitive function and harnessing our creativity and ultimate human potential. There has been a lot of research done on genetics and the effects of THC. The body produces cannabinoids that activate the THC receptors internally, which varies from person to person. Each person should be seen on an individual level, and the more we know about our unique genetics, the more we can understand about our interactions with different substances. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Trip Journal Integration Workbook Show Notes About David David works with clients on creating optimal epigenetic expression He uses people's genetics as a guide to look at recommendations for diet, herbs, supplements, etc. He began looking at cannabis for recommendations and found curiosity in psychedelics too Epigenetics studies the effects of the modification of genetics It looks at chemical groups attached to the DNA itself and what happens to them over time Cannabis and Genetics The most robust area of research on genetics is THC David said he has seen some research on Psilocybin and just very recently that liver enzymes are responsible for LSD interactions It looks at the way people are metabolizing these substances When you ingest something or smoke it, it has a higher impact on the body, edibles are a great example Kyle brings up the curiosity of edibles impact being either physiological or biological Genetics show the body's cannabinoid levels The body produces cannabinoids that activate the THC receptors internally There are two enzymes that break down cannabinoids in the body, Anandamide and 2AG There is a higher likelihood to use cannabis in a person with lower levels of endocannabinoids This makes some people high-functioning stoners, and others non-functioning stoners The substance is neutral, it's all about the body and how it reacts to it When the liver breaks down an edible, it makes THC more potent There is speculation that the slow metabolizers have a better chance of passing a drug test because they don't have a chance to convert 110HTHC to the COOHTHC Food and Substance Effects Kyle mentions someone who was drinking grapefruit juice everyday for 3 weeks, and it potentiated the effects of Ketamine In order to psilocybin to be converted to psilocin, you need a chemical in your body called alkaline phosphatase Vitamin C deficiency and Vitamin B-6 deficiency all both correlated with alkaline phosphatase deficiency David brings up his experience going keto, it worked really great for him, his energy levels increased, he lost weight, but his wife had a horrible time with keto Then he looked to genetics and it made perfect sense to him as to why it worked for him and why it failed for her Metabolism, biochemistry, genetics, and so many other factors impact a person's reaction to substances Gene Type Testing Apeiron David also mentions that with companies like 23 and me, they get their money from selling people's genetic information He says Apeiron is focused on what you can actually do with the information, not just simply providing the results David says its super valuable for people to know these things about themselves, how to mitigate stress, how the metabolism works, knowing what to eat, knowing vitamin deficiencies, etc. Psychedelics in the Future of Epigenetics David thinks were going to see that the epigenetics of psychedelics are going to show the ability to overcome trauma When we look at people at an individual level, we all have our own idiosyncrasies and variations "Because there is no such thing as an average human, let's stop treating people like average humans and start treating them like they are individual people. Let's stop leaving out the outliers." - David Taking an individualized approach to the psychedelic space is highly beneficial Links Website Instagram About David David Krantz is a certified Epigenetic Coach who specializes in boosting cognitive function and helping clients harness their creative and personal power. As a lifelong musician, David sees the various systems of the body as parts of a complex symphony. And, as a coach, he excels at fine-tuning those parts to create resonant harmonious health. David also serves as Director of Psychoacoustics at Apeiron Center in Asheville, NC where he develops sound-based tools for better mood, energy, and focus. Additionally, he's an expert in the pharmacogenetics of the endocannabinoid system and has developed a proprietary genetic test for looking at individual response to cannabinoids. A biohacker by

Download In this episode, Kyle joins in conversation with Dr. Sam Gandy. During the show, they cover topics including the implications psychedelics have for human well-being and the biosphere at large at a time of growing disconnection. 3 Key Points: There have been a lot of recent threats to our planet and its survival if we continue on our current path of unsustainability. Feeling connected to nature increases the human desire to take care of and heal nature. There has been an inverse correlation with our connectedness to nature and our connection with technology. Getting out in nature, as well as using psychedelics in nature, both help increase our connectedness to nature. There has been a rise in cutting edge research that reveals the capacity of psychedelic substances to enhance human-nature connection, which Sam shares snippets of throughout the episode. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Trip Journal Integration Workbook Show Notes About Sam Sam has a PhD in Ecological Science from the University of Aberdeen and a Masters in Entomology from Imperial College London He has a lifelong interest in nature and wildlife and has conducted research in areas all over the world He is a Scientific Assistant to the Director at the Beckley Foundation He is a collaborator with the Psychedelic Research Group at the Imperial College of London Sam's interest in psychedelics began in London when it was legal to buy mushrooms He was 'anti-drug' until he discovered psychedelics and began to explore consciousness and a love for nature His background in Ecology (the science of interconnection) has combined with the Psychedelic field Sam is interested in the capacity of psychedelics to increase human-nature connection and relatedness Saving Earth There is a huge threat that our planet won't survive past this century if we continue on our path of destruction Remedying our nature disconnect is something really important if we want to survive This nature disconnection is inversely proportional from our technological connection We cant live without nature We have to make room for all the other life going on, not just the life that directly serves humans, like crops and livestock There is an increasing awareness of the need for nature connection Sam mentions about humanity's screen addiction, it raises our cortisol levels and there are many consequences such as psychological and physiological effects "Contentment is the enemy of invention" Psychedelics and the internet are growing alongside each other Timothy Leary would say the internet is the psychedelics of the future in terms of connection The internet is playing a pivotal role in access to information in this psychedelic renaissance "Technology is not good or bad, it's about how its used, the intent behind it" - Sam Nature Disconnect Sam thinks that the first step that took us away from nature is when we started farming, we became less hunter-gatherer minded and stepped away from the wild environment At that point we started living in large groups (creating cities) Then there was the division of labor and urbanization Cities and technology are the main reasons for our disconnect with nature "Long term sustainability would be one of the chief governing principles of how things are ran" - Sam Psychedelics and Nature There is something radical about psychedelics, they can convert the skeptics into appreciating nature The ego dissolution character of psychedelics are a key component in feeling connected to nature The default mode network (where the ego resides) becomes relaxed and dissolved, and when that happens there is a breakdown of perceived boundaries between self and others/nature That dissolution of boundaries is a key component in the psychedelic experience "When you feel part of it, it changes fundamentally how you relate to it" - Sam One's knowledge of nature is a very weak predictor of one's concern for nature There isn't research of the use of psychedelics in natural settings yet, Sam hopes that as we research psychedelics more (in clinical settings) the research can evolve into studying their use in nature With psilocybin, most people have claimed to have a long-term fleeting change in their connectedness to nature, that the feeling of connection doesn't go away after the trip is over, it lasts for weeks, months, even the rest of their life Rigid Egos and Nature Disconnection Psilocybin decreases blood flow to the default mode network "When we are destroying our own homes (our bodies and nature) are we falling out of love with our self?" - Kyle When we dissolve the ego, we increase connection, to ourselves, to others and to nature Future in Psychedelics We are going to see the rise of Psychedelic Therapy We are going to see Psychedelic groups and communities on the rise From those gr

Download In this episode, Joe and Kyle sit down and chat with Veronica Hernandez and Larry Norris of Decriminalize Nature Oakland. Decriminalize Nature is an educational campaign to inform Oakland residents about the value of entheogenic plants and fungi and propose a resolution to decriminalize our relationship to nature, which just recently had success in doing so. 3 Key Points: Decriminalize Nature Oakland is a campaign that just recently found success in decriminalizing psilocybin mushrooms as well as other psychedelic compounds naturally derived from plants or fungi, such as ayahuasca, peyote and DMT. The mission behind Decriminalize Nature is to improve human health and well-being by decriminalizing and expanding access to entheogenic plants and fungi through political and community organizing, education and advocacy. These decriminalization initiatives are gaining traction across many cities in the US. It's about connecting to key people in the community and educating them, so they can use their reach to get information about these plants out there, to provide access to people everywhere. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Trip Journal Integration Workbook Show Notes About Veronica Veronica is a clinical psychologist licensed in Peru She has been working in the US as a Social Worker Clinician She has been combining plant medicines and spirituality back into psychology She is currently finishing her PhD at CIIS About Larry He is in the same PhD program as Veronica Him and Veronica are the team that created ERIE In between they have taken the time to run Decriminalize Nature Oakland Decriminalize Nature In this initiative, they had to convince 8 people of city council to agree to this, in comparison to the Denver Initiative, where they needed thousands of ballot signatures This bill included naturally occurring psychedelic compounds, not just mushrooms Larry mentions they used the word entheogen instead of psychedelic, as a way to create new conversation around the plant medicines a reduce the stigma A Win for Plant Medicine From where Veronica comes from, Ayahuasca and other plant medicines are national patrimony, state and church can't touch them To be able to bring these to a place where it's considered schedule 1, Veronica is super inspired about being able to make this happen Right now these plants are in a tug of war between money interest of the tax side and the government, and the other side of corporate interest The goal now is to educate people on what these plants do, safe practices and develop places and services to hold the space and make these plants available to people It's about connecting to key people in the community and educating them, so they can use their reach to get information about these plants out there Starting city by city is typically easier to initiate, to then have a better hold on direct action and education afterward to be able to duplicate on the state level They have had 50 different cities from 30 different states reach out to make this happen in their communities Veronica says that her first time trying San Pedro, she had felt an immediate connection to the plants It became her goal to combine conventional medicine with plant medicines and make it available to everyone "To be in touch with something bigger than yourself is one of the most important things" - Veronica Sustainability Although there was no verbiage in the bill, they are being mindful about sustainability of the plants when making them more available with decriminalization Synthesis is a better idea for ibogaine, 5-MEO-DMT and other compounds that are naturally derived but also pose a risk to their sustainability with decriminalization The landscape just doesn't allow for synthesis right now, so we start at decriminalization and then hopefully open doors to the route of synthesis to aid in the sustainability of these substances and resources Larry's advice is that instead of spending your money and taking a trip to Denver or Oakland, to stay home and organize this is your own community because it can actually happen It starts now and it starts with education Joe says the most major push-back received in Denver for the decriminalization was the threat of people driving on mushrooms Links Website Facebook Instagram Twitter About Veronica Veronica Hernandez, is a clinical psychologist and shamanic practitioner from Peru. Since 2006 she has been trained on shamanic facilitation. She received her clinical training at the Institute of Rational-Emotive Therapy, New York, under the supervision of Dr. Albert Ellis. She was assistant professor at the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia and research assistant at the Hospital Psiquiátrico Noguchi de Lima (Peru). In the United States, she worked as a Social Services Clinician at John

Download In this episode, Kyle talks with Tom Lane, author of Sacred Mushroom Rituals: The Search for the Blood of Quetzalcoatl. In the episode, they discuss the history of Quetzalcoatl, the ceremony of the deified heart and sacred mushroom rituals. 3 Key Points: Quetzalcoatl is a feathered-serpent deity of ancient Mesoamerican culture that can come to you when partaking in the ceremony of the deified heart. Quetzalcoatl teaches how to overcome fear and hatred and bring love. The ceremony of the deified heart is a sacred mushroom ritual that when methods are combined correctly, can bring about Quetzalcoatl. In the episode, Tom tells intriguing stories of his experiences with mushroom rituals and experiencing Quetzalcoatl, including a ceremony with Maria Sabina. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Trip Journal Integration Workbook Show Notes Quetzalcoatl He was not an Aztec, he originated as a King in the Toltec civilization thousands of years before the Aztecs As legend has it, where his blood fell is where the sacred mushrooms grew Some people believe he was a Naga, a combination flow of energy, a male/female serpent A winged, jeweled, male/female, serpent In the ceremony of the deified heart, the serpent will come to you About Tom He was building geodesic domes in a remote area in Mexico He had some of his first mushroom experiences, and it led him to realize that the story of mushrooms was about Quetzalcoatl His first experience with the mushroom was mild He said the mushrooms found him, he takes them as a sacrament Ceremony of the Deified Heart The legend was that Quetzalcoatl gave cacao to participants as an aphrodisiac and it would help release serotonin The goal is not to talk a lot Then, the mushrooms are to be retrieved from the ground, fresh Before the ceremony, Tom says he likes to put four candles placed in all four directions The key to eating the mushrooms is eating them totally covered with honey You eat them two at a time, as it represents the male and female And when you eat the mushrooms, you actually never swallow You chew and chew and the mucous membranes of your tongue take the psilocin straight to the brain and spine He says once it starts to take effect, it feels like there is a snake up your spine (He mentions his friends call this Kundalini) Then you go out and Quetzalcoatl will come When he comes, he is like a rainbow jeweled serpent, an embodiment of pure light, pure energy, pure love Tom says the next day it feels like you're 10 years younger Its a pure force of love, an obliteration of the concept of time Quetzalcoatl created this ceremony to bring about the serpent for healing, for a balance of male and female This ceremony is best done during the night, with thunderstorms in the mountains Ceremony with Maria Sabina One night they went to see Maria Sabina She agreed to do a ceremony at night Her house was in the mountains and had a thatched roof with no windows or doors and sometimes clouds would come through her house During a ceremony a lightning bolt came though the house, in one window and out the other Maria's daughter gave him truffle like mushrooms and he brought them back with him Maria's daughter really tried to learn his name, she repeated it a multitude of times until she said it exactly perfectly so she could say it during the ceremony Quetzalcoatl Messages God gave us love and pain We have to learn how to celebrate the pain God gave us knowledge, and tools of how to heal the pain Tom's goal is to teach people how to take the sacred mushrooms to meet Quetzalcoatl and find healing, love and peace "Once you get rid of the ego, you get rid of fear, and then you have love." - Tom The only way you can overcome hatred and fear is with love The body is teaching the mind when consuming the sacred mushroom It's best to just try to love people and be kind, and it's all acts of kindness and love that makes a person feel good Links Sacred Mushroom Rituals: The Search for the Blood of Quetzalcoatl About Tom Lane Tom, Author, has a Bachelors in Forestry from the University of Tennessee and a Masters from the University of Florida in Science Education and Middle School Education. He has worked full time in the Solar Energy field as a Contractor and Trainer and has a background in Mushrooms. Tom spent some time in 1973 living in the jungles of Palenque in Mexico and learn about mushrooms and mushroom ceremony. Tom is the Author of the book, Sacred Mushroom Rituals, The Search for the Blood of Quetzalcoatl.

Download In this episode, Kyle interviews Dr. Alexander Belser, a Clinical Researcher who has done a variety of works in the psychotherapy and psychedelic fields, helping patients heal from depression, OCD, suicide, and other illnesses, all while focusing on gender neutrality and equality. In this episode, they cover topics on privilege, inclusivity and recommendations for the psychedelic space. 3 Key Points: Privilege is commonly seen in therapist roles and as well in an individual's access to treatment. It's important for the psychedelic community to be vocal about privilege and be inclusive of all types of people, all repressed groups. Psychedelics have the power to help people come to terms with their own sexuality, as well as become accepting of other individuals sexual identification. In order to see more equality in the psychedelic space, we need to confront structural heterosexism and transfobia, retire the male/female therapy diad, and develop acknowledgement in the psychedelic world of the stresses that LGBTQ people face. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Trip Journal Integration Workbook Show Notes About Alexander Alexander started attending psychedelic conferences in college He works at Yale currently, treating individuals with major depressive disorders with psilocybin assisted psychotherapy He lives in New York and works on a team for the MAPS, MDMA trial for the treatment of PTSD Queering Psychedelics Queering Psychedelics is a Conference put on with the help of Chacruna Its an opportunity for Queer folk to come together and talk about psychedelic medicine Alexander's presentation was on Queer Critique for the Psychedelic Mystical Experience Privilege and Inclusivity People with more privilege have more power, more access to funding, more access to expanding the research agenda Many of the people in psychedelic research are privileged, white, cisgender individuals (and Alexander believes they are using the privilege for good) But it's important for the psychedelic community to be vocal about privilege and be inclusive of all types of people, all repressed groups Alexander thinks that we need to eliminate the male/female diad The typical structure for psychedelic therapy is to have a male cisgender therapist and a female cisgender therapist But Alexander thinks this is gender essentializing Its totalizing of gender, assuming that the masculinity is held by the male therapist, and femininity is held by the female therapist Alexander thinks that the therapists should be more gender neutral Its essential to assess the individual needs of the client for specific gender pairing Recommendations Alexander's Reccomendations Confront Structural Heterosexism and Transfobia Retire the Male/Female Therapy Diad Acknowledgement in the Psychedelic world of the stress that LGBTQ people face We need to be able to run moderation analyses to see if a type of psychedelic treatment works the same for sexual minority populations as it does for straight folks Are there unique clinical considerations for sexual minorities? The psychedelic Renaissance is maturing and reaching a point where our approaches can be more inclusive He thinks it's important for straight folks to think about this too "We all suffer, including straight folks, in a world where the idea of gender and sexuality is firmly printed as either being A or B. It's a disservice to our identities." - Alexander It is common to feel "oneness" after a psychedelic experience, and it's common for gender roles to change throughout the process And on the flip side, maybe our perception of other people's gender (homophobia) transforms from a psychedelic experience, and we can become more accepting of other forms of gender Mystical Experience When people score higher on the mystical experience questionnaire (profound unity, transcendence of time and space) its predictive of their improvements on depression and anxiety It's important to be mindful of what value we put on marginalized people's psychedelic experiences The most common issue Alexander sees is people feeling 'stuck' in these bodies Psychedelic medicine encourages (at least in appeal) embodiment Final Thoughts First, we need to come to terms with our own internalized homophobia, transphobia and racism Together, we learn from each other, how to dismantle types of patriarchal, homophibic and transphobic structures MDMA expanded access may probably end up being very expensive, we need to think about privilege and access to mental healthcare broadly It's not just about diversity, Alexander encourages people to create allies He has hope that we can proceed with integrity in these topics Links Alexander's website Center for Breakthroughs About Dr. Alexander Belser Alexander Belser, Ph.D., is a Clinical Research Fellow and clinic

In this episode, Kyle interviews Dr. Ido Cohen, co-founder of The Integration Circle. In the show they talk about themes that arise from transformative experiences and the different ways to integrate them through attitude change, environment and community. 3 Key Points: A common theme after a transformative experience is the calling for an attitude change. The experience is only the first step, the integration is where the real work begins. Environment is a critical part in integration. You can't always change your environment, but you can change your relationship to it by forming new coping mechanisms than the ones used before a transformative experience. Joining consciousness events, finding a therapist and looking for integration circles are all great way to not feel so ashamed or alone after a transformative experience. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Trip Journal Integration Workbook Show Notes About Ido Ido is a Clinical Psychologist based in San Francisco He works with individuals and couples in integration groups Ido graduated from the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) He did his post-doctoral internship at C.G. Jung Institute in San Francisco He went to India and it opened up the psycho-spiritual realm for him He realized there is a lot more to this reality than what we see He had a powerful Ayahuasca experience, and it led him to choose his dissertation project He wanted to know how to take his experience and integrate it into his daily life Integration Ido began talking to people who had big transformative Ayahuasca experiences (pre, during and after) He interviewed people at a year out of an Ayahuasca experience, so they had time to reflect "For most people, something is calling them. Either curiosity or suffering." - Ido The message comes through a relationship that we are having with something People felt that they had to go through something personal before they were able to go into archetypal realms A theme afterward was difficulty of re-entry (integration) Another common theme was people realizing that they need to change their attitude in order to heal It starts with small steps, maybe instead of watching TV for 2 hours you go for a hike for 2 hours, you open up to make room for change Ego and Self Jung's idea of ego-self access; there is the ego that takes things and organizes them and processes things into our reality, and then the self that is the unconscious, the imaginary and dream state The idea is to look at the relationship between the two Are they fighting or are they in harmony? The role of community is so important "We need to learn to integrate not just the negatives, but also the positives." - Ido Having pleasurable experiences can feel unsafe to a person who has been through a lifetime of negatives Transformative Experiences Personal and Environmental Most people have these experiences, and come back to the same urban environment, the same work mindset, the same cultural ideals about "achieving", the instant coffee mentality "We want things fast because we don't want to suffer, we don't want to wait, we don't want to invest, we don't want to change." - Ido "When people come back with this new experience but to an old environment, then the question is, 'How can I not let the pressure of this old environment get in the way of my experience?'" - Ido It really is all about changing your attitude Maybe go journaling, go into nature, go dancing, etc. "How do I honor my process and not succumb to the pressures of using the same coping mechanisms as I had before?" - Ido Integration is a complex process Environment You can't always change your environment, but you can change your relationship to your environment You can start looking for integration circles You can start looking for therapy You can go to consciousness events, meditation/yoga groups It really depends on the person but it's all about finding resources that help you feel more connected, less ashamed, and less alone One of Ido's clients said to him "I realize I have to break my own heart if I really want to change" Spiritual Bypass Ido suggests a great book on understanding spiritual bypass Spiritual Bypassing: When Spirituality Disconnects Us from What Really Matters When you start to be really critical about an experience, that's where you need to be more curious Shift from criticism to curiosity Jung says that this is 'the lifelong process where we are slowly descending into our authenticity' Final Thoughts Seek community Don't do it alone, even if you think you can, you don't have to If you're shy, come anyway, were all just doing our best Encourage people to seek out knowledgeable communities Take yourself seriously, honor these sacred experiences and honor yourself Links Integration Circle Website Instagram Facebook Ab

Download In this episode, Joe interviews Raquel Bennett, Psy.D. at Kriya Institute. In the show, they cover topics surrounding the properties and paradigms of therapeutic Ketamine use. 3 Key Points: The Kriya Institute is devoted to understanding the therapeutic properties of Ketamine. Raquel Bennett specializes in using Ketamine therapy for patients with severe treatment resistant disorders. There are three questions that should be used when determining if someone is fit for Ketamine therapy. Is it safe? Is it legal? Is it ethical? There are many different paradigms for Ketamine Therapy, but determining the best method for each individual patient is the goal. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Trip Journal Integration Workbook Show Notes Kriya Institute The Kriya Institute deals with how to work with Ketamine specifically in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Kriya provides clinical services to patients, training for other clinicians, and Kriya conference The conference is a big collaborative meeting Raquel is trying to create a patient assistance fund to make services more available to people Ketamine Ketamine isn't addictive physically It is possible to become psychologically addicted to Ketamine Raquel thinks its a property of the person not of the object It's possible to become addicted to anything, shopping, sex, etc. About Raquel She first encountered Ketamine in 2002 when she was suffering from severe depression She was seeing a therapist that took her to a psychedelic shaman where she took Ketamine From the way she felt after taking Ketamine, she wanted to know if it was replicable for other people She is interested in people with treatment resistant mood disorders, such as severe depression, unusual bipolar disorder and people living with active suicidal ideation She remembers her teachers (who gave her Ketamine) saying they don't use it often, and don't know if it will work They were not seeking an antidepressant effect, they were helping her to connect to the cosmos and the universe, to find out why she was having such severe depression The fact that it acted as a rapid-acting antidepressant was a surprise to them, and that's what triggered her curiosity with it "Most of what I know of being a Ketamine provider, I learned from being a patient" - Raquel Ketamine and Patents Johnson and Johnson just came out with a filtered Ketamine product that they patented $850 for 84mg of filtered Ketamine $1.59 for 100mg of generic Ketamine They are only providing it as a nasal spray Companies tried to make a new molecule, but they couldn't Instead, they modified it, and filtered it, and then patented it (Esketamine) Ketamine Treatment Paradigms There is a lot of disagreement on the route, the dose, the setting importance, etc This was the reason she created the Kriya conference, to share ideas, to find the best possible methods One way is to give it as a low dose infusion out of the anesthesiology model (0.5mg of Ketamine per kg of bodyweight in an infusion center) They aim to get enough ketamine in the patient's body without the psychedelic effects They take the normal dose, divide it by 6, and space it out to avoid the psychedelic nature The patient is being forced into a passive role, they aren't being called to heal themselves, they are just showing up for the medicine Raquel says that's not all that there is to it, the medicine is only half of it Another paradigm for using Ketamine is facilitated Ketamine Psychotherapy In this way, the Ketamine is used as a lubricant for talk therapy We are using Ketamine to help people to talk about material that is too painful or too shameful to get to otherwise" - Raquel In this paradigm, the emphasis is on the therapy, not the Ketamine, the Ketamine is a lubricant and a tool In this way, the patient and the therapist are both participating 50%, the patient is not passive She says the psychedelic effects are to be avoided, or else the patient becomes too far out The third paradigm would be to induce mystical experience on purpose As a provider, it is believed that the visions are meaningful Only about 1 in 6 patients are actually a good candidate for psychedelic dosing The patient is willing to offer their body up as a vessel, and the messages they receive are from God The provider's role is to make sure the journey is safe, and then help the patients to help construct meaning from what they saw, create actionable steps on how to change their lives Raquel says that all of these paradigms are helpful, different methods work for different patients That's her job as a Ketamine Specialist, to determine which method is best for patients "This is where the direction of the field needs to go, being aware of the spectrum of the services available, and then matching the treatment to the patient. Indiv

In this episode, Joe and Kyle interview Ben Eddy, a Black Belt from Eddy Bravo's 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu system. In this episode, they cover a range of topics on Jiu Jitsu, Psychedelics and flow state. 3 Key Points: Before Jiu Jitsu, Ben says he was very analytical, thinking of the most efficient, fastest way to complete anything. Jiu Jitsu is an 'in the moment' type of game, and it allowed him to tap into a flow state. Psychedelics have the ability to imprint you and change your thought patterns, and when combined with a sport like Jiu Jitsu, you're able to achieve a type of embodiment you wouldn't have before. We do not need to rush into psychedelics at a young age. It is important to experience life for what it is first, and to feel that fully to have a comparison to after diving into the psychedelic realm. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Trip Journal Integration Workbook Show Notes About Ben Ben got into Brazilian Jiu Jitsu when looking for a way to get in shape He was in San Francisco in the tech scene He was into wrestling in his past and competition and he found that Jiu Jitsu was similar His main instructor, Eddie Bravo, was training for a match He wanted to be around the energy of this event He moved down to southern California and that is where his psychedelic use began Ben knew that when he was going to do psychedelics, there was going to be a before and after, that there were going to be doors that were going to be opened He says he took the time to really understand the sober life before psychedelics, in order to know the difference Ben describes it as a cool opportunity to wait to use psychedelics, he had the choice to wait and experience life and figure out what life is before psychedelics Joe says for the younger listeners "meditate on that", figure out life first before diving into psychedelics Strategy vs Flow Before Jiu Jitsu, Ben says he was very analytical, thinking of the most efficient, fastest way to complete anything Jiu Jitsu is an 'in the moment' game, where there is more of a 'flow state' He was running into people that could just 'find answers in the moment', there was no plan or no strategy, it was a natural flow Psychedelics and Training Training with an active dose was hard to get to at the start Ben trains now with active doses It has the ability to imprint you and change your thought patterns Ben's active dose is 2 grams of mushrooms during a practice Ben does mention that all people are different and his active dose is different than anyone else's Jiu Jitsu makes you bring everything that you have up to the forefront in that moment Feeling is a way of knowing, especially in these flow states He says that weed is commonly used in Jiu Jitsu, but he hasn't seen a whole lot of Psychedelic use yet Ben says that weed helps you drop into the one instrument that you're trying to play, get into that flow state Jiu Jitsu is a sport of form, technique, and dance, it's not about strength Origins Jiu Jitsu came from Japan and their Judo Then it came to Brazil and mixed with the beach vibes and turned into Jiu Jitsu Then it came to the west and our beaches and developed into what it is today Kyle mentions the idea of using Paul Stamets 'microdosing', psilocybin, lions mane and niacin In that state we are creating new neurogenesis and neural pathways and being in that state may make us learn differently Kyle says its an interesting application for performance and new ways of learning Ben says the goal is to get to a certain level of embodiment, at every point you're trying to be present in the here and now Music After Jiu Jitsu, music took on a whole new color, feel and wave for Ben than it did before He thought music was a distraction Once he started to play with flow more, he began to open up to music to live in it Jiu Jitsu and the flow state really start with the breath Its like breathing in and accepting life, and the exhale is where it all lets go Links 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu About Ben Ben Eddy is a Blackbelt at 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu system. Starting off in the tech scene in San Fransisco, Ben relocated to southern California, where he began his journey into Jiu Jitsu, psychedelics and tapping into the flow state. He currently travels and competes.

Download In this episode, hosts Joe and Kyle interview Hamilton Souther, Shaman of Blue Morpho. In this episode, they cover Hamilton's incredible journey from Western life into becoming a Shaman and the spirit teachings that he experienced along the way. 3 Key Points: Hamilton Souther, a Shaman of Blue Morpho, shares his experience from living a normal Western life to his journey of his calling, learning and training to become a Shaman. He shares amazing examples of connectedness and spirit while living amongst the natives. A common concept that comes out of an Ayahuasca ceremony is that the plants care for you. The teachings that come from the plants are peace oriented and resolution oriented and opening of creativity and problem solving. Shamanic training is a long and extremely difficult journey. Training comes to the people that feel the deepest calling, because you have to commit your whole life to it. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Trip Journal Integration Workbook Show Notes About Hamilton He grew up in Silicon Valley He went to CU Boulder for Anthropology He was interested in humanity He wanted to travel and had opportunities to He had some near death experiences and accidents when he was younger The year after he graduated from college he would go into spontaneous awakenings and altered states of consciousness while totally sober He would have really intense visionary experiences in those states Those experiences were so powerful which led him into training and into his Ayahuasca experiences He felt without purpose and gave himself up to something greater He turned to shamanism to try to explain the nature of those experiences Spontaneous Awakening Kyle mentions that this can happen, that substances are not always required for an 'awakening' Hamilton says he wanted to connect to something other than himself The path took him to Peru, and there was a possibility of meeting people with Ayahuasca He was being called to it and knew they were real and it led to his 'apprenticeship' as a Shaman It wasn't by accident that he was there, he had visions that he was supposed to stay there and to learn Discernment Coming from a scientific background, he demanded (from the spirit guide) that the process be practical and grounded in reason and logic He used doubt in a way that he was able to use a lot of proof and truth toward his belief system rather than just being naive and believing these messages too early He couldn't envision how to evolve from the vomiting, defecating human on the ground to the composed shaman in the room Even though he spoke the language, he couldn't understand what the people were saying when they shared their stories It seemed like a different world to him The first few years were learning how to survive in the jungle and learn how to live off of the food He says it was like reliving his childhood, he had no idea how to walk through the forest like he knew how to walk down a street growing up The first house he lived in out of college was one he built himself with locals These experiences were so far from what he grew up in Toward the end of his apprenticeship, ceremony started to look less impossible and more of something he would dedicate his life to Spirit In the indigenous communities, everybody sees spirits, especially at night And not just in the Ayahuasca culture, its everybody. They thought the jungle was literally alive with spirits They would say things like "call me if you need me" and they meant it telepathically Hamilton says "sure enough, they do answer when you call". He was in Southern Peru at a pizzeria, and they were in ceremony, and they started to call to him He had to excuse himself from the table and go outside and sit with himself and went into an Ayahuasca vision and the two men in ceremony said to him in the vision "we just wanted to call to say hi" So Hamilton, using his doubt, wrote down the place and the time of when this happened, and when he returned from his travels and got back to the community, the two men gave him the coordinates and time where Hamilton was when they called him. It matched perfectly He realized then and there that they had a very different understanding of the forest and of space time and they were tapped into another kind of knowledge and wisdom That's what he was looking for when he came down to the Amazon in the first place "The mysteries of consciousness are really unexplored and are not studied by science at all" - Hamilton For Westerners, reality and how it is experienced is just a tiny slice of total consciousness "When you're in the amazon, and you're living in the forest and you're participating in these visionary experiences, you see the interconnectedness of life." - Hamilton "Globally we've all agreed that education, literacy and participa

Download In this episode, Joe records with Sean McAllister, an attorney who helped advise Decriminalize Denver. During this special, extra episode, Sean helps us understand the language in the recent bill for Mushroom Decriminalization in Denver, CO. 3 Key Points: Recently, Psilocybin Mushroom Decriminalization passed on the ballot in Denver, CO. Psilocybin mushrooms have not been made legal, they have simply been decriminalized. This means that Denver has the lowest law enforcement priority around psilocybin and that no money can be used to criminalize this behavior. Decriminalization of Psilocybin in Denver is a big step toward changing the stigma around psychedelics. But we need to be careful, decriminalization is just a tiny step in the right direction and we need to be respectful and responsible with this initiative. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Trip Journal Integration Workbook Show Notes On May 8th, the city of Denver, Colorado voted yes on I-301, which decriminalizes the possession and use of Psilocybin-containing mushrooms. The official results will be certified on May 16th. As of May 9th - the unofficial results are - yes (50.6%) and no (49.4%). I-301 decriminalizes adult (21 years or older) possession and use of Psilocybin mushrooms - making these offenses the lowest priority for law enforcement. This initiative also prohibits law enforcement to spend money and resources enforcing arresting adults with possession of mushrooms. Sean's Role in the Mushroom Decriminalization in Denver, CO Sean is an Attorney with McAllister Garfield Law Firm in Denver He has done a lot with cannabis law since 2005 He heard about the Mushroom Decriminalization campaign and began working with them His role started in January to help the team understand what it would look like if the bill passed and his role definitely continues going forward now that it has passed What the Vote Means "Decriminalize" means just that Psilocybin mushrooms have not been made legal, they have simply been decriminalized "You should never be arrested for putting something in your body that grows naturally in nature." - Sean This means that Denver has a lowest law enforcement priority around Psilocybin Its not legal, it's not regulated This bill means that a person cannot be imprisoned for possession and cultivation for personal possession amounts The city is not supposed to spend any money to criminalize this behavior You can grow them to eat them yourself, but you can't grow them to sell them This also doesn't mean that groups can host events and 'give out' mushrooms as a gift in return for donation, this is not good behavior for this initiative This initiative is simply a first step at looking at mushrooms in a better light and reducing the stigma For the benefit of this bill passing, we have to be careful about amounts, the smaller the amount of mushrooms the better There isn't an amount listed in the bill to distinguish between personal use and intent to sell The city has to establish a review commission What this commission is supposed to do is track the public safety impact, use, criminal justice impact, etc We hope and guess that Psilocybin will not impact any of these, just like how Marijuana did not impact anything for the bad when it was decriminalized Once the city sees the results, they won't have so much stigma about it, and Denver will lead the way for the state and the rest of the nation for sensible drug policy Political Pushback The typical response was "we already legalized marijuana, let's not jump to something else" Sean thinks this gives Denver an amazing reputation, that it understands therapeutic ability and research and no tolerance for the drug war "We need a system that addresses public safety concerns but maintains as much personal liberty as possible on these topics" - Shane Other Initiatives Sean is a part of Chacruna, based in San Francisco Oakland is attempting to Decriminalize Nature, which by nature means all naturally occurring substances They aren't on a ballot, they are looking to convince city council to agree with it and accept it California attempted to raise signatures to be on the ballot in the 2018 election but it failed to get on the ballot Oregon is now collecting signatures to get on the ballot at the state level in 2020 Oregon's model is for medicalization, Sean expresses concern for a purely medical model Between big pharma and quiet equity firms, they want to monetize on psychedelics like they did with marijuana, and that's what we risk with medicalization Psychedelic Liberty Summit in 2020 in the Bay Area will be to talk about the rights and wrongs around psychedelic initiatives Final Thoughts Sean mentions a possible system that revolves around a licensing structure Similar to how we get a drivers license;

Download In this episode, Joe talks with Shane LeMaster, Licensed Addiction Counselor and Certified Mental Performance Consultant. Shane is also involved in Psychotherapy as well as Sport and Performance Psychology and Psychedelic Integration Therapy. In this episode they cover a range of topics such as social work, Ketamine, sensory deprivation, psychedelic icons and the psychedelic culture. 3 Key Points: Shane has a podcast of his own, and his goal with the podcast is to bring people's personal experiences to light to learn from them, to master the potential of our minds. Ketamine is a great gateway to opening up people's minds to all of the other psychedelics. Its also a great place to start for therapy. Every single facilitator or shaman has different techniques and styles and that's okay If we don't have differences then we won't have styles to choose from. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Trip Journal Integration Workbook Show Notes About Shane Joe and Shane met up recently at a Psychedelic Club meeting about harm reduction in Fort Collins Shane just got accepted into the PhD program in social work at CSU He had been pursuing a PhD program in psychology and it wasn't working out for him so he decided to take the social work route He works with many people and has developed a strong skill set on the micro level and he wants to start making impact on a macro level with helping people Social Work Shane thinks of social work as an integrative approach for every discipline that we find useful, to come to a holistic, greater understanding of an issue Shane wants to use Ketamine as a 'medium' term goal, because it's legal But ketamine is not where he is going to stop, he finds there are benefits in many other substances He would love to work with LSD and Psilocybin He will continue to offer his services through his business Mind Ops Shane's Podcast - Conversations with the Mind His goal with the podcast is to bring people's personal experiences to light to learn from them It's important to create dialogue and invite people for conversation with differing opinions The goal is to create a theory that implements both opinions Ketamine Ketamine is a great gateway to opening up people's minds to all of the other psychedelics Shane has had a lot of personal and recreational experiences on Ketamine and when he returns to it as a medicine, he is able to attain and sharpen skills for mindfulness Joe brings up the idea that recreational ketamine could have the ability to bring up past trauma or may re-traumatize someone if not used therapeutically Ketamine has a lot of risks, but being educated and using the substance correctly can be absolutely beneficial Shane says we shouldn't try to avoid trauma, we should accept it and use it for good and let it power us "Sometimes we don't even know what were suppressing. We need some assistance to show us what were avoiding in life and I think that psychedelics help with that a lot." - Shane Sensory Deprivation Shane says he's interested in John Lilly's work from back in the day and his terminology of being able to meta-program your human brain Joe says John Lilly was a big part of isolation chambers which led to float tanks Psychedelic Icons Joe mentions Robert Anton Wilson, he was good friends with Timothy Leary He had great critiques, great books and worked with Leary on the 8 levels of consciousness Joe suggests listeners to read The Illuminatus! Trilogy: The Eye in the Pyramid, The Golden Apple, Leviathan "My interest is not in psychedelics themselves, but psychedelics as a means to access higher states of who we are, parts we have forgotten." - Shane Psychedelics are just one way to tap into ourselves and discover our ultimate potential "We should all be questioning, everyday, changing our belief systems" - Shane "Belief is the death of intelligence" - Robert Anton Wilson Shane says a lot of people give Leary a bad rap, but Shane appreciates what he has done Joe mentions 'smile squared' - Space, migration, intelligence and life extension TFYQA - Think for yourself question authority "Turn on, Tune in, Drop out" - Timothy Leary Shane says that phrase sticks with him, it called to his rebel phase in youth to grow and do this work in his life The Psychedelic Culture Splitting - a rephrase of divide and conquer Joe says the psychedelic world is very cut throat "We should take care of each other a bit more in this space" - Joe Shane says, we need to lift each other up versus look for ways to step over each other Every single facilitator or shaman has different techniques and styles and that's okay If we don't have differences then we don't have styles to choose from "We can't become fundamentalists in our own practices, we need to value the differences culturally and from a world view. They are

Download In this episode, Kyle hosts a conversation with Veronika Gold from the Polaris Insight Center, a center that offers Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy. They compare and contrast Ketamine Psychotherapy methods and Ketamine Infusion. 3 Key Points: The most studied way of using Ketamine has been infusion, mainly used for treatment resistant depression and PTSD. Veronika used lozenges and intramuscular Ketamine therapy working for Polaris. When people are healed from depression, there is a lot of anxiety and activation that happens. Infusion clinics don't offer the therapeutic help that comes with Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy. The dissociation that happens with Ketamine is a different dissociation that happens with trauma. With trauma, dissociation happens when the nervous system can't handle the stress in someone's life, with Ketamine, it allows people who feel dissociated from their trauma, to feel again. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Trip Journal Integration Workbook Show Notes About Veronika She specialized in trauma treatment She is involved in the clinical trials for the treatment of PTSD, sponsored by MAPS in San Francisco Veronika is originally from Czech Republic She studied at CIIS She grew up in the Czech Republic in a communist time so she dealt with a lot of trauma She met Stan Grof at 16 at a Transpersonal conference She was fascinated with his work and Transpersonal Breathwork became a part of her healing It lead her to study psychology and become a psychotherapist and study non-ordinary states Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy Ketamine therapy has been studied from the late 60's until today The most studied way of using Ketamine has been infusion, mainly used for treatment resistant depression and PTSD In Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy, the therapy is as important as the medicine There is a biochemical effect of Ketamine When people are healed from depression, there is a lot of anxiety and activation that happens Infusion clinics don't offer the therapeutic help that comes with Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy Benefits of Ketamine Psychotherapy The treatment method used at Polaris includes a comfortable room, eye shades, music tailored to the therapy, and an ongoing therapist They use non-ordinary states of consciousness as a part of the transformation They use lozenges and IM (Intramuscular) Only 30% of the ketamine from the lozenges are effective The lozenges allow for a slow onset of the medicine With IM, a higher dose can be used because it's less taxing on the body and more effective The property of Ketamine is dissociation Veronika says she prompts people to explain where they are, to share about what comes up for them "Sometimes there are memories that come up that are connected to their struggle. Sometimes they do full trauma processing. There are times where they go inside and then come out." - Veronika Ketamine vs. Classic Psychedelics They used Ketamine as a means to do the work legally For the work that is being done underground, the therapists are putting themselves at risk for legality, and it does impact set and setting But even if other substances were legal, Veronika thinks Ketamine will still be used for certain issues Ketamine is described as a +4 on Shulgin's scale A moderate to high dose can allow people to have a near death experience or 'review of their life' The dissociation that happens with Ketamine is a different dissociation that happens with trauma With trauma, dissociation happens when the nervous system can't handle the stress Opposingly, with Ketamine, it allows people who feel dissociated, to feel again Veronika mentions a study that says the higher the effects of dissociation from a Ketamine session, the higher the antidepressant effects are. She has work in somatic studies and organic intelligence Breathwork Veronika's experience with Breathwork helps her understand her patients The bodily experience that happens in Breathwork also helps her understand the body movement/energetic blockages, etc that happen in Ketamine therapy The last 30-90 minutes is where the integration starts Sessions They do mainly one-on-one session but have done a few pair therapy sessions Veronika says its easier to do one-on-one because the sessions are short and there is a lot of internal work The Future of Ketamine Veronika is excited about people's curiosity with Ketamine therapy and the effectivity of it Ketamine is a new and emerging field and we are figuring out who it is useful for and who it is not Veronika says that non-ordinary states are all beneficial for healing, and not having to use Ketamine (using Breathwork) is still beneficial "A big part of the healing is having a positive experience and connecting with places that feel good, having positive visions. Its supportive for our n

Download In this episode, Joe talks with Matthew Remski, yoga teacher, consultant and author. In the show they talk about high demand group life and their cultic mechanisms, and the after effects of living in a high demand group setting. 3 Key Points: Matthew Remski shares his experience of spending most of his 20's in cults, and his healing journey afterward. Cults aren't defined by their content (political, religious, psychedelic), they are defined by their element of control. Another term for a 'cult' is a high demand group. High demand groups can be very appealing from the outside, no one signs up for the rape, torture, or manipulative experiences that happen inside of a cult. And the after effects from high demand group life can be extreme, such as PTSD, inability to form romantic relationships, etc. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Trip Journal Integration Workbook Show Notes About Matthew Yoga was a safe space of retreat and recuperation after being in cults He was in a cult for 3 years led by Michael Roach at the Asian Classics Institute He was in Endeavor Academy for 6 years in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin These experiences gave him group dynamic perspective Yoga gave him somatic autonomy, and allowed him to feel himself again after the cultic nature of the groups He spent age 22-29 in these groups where we would have built some sort of career, and he didn't He became a yoga teacher and opened his own yoga studio as a part of his healing Cults People end up doing harm to themselves, or do things that they didn't sign up for An organization misrepresents itself, and presents itself as a safe haven for people who may be vulnerable for any reason High Demand Organization, along with other synonyms, are other words for 'cult' 'Self Sealed' implies that everything that happens within the group is to have the individual think it's for the 'good', a 'bounded choice' environment (saying that sexual advances or torture are a part of the development toward enlightenment, for example) The high demand group rewires a person's attachment patterns to make them 'unattached' Steve Hassan's BITE model Behavior Control Information Control Thought Control Emotional Control The content of the cult doesn't matter (religious, psychedelic, political, etc), it's the element of control that is the same amongst true cults There can be political groups that aren't cults, but the element of control is what defines it as a cult Octavio Rettig and Gerry Sandoval They are perhaps responsible for multiple deaths (maybe not directly but through negligence) They use 5-MEO-DMT with abuse and malpractice Cult Impact The impact from a cult can be cognitive, labor related, relationship/family oriented, etc. Matthew says the estrangement from his family has taken over a decade to repair The relationships he had prior, has been unable to restored His identity was changed for him through social coercion "The cult takes its best possible part of you for its own agenda" - Matthew The after effects from high demand group life can be extreme, they can have PTSD, they may not be able to form romantic bonds, they may become estranged from their family, etc. Recent estimates in the US alone say that there are 8,000 high demand groups These dynamics can be found in many organizations Wild Wild Country - When a controversial cult leader builds a Utopian city in the Oregon desert, conflict with the locals escalates into a national scandal Psychotherapy Cult Psychotherapy cults look like a Buddhist or yoga cult but with different group practice techniques They will depend upon group psychotherapy that break down and humiliate members and create fear that looks like love and acceptance It includes members revealing intense secrets so they become vulnerable Practice And All Is Coming: Abuse, Cult Dynamics, And Healing In Yoga And Beyond Matthew's book is applicable in many different community constellations His intention is to help foster critical thinking and community health Joe says that anyone in a group dynamic or especially those leading groups (such as an ayahuasca circle) need to read this book Practice And All Is Coming: Abuse, Cult Dynamics, And Healing In Yoga And Beyond Links Website About Matthew Matthew has been practicing meditation and yoga since 1996, sitting and moving with teachers from the Tibetan Buddhist, Kripalu, Ashtanga, and Iyengar streams. Along the way he has trained as a yoga therapist and an Ayurvedic consultant, and maintained a private practice in Toronto from 2007 to 2015. From 2008 through 2012, he co-directed Yoga Festival Toronto and Yoga Community Toronto, non-profit activist organizations dedicated to promoting open dialogue and accessibility. During that same period, he studied jyotiśhāstra in a small oral-culture setting at the Vid

Download In this episode, Joe interviews Computational Neuro-Biologist, Dr. Andrew Gallimore, one of the world's knowledgeable researchers on DMT. In the show they discuss DMT and the possibilities of being in an extended state of DMT, such as accessing higher dimensions and communicating with intelligent entities. 3 Key Points: This reality that we are in is a lower dimensional slice of a higher dimensional structure. DMT is a technology or tool that allows us access to reach out to these higher dimensions. Andrew has developed and written about the Intravenous Infusion Model, which allows a timed and steady release of DMT to induce an extended state DMT experience. Extended state DMT hypothesizes that with enough time spent in the DMT space, the 'map' of the space would begin stabilize over time and you could develop a 'life' in the DMT space like we do in our waking life. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Trip Journal Integration Workbook Show Notes About Andrew Since age 15, he was into psychedelic drugs and altered states of consciousness He was at a friends house and was looking at a book called Alternative London and it had writings on different psychedelics but only a very short segment on DMT His fascination grew from his yearning to learn more about DMT His interest turned into academic work, learning chemistry and pharmacology and he is now into learning more about the brain itself He is currently a Computational Neuro-Biologist DMT DMT is a compound found almost everywhere in nature, highly illegal, yet highly interesting Interaction with entities are common All frames of reference are gone Andrew says that the first few times were very intense and he would come back with no way to comprehend or describe it Then after a few more times he started to see the entities and have a more stable experience with more intent Andrew describes a very vivid experience of a man in a dark robe where he asked him "show me what you've got" and he opened his mouth and Andrew woke up a if he had seen God himself. He describes it as a shattering experience These beings in the DMT experience, aren't just pointless beings in a dream, they are powerful and extremely intelligent We don't have any way to comprehend the levels of intelligence in this dimensional space, we only are ever able to experience intelligence with our human capacity for what intelligence is There is a sense that these beings are intelligent because they have been around for billions and billions of years or potentially infinitely Communicating with Intelligent Entities He calls his book the 'textbook of the future' "We are imprisoned in some kind of work of art" - Terence McKenna This reality is a construct or artifact of the alien intelligence or the 'other' "This reality that we are in is a lower dimensional slice of a higher dimensional structure. DMT is a technology or tool that allows us access to reach out to these higher dimensions" - Andrew DMT is everywhere "Nature is drenched in DMT, but it takes a high level of sophisticated intelligence to identify it, isolate it, and discover a means of using it as a tool" - Dennis McKenna "In order to communicate with these beings, we need to bring the right tools to the table" - Andrew Target Controlled Intravenous Infusion Model - using the same model for DMT as the anesthesia model It uses administration of a short acting drug using a mathematical model to control the release "We are not just passive receivers of information but we are actively constructing our world from moment to moment." - Andrew Continuity Hypothesis of Dreaming - it says that dreaming is continuous with our waking life, the brain constructs the world when you're asleep in the same way that it does when you're awake Extended State DMT (DMTx) Our brains are constantly updating its model of reality, so if you put someone through the DMT space for months at a time, that person's model of reality would completely shift This idea has been completely unexplored The hypothesis is that an extended time in the DMT space would begin to make that space more stable over time, the goal being to live in the DMT space as you would in this reality of waking life The measurement of DMT in the blood with Ayahuasca is 1/5th the level of DMT in the blood as a breakthrough DMT experience Andrew hasn't heard of anyone trying the Intravenous Infusion Model yet There is this space that exists one quantum away, and it is accessible by everyone (technologically, not necessarily legally) Inter-dimensional citizenship is close at hand Links Book Alien Information Theory: Psychedelic Drug Technologies and the Cosmic Game Website Instagram Twitter About Dr. Andrew Gallimore Dr. Andrew Gallimore is a computational neurobiologist, pharmacologist, chemist, and writer who has b

Download In this episode, hosts Joe and Kyle interview music artist, East Forest. Influenced by psychedelic Psilocybin sessions, Trevor Oswalt, the mind behind the project, produces soundtracks for psychedelic journeywork sessions. 3 Key Points: East Forest is a music artist and producer with a mission to create a playground of doors for listeners to open and to explore their inner space. His recent project, 'Ram Dass', captures the words of wisdom of Ram Dass and pairs it with sound, a project with four chapters that will release throughout 2019. Ayahuasca is connected to the Icaros, but psilocybin doesn't have a music ritual. His goal with his project, Music for Mushrooms: A soundtrack for the psychedelic practitioner, is to bring ritual to psilocybin journeywork. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Trip Journal Integration Workbook Show Notes About (Trevor Oswalt) East Forest East Forest is a 10 years and running music project that unfolded exploring into sharing and medicine circles and developed into a public interface Its based around introspection and tools for people to use Between retreats, podcasts and live performance, Trevor is inviting people in to assist with their journeys Ram Dass Trevor is working on a 4 part record project with Ram Dass He had the idea to do a record with spiritual teachers Ram Dass had a stroke 20 years ago, and he got Aphasia from it It would take him 15-30 minutes to answer a question, so Trevor would put it to the music and put Ram's words on the pauses in the music His wisdom and story would come alive in the songs The first time Ram Dass did psilocybin was with Timothy Leary and he said it changed his life Ram Dass talks about the 'witness consciousness' a viewpoint of things from the soul It is a place where you can love everyone and tell your truth and accept your dark thoughts You can't get rid of your dark thoughts, but you can learn to live with them Journeywork Soundtrack Music for Mushrooms: A soundtrack for the psychedelic practitioner Its a 5 hour playlist for journeywork that guides you and helps you do the work He made it live during his own journeywork session over a weekend the previous summer He says he is influenced by Keith Jarrett, who does long form pianist pieces Joe says trance in music is under explored Trevor describes a trip that he had where he took mushrooms and listened to his own (first) album that he made "It was as if I created this album without knowing what I was creating. My soul had tricked my ego into doing it so I could use it as a tool in that moment to transform into something new." - Trevor There is a lot of music, science, and arts that are inspired by psychedelics He describes its a symbiotic relationship between psychedelics and music That's the thing about art, you put it out there and everyone puts their own meaning to it His first experience with psychedelics was in college with mushrooms He was outside at a festival and it was a very transcendent, blissful experience Retreats He attends retreats where there is either yoga, wilderness hikes or mainly revolved around music He does a retreat using music at Esalen with his partner, Marisa Radha Weppner They are doing another retreat in June at Esalen during the summer solstice and he will also be releasing the third chapter of the Ram Dass Record Next Esalen Retreat Sound He went to Vassar college in New York and there were pianos all over the school, he learned how to play simple songs and was shocked of how great it sounded coming to life and that fed on itself and he was hooked His first album was made in iMac with pro tools and his skills developed from there Sound quality is critical in journeywork Joe's friend has mentioned that it's hard to make a living as a music creator, she goes by Living Light Joe also mentions a festival he attended listening to Reed Mathis and the Electric Beethoven They went on a 20-30 minute talk about how the music is a ritual Kyle used to lead some hikes, once was with Trevor Hall and it has gotten more common to collaborate these experiences with music Live Music During Ayahuasca, the shamans sing the Icaros, and the song is a part of the ritual No one uses Ayahuasca recreationally, the ceremony has never been detached from the drug With psilocybin, in the western culture, it's almost always only been used recreationally His goal was to create a new musical tradition that would speak to our western years and make sense to us without taking from another religion and putting it to our ritual Links Website About East Forest East Forest is an American Ambient/Electronic/Contemporary Classical/Indie Pop artist from Portland, Oregon, United States. The project was created by Trevor Oswalt who derived "East Forest" from the German translation of his last name. To date

Download In this Bonus episode The Teafaerie and Joe Moore get into lots of great topics. Enjoy! ! The Teafaerie micro-bio(me) The Teafaerie is a writer, flow arts teacher, ruespieler, toy inventor, app designer, street performer, party promoter, and superhero. erowid.org/columns/teafaerie Some links Event in Ran Rafael, CA w Tam Integration Tickets Mapping the Source on Erowid Carrying the Light - Audio Telepathetic - https://www.erowid.org/columns/teafaerie/2013/02/21/telepathetic/ The Teafaerie on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/flowfaerie/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/ruespieler

Download In this episode, Joe interviews Jesse Gould, founder of Heroic Hearts Project, a non-profit doing psychedelic work with veterans. They discuss the difficulties veterans face finding healing from their PTSD in the current landscape. 3 Key Points: Heroic Hearts is a project geared toward raising funds and providing resources for veterans to receive healing through Ayahuasca and other psychedelics. Our current landscape of social media and government make it extremely difficult to receive donations and get veterans the help that they need. Heroic Hearts is trying to bridge the gap between PTSD and access to healing. Veterans tend to feel alone in their symptoms from their experiences, so creating community and an integration plan are both really important in the healing process. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Trip Journal Integration Workbook Show Notes About Jessie Founder of Heroic Hearts Project He found the healing potential of Ayahuasca after a week long retreat after struggling with severe anxiety after combat deployments with the army He was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico and grew up in Florida Jesse graduated with an Economics Degree from Cornell Heroic Hearts Heroic Hearts is trying to be the voice of veterans in the psychedelic community There are very few options through the department of veteran affairs The organization helps raise money to provide opportunity for veterans to access treatment such as Ayahuasca retreats PTSD and Addiction affect the veteran community more than the general public Aligning the veteran voice with the psychedelic cause is a powerful force for change Integration is so important, both to understand what you're trying to achieve (beforehand) and stay on that path (afterward) Jessie says they work very hard to make sure vets are having true healing through their Ayahuasca experiences PTSD People have a common misconception around PTSD that there are these constant traumatic outbreaks, and although that can happen, there are so many people living their day to day lives and you'd never know they have PTSD but they still suffer from it PTSD doesn't always come from severely traumatic events like war, it can come from other things like childhood abuse or sexual assault SSRIs numb the pain but don't help with any actual healing Donations It's really hard to get donations Heroic Hearts provided financial scholarships so far to about 15 people They are doing a retreat in May for another 7 veterans The received a grant from Ubiome to study the effects of Ayahuasca on the gut microbiome There is a strong link between the stomach biome and mood They are coming up with do it yourself marketing campaigns to help individuals raise their own money, setting people up for success In a place where it's easier to get money, it's also harder to get money because so many people are creating personal fundraisers for their dog, etc. There are more and more large organizations helping smaller companies like Heroic Hearts with research Community Breathwork can be used as a helpful bridge between patients and their PTSD Veterans tend to trust veterans more They tend to feel alone so creating community among vets is really important Psychedelics and ceremony really help vets transition out of feeling alone Jesse says he plans on creating local meetups and groups for vets He tends to send vets on retreats with friends or other vets from the same community so when they return from their retreat they have a built-in community to come back to Heroic Hearts Project There is an application for vets There are many options to donate, all funds raised go right to the vets "Why is there no government funding going to the biggest breakthrough in PTSD research through the MAPS MDMA therapy? Not one cent of government money has gone to that." - Jesse "Why are we having to send veterans to other countries to get the mental health that they deserve?" - Jesse Links Website About Jesse Gould Jesse founded Heroic Hearts Project after attending an Ayahuasca retreat in Iquitos, Peru on February 2017. During the week long retreat he instantly saw the healing potential of the drink and knew that it could be a powerful tool in healing the mental struggles of his fellow veterans. Jesse was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico and grew up in New Smyrna Beach, FL. In 2009 he graduated from Cornell University with a degree in Economics. After working in investment banking for a short time he enlisted in the Army and became an Airborne Ranger for four years and three combat deployments. Most recently, he worked in finance in Tampa, FL After struggling with severe anxiety for many years, he finally decided to go to an ayahuasca retreat which has had a profoundly positive effect on his anxiety and daily life.'I know what it is like to be at the

Download In this special interview, Joe and Kyle sit down with Theologian, John B. Cobb Jr., referred to as the Godfather of American Theology. They recorded with John at the conference they all attended in California, on how exceptional experience can help save the world. They cover a range of topics inspired from Alfred Whitehead's teachings and the promising applications of Whitehead's thoughts in the area of ecological civilization and environmental ethics pioneered by John Cobb Jr. 3 Key Points: Process thinking argues that reality consists of processes rather than material objects, and that thinking this way is similar to the teachings of a psychedelic experience. It is hoped for and believed that exceptional experiences can help save the world. Whitehead's process philosophy argues that there is urgency in coming to see the world as a web of interrelated processes of which we are integral parts, so that all of our choices and actions have consequences for the world around us. Certain curriculum, education systems and Universities are not helping us to see the value of our world. A full systems change is needed and hopefully psychedelics, exceptional experiences and process thinking can help with that. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Trip Journal Integration Workbook Show Notes Process Thought Alfred North Whitehead The senses heighten connection, but we shouldn't rely only senses for our experiences The label that can we give to the 'most fundamental relationship' is any 'happening' What's happening when we listen to music? We aren't hearing one tone after another tone, we are hearing the music as a whole piece Whitehead calls the fundamental relationship of inclusion, a 'prehension' How one moment leads into another moment If the world is made up of prehensions, then in any given moment, what is prehended? The boundary between conscious and unconscious experience is fuzzy. Whitehead calls the relatedness to the past, physical prehensions. But we also prehend, potentialities. It is being experienced as potential not as actual. Whitehead thinks this is present in very elementary matters. Whitehead says that waves of vibration are a very large part of the world we live in Whitehead believes that without some type of variation from moment to moment, that nothing really happens He wrote a lot on relativity and very little about quantum David Bohm He was very process oriented He wanted to change our language into using words that mean something is 'happening' versus using nouns that say that something 'is' "If you only have potentiality and too little grounded in actuality, you better be careful. If you don't have the potentiality, then you live in a deterministic universe" - John "Does Whitehead relate the potentialities to his ideas about intuition?" Intuition can be of both pure potentials and about other people A lot of paranormal experiences are not supernatural Just because someone has seen something or done something, it doesn't mean that it's true. There is plenty of illusion. [caption id="attachment_3637" align="alignleft" width="300"] T-shirts available on our store[/caption] Complex Societies An important feature of Whitehead is to distinguish complex society Panexperientialism is 'the view that if evolution of humans goes all the way down to subatomic particles, then human 'experience' by deduction must have originated at the subatomic level, which implies that not just humans but individual cells, individual molecules, individual atoms, and even individual subatomic particles, such as photons or electrons, incorporate a capacity for 'feeling' or degree of subjective inferiority.' There might be in-deterministic qualities in individual entities From a Whiteheadian point of view, contemporary physics would be almost universally valid if the entire world were made up entirely of physical feelings, feelings of actual occasions, 'what is'. "What would be opposed to physical feelings?" Conceptual feelings, feelings of potentials He thinks there are feelings of potential in every actual occasion "The attempt to make standard physics apply to the quantum world are a total failure." -John "The attempt to make standard physics apply to the human experience is the task of the Neuroscientists. They think that the subjective experience has a causal role to play in the world." -John It's more committed to metaphysics than it is to empirical study "Do you think what's going on in the mind, say neurotransmitters or electrical activity firing, that is creating this reality, or the experience, is having an influence on the neurochemistry?" John says that the psyche plays a role Scientists who are busy engineering genetic change, tell us purpose plays no role in genetic change "What do you mean by no purpose in genetic change?"

Download In this episode, Joe gets on the mic to chat about some current events in the psychedelic space such as the recent passing of psychedelic icon Ralph Metzner, the Psilocybin decriminalization initiatives in Denver and now Oakland, and psychedelic use in the Military. 3 Key Points: Psychedelic Icon, Ralph Metzner passed away on March 14th, 2019. He had a remarkable career and published a ton of books around psychedelics in his time. A recent study found that a single dose of Psilocybin can enhance creative thinking and empathy for up to 7 days after use. Activists are planning an initiative to decriminalize Psilocybin in Oakland. Denver will vote on decriminalization on the May 7th ballot. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Get Educated Navigating Psychedelics or Navigating Psychedelics: 5-Week Live Online Course Trip Journal Integration Workbook Show Notes Ralph Metzner Ralph Metzner passed away on March 14th, 2019 He was a part of the Leary, Alpert trio Ralph was a psychologist, writer and researcher who participated in psychedelic research in the 60's. He had a remarkable career and published a ton of books: The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead Maps of consciousness;: I Ching, tantra, tarot, alchemy, astrology, actualism The Unfolding Self: Varieties of Transformative Experience Green Psychology: Transforming Our Relationship to the Earth Sacred Mushroom of Visions: Teonanácatl: A Sourcebook on the Psilocybin Mushroom Sacred Vine of Spirits: Ayahuasca The Expansion of Consciousness (Ecology of Consciousness) Alchemical Divination: Accessing your spiritual intelligence for healing and guidance (The Ecology of Consciousness) Ecology of Consciousness: The Alchemy of Personal, Collective, and Planetary Transformation Overtones and Undercurrents: Spirituality, Reincarnation, and Ancestor Influence in Entheogenic Psychotherapy Searching for the Philosophers' Stone: Encounters with Mystics, Scientists, and Healers The Toad and the Jaguar a Field Report of Underground Research on a Visionary Medicine: Bufo Alvarius and 5-Methoxy-Dimethyltryptamine Psilocybin and Creativity A single dose of Psilocybin enhances creative thinking and empathy for up to 7 days after use It was a 55 participant study in the Netherlands Decriminalize Psilocybin in Oakland Activists plan to decriminalize Psilocybin in Oakland Decriminalize Psilocybin in Denver It will be voted on, on May 7th Joe believes all drugs should be decriminalized We need to have a compassionate drug policy Placing people in jail for non-violent offences tears apart families We should not favor one drug over another in terms of decriminalization Use of Psychedelics to do War More Effectively Harm Reduction Joe mentions conversation he had with a friend of the show He mentioned that Ayahuasca sometimes has mold on it Ayahuasca is labor intensive to make, so they make it once and then it grows mold Then people come and drink the mold infested Aya and it can make a person more sick than they need to be "If you have the option to be more safe, should you be?" If we have less harm and less deaths in the drug world over time, in the next 5 or 6 years we are going to see huge benefits with these substances Staying out of jail, not dying, and by being safer with drugs we have more of a chance to influence policy and make these substances and drug checking more available for the future culture About Joe Joe studied philosophy in New Hampshire, where he earned his B.A.. After stumbling upon the work of Stanislav Grof during his undergraduate years, Joe began participating in Holotropic Breathwork workshops in Vermont in 2003. Joe helped facilitate Holotropic and Transpersonal Breathwork workshops while he spent his time in New England. He is now working in the software industry as well as hosting a few podcasts. Joe now coordinates Dreamshadow Transpersonal Breathwork workshops, in Breckenridge, Colorado.

Download In this episode Kyle and Joe sit down and discuss Esketamine, a new FDA approved drug that is a derivative of Ketamine. They invite quotes from professionals who have experience with generic Ketamine and to voice their opinions. 3 Key Points: Janssen Pharmaceutica has announced an FDA approved derivative of Ketamine, Esketamine, called Spravato. The new drug is facing critique on its pricing, route of administration as well as functional differences when compared to the traditional, generic Ketamine. Joe and Kyle invite professionals in the field who have experience with generic Ketamine to voice their opinions, hopes and concerns about Spravato. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Trip Journal Integration Workbook Show Notes Esketamine Janssen Pharmaceutica, a Johnson & Johnson Subsidiary has created a derivative of Ketamine called Esketamine and has gone through the whole FDA approval process There has been some concern about a big pharmaceutical company, Janssen coming in and creating a 'new molecule' and introducing an FDA approved 'psychedelic' to make generic Ketamine obsolete Pricing There is going to be price differences based on routes of administration (Intravenous vs lozenges) $1.59 at 100 milligrams (93% bioavailable when administered IM) The list price of Esketamine through Janssen will be $590-$885 per treatment session based on the dosage taken which will vary between patients During the first month of therapy, that would add up to $4720-$6785 After the first month, maintenance therapy could range from $2300-$3500 Joe says Ketamine should be cheap Scott Shannon Scott Shannon, Director of the Wholeness Center Joe reads a quote from Scott that says that the new Janssen Esketamine product is overpriced, the research data showed that only 2 out of 5 studies demonstrated effectiveness, and generic Ketamine is much more effective and cheaper than Esketamine Insurance Insurance might cover Esketamine Kyle says he hasn't heard of too many generic Ketamine sessions being covered by Insurance Jessica Katzman The approval of Esketamine by the FDA is controversial based on the route of administration, cost and functional differences Only 8-50% of the Esketamine dose is effective Some of the benefits of Esketamine are it's legitimizing of the existing generic Ketamine use as well as an Insurance overview of Ketamine and Esketamine via cost analysis Esketamine is not new, it has been around for a long time Dr. Matt Brown Physicians have been able to provide Ketamine for decades Janssen was able to get the FDA to approve literally half of what generic Ketamine is There are a lot of unknowns for Esketamine yet, it hasn't even hit the shelves yet Kyle says Ketamine has been used to bring patients internally, like most psychedelic sessions Kyle also says Ketamine is more dissociating, where classic tryptamines like psilocybin are more activating Contraindications Hypertension, stroke, intracranial mass/hemorrhage and cautions like pregnancy, substance abuse, etc. It's pretty available in the underground, so it could have the potential for risk of abuse Recreational experiences have the opportunity to be the most therapeutic and eye-opening experience Audiobook - Function of Reason by Alfred North Whitehead "I need not continue the discussion. The case is too clear for elaboration. Yet the trained body of physiologists under the influence of the ideas germane to their successful methodology entirely ignore the whole mass of adverse evidence. We have here a colossal example of anti-empirical dogmatism arising from a successful methodology. Evidence which lies outside the method simply does not count.We are, of course, reminded that the neglect of this evidence arises from the fact that it lies outside the scope of the methodology of the science. That method consists in tracing the persistence of the physical and chemical principles throughout physiological operations." - quote from Function of Reason Opinions Joe invites listeners to ask questions and leave a message of opinions and such (either anonymously or using your name) Google voice 970-368-3133 About Kyle Kyle's interest in exploring non-ordinary states of consciousness began when he was 16-years-old when he suffered a traumatic snowboarding accident. Waking up after having a near-death experience changed Kyle's life. Since then, Kyle has earned his B.A. in Transpersonal Psychology, where he studied the healing potential of non-ordinary states of consciousness by exploring shamanism, plant medicine, Holotropic Breathwork, and the roots/benefits of psychedelic psychotherapy. Kyle has co-taught two college-level courses. One of the courses Kyle created as a capstone project, "Stanislav Grof's Psychology of Extraordinary Experiences," and the other one which he co-crea

Download This is an exclusive interview with Elizabeth Gibson from Dreamshadow, a segment from the Psychedelics Today, Navigating Psychedelics Masterclass, Lessons on Self Care and Integration. 3 Key Points: A common mistake people make is thinking all of the work happens in the session, when really only a portion of the work happens in the session, and the rest happens afterward during integration. It's important not to isolate yourself after this work, it's important to search out people who will be understanding of your experience. Elizabeth compares journeywork to planting a seed. You can't grow a whole plant in one session, you simply plant the seed. You determine how it grows by how you water and cultivate it (integrate it), it's a process that can't be rushed. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Trip Journal Integration Workbook Show Notes Integration Integration is one of the most important aspects of work with extraordinary experiences "How do you take material that's come up and bring it into your everyday life? How do you realize the benefit of the intense work that you've done?" - Elizabeth Elizabeth's Background Elizabeth has been facilitating Breathwork for 23 years She was a part of MDMA trials in the 80's when it was legal Elizabeth helped edit the MDMA Assisted Psychotherapy Manual Integrating the Experience A common mistake that people make is thinking all of the work is in the session itself, but really that's only half of the work. The other half of the work happens after leaving the session, the integration. Integration is about being more present with ourselves in every moment, not just yearning to get back to the state of the session The long term subtle changes that happen over time are the most important Stan Grof says that aerobic activity like swimming, running, etc is a way of connecting with energy and feelings that operate at deeper levels Elizabeth says she likes drawing immediately after an experience to work with it symbolically, and then journaling a day or two later once she is able to verbalize her experience "Just do it before you think too much about it" Community Benefits It's important not to isolate yourself after this work "The principle of community is really important. We can't do this work completely on our own." - Elizabeth We are all the descendants of successful tribes It's important to search out people who will be understanding of your experience If there is somatic stuff happening in the body, it is a good idea to do some body work, such as deep tissue massage On the other side, if we are holding the space for others who went through a session, it's important for us to make ourselves available for them Just to talk and to be heard is so important on its own Email follow up is tricky because a person can pour their heart out or be very vague or not get deep in their email The email follow up method is also tricky because of difficult response time and interpretation of responses Facebook groups can be a helpful way of finding the others and creating community to be able to reach out to understanding individuals Elizabeth says it's like the analogy of seeds being planted, you decide how you want it to grow and how you cultivate it Acting too quickly after an experience isn't always the best idea, its best to keep it slow Journeywork Tips Safe setting Access to people who will be able to support you afterwards Links website About Elizabeth Elizabeth Gibson, M.S., holds a bachelor's degree in literature and a master's degree in biology from The University of Tulsa. She has completed Herbert Benson's Clinical Training in Mind/Body Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Previously she worked as a consultant at Arthur D. Little, Inc., and Radian Corporation in the areas of environmental protection and food research. She is a writer, editor and homemaker with interests in environmental literacy, yoga, music and gardening. Elizabeth is the editor of Stanislav Grof 's The Ultimate Journey: Consciousness and the Mystery of Death and a contributor to the teaching manual MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, both published by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. For the past 12 years, she has been responsible for local news for the Town of Pawlet, and from 2008 – 2014 she was the editor of the weekly environment section for the Rutland Herald and Montpelier Times Argus newspapers in Vermont.

Download In this episode, Joe holds conversation with Dr. Michael Sapiro, Clinical Psychologist out of Boise, Idaho. They cover topics surrounding how meditation and mindfulness intersect with psychedelia as well as psychic ability, altered states and integration. 3 Key Points: Meditation and psychedelics have a lot of overlap such as ego dissolution and unity. Dr. Sapiro believes that meditation and mindfulness bring personal awakening in order to create collective transformation. Both meditation and psychedelics are the most beneficial when they are integrated into our waking life and when we use our experiences to help others and our planet. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Show Notes About Dr. Michael Sapiro Attended John F Kennedy University where he received his PsyD He focused on meditation research at the Institute of Noetic Sciences He is from Chicago, IL He spent time in Thailand for the Peace Corps A lot of his experience was from his time in the Bay Area There is more data coming out about awareness based meditative states and psychedelic states and how they relate subjectively to each other Dr. Sapiro's Practice Transformational Psychology, Integration based He integrates the Buddhist Dharma, Western Psychology, Non-dual meditation and philosophy, and Noetic Sciences into his practice Michael sees 20-28 patients a week Kashmir Shaivism It's a dissolving type of experience, Its a non-dualistic style of tradition The non-dual tradition helps one just be "whole and unbroken" and focus on the present and now He does the human work in the Buddhism Dharma style, and the spiritual work with the restful piece of being in the now, the focus being integration Vision His vision has been on enhancing personal awakening in order to create collective transformation He wants to help communities and states and nations to transform via individual awakening He has worked with law enforcement agents, military vets, community members, a variety of people at different levels all the way from grounding to stability to thriving He always ends each Sangha with saying 'take this work and apply it to your neighbors' A Sangha is a buddhist community of monks/individuals in support of each other "People have such a deep connection to nature when you come out of the psychedelic experience. You start taking care of the environment differently than before went you went in." - Michael "We now have data on greater environmental concern and stewardship after the psychedelic experience." - Joe People who are consciously interacting with things outside of themselves have a greater care for those things. "If I am hurting the world I am hurting myself." - Michael "Hopefully one of the bigger things that come out of the psychedelic movement are greater levels of environmentalism and global stewardship" - Joe The psychedelic movement helps us see systems that are made up are a part of our tangible reality and our responsibility to take care of the people in the systems We can use psychedelics and meditation, and integration from these experiences, to see how we can operate in these systems and help people find resources in these systems Dr. Sapiro's Work He teaches as Esalen Institute leading workshops One of his colleagues has reached over 200,000 people with their work since 2011 His goal isn't to be the lead, but the support of leaders, especially women because he feels the need for a balance and the need for more female leaders Michael says he loves surrounding himself around 'world-changers' and loves doing anything to be around them and learn from them Boise, Idaho Michael says its surprisingly conscious state Its very community oriented There are 6-7 Buddhist Sanghas, groups of dedicated folks to their practice There is a lot of nature and nature is Dharma, it is the teacher Psychic Ability and Altered States It's very normal for humans to have psychic experiences All of us have access to these states, we just have to tap into them Michael encourages people to accept and cultivate these experiences It may be better to accept these experiences than to deny them There is a difference between energetic flow and psychosis Crazy Wise is a documentary that touches on spiritual emergence issues The Overlap of Psychedelic States and Meditation The Institute of Noetic Sciences had a program called The Future of Meditation Research They found in the research that they were only looking at reducing anxiety and depression, the clinical applications But they found that more than half of the people experienced psychic phenomenon, mystical experiences, terrifying experiences, the things that overlap/correlate with psychedelic experiences Both meditative and psychedelic experiences point to ego dissolution and unity at the same time Ego and anxiety both have w