Dennis McKenna is the founder of the McKenna Academy and has conducted research in ethnopharmacology for over 40 years. He is a founding board member of the Heffter Research Institute, and was a key investigator on the Hoasca Project, the first biomedical investigation of ayahuasca. Important Links:

• McKenna Academy: https://mckenna.academy/
• ESPD 55 (Ethnopharmacologic Search for Psychoactive Drugs): https://espd55.com/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/DennisMcKenna4
• ICEERS (International Center for Ethno-botanical Education, Research, and Service): https://www.iceers.org/

Show Notes:

• ESPD 55 conference
• Goals of the McKenna Academy
• How psychedelics affect our relationship with nature
• Bridging the gap between ancestral and moderns scientific knowledge
• Psychedelics on the safety scale
• Nixon’s war against drugs
• Fear of persecution in the medical community
• LSD being really responsible for the birth of modern neuroscience
• DMT reopening the door to clinical research
• Using psilocybin for end of life applications
• Psychedelics are not just “band-aids”
• Dissipation of knowledge among indigenous tribes
• Reality hallucination
• Therapeutic utility of psychedelics
• Future of psychedelic research
• Making psychedelics more accessible
• Protecting endangered plants
• Forming alliances with indigenous communities

Books Mentioned:

• The Immortality Key; by Brian Muraresku
• How to Change Your Mind; by Michael Pollan
• Psychology and Alchemy; by Carl Jung