#75 | Psychedelics, Myth and the Soul's Descent - Simon Yugler
The Mythic Masculine
Intro
This chapter explores the evolving notions of masculinity through the lens of psychedelics and myth. It discusses how these experiences can lead to personal transformation while addressing contemporary issues and cultural narratives.
My guest today is Simon Yugler, a longtime friend who is a psychedelic therapist, educator, and the author of Psychedelics & the Soul—a mythic guide to deep healing, depth psychology, and cultural repair.
With a background steeped in Jungian thought and apprenticed to earth-based wisdom traditions, Simon walks the liminal spaces where myth and medicine meet, where the personal journey of the soul intertwines with the great unfolding of culture.
In our conversation, we explore the archetypal landscapes revealed through psychedelic experience—those luminous, perilous realms where the collective unconscious speaks in image and story. We trace the deep roots of mythopoetics and their role in personal and societal transformation, turning to tales such as the Inuit folktale Eagle’s Gift to illuminate what it means to undergo initiation in a world that has largely forgotten its rites of passage.
We also wade into the turbulent waters of modern politics, asking: What might a mythopoetic lens reveal about our current crises? How do we make sense of an era teetering between collapse and renewal? And what are the practical tools for integrating the peak experiences—psychedelic or otherwise—into the hard soil of daily life?
This episode is an invitation to journey into the deep mythic currents shaping our time and the soul’s quest to remember its place within them.
Simon’s Book Tour Dates
* Denver, 3/17 w/ Jaz Cadoch (@_jaz.ie) at Greenspaces
* Santa Fe, 3/22 w/ Michael Garfield (@michaelgarfield) at The Arc Bookstore
* LA, 3/27 w/ Tony Moss (venue to be confirmed)
* Bay Area (3/29, venue to be confirmed)
* Nevada City, 3/31, at Elixart
LINKS
* Simon Yugler’s Official Website
UPCOMING OFFERINGS:
Heads up, the doors open for the next round of The Deep Masculine, my 3 month online offering for men (and now women) to repattern your relationship to sex, soul & purpose. Save $100 with Early Bird rate - Ends March 13.
SHOW NOTES
00:00 Introduction to Archetypal Imagery
01:23 Meet the Host and Guest
01:58 Exploring Psychedelic Experiences
02:16 The Role of Myth in Personal and Societal Transformation
02:26 Modern Politics Through a Mythopoetic Lens
02:38 Practical Tools for Integrating Peak Experiences
02:47 Invitation to Journey into Mythic Currents
02:56 Show Support and Website Information
03:28 Welcome and Setting the Scene
04:45 Simon Yugler's Book and Its Journey
07:30 The Genesis of 'Psychedelics and the Soul'
10:42 Psychedelics and Mental Health: A Critical Perspective
16:30 The Importance of Integration Work
17:30 Mythopoetics and Depth Psychology
31:44 The Five Skills of Mythopoetic Integration
37:10 Assembling the Myths in 'Psychedelics and the Soul'
41:37 Interpreting Myths Through Masculinity
42:08 The Eagles’s Gift: An Inuit Folk Tale
44:48 The Hunter's Journey Begins
47:03 Encounter with the Fox Spirits
51:33 Meeting Mother Eagle
56:03 The Hunter's Return and Transformation
58:58 Reflections on Masculinity and Myth
01:06:51 Mythopoetic Lens on Contemporary Politics
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