Transforming Psychiatry: Integrating Psychedelics and Consciousness

In this episode, Joe interviews Paul Grof: research psychiatrist, clinician, author, brother of Stanislav, professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto, and director of the Ottawa Mood Disorders Center.

He talks about his extensive career in psychiatry, and how trying to understand the cause of mood disorders led him to focusing on the very nature of consciousness. He believes that consciousness is a collaborative creation between the brain, body, and external fields, and that the key to connecting with the mechanistic side of academia is through talking about the unexplainable – near death experiences, pre-cognition, remote viewing – and of course, them having positive non-ordinary experiences through psychedelics or other means. He talks about how much we’re connected, how much our bodies remember, and how much society could change for the better if enough people experience the transpersonal.

He also discusses:

• His thoughts on legal frameworks, education, integration, and whether or not psychedelics will get stuck in psychiatry
• The importance of new study designs in research, as double blinding doesn’t make sense for psychedelics
• Concerns over spiritual emergence and emergencies: How much is the responsibility of the therapist or facilitator?
• The global rise in depression and addiction, especially in the younger generation, and the need for techniques for people to help themselves
• The work he’s doing with remote healing circles, using strong intention, positive emotions, and visualized healing

and more!

For links, head to the show notes page.