Ep. 235 – From Psychedelics to Mindfulness with Louie Schwartzberg
Apr 24, 2024
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Louie Schwartzberg, visionary director of Fantastic Fungi, dives into the connection between psychedelics and mindfulness with Jack Kornfield. They discuss psychedelics as a gateway to wonder, the intersection of art and science, therapeutic uses of psilocybin mushrooms, and the importance of sacred attention in finding beauty in nature.
Life and psychedelics are interconnected, offering a gateway to heightened consciousness and wonder.
Combination of psychedelics and nature opens individuals to curiosity and wonder, connecting to life's sacred beauty.
Deep dives
Connection Between Psychedelics and Spirituality
Many Buddhist teachers of a certain generation explored psychedelics, seeking a deeper connection in a culture often devoid of the sacred. This exploration led to a profound understanding that life and psychedelics are interconnected, offering a gateway to heightened consciousness and wonder. Podcast guests discuss personal psychedelic experiences and how they influenced their spiritual journeys.
Impact of Psychedelics on Filmmaking and Perception
Louis Schwartzberg shares his psychedelic awakening while exploring nature photography. His revelation of everything being energy during a trip reshaped his perspective, influencing his cinematic style to make the invisible visible. The combination of psychedelics and nature opens individuals to curiosity and wonder, instigating a deeper connection to life's sacred beauty.
Integration of Psychedelic Experiences into Spiritual Practice
The podcast delves into integrating psychedelic experiences with meditative traditions for spiritual growth. Discussed experiences from Buddhist and indigenous traditions shed light on revelations about interconnectedness and consciousness. The narrative emphasizes embodying wisdom gained from psychedelics into daily life and fostering a sense of wonder, respect for life, and harmony.
Healing and Spiritual Connection Through Beauty and Mindfulness
Louis Schwartzberg's cinematic work is hailed for its ability to touch souls and evoke mindfulness, leading viewers to a profound sense of connection with life's rhythms and patterns. By appreciating the beauty in every detail of nature, individuals can cultivate a healing modality within the essence of existence. The convergence of beauty, mindfulness, and consciousness offers a pathway to realizing the interconnectedness and sacredness of all life.
Fantastic Fungi's visionary director, Louie Schwartzberg, joins Jack to explore the profound connection between psychedelics and mindfulness.
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“You can’t separate psychedelics from life.” – Jack Kornfield
In this fresh conversation, Jack and Louie spelunk the depths of:
The connection between psychedelics and spirituality
Psychedelics as a gateway to wonder, curiosity, and the sacred
How tripping on psychedelics informed Louie’s filmmaking
Albert Einstein and psychedelics as the intersection between art and science
The universe and life as a constant transformation of light energy
Buddha’s “Flower Sermon” and Zen Master Suzuki Roshi’s “Beginner’s Mind”
Jack “exchanging maps” with famous LSD researcher, Stanislav Grof
Studies showing the combination of psilocybin mushrooms and Louie’s time-lapse nature imagery as a powerful therapeutic tool for helping addiction and PTSD
The importance of “set and setting,” community, and integration
How psychedelics actually fit into the Buddhist precepts
Honoring biology and the feminine aspects of nature
The gifts of sacred attention and loving awareness
Finding beauty wherever you are, and how Louie’s films heal by sharing patterns of nature for the soul to connect with
This conversation was originally recorded on 3/29/24 by Banyan Together – an online mindfulness community started by Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach. To join the community and learn more, visit BanyanTogether.com
“A lot of the work I do is to make the invisible visible. And that’s the perfect description of what a psychedelic journey is like, making the invisible visible.” – Louie Schwartzberg
“We live in a culture that’s almost defined by the absence of the sacred. And so we feel this yearning, this intuitive wish to connect—whether it’s going high in the mountains, or making love, or taking psychedelics, or meditating.” – Jack Kornfield