Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast

Ep. 230 - Psychedelic Peer Support, Ram Dass Explorer's Club with Joshua White and Jackie Dobrinska

Oct 30, 2025
Joshua White, founder of the Fireside Project and a psychedelic peer support advocate, shares his transformative journey from attorney to mental health innovator. He discusses how Ram Dass's teachings inspired him to create a national peer support hotline. Joshua emphasizes the importance of being a 'loving rock' to those navigating psychedelic experiences, active listening, and embracing all emotions. He also explores the integration of psychedelics with Jewish spirituality and the vision behind Fireside’s community support model.
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INSIGHT

Observer Not Thought

  • Ram Dass taught Joshua that he is the observer of his thoughts, not his thoughts themselves.
  • That shift opened a path of yoga, meditation, and seeing psychedelics as tools for deep inner work.
ANECDOTE

From Hotlines To Fireside

  • Joshua volunteered on a parental hotline and at the Zendo Project before founding Fireside.
  • Those experiences showed him the power of presence and inspired the Fireside support-line model.
ADVICE

Prioritize Presence Over Titles

  • Choose volunteers for presence and humility over credentials; ask if you'd want them by your side during an experience.
  • Do deep inner work to understand your triggers before supporting others to avoid harmful reactivity.
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