Conspirituality Brief: Have Tech Bros Killed Psychedelics?
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Dec 6, 2025 Bryan Johnson's recent live-streamed psilocybin trip raises eyebrows about the performative nature of psychedelic experiences. The hosts critique the blending of self-experimentation with narcissism, questioning the authenticity of 'doing science.' They discuss the implications of public figures evangelizing psychedelics and how it might influence culture. Additionally, concerns arise about the right-wing co-opting of psychedelic spaces, and the hosts emphasize the importance of private integration over spectacle.
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Live Streamed Trips Are Spectacle Not Science
- Derek Barris argues Brian Johnson's livestreamed mushroom trip was more spectacle than science and felt exploitative.
- He says broadcasting an intimate psychedelic experience creates parasocial dynamics that undercut its value.
Long-Term User Rejects Performative Tripping
- Derek recounts his long-term psychedelic use and his allergic reaction to performative trip broadcasts.
- He says that despite decades of use he wants to avoid spectacle around these experiences.
Big Data On One Body Isn't Clinical Evidence
- Derek explains Johnson's biometric-heavy approach isn't rigorous science because it's n=1 and confounded by many variables.
- He contrasts real clinical trials with Johnson scanning many markers on a single privileged body.
