Adventures Through The Mind The Business and Practice of Psilocybin Therapy in Jamaica | Justin Townsend ~ ATTMind 170
Justin Townsend is the CEO and Head Facilitator at the psilocybin therapy retreat centre MycoMeditations. He is on the show for this episode to explore two topic themes:
- The business side of running a successful psilocybin retreat centre in the economic context of the modern corporate world without losing your ethics in the process
- The therapeutic framework and philosophy that MycoMeditations holds for their retreats and their guests.
Some of the things we cover on the first side of the conversation: Justin’s journey from the corporate world to running an psychedelic psilocybin therapy retreat centre; psychopathology and integrity in the corporate world, and how good people end up doing bad things; the nuances around running a financially successful psychedelic retreat centre without ethical sacrifices; what it means to be building what they call “gold-standard for group-facilitated psilocybin therapeutics in natural settings”; data propriety; and supporting peer-reviewed research.
In the other half of the conversation we explore: why MycoMeditations holds an entity “non-shamanic” framework for their psilocybin work; how to support someone who has a beyond Western framework experience from a non-shamanic framework; helping to prevent post-psychedelic hypomania from evolving into psychosis; differentiating between psychosis and a “normal psychotomimetic response”; non-pharmacological interventions for psychosis and psychotomimetic responses; as well as The Golden Shadow and the dangers of golden-shadow projection in both psychedelic therapy and spiritual communities.
Enjoy.
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For links to Justin's work, full show notes, and a link to watch this episode in video, head to bit.ly/ATTMind170
*** FULL TOPICS BREAKDOWN BELOW**
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Episode Breakdown
- (0:00) Opening
- (1:12) Overture and guest bio
- (5:18) Patron thanks
- (6:05) An important statement about endorsements
- (7:41) Interview begins
- (7:47) Justin’s journey from the corporate world to running an psychedelic psilocybin retreat centre
- (12:52) Exploring the toxic psychology/behaviours of the corporate world
- (20:26) Psychopathology in the corporate world, and how good people end doing bad things—multipolar traps
- (26:03) Merging his corporate experience and psychedelic work to build a high-quality company in the psychedelic retreat field
- (29:27) The importance of protecting a business ethos from financial takeover
- (32:39) Exploring nuances around running a financially successful psychedelic retreat centre without ethical sacrifices
- (39:06) MycoMediation’s mission to build the “gold-standard for group-facilitated psilocybin therapeutics in natural settings” — and how and why they are doing it
- (44:08) Why MycoMeditation will keep their “gold-standard” data proprietary, for now
- (54:46) Where/how MycoMediation is helping support peer-reviewed science.
- (57:21) Building a fully non-shamanic framework for psilocybin retreats, and why it matters for Western
- people.
- (1:04:41) How to support someone who has a beyond Western framework experience from a non-shamanic framework
- (1:17:16) Helping to prevent post-psychedelic hypomania from evolving into psychosis
- (1:21:09) Differentiating between psychosis and a “normal psychomemetic response”
- (1:31:16) Discussing non-pharmacological interventions for psychosis and psychomimetic response
- (1:39:04) The Golden Shadow and the dangers of golden-shadow projection in psychedelic therapy
- (1:45:51) A “tough pill to swallow” with respect to the issues of indigenous reciprocity and biopiracy as a psychedelic company
- (1:60:52) How MycoMeditations is helping to give back to the people of Jamaica
- (1:58:12) Pushing back on Townsend’s “tough pill to swallow”
- (2:01:50) Townsend’s concerns around what is happening with psilocybin in Oregon
- (2:06:58) Closing the interview, follow up links and socials
- (2:08:30) Outro
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