Neuroscientist Christof Koch discusses his journey from Catholicism to consciousness research and shares insights from his psychedelic experiences. Topics include the Tiny Blue Dot Foundation, expanding perception, and integrating mindfulness in personal and professional life.

Prominent researcher Manesh Girn discusses his journey with psychedelics, the default mode network, and neurophenomenology. They explore brain prediction, perception, and challenges in psychedelic research collaboration. The potential of psychedelics for therapy and brain stimulation is also highlighted.

Welcome back to The Trip Report Podcast, a production of Beckley Waves, a Psychedelic Venture Studio.Today, I am speaking with Dennis Walker, AKA the Mycopreneur.I don’t know about you, but I am always flummoxed by the seriousness of the discourse among stakeholders in the ‘psychedelic renaissance.’My guess is that this earnestness is the result of a few things:* a reverence and respect for the medicine* an attempt to extend objective scientific rigor to human communication and * the don’t-rock-the-boat-formality of the biopharmaceutical industry to avoid regulator scrutiny.But whatever it is that has led to such formality we can be grateful that The Cosmic Joke will reliably appear on the timeline, thanks to Dennis.I imagine that many Trip Report subscribers are familiar with Dennis as the Court Jester of Psychedelics through his satirical video shorts and articles with titles like “Netflix Announces America’s Next Top Shaman” and “Drake Enters MDMA-Assisted Therapy after Kendrick Traumatizes Him”.But in addition to lighthearted satire, Dennis and Mycopreneur are also focused on mushroom entrepreneurship beyond psychedelics in areas like myco-materials, mycoremediation, mycofiltration, and mycelium-based food products.It turns out that mushrooms have many, many potential and emerging uses in the modern economy.In this conversation, Dennis and I discuss:* The Origin and Evolution of Mycopreneur* The potential impact of Mushroom-based-technology* The importance of community in the mycological industry* The redefinition of the 'legacy market' versus the 'black market' for psychedelics* The gap between the demand for and the legal supply of legal psychedelic experiences * And much moreAnd now, I bring you my conversation with Dennis Walker.Listen to the episode on Substack, Spotify, Google or Apple.Credits:* Hosted by Zach Haigney * Produced by Zach Haigney, Erin Greenhouse, and Katelin Jabbari* Find us at thetripreport.com* Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube* Theme music by MANCHO Sounds, Mixed and Mastered by Rollin Weary This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thetripreport.com

Bruce Damer discusses the hot spring hypothesis for life's origin, psychedelics in creative breakthroughs, and the mission of Center for MINDS. Topics cover exploring origins of life, psychedelic ventures, developing skills for psychedelics, humanity's role as caretakers, and dangers of modern tech.

Dr. Pedro Teixeira discusses how psychedelics can positively influence behavior change and health outcomes. The podcast explores the integration of psychedelics with behavioral interventions, enhancing autonomy through psychedelic experiences, and the potential of psychedelics in addressing chronic pain. The episode also delves into public education on psychedelics and ongoing research projects in the field.

Welcome back to The Trip Report Podcast, a production of Beckley Waves, a Psychedelic Venture Studio.This week, I am speaking with Dr. Jackie von Salm, Ph.D., co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Psilera, a biotech company pioneering early-stage psychedelic-inspired drug discovery and development for neurological conditions.If you’ve ever been curious about the intricate and fascinating world of drug discovery, this conversation is a must-listen.Jackie walks me through the entire process, from scaffolds to IND submission and all the steps in between.Along the way, we discuss her background in natural product chemistry, the role of secondary metabolites, and a unique property of adaptive physiology whereby some types of stress actually strengthen organisms.We discuss the origin story of Psilera and the inspiration from 2 Bromo-LSD, a non-hallucinogenic compound that has been successfully used by people suffering from cluster headaches, among other neurological conditions.We discuss the increasing role of AI and computation in the drug discovery process but also the ‘chemical intuition’ that one develops after years of practicing chemistry. We dive into the emerging field of neuropsychiatric biomarkers, a toolset that has eluded researchers, clinicians, and patients in this particular field, and how EEG and other brain imaging technologies may be the answer.We discuss the perception of psychedelic drug development in the eyes of the pharma world and much more.And now, I bring you my conversation with Dr. Jackie von Salm.Listen to the episode on Substack, Spotify, Google or Apple.Credits:* Hosted by Zach Haigney * Produced by Zach Haigney, Erin Greenhouse, and Katelin Jabbari* Find us at thetripreport.com* Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTubeTheme music by MANCHO Sounds, Mixed and Mastered by Rollin Weary This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thetripreport.com

Psychedelic practitioners and researchers Shirelle Noble, Deb Gardner, and Danielle Herrera from Beckley Academy discuss the need for standardized training in psychedelic-assisted therapy. They emphasize the importance of creating a unified learning framework to address current gaps in the field. Topics include somatic therapy, mind-body integration, and integrating psychedelic principles into therapy training programs. They encourage professionals to explore psychedelic therapy and highlight the importance of ethical practices in the field.

Welcome back to The Trip Report Podcast, a production of Beckley Waves, a Psychedelic Venture Studio.Today, I am speaking with Rick Doblin, founder and President of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS).December of last year was a milestone for Doblin and MAPS, as the organization submitted a New Drug Application for MDMA Assisted Therapy to the United States Food and Drug Administration.Then, in the first week of January, the MAPS Public Benefit Corp announced its rebranding to Lykos Therapeutics and a $100 million Series A financing.Needless to say, it has been a pivotal period in the organization’s history and a watershed moment for the revival of psychedelic medicine, science, and policy.In February, the FDA accepted the application and granted a priority review, putting the decision timeline at August of this year.That’s just around the corner.And so much is still up in the air—of course the big question—will the FDA grant approval? But also so many granular details that will have significant downstream effects on the commercial rollout, access, and cost.* What language will be on the drug label? * What will the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy entail? * How will patients be able to access the drug? * What will the FDA say about the role of therapy?Among others.So, I wanted to sit down with Rick to talk about it and get his perspective on the organization’s evolution, the path ahead, and, most importantly, the many uncertainties that hang in the balance.In this conversation, we discuss:* The importance of therapy in conjunction with MDMA (and his loathing of the acronym MDMA-AT)* The many regulatory and bureaucratic details that go into the FDA’s decision and subsequent commercial rollout, including:* Drug labeling* Therapist credentialing * Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies* The negotiations he’s led with the FDA over the last 20 years* Lykos’ goal of getting MDMA-Assisted Therapy FDA approved and MAPS’ goal of getting MDMA federally legalized* The role of therapist’s first-hand experience with MDMA and the regulatory battle of ensuring legal access to this group* His future humanitarian and scientific plansAnd much more.And now I bring you my conversation with Rick Doblin.Listen to the episode on Substack, Spotify, Google or Apple.Credits:* Hosted by Zach Haigney * Produced by Zach Haigney, Erin Greenhouse, and Katelin Jabbari* Find us at thetripreport.com* Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTubeTheme music by MANCHO Sounds, Mixed and Mastered by Rollin Weary This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thetripreport.com

Welcome back to The Trip Report Podcast, a production of Beckley Waves, a Psychedelic Venture Studio.Today, I am speaking with Marcus Capone, co-founder of Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS), a non-profit that seeks to create access to psychedelic medicine for veterans of the Armed Forces. He is also co-founder and CEO of Tara Mind, a public benefit corporation that is making psychedelic medicine a widely available employee benefit.Whenever you hear about federal programs, senate bills, or congressional initiatives for psychedelics, two things usually stand out: first, they are often bipartisan efforts—a rarity in the current political environment—and second, they seek to fund research or access for veterans.In my experience, the Veterans-as-champions-of-psychedelic-medicine narrative catches a lot of people by surprise when they first hear about it, but quickly connect the dots as they recollect the staggering numbers of veteran suicides that periodically make the news.As Marcus and I discuss, having veterans as proponents of Psychedelic Medicine is one of the biggest levers changing the public perception of these compounds. Unfortunately, access through the Veterans Health Administration is not possible due to their illegal status, and so many vets seeking treatment have to leave the country they fought for to access the medicine that they need.This is where VETS and other veteran-focused non-profits come in.In this conversation, Marcus and I discuss:* His military career and the difficulty of his post-deployment return to civilian life* The origin story of Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions * The persistent stigma of psychedelics in the military community* The power of Ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT* The challenge of Non-profit work* Tara Mind and the future of integrating Psychedelics into healthcareAnd now, I bring you my conversation with Marcus Capone.Listen to the episode on Substack, Spotify, Google or Apple.Credits:* Hosted by Zach Haigney * Produced by Zach Haigney, Erin Greenhouse, and Katelin Jabbari* Find us at thetripreport.com* Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube* Theme music by MANCHO Sounds, Mixed and Mastered by Rollin Weary This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thetripreport.com

Greg Kubin, co-founder of PsyMed Ventures, discusses innovative topics in mental health such as Gut-Brain-Axis, metabolic health, and neurotechnology. They also touch on the origin of PsyMed Ventures, academic research, and more in a colorful conversation.