The Drug Science Podcast

Friederike Meckel is a German psychotherapist who also trained as a medical doctor. Her career involved multiple techniques in psychotherapy including Holotropic Breathwork, hypnotherapy and family constellation work. Most notably however, regarding the subject of our podcasts, by the means of setting a private underground practice in Zurich, Switzerland she developed her own way of psychotherapy using psychoactive substances. In this week’s episode, she describes the very innovative approaches to her work focusing on patient’s deeper understanding of themselves. Make sure to listen in if you want to find out more!Underground MDMA-, LSD- and 2-CB-assisted individual and group psychotherapy in Zurich: Outcomes, implications and commentary - Article by Friederike Meckel Fischer and Ben SessaDepth psychology Holotropic breathworkHypnotherapySystemic therapyTranspersonal therapyBehaviour therapyFamily constellationsMDMALSDPsilocybin2C-BDMTDr Joe DispenzaMindfulnessTherapy with Substance: Psycholytic Psychotherapy in the Twenty-First Century - book by Friederike Meckel FischerStanislav GrofPeter Gasser ★ Support this podcast ★

Julia Buxton is British Academy Global Professor. Her research focuses on illicit drug markets and the impact of counter narcotics policies on development, gender equality and security. In her career she’s led projects and worked with multiple universities around the world including the Central European University in Budapest. Outside of Europe, she has geographical expertise on Latin America and is a specialist on Venezuela.  Now, back in England, she’s working on The Global Drug Survey project, inquiring about the drug policy preferences of drug users themselves. With this innovative approach she’s joining the conversation on drugs on the political scene in the UK.  Tune into this week’s episode to find out about how drug policies that are older than the Internet, Thatcherism and HIV treatment contribute to inequalities arising between different countries and genders. Shownotes:OpioidsCannabisOpen Society FoundationsJonathan SorosUN Sustainable Development GoalsViktor OrbanPopulismSyrian refugee crisis in HungaryNativismThe Impact of Global Drug Policy on Women: Shifting the Needle - book by Julia Buxton Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD)Ingrid WalkerJudith AldridgeDarknet“Do Darknet Drug Markets Make the Bad Guys Less Bad?” Aldridge Asks Keir StarmerNicola SturgeonHeroin CocaineGreenwich biosciences  ★ Support this podcast ★

Richard ‘Rick’ Doblin is the founder and director of Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) - a non-profit research organisation established in 1986.  Somewhere between getting an undergraduate degree in psychology and a doctorate in public policy, Rick, having had discovered psychedelics, began his fight against unjustified criminalisation of psychedelic drugs.  Rick’s main goal has been making MDMA a FDA-approved medicine, tune in to this week’s episode to find out about his progress!MAPS latest MDMA study in Nature MedicineDrug Science live podcast recording with Professor David Nutt!  Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)MDMACuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam War Carl JungLSDMescalineJohn Lilly Programming & Metaprogramming in the Human Biocomputer: Theory & ExperimentsRealms of the Human Unconscious: Observations from LSD Research by Stanislav GrofIsolation tankStanislav GrofPrimal therapyNew Genesis: Shaping a global spirituality by Robert MullerLaura HuxleyIsland by Aldous HuxleyDMTPsilocybinPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)AyahuascaSpinal tapDissociative identity disorder ★ Support this podcast ★

Together with Professor David Nutt they will be talking about the beauty behind psychoactive substances as well as the, equally interesting, stories from Lady Feilding’s life journey. Drug Science live podcast recording with Professor David Nutt!  If you want to find out how to travel to Ceylon for 25 pounds do have a listen! Amanda Feilding is the Founder and Executive Director of the Beckley Foundation, and is widely recognised as a leading force behind the current Psychedelic Renaissance. By establishing key Research Programmes at some of the world’s most prestigious institutions (including Imperial College London, Maastricht University, Sant Pau in Barcelona, IDOR and UFRN in Brazil), she has propelled the field forward over the last 20+ years, conducting landmark studies, such as the world’s first psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression study (on which Compass Pathways based their business), the world’s first LSD, MDMA and DMT brain imaging studies, plus the initiation and collaboration with Johns Hopkins on the first study using psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy to overcome nicotine addiction. She has also co-authored over 80 research papers.Since its inception in 1998, the Beckley Foundation has been at the forefront of exploratory research into psychedelics and cannabis, and evidence-based global drug policies. Through a series of pivotal international seminars at the House of Lords (starting in 2000) with leading figures from around the world in different fields, from science to politics, plus over 60 much-cited books, reports and papers, and numerous meetings with thought-leaders, academics, and policy-makers at the UN and governments around the world, Amanda has ensured that the Beckley Foundation has been at the forefront of global drug policy reform, particularly in the field of cannabis and the psychedelics. Through her work with the Beckley Foundation, Amanda is bridging the gap between science and policy, creating a positive feedback loop, with the aim of building and harnessing our knowledge of the benefits of currently prohibited compounds to optimise human health, wellbeing and potential. Drug Science live podcast recording with Professor David Nutt! CannabisLSDTimothy LearyBart HughesPsychedelic Microdosing LSD’s impact on brain interconnectivity Beckley FoundationMdmaJoseph “Joey” MellenAlbert HofmannSir Colin BlakemorePsilocybinThe Beckley/Imperial Psychedelic Research Programme The effects of psilocybin and MDMA on between-network resting state functional connectivity in healthy volunteersAlexander “Sasha” ShulginAyahuascaDefault mode networkBrain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)Neuroplasticity ★ Support this podcast ★

This week’s episode features Carl Hart, professor of neuroscience and psychology at Columbia University in New York. Professor Nutt and Professor Hart discuss drug addiction and its political context in the US. Are drug policies racist? Were they made to help or to harm? What does the declaration of independence has to do with drug criminalization?  Coming from an impoverished area in Miami, Florida professor Hart used to believe drugs are the reason for problems he observed in his neighbourhood and hence gained specific interest for addictions in his scientific career. Now, however he is debunking drug addiction himself and acknowledging structural injustices both in drug policies as well as the jurisdictional system in the US as a whole. Besides being featured in the movie “The House I Live In” on the War on Drugs campaign, he’s given talks for TEDMED, Talks@Google, The Reason Foundation, The Nobel Conference and many others. Professor Hart has also authored books in which he criticizes the criminalization of drugs and advocates the positive effect of recreational drug use. In this week’s episode we’re going to find out about his most recent one - “Drug use for grownups - chasing liberty in the land of fear.” Shownotes:Cocaine self-administration study in ratsNicotine self-administration in rats study The dopamine theory of addiction review DopamineSerotoninNorepinephrine Julis Axelrod  NicotineExtinction burstHigh Price - book by professor Carl HartHouse I live in Crack cocaineEcstasyDrug use for grown-ups: chasing liberty in the land of fear - book by professor Carl HartOregon drug decriminalization PeyoteOpioidsPsychedelicsMarihuana/ CannabisMap of US states which legalised the use of marihuana  ★ Support this podcast ★

Robin Heads the Psychedelic Research Group within the Centre for Psychiatry at Imperial College London, where he has designed several functional brain imaging studies with psilocybin, LSD, MDMA  and DMT, plus a clinical trial of psilocybin for treatment resistant depression. He has over 50 published papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals; two of which were ranked in the top 100 most impactful academic articles of 2016. Robin’s research has featured in major national and international media and he has given a popular TEDx talk.Does MDMA impact sleep?What does the brain look like under the influence of LSD?How do psychedelics change the quality of brain activity? Can psilocybin be used to treat depression? Psilocybin vs Escitalopram for Major Depressive Disorder  Stanislav Grof LSD PsychotherapyRobin’s first paper – Waves of the Unconscious Amanda FeildingRobin’s PhD Drugs live – Channel 4Psilocybin LSD MDMADMTPsychedelic resting states The entropic brainHomological scaffolds of brain functional networksThe Stoned Ape theory DMT Neural Correlates of the DMT experience Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression Serotonin and brain function: a tale of two receptors ★ Support this podcast ★

This week’s episode features Dr Gabor Maté, a Hungarian-Canadian physician who’s main interests include childhood development and trauma, and their impact on lifelong physical and mental health.  Professor Nutt and Dr Maté talk about the inseparable nature of our body and mind. How do they affect each other? How can psychedelics offer therapeutic potential to both mental and physical conditions?  Dr Gabor Maté was born in Hungary and emigrated to Canada as a young child. Following years of clinical practice, now retired, he travels around the world to speak about how life experiences shape our physical and mental health. In his books including the most recent “In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction” he explores the relationship between “early adversity” i.e. stress, childhood neglect or abuse and susceptibility to addictions, autoimmune diseases, cancer and many others. He is also widely recognised for his perspectives on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.  Additionally, after being a part of an Ayahuasca retreat program Dr Gabor Maté advocates the therapeutic potential of this and other psychedelic substances in the treatment of a variety of mental and physical conditions. Gabor Mate’s website In the Realm of Hungry Ghost The six realms of Buddhist cosmology Vancouver harm reduction program Ayahuasca Psilocybin Psilocybin and depression: Psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression: fMRI-measured brain mechanisms by Robin Carhart-Harris et al., 2017 Ayahuasca retreat with Dr. Gabor Maté and Richard Condon Scleroderma patient article:Ayahuasca Let Me Walk Again United Nation’s Convention on Psychotropic Substances, 1971 When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress Stress and the risk of multiple sclerosis Childhood Trauma in Multiple Sclerosis Psychedelics for psychological and existential distress in palliative and cancer care Become a Drug Science Community member ★ Support this podcast ★

Peter Krykant previously used intravenous drugs whilst living homeless in Birmingham. His lived experience has shown him the benefits of drug consumption rooms; to prevent the spread of bloodborne diseases and protect people who use drugs from accidental overdose.Seven weeks ago, Peter set up the first UK drug consumption room which attracted the attention of the BBC and the local police force. Scotland's Lord Advocate and the Chief Constable of Police Scotland has made it clear that such activities violate national law. However, the local police force has not intervened with Peter’s operation. Peter is advocating to expand these services to multiple localities with the inclusion of trained medical professionals at each site. This intervention offers a unique insight to gather observational data on UK intravenous drug use. It could be the stepping stone needed to tackle the increasing number of UK drug-related deaths. Peter Krykant twitter Birmingham rough sleepers’ team Methadone Diazepam Drug Death summit 27th Feb Scotland 2020 Copenhagen Drug Consumption Room Naloxone CrowdFunder page Site 2 – Gazebo Scotland's Lord Advocate and the Chief Constable of Police ScotlandHeroin assisted-treatment Methadone programmesRonnie CowanAlison ThewlissChangeGrowLiveSafe Consumption GlasgowBecome a Drug Science Community Member: https://www.donate.drugscience.org.uk/Twitter: @ProfDavidNutt @Drug_ScienceA Fascinate Productions podcast for Drug Science ★ Support this podcast ★

After discovering that there was very little literature review regarding the impact of psychedelics on the philosophy of the mind, philosopher Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes started to research how these drugs have impacted western philosophy. On this episode of the podcast, Peter examines the cultural history of the philosophy of psychedelics and how they’ve shaped philosophers’ perceptions of consciousness and reality. Dr Peter Sjöstedt-H is an Anglo-Scandinavian philosopher of mind who specializes in the thought of Whitehead, Nietzsche, and Spinoza, and in fields pertaining to panpsychism and altered states of mind. Following his degree in Continental Philosophy at the University of Warwick, he became a Philosophy lecturer in London for six years and after which he pursued his PhD (on ‘Pansentient Monism’, examined by Galen Strawson and Joel Krueger) at the University of Exeter – where he is now a research fellow and associate lecturer. Peter is the author of Noumenautics, the TEDx Talker on ‘psychedelics and consciousness‘. Are altered states of consciousness mere hallucinations or indicative of fundamental truths of reality? William James Philosophy of psychedelics conference Exploring Frameworks for Exceptional ExperienceHumphry DavyNitrous OxideArthur Heffter Thomas De Quincey Outsight project Epiphonemalism René DescartesPsychedelics heightened appreciation of nature Eliminative materialismDavid Luke podcastAndrew Gallimore - Alien Information TheoryCarl Hart – psychedelic exceptionalism Albert Hoffman Bertrand Russell - Mysticism and logicBecome a Drug Science Community Member: https://www.donate.drugscience.org.uk/Twitter: @ProfDavidNutt @Drug_ScienceA Fascinate Productions podcast for Drug Science ★ Support this podcast ★

Psychologist Dr David Luke, is a Senior Lecturer studying states of transpersonal consciousness. It is well known that psychedelic drugs can induce altered states of consciousness but is this approach too heavy handed to derive benefit from a transpersonal experience? Activities such as yoga, meditation and sensory deprivation can induce this altered state of consciousness but how can we apply what we have learnt from psychedelic neuropsychopharmacology to evaluate these non-drug induced states? Can religious or spiritual experiences influence an individual’s perception of reality? Dr David Luke is Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Greenwich. His research focuses on transpersonal experiences, anomalous phenomena and altered states of consciousness, especially via psychedelics, having published more than 100 academic papers in this area, including ten books, most recently Psychedelic Mysteries of the Feminine (2019). When he is not running clinical drug trials with LSD, doing DMT field experiments or observing apparent weather control with Mexican shamans he directs the Ecology, Cosmos and Consciousness salon and is a co-founder and director and the current chair of Breaking Convention: International Conference on Psychedelic Consciousness.William James  James Fadiman Stanislav GrofAnechoic chamberHolotropic Breathwork Carbogen Inhalation TherapySynesthesiaBreaking Convention Extinction Rebellion Global Drug Survey AphantasiaBecome a Drug Science Community Member: https://www.donate.drugscience.org.uk/Twitter: @ProfDavidNutt @Drug_ScienceA Fascinate Productions podcast for Drug Science ★ Support this podcast ★