The Psychedelic Podcast

Psychedelic scientist Manesh Girn joins Paul F. Austin to reveal the impact of psychedelics on the brain as a whole. Find episode links, summary, and transcript here. Manesh Girn is in the latter stages of obtaining his Ph.D. in Neuroscience at McGill University and has been the lead or co-author on over a dozen scientific publications and book chapters on topics including psychedelics and the default mode network.  He is currently researching the brain mechanisms underlying psychedelic drugs in collaboration with Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris and other leaders in psychedelic science. As a postdoctoral psychedelic neuroscientist, he will join Dr. Carhart-Harris at UCSF in August 2023. Manesh is also Chief Research Officer at the Canadian psychedelic bioscience company EntheoTech Bioscience. He runs a YouTube channel and Instagram page called The Psychedelic Scientist, where he discusses the latest research in an easy-to-understand but non-superficial form. Girn advocates for a personalized approach to psychedelic research that considers individual brain characteristics, mental health conditions, and environment in order to truly understand their effects. He challenges the misconception that psychedelics are inherently beneficial and highlights the importance of positive inputs for positive outcomes. This compelling conversation further explores the influence of set and setting, the interdisciplinary nature of psychedelics, and their potential to shape self-identity. Manesh and Paul F. Austin uncover profound insights into the neuroscience of psychedelics and the need for personalized, comprehensive research. Episode Sponsors: CURED Nutrition's Serenity Gummies. Get 15% off by using coupon code “THIRDWAVE” at checkout.  Sayulita Wellness Retreats Third Wave's Mushroom Grow Kit - use code 3WPODCAST to save $75.  

Jeffrey Stevens, co-founder and CEO of Psyched Wellness, joins The Psychedelic Podcast to discuss Calm, North America's first legal supplement derived from Amanita muscaria. Find episode links, summary, and transcript here. Amanita muscaria mushrooms’ red-and-white speckled caps are emoji-level iconic. But most people don’t know that consuming low dosages can reduce stress levels, promote relaxation, and offer a restful sleep without next-day grogginess. Amanita extracts also possess anti-inflammatory properties that could significantly relieve pain. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, according to Stevens. As the episode unfolds, Stevens imagines the future of Amanita research for mental health, addiction, and insomnia, while revealing his life-changing experience as a Psyched Wellness guinea pig. Jeffrey Stevens has 20+ years of capital markets’ experience and has been an officer and director with several public companies. He has taken three companies public via reverse takeover, built teams, and structured multiple M&A transactions, while building successful businesses. Highlights: The path to Psyched Wellness. Why Psyched Wellness utilizes an Amanita extract vs. the whole mushroom. Amanita muscaria history and lore. Exploring the science of Amanita muscaria and Psyched Wellness’s “Calm” extract, AME-1. Calm’s dose-dependent effects and benefits. Anecdotal evidence on Amanita muscaria for sleep, gut health, and addiction. Calm’s market advantage as a legal food supplement. Jeffrey’s vision for Psyched Wellness’s future. How Psyched Wellness is educating consumers about Amanita muscaria. Key Links: Psyched Wellness Jeffrey on LinkedIn Psyched Wellness’s preclinical study results Ep. 172: Paul Stamets & Pamela Kryskow, M.D. Ep. 189: JW Ross Ep. 190: Jonathan Lu & Shauheen Etminan, Ph.D. The Ultimate Guide to Amanita muscaria These show links may contain affiliate links. Third Wave receives a small percentage of the product price if you purchase through the above affiliate links. Episode Sponsors: Psyched Wellness - use code THIRDWAVE23 to get 15% off. Third Wave's Mushroom Grow Kit

Graham Pechenik, founder and patent attorney at Calyx Law, joins The Psychedelic Podcast to delve into the complex world of patents and their impact on the psychedelic landscape.  Find episode links, summary, and transcript here. Pechenik raises thought-provoking questions about the patent system's role in fostering innovation while also potentially hindering research and restricting use. He suggests that the patent system, intertwined with regulatory and healthcare structures, often determines whether groundbreaking substances like psilocybin gain FDA approval. Pechenik also explores concerns surrounding excessive psychedelic patents, comparing the unique approaches of COMPASS Pathways, MAPS, and Paul Stamets.  As the episode unfolds, Graham and Paul contemplate the delicate balance between patent protection and freedom of use in the burgeoning psychedelics industry. Graham Pechenik is a registered patent attorney and the founder of Calyx Law, a law firm specializing in cannabis and psychedelics-related intellectual property.  Graham has a BS from UC San Diego, where he chose Cognitive Neuroscience and Biochemistry majors—after his first psychedelic experiences inspired a deep curiosity about the bases for changes in consciousness—and a JD from New York University, where he initially pursued interests in bioethics and cognitive liberty.  After a decade at large law firms defending and challenging patents for Fortune 500 companies across the agricultural, chemical, pharmaceutical, biotech, and technology industries, including working on several landmark patent cases both at trial and on appeal, Graham started Calyx Law in 2016 to help cannabis and psychedelics ventures design and implement their IP strategies.  Graham is also editor-at-large of Psychedelic Alpha, where he writes about psychedelics IP, provides data for patent trackers, and maintains a psychedelics legalization and decriminalization tracker. He is the founding steward of the IP Committee of the Psychedelic Bar Association, where he is also on the Board of Directors, and is a member of Chacruna’s Council for the Protection of Sacred Plants.  Graham was raised in Oakland, CA, and currently lives in San Francisco. Highlights: Examining the unique patent process for the Stamets Stack microdosing protocol. How to enforce patents on illegal substances like psilocybin. Unpacking COMPASS Pathways’ psilocybin polymorph patent. The pros & cons of psychedelic patents. How psychedelic patents could hinder therapeutic expansion. Graham’s motivation to enter the psychedelic patents space. Key Links: Calyx Law Graham on Twitter Psychedelic Alpha Psilocybin Patent Tracker (blog) Microdosing Psilocybin Mushrooms with the Stamets Stack (psychedelic research) New Microdosing Study Investigates “Stamets Stack” (psychedelic research) Oregon’s Psychedelic Path: What Coaches and Consumers Need to Know Episode Sponsors: Numinus Sayulita Wellness

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Dr. Daniel Stickler and Paul F. Austin explore the cutting-edge field of longevity and precision-performance medicine. Find episode links, summary, and transcript here. After over a decade as a general surgeon, Dr. Stickler abandoned modern medicine’s reductionist approach and forged a new path toward holistic health and optimization. He believes that addressing deficiency mindsets and focusing on purpose, love, and community can help people move beyond simply existing and truly thrive. Through his work, Dr. Stickler has discovered ways to reverse biological aging and help people achieve enhanced states of being. Dr. Stickler shares his insights on how humans can live a life of excellence, the revolutionary field of gene-editing technology, and his transformative psychedelic experiences. Dr. Daniel L. Stickler is the Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer at Apeiron ZOH Inc. He is the pioneer behind systems-based, precision-performance medicine, a new paradigm that re-defines medicine from the old symptoms-based disease model to limitless peak performance and systems science in all aspects of life. Highlights: The need for complex systems-thinking in modern medicine. Dr. Stickler’s psychedelic experiences. Why practitioners must assess patients before psychedelic therapy. Exploring consciousness as a critical aspect of well-being. What science knows about how to reverse biological aging. Actionable daily steps to slow down aging. Dr. Sticker’s personal approach to healthy lifestyles and relationships. Neurohacker Collective and Qualia nootropics for optimal brain health. Key Links: Apeiron ZOH Inc. Neurohacker Collective Nootropics and Psychedelics: How Mind Enhancement Benefits From Both The Ultimate Guide to 5-MeO-DMT Episode Sponsors: Sayulita Wellness Retreats. Use the promo code THIRDWAVE to get a $300 discount. CURED Nutrition's Serenity Gummies. Get 15% off by using coupon code “THIRDWAVE” at checkout.

Payton Nyquvest, Founder of Numinus ketamine clinics, joins The Psychedelic Podcast to discuss psychedelic industry missteps, opportunities, & the future of communal healing. Find episode links, summary, and transcript here. Embracing disruptions and learning from failures are essential in the trailblazing space of psychedelics. Encouraging industry resiliency, Payton Nyquvest, Founder, Chair, & CEO of Numinus, joins Paul F. Austin to discuss how to conquer setbacks on the path to revolutionizing mental health. Payton believes successful psychedelic leaders must adapt to real-world needs, embrace challenges, and gain conscious insights from direct experiences. Only then can innovators and practitioners create a lasting impact on the world. Payton Nyquvest is the Founder, Chair, & Chief Executive Officer of Numinus, which empowers people to heal and be well through the development and delivery of innovative mental health care and access to safe, evidence-based, psychedelic-assisted therapies. He has a deep understanding of the psychedelic industry from its infancy, driven by life-saving personal experiences with multiple modalities. At Numinus, Payton guides strategy, innovation, research, and expansion. He also supports marketing and capital-markets functions. Highlights: How Numinus aligns psychedelic therapy with real-world needs. Numinus’s three-year journey from inception. Numinus’s experiential training and intuitive drug development. Exploring whether psychedelic therapists need first-hand experience. Payton’s take on conscious leadership in psychedelic-informed business models. Numinus’s collaboration with East Forest. Payton’s vision for Numinus clinics and practitioner training. Key Links: Numinus Website Payton’s previous episode (#72) on the podcast with Stacey Wallin Numinus practitioner trainings Numinus’s clinics in the directory Third Wave’s Coaching Certification Program Episode Sponsors: Numinus Third Wave's Mushroom Grow Kit

Dr. Reid Robison, Chief Clinical Officer at Numinus, joins Paul F. Austin to discuss psychedelic research, legislation, & complementary modalities. Find episode links, summary, and transcript here. Dr. Robison shares the challenges and innovations in psychedelic therapy, drawing from his own clinical research and current projects at Numinus, a mental health company that brings safe, evidence-based psychedelic-assisted therapies to people in need. Explore topics such as the efficacy of psychedelic-assisted therapies, the pros and cons of psychedelic patents, and the need for multimodal approaches to mental health care. Dr. Reid Robison is a board-certified psychiatrist and Chief Clinical Officer at Numinus, where he oversees clinical services, including teaching and training in ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, for the company's clinics across the US and Canada. He has led over 200 clinical trials in neuropsychiatry and previously served as coordinating investigator for the MAPS-sponsored MDMA-assisted psychotherapy study of eating disorders. Dr. Robison is currently principal investigator for a number of psychedelic medicine studies with psilocybin, LSD, and DMT. As a researcher and early adopter of ketamine in psychiatry, Dr. Robison got his first grant to study that medicine in 2011, around which time he also led a pivotal IV ketamine study for treatment-resistant depression. To date, Dr. Robison has guided thousands of ketamine therapy journeys and Spravato dosing sessions, and has also worked in ayahuasca retreat settings abroad. Dr. Robison is an adjunct professor at both the University of Utah and Brigham Young University, and board chair of the Psychedelic Institute, focused on education and research. Highlights: Dr. Robison's journey into the world of psychedelics, from ketamine research to psilocybin advocacy on Capitol Hill. How patents can expand access to psychedelic therapy through health insurance. Dr. Robison’s innovative studies and projects at Numinus. The need for a new standard of mental health care and the role of complementary modalities in achieving it. Exploring modalities complementary to psychedelic therapy. The promise of personalized mental health care. The pioneering efforts of Numinus in offering employee psychedelic mental health care via ketamine.  The future of insurance and the potential for greater coverage of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. What’s on the horizon at Numinus. Key Links: Dr. Robison’s Website Numinus Episode Sponsors: Numinus Third Wave's Mushroom Grow Kit

Dr. Anja Loizaga-Velder, Co-Founder of Nierika, joins Paul F. Austin to explore the therapeutic nature of Ayahuasca & other plant medicines. Find episode links, summary, and transcript here. This intimate in-person interview was recorded at Dr. Anja’s plant medicine retreat center in Mexico, just after Paul concluded his own 6-day Ayahuasca experience. Topics covered include: mental health from an indigenous perspective, Dr. Anja’s journey bridging Western medicine with traditional healing practices, and the current environmental and political struggles of indigenous healers in Mexico. Dr. Anja Loizaga-Velder received her master’s degree in psychology (Dipl.-Psych.) from Koblenz-Landau University, Germany, and her doctorate in medical psychology (Dr.sc.hum.) from Heidelberg University, Germany. She is a psychotherapist specializing in humanistic and transpersonal psychology, the study of consciousness, music therapy, and ethnopsychotherapy. Anja wrote both her master’s thesis and her doctoral thesis on the use of Ayahuasca for the treatment of addictions. She has published several articles in international academic journals and contributed book chapters on the topics of traditional medicine and mental health. She has been invited to exhibit her work in multiple international conferences. She is the Co-Founder of Nierika A.C. and director of psychotherapy and research at the Institute of Intercultural Medicine Nierika A.C. In addition, she is a professor and researcher in the postgraduate course in Medical and Health Sciences at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Highlights: The story of Nierika. The indigenous paradigm of healing and mental health. Dr. Anja’s work with and research into therapeutic effects of plant medicine. The political and environmental struggles of the Yaqui tribe and other indigenous healers in Mexico. Dr. Anja’s advice to professionals seeking psychedelic therapy training. Guiding principles for ethically working with plant medicine. The therapeutic effects of Ayahuasca. Key Links: Nierika Episode 172: Paul Stamets & Pamela Kryskow, M.D. Third Wave’s Ultimate Guide to Ayahuasca. Episode Sponsors: Numinus Third Wave's Mushroom Grow Kit  

Paul F. Austin is joined by writer/historian/philosopher Jules Evans to explore the need for ecstatic literacy in the third wave of psychedelics. Find episode links, summary, and transcript here. Through sharing research, philosophy, and his own work, Jules invites a thoughtful examination of both sides of psychedelics—the light and the shadow. He points to the need for more awareness and research of challenging psychedelic experiences and offers a roadmap to improved ecstatic literacy in today’s culture. Jules Evans is the director of the Challenging Psychedelic Experiences Project, the author of three books (Philosophy for Life and Other Dangerous Situations; The Art of Losing Control; Holiday from the Self) and the co-editor of Breaking Open: Finding a Way Through Spiritual Emergency. He is an honorary research fellow at the Centre for the History of the Emotions at Queen Mary, University of London. Highlights: The need for a balance between stoicism and ecstatic experience. Inspirations from Aldous Huxley & other literary heroes. Integrating psychedelics into an “ecstatically naive” Western culture. Jules’s research on challenging psychedelic experiences. The dark side of ketamine: risks of dependency and harm in a booming industry. How culture can improve its ecstatic literacy. Key Links: The Challenging Psychedelic Experiences Project Jules’s Substack, Ecstatic Integration Jules’s book, The Art of Losing Control These show links may contain affiliate links. Third Wave receives a small percentage of the product price if you purchase through the above affiliate links. Episode Sponsors: Psyched Wellness - use THIRDWAVE23 to get 15% off. Numinus

Jonathan Lu & Shauheen Etminan, founders of Magi Ancestral Supplements, join Paul F. Austin to discuss the rich world of beta-Carbolines. Find episode links, summary, and transcript here. Jonathan & Shauheen are the co-founders of VCENNA, a drug discovery company that creates mental wellness solutions from psychoactive plants used ceremonially in Ancestral Eastern traditions. In this enchanting conversation, they share about their research and experimentation into Syrian rue and other near-forgotten plants, unpacking their rich historical and anthropological contexts. They explain the unique neurobiological and subjective effects of beta-Carbolines, including when combined with tryptamine-containing substances such as in an Ayahuasca brew. Paul F. Austin shares his own experiences with their formulation, Stard Deep Meditation Supplement. Visit ancestralmagi.com to learn more, and use code PAUL10 at checkout for 10% off their unique products. Highlights: Jonathan & Shauheen’s ventures, VCENNA and Ancestral Magi. Exploring forgotten divine potions, haoma, and soma, and the ancient and modern uses of Espand (Syrian rue). Psychedelics, Buddhism, and meditation. Exploring the physiological effects of beta-Carbolines. Shauheen and Jonathan’s personal experiences with beta-Carbolines and psychedelics. Key Links: Ancestral Magi - use code PAUL10 at checkout for 10% off VCENNA Third Wave's Magi Review: Rediscovering a 4000 Year Old Spiritual Elixir These show links may contain affiliate links. Third Wave receives a small percentage of the product price if you purchase through the above affiliate links. Episode Sponsors: This podcast is brought to you by Third Wave's Mushroom Grow Kit. Get the tools you need to grow mushrooms along with an in-depth guide to finding spores.

Paul F. Austin sits down with Dr. Alexander Shester to discuss his new book, Visionary Healing: Psychedelic Medicine & Shamanism. Find episode links, summary, and transcript here. In this intimate, in-person conversation, Alex humbly shares his wisdom and perspective from decades of experience as a psychiatrist and visionary psychedelic explorer. He sheds light on the intersection of shamanism, psychedelics, and mental health, and recalls captivating stories from his time being mentored by the late psychologist and psychedelic researcher Ralph Metzner. Alexander Shester, M.D. is a medical doctor, board-certified psychiatrist, and Jungian Analyst. He has over thirty years of experience studying and participating in guided Vision Quests using shamanic principles in nature settings. His recently-published book, Visionary Healing: Psychedelic Medicine and Shamanism, is his personal first-hand memoir of using entheogens including ayahuasca, jurema, psilocybin, San Pedro cactus, peyote, iboga, toad, and more, for deep spiritual exploration and his own healing journey. Highlights: On visionary art and the power of psychedelic plant medicines. Ayahuasca and the transpersonal journey into the collective unconscious. Alex recalls his primary mentor, Ralph Metzner: his visionary circles and contributions to the psychedelic renaissance. The value of community in Alexander’s healing. Alex’s paths to psychiatry and psychedelics. How Alex’s psychedelic experiences informed his psychiatry practice. What can shamanism offer to the field of psychiatry? Remembering our nature-relatedness with the aid of plant medicines. Endarkenment: facing the shadow. Alex’s sage advice for those seeking psychedelic experiences. Episode Links: Alex’s book, Visionary Healing: Psychedelic Medicine and Shamanism These show links may contain affiliate links. Third Wave receives a small percentage of the product price if you purchase through the above affiliate links. Episode sponsors: This episode is brought you by Psyched Wellness, creators of Calm, an over-the-counter Amanita muscaria extract that may help to reduce stress, ease muscular tension and promote restorative sleep. Go to shop.psyched-wellness.com and use code THIRDWAVE23 to get 15% off. This episode is sponsored by Beckley Retreats, a leading holistic wellbeing company that offers transformative self-development programs by leveraging the science-backed power of psychedelics in concert with supportive therapeutic modalities. As a trusted partner of Third Wave, we strongly recommend the upcoming retreats for Beckley in Jamaica, as well as many other locations. Head to go.beckleyretreats.com/thirdwave to book your transformational psilocybin program today. This podcast is brought to you by Third Wave's Mushroom Grow Kit. Get the tools you need to grow mushrooms along with an in-depth guide to finding spores.