Voices of Esalen

Today we present an edition of Voices of Esalen On the Road. Our intrepid correspondent Greg Archer took a jaunt to the Castro Theatre in San Francisco, where the film Fantastic Fungi: The Magic Beneath us was having its California premiere. While he was there, he spoke to renowned filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg about the mysteries and magic of mycology. Together they discussed Louie’s unique stop-motion filmmaking technique he's been employing for the better part of 40 years, the healing potential of mushrooms, how psychedelic mushrooms may be our allies, and much more.

We’re pleased to introduce a new segment where we dive deep into the history of the Esalen Institute, in order to focus on a lecture previously recorded here in Big Sur. Today our subject is Terence McKenna and his talk entitled “Tryptamine Hallucinogen Consciousness”, recorded in December, 1982. McKenna was an American ethnobotanist, author, lecturer and widely-respected psychonaut known internationally for his work with shamanism, metaphysics, consciousness, and of course, psychedelic medicines. He’s the author of "The Invisible Landscape," "The Archaic Revival," "Food of the Gods," and "True Hallucinations." His playful yet highly powerful mode of intellectual inquiry around the topic of plant medicines made him a well-loved and highly-respected countercultural figure. While Timothy Leary, Ken Kesey, and Ram Dass were better well-known in psychedelic circles for their pioneering and often rebellious leadership during the first psychedelic wave of the 1960’s, McKenna rose to prominence later, first enjoying notoriety during the 1980’s. One of the most frequent stops on his lecture circuit was Big Sur and the Esalen Institute, where he lectured nearly 100 times over the years on subjects as diverse as “Dynamics of Hyperspace,” “Reflections on Eros,” “Our Cyberspiritual Future,” and “Biotech and Nanonfungal Futures.” Further commentary is provided by the author and environmentalist Allan Badiner, who is also the convener of the 2019 Psychedelic Integration conference at Esalen. Badiner knew Terence McKenna intimately, and thus was able to shed some light on the man behind the message.

Yoga Nidra is a conscious relaxation process intended to induce physical, mental, and emotional restoration. It has been shown to ease anxiety, heighten awareness and focus, transform negative habits, and foster feelings of peace, calm, and clarity. John Vosler is a Senior Teacher at the Amrit Yoga Institute, where he leads Yoga Nidra Certification programs. His infectious humor and compassionate heart make working with him a joy-filled experience. Today he leads us through a conscious relaxation.

Gordon Wheeler is the president of Esalen. He's also a licensed clinical psychologist, as well as the author of numerous books on Gestalt psychology, including Gestalt Reconsidered, Beyond Individualism, and The Heart of Development. He is noted for his work integrating the Gestalt tradition with relational and developmental psychology.  Gordon teaches and trains clinicians around the world, also serving as editor and director of GestaltPress. Today we invited him to educate us about the history of Gestalt psychology at the Esalen Institute.

Today's episode is part of a series of panels presented at the 9th annual Blue Mind Summit at the Esalen Institute in the summer of 2019. Representing Mindfulness in the summit, Dr. Shauna Shapiro is a professor, author, and internationally recognized expert in mindfulness and compassion. She has published over 150 journal articles and co-authored two critically acclaimed books translated into 14 languages: The Art and Science of Mindfulness, and Mindful Discipline. Her newest book, to be released in late 2019, is Good Morning, I Love You: Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Practices to Rewire Your Brain for Calm, Clarity, and Joy. Dr. Shapiro's work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Wired Magazine, USA Today, The Huffington Post, Yoga Journal, and the American Psychologist. She is a summa cum laude graduate of Duke University and a Fellow of the Mind and Life Institute, co-founded by the Dalai Lama.

In the final installment of our Psychedelic Integration series, Marsha Rosenbaum (director of Drug Policy Alliance and author of “Kids, Drug, and Drug Education: A Harm Reduction Approach”), Kristi Panik (chief of psychiatric services of the University Student Health Services at UC Berkeley), and Martin Lee (co-founder, Project CBD) discuss reasonable, realistic, and comprehensive drug-education for minors.

Martin Lee (Project CBD), Julie Holland (psychiatrist and author of “Moody Bitches” and “The Pot Book”), Rick Doblin (MAPS), Marsha Rosenbaum (director, Drug Policy Alliance), Allan Badiner (conference convener and author of “Zig Zag Zen”), and Dr. Ben Sessa speak about the adaptive capacities of cannabis from a medicinal, therapeutic and historical perspective. Martin Lee then delivers a keynote address on cannabidiol (CBD) and the import of the body’s endo-cannabinoid system itself.

In part 5 of Esalen's Psychedelic Integration series, mycologist Paul Stamets, UC Berkeley professor of neurobiology David Presti, and psychiatrist Ben Sessa explore the contemporary landscape of psilocybin mushrooms, touching upon how mushrooms can help treat depression and other chronic illnesses, the concepts of synchronicity and hyper-focus, how the intravenous administration of psilocybin functions in a clinical setting, and the interconnected nature of the mind and body. Paul Stamets then proposes a mycologically-based solution to help combat bee colony collapse disorder.

Rick Doblin is the founder and executive director of MAPS, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. He’s been a tireless proponent of the effort to develop legal contexts for the beneficial uses of psychedelics. At Esalen, he discussed the historical trajectory of MAPS, the legal narrative surrounding psychedelics - in particular MDMA - and why MDMA-assisted psychotherapy has been proven to be so effective for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. He also spoke on what the future holds for clinical trials, and how the Esalen Institute was foundational to his journey.

Michael Pollan's keynote address from the Psychedelic Integration Conference at Esalen Institute, 2019, is part two of a seven-part series drawn from the week's lectures. Pollan is the author of six New York Times bestsellers: "Cooked," "Food Rules; In Defense of Food"; "The Omnivore’s Dilemma," "The Botany of Desire," and now “How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence,” a masterful book written by one of the leading immersive journalists of our time. Historically, the field of psychedelics is controversial, and controversy naturally arouses a certain degree of suspicion and distrust, particularly for the uninitiated. But when Michael Pollan talks, people listen. And that’s because he consistently brings a beginner’s mind, armed with a healthy dose of skepticism, to the table. His speech at Esalen was much like his writing- articulate, lucid, and underscored by a palpable desire to effect positive change. A question and answer session followed Michael’s initial speech; to preserve the confidentiality of the participants, we’ve eliminated the questions, and only presented the answers. His speech was also edited for clarity and for pacing. So please enjoy the psychonaut you can bring home for dinner - Michael Pollan.