

Adventures Through The Mind
James W. Jesso
Adventures Through The Mind is an interview-based podcast hosted by Canadian author and public educator, James W. Jesso.
Although the show topics range---from spirituality, mental health, and emotional maturity; to love, relationships and sexuality; to history, philosophy, and neuroscience---there are two underlying themes that intersect them all: psychedelics & the mind.
James W. Jesso is the author of Decomposing The Shadow: Lessons From The Psilocybin Mushroom and The True Light Of Darkness, both about his experiences exploring the potentials of psychedelics.
Although the show topics range---from spirituality, mental health, and emotional maturity; to love, relationships and sexuality; to history, philosophy, and neuroscience---there are two underlying themes that intersect them all: psychedelics & the mind.
James W. Jesso is the author of Decomposing The Shadow: Lessons From The Psilocybin Mushroom and The True Light Of Darkness, both about his experiences exploring the potentials of psychedelics.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 24, 2023 • 1h 36min
A Jungian Approach To Psychosis, Spiritual Crisis, and Healing Our Deepest Wounds | Dr Tim Read
Dr. Tim Read is a psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and author based in London. He joins us on the show to discuss the deep unconscious, complexes, being triggered, and why we need a new way to treat mental illness. We talk about the difference between spiritual crisis and psychosis; how modern psychiatry is broken; and why psychiatrists should undergo psychedelic therapy. Additionally, we explore the difference between being in process and processing; how our triggers are an opportunity to step into our healing journey; the role of relationships in our healing; how to help shift culture and community to better support people in crisis; how to support people in psychotic delusion (without colluding in their delusions); and the point at which we should involve psychiatric intervention. Enjoy ... For links to Jordan's work, full show notes, and a link to watch this episode in video, head to bit.ly/ATTMind172 *** FULL TOPICS BREAKDOWN BELOW** SUPPORT THE PODCAST Patreon: https://patreon.com/jameswjesso Paypal Donation: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=383635S3BKJVS Merchandise: https://www.jameswjesso.com/shop/ More Options: https://www.jameswjesso.com/support Newsletter: https://www.jameswjesso.com/newsletter Telgram Channel: https://t.me/jameswjesso *** Extra BIG thanks to my patrons on Patreon for helping keep this podcast alive! Especially my $23+ patrons, Andreas D, Ian C, Yvette FC, Alex F, Eliz C, Nick M, Joe A, Nanci BF, & Heartwood Mushrooms —— ***** Episode Breakdown (0:00) Opening (1:51) Overture (5:31) Patron Thanks (6:46) Interview begins (8:28) The deep unconscious, COEX/complexes, and being triggered (12:45) Why we need a new way to treat mental illness (14:03) A bit more into COEX systems and processing being triggered (21:16) Being triggered distorts our perception of reality (22:40) Being triggered offers us an opportunity to heal (in process vs processing) (24:48) Getting stuck in a trigger (30:33) Triggers are an opportunity to step into our healing journey (33:30) How to process being triggered (36:30) The role of relationships in our healing process (40:40) How do we help shift culture and community to better support people in crisis (43:12) Why psychiatrists should undergo psychedelic therapy (44:35) Modern psychiatry is broken (48:10) A definition of Spiritual Emergency, Spiritual Crisis (51:34) The difference between spiritual crisis and psychosis (56:34) Mental illness is not biologically rooted (bipolar, psychosis, and schizophrenia) (1:00:07) Exploring the root of mental illness from a Jungian perspective (1:13:55) The deepest personal touches the transpersonal (1:15:36) The challenge of touching the transpersonal (1:17:40) The point at which we should involve psychiatric intervention (1:21:07) Psychiatric medication can be necessary at times | don’t let ideology get in the way of common sense (1:26:04) How to support people in psychotic delusion (without colluding in their delusions) (1:29:59) It’s all about love | Love is the key ingredient (1:32:07) Follow-up links (1:34:00) Outro ***** SUPPORT THE PODCAST Patreon: https://patreon.com/jameswjesso Paypal Donation: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=383635S3BKJVS Merchandise: https://www.jameswjesso.com/shop/ More Options: https://www.jameswjesso.com/support Newsletter: https://www.jameswjesso.com/newsletter Telgram Channel: https://t.me/jameswjesso OR you can buy a copy of one of my books! Decomposing The Shadow: Lessons From The Psilocybin Mushroom – https://www.jameswjesso.com/decomposing-the-shadow/ The True Light Of Darkness — https://www.jameswjesso.com/true-light-darkness/

Feb 10, 2023 • 1h 39min
Spontaneous Spiritual Awakenings: Qualities, Causes, and Consequences | Jessica Corneille ~ ATTMind 171
Jessica Corneille, MSc is a Research Psychologist specializing in spontaneous spiritual awakening experiences. On this episode of the podcast we start by presenting a definition of a spontaneous spiritual awakening experience before going on to explore the after-effects of these experiences; how they seem to affect both atheists and strongly religious people; common preceding factors; the neurobiological and psychological factors correlated with spontaneous awakening experiences; as well as negative spiritual experiences, e.g spiritual crisis or spiritual emergencies. We also deconstruct the exclusive pathologizing of psychosis, bipolar, and schizophrenia and the delegitimization of the mystical states of other cultures as a kind of racism. And we end with a discussion on integrating spontaneous awakening experiences and how to support people in their integration of spontaneous mystical experiences. ... For links to Corneille's work, full show notes, and a link to watch this episode in video, head to bit.ly/ATTMind171 *** FULL TOPICS BREAKDOWN BELOW** SUPPORT THE PODCAST Patreon: https://patreon.com/jameswjesso Paypal Donation: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=383635S3BKJVS Merchandise: https://www.jameswjesso.com/shop/ More Options: https://www.jameswjesso.com/support Newsletter: https://www.jameswjesso.com/newsletter Telgram Channel: https://t.me/jameswjesso *** Extra BIG thanks to my patrons on Patreon for helping keep this podcast alive! Especially my $23+ patrons, Andreas D, Ian C, Yvette FC, Alex F, Eliz C, Nick M, Joe A, Nanci BF, & Heartwood Mushrooms —— ***** Episode Breakdown (0:00) Opening (1:13) Overture (8:02) Patreon Thanks (9:54) Interview begins (11:06) A definition of a spontaneous spiritual awakening (12:36) The qualities of a spontaneous spiritual awakening (18:52) Changes in visual and auditory perceptions during/after (21:00) Entity/demon encounters (24:20) Common preceding factors (28:07) The after-effects of spontaneous mystical experiences (30:01) How these experiences seem to affect both atheists and strongly religious people (35:07) Negative mystical experiences, spiritual crisis (41:38) The neurobiological and psychological factors correlated with spontaneous awakening experiences (43:52) Temporal lobe epilepsy and mystical experiences (47:29) Deconstructing the exclusive pathologizing of psychosis, bipolar, and schizophrenia (1:01:14) The delegitimization of the mystical states of other cultures as a kind of racism (1:13:48) Integrating spontaneous spiritual awakening experiences (1:25:06) How to support people in their integration of spontaneous awakening experiences (1:28:41) Links for supportive info for people integrating spontaneous awakening experiences (1:30:33) How to assess when it makes sense to consult a mental health professional (1:33:44) What’s next for Cornnn….. and socials (1:37:54) Outro ***** SUPPORT THE PODCAST Patreon: https://patreon.com/jameswjesso Paypal Donation: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=383635S3BKJVS Merchandise: https://www.jameswjesso.com/shop/ More Options: https://www.jameswjesso.com/support Newsletter: https://www.jameswjesso.com/newsletter Telgram Channel: https://t.me/jameswjesso OR you can buy a copy of one of my books! Decomposing The Shadow: Lessons From The Psilocybin Mushroom – https://www.jameswjesso.com/decomposing-the-shadow/ The True Light Of Darkness — https://www.jameswjesso.com/true-light-darkness/

Jan 27, 2023 • 2h 20min
The Future of Visionary Art in an Era of Ai | Psychedelic Café 11
Today we feature another addition to our Psychedelic Café series. This time exploring what art means and what the meaning of art might become in a growing era of ai generated art-like images flooding the mindspace of humanity through consumptive digital media channels. The cafe is a curated collection of participants who, through a structure series of rounds, explore together a single question. The question we are exploring is: What does the meaning of art look like in an era of increasingly-accessible AI art generators with increasingly powerful capacities for fidelity and complexity? And our guests are Autumn Skye, Simon Haiduk, Evan Bartholomew (aka Bluetech), Martina Hoffman, Chor Boogie, Dan De Santos, and Michael Phillip. ... For links to our guests' work, full bios and show notes, and a link to watch this episode in video, head to bit.ly/PsyCafe11 *** FULL TOPICS BREAKDOWN BELOW** SUPPORT THE PODCAST Patreon: https://patreon.com/jameswjesso Paypal Donation: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=383635S3BKJVS Merchandise: https://www.jameswjesso.com/shop/ More Options: https://www.jameswjesso.com/support Newsletter: https://www.jameswjesso.com/newsletter Telgram Channel: https://t.me/jameswjesso *** Extra BIG thanks to my patrons on Patreon for helping keep this podcast alive! Especially my $23+ patrons, Andreas D, Ian C, Yvette FC, Alex F, Eliz C, Nick M, Michelle M, Joe A, Naci BF, & Heartwood Mushrooms —— ***** Episode Breakdown (0:00) Opening (2:18) Overture (7:36) Patreon thanks (8:33) Participant Introductions (15:49) Introducing the question: (17:27) Ai art is inevitable (19:32) Ai as a bypass of the raw creative process (23:52) Ai art prompting as a kind of compulsion/binge (27:22) Ai isn’t art but something entirely new; the birth of a new god (29:32) The legal and ethical questions around ai use of artists’ work without consent (34:14) Ai meets our cultural compulsion to consume, rather than truly create (35:55) A spiritual way to work with Ai art as ceremony; image generation vs making art (40:39) A flood of ai art generators culturally downgrading the monetary value of actual art (43:00) The spiritual harm of ai art generation (46:04) If artists feel threatened by Ai, then they need to step up their game (51:33) Resisting the pull towards living a solely digital life by doubling down on the physical act of creation (1:01:34) Ai art generators as a new archetypal container for reality (1:02:50) How ai art generators work; the latent space (1:06:43) If art alters consciousness, what quality of consciousness is ai art cultivating in us? (1:11:55) “The ai does not copy anything from the image” (1:16:39) Losing our connection to nature and our humanity in favour of a transhumanist fallacy (1:21:49) A heated exchange on being “transparent” about artists using digital tools (1:31:15) Trending novel technologies as a platform for massive shadow projection (1:32:51) The danger of human creativity being atrophied due to the ease of access of digital content (1:36:26) The dishonesty of not claiming when art is made through digital means (1:40:59) Ai art generators as a means to satisfy our need to create, without having to leave the easy consumption of digital content (1:45:11) We need human creativity, even for ai art to be worthwhile (1:46:21) Artistic editing vs artistic creation (1:49:13) The dilution of the power of art by a deluge of ai content (1:52:53) Closing thoughts on this conversation (1:54:25) Ai art generators as an avenue for non-creative people to explore the creation of beautiful images (1:58:33) Learning faith through the process of artistic creation (and the journey of life) (2:02:59) Do we choose to surrender our souls to the matrix of digital novelty or stay in the light of a higher principle? (2:05:05) An expression of hope for us to remember our humanity in the face of ongoing technological novelty (2:10:26) Wondering about intentions, psychedelics, and resisting the pull to getting locked into an ai reality (2:13:42) The potential for ai is so incredible, but generating art seems like a dangerous waste of that potential (2:15:28) The debate around art generators reveals the meta-crisis we are all in. (2:18:30) Closing ***** SUPPORT THE PODCAST Patreon: https://patreon.com/jameswjesso Paypal Donation: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=383635S3BKJVS Merchandise: https://www.jameswjesso.com/shop/ More Options: https://www.jameswjesso.com/support Newsletter: https://www.jameswjesso.com/newsletter Telgram Channel: https://t.me/jameswjesso OR you can buy a copy of one of my books! Decomposing The Shadow: Lessons From The Psilocybin Mushroom – https://www.jameswjesso.com/decomposing-the-shadow/ The True Light Of Darkness — https://www.jameswjesso.com/true-light-darkness/

Jan 13, 2023 • 2h 12min
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. ... 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** SUPPORT THE PODCAST Patreon: https://patreon.com/jameswjesso Paypal Donation: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=383635S3BKJVS Merchandise: https://www.jameswjesso.com/shop/ More Options: https://www.jameswjesso.com/support Newsletter: https://www.jameswjesso.com/newsletter Telgram Channel: https://t.me/jameswjesso *** Extra BIG thanks to my patrons on Patreon for helping keep this podcast alive! Especially my $23+ patrons, Andreas D, Ian C, Yvette FC, Alex F, Eliz C, Nick M, Michelle M, Joe A, & Heartwood Mushrooms —— ***** 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 ***** SUPPORT THE PODCAST Patreon: https://patreon.com/jameswjesso Paypal Donation: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=383635S3BKJVS Merchandise: https://www.jameswjesso.com/shop/ More Options: https://www.jameswjesso.com/support Newsletter: https://www.jameswjesso.com/newsletter Telgram Channel: https://t.me/jameswjesso OR you can buy a copy of one of my books! Decomposing The Shadow: Lessons From The Psilocybin Mushroom – https://www.jameswjesso.com/decomposing-the-shadow/ The True Light Of Darkness — https://www.jameswjesso.com/true-light-darkness/

Dec 23, 2022 • 1h 46min
Microdosing Amanita Muscaria Mushrooms | Baba Masha M.D ~ ATTMind 169
Baba Masha MD joins us to present the results of her research into microdosing amanita muscaria mushrooms, the benefits and the risks, as well as what she learned about the ideal prepration and protocol. In this episode of the podcast we first explore Masha’s journey of making a banned-podcast about psychedelics in Russia; being the first person to be public about consuming psychedelics in Russia; as well as the context of drug use and prohibitionist propaganda in Russia and it’s impact on public health. Masha then outlines the origins of her microdosing amanita muscaria study; where the data came from; the results; the potential influence of placebo effect; some nuances about the chemical compositions and pharmacology of amanita; and what her study revealed about the optimal dosing and preparation protocols for microdosing amanita muscaria. ... For links to Baba's work, full show notes, and a link to watch this episode in video, head to bit.ly/ATTMind169 *** FULL TOPICS BREAKDOWN BELOW** SUPPORT THE PODCAST Patreon: https://patreon.com/jameswjesso Paypal Donation: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=383635S3BKJVS Merchandise: https://www.jameswjesso.com/shop/ More Options: https://www.jameswjesso.com/support Newsletter: https://www.jameswjesso.com/newsletter Telgram Channel: https://t.me/jameswjesso *** Extra BIG thanks to my patrons on Patreon for helping keep this podcast alive! Especially my $23+ patrons, Andreas D, Clea S, Ian C, Yvette FC, Alex F, Eliz C, Nick M, Michelle M, Chloe C, & Heartwood Mushrooms —— ***** Episode Breakdown (0:00) Opening (1:47) Introduction (6:22) Patron thanks (8:45) Interview begins; The context for why Masha is in disguise (11:34) Masha’s journey of making a banned-podcast about psychedelics in Russia; the first person to be public about consuming psychedelics in Russia (16:36) The creation of Baba Masha’s amanita muscaria microdosing study (21:57) The impact of Masha’s podcast in Russia, and why it got banned (26:40) The context of drug use and prohibitionist propaganda in Russia (29:34) The impact of Russian prohibitionist narratives on drug-induced anxiety/panic attacks (36:03) General information about amanita muscaria (41:37) The dangers of psychedelic doses on amanita muscaria (55:39) The chemical compounds present in amanita muscaria—ibotenic acid and muscimol (1:01:01) How the different ratios of ibotenic acid and muscimol effect different people differently (in microdosing) (1:08:50) The best time of day to microdose amanita muscaria (1:11:54) Microdosing amanita muscaria as an antidote to chemical dependence (1:13:52) Topical amanita muscaria as a powerful anti inflammatory (1:18:56) Microdosing amanita muscaria effects on memory (1:23:52) The potential placebo effect of microdosing amanita muscaria (1:31:32) The optimal dosing protocol for microdosing amanita muscaria (1:35:05) The optimal preparation of amanita muscaria for microdosing (1:38:27) Smoking amanita muscaria (1:39:24) Follow up links, social handles, and where to buy their book (1:43:08) Outro (1:43:53) Support the podcast ***** SUPPORT THE PODCAST Patreon: https://patreon.com/jameswjesso Paypal Donation: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=383635S3BKJVS Merchandise: https://www.jameswjesso.com/shop/ More Options: https://www.jameswjesso.com/support Newsletter: https://www.jameswjesso.com/newsletter Telgram Channel: https://t.me/jameswjesso OR you can buy a copy of one of my books! Decomposing The Shadow: Lessons From The Psilocybin Mushroom – https://www.jameswjesso.com/decomposing-the-shadow/ The True Light Of Darkness — https://www.jameswjesso.com/true-light-darkness/

Dec 9, 2022 • 2h 14min
Visions For A World In Crisis | Psychedelic Café 10
Our guests for this episode are Dennis McKenna, The Teafaerie, Chris Bache, Bruce Damer, Dank Duchess, Laurel Anne Sugden, and Stephen Gray. Together, in Psychedelic Cafe style, we explore conversation with the following question as our central guiding inquiry: "What is the power and potential of psychedelics in navigating the many-orders of growing collapse that our planet is currently facing?" Topics explored include global crisis and the birth of the future human; how the pain and suffering of ongoing collapse that will drive us into our next expression in consciousness; the intelligence of the universe; liberating ourselves from materialism; coming to terms with death; nudging consciousness forward through symbiosis with plant teachers; the history of the San Pedro cactus as an example of how sacred plants help support us through climate crisis; and an optimistic look at our present circumstances. Enjoy. ... For links to our guest's work, full show notes, and a link to watch this episode in video, head to bit.ly/PsyCafe10 *** FULL TOPICS BREAKDOWN BELOW** SUPPORT THE PODCAST Patreon: https://patreon.com/jameswjesso Paypal Donation: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=383635S3BKJVS Merchandise: https://www.jameswjesso.com/shop/ More Options: https://www.jameswjesso.com/support Newsletter: https://www.jameswjesso.com/newsletter Telgram Channel: https://t.me/jameswjesso *** Extra BIG thanks to my patrons on Patreon for helping keep this podcast alive! Especially my $23+ patrons, Andreas D, Clea S, Ian C, Yvette FC, Alex F, Eliz C, Nick M, Michelle M, Chloe C, & Heartwood Mushrooms —— ***** Episode Breakdown (0:00) Opening (3:18) Overture (7:40) Patron Thanks! (9:46) Cafe begins; guest introductions (19:59) Introducing The Question: "What is the power and potential of psychedelics in navigating the many-orders of growing collapse that our planet is currently facing?" (20:31) Strong medicine might be required (25:22) The stress of modern collapse may be in service to our evolution (31:30) Un-fixing the ego and recalibrating our interdependence (37:02) Global crisis and the birth of the future human (42:13) Slay the dragon, Save the grail (45:18) Nudging consciousness forward through symbiosis with plant teachers (56:06) The great forgetting and re-membering Connection as primary (58:52) An optimistic look at our present circumstances (1:03:35) The power and potential of social networks to create important change (1:06:56) Life has been deeply connected since the beginning (1:14:05) It is the pain and suffering of ongoing collapse that will drive us into our next expression in consciousness (1:18:50) The history of the San Pedro cactus as an example of how sacred plants help support us through climate crisis (1:23:51) Life’s intelligence can be trusted (1:31:06) The intelligence of the universe; liberating ourselves from materialism (1:34:29) Psychedelics don’t belong (only) in the therapist’s office (1:35:50) The power of psychedelics is not in the molecule, not in the matter (1:43:32) Coming to terms with death; all life lives on death (1:46:51) The is no end point and there is nothing to fear when we die (1:50:01) There are no answers, that’s not the point (1:52:17) The sentient other; what does real actually mean? (1:57:59) Does modern psychedelic therapy make us myopic onto the self? (2:00:17) We only think we are alone (2:01:59) It’s going to get worse before it gets better, let’s learn to support each other (2:04:20) Actions are necessary to create good in the world, but our actions can be easily confused (2:07:19) “Please, take heart” ; the awakened heart is our natural state (2:10:01) Closing The Cafe; goodbyes (2:10:51) Outro ***** SUPPORT THE PODCAST Patreon: https://patreon.com/jameswjesso Paypal Donation: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=383635S3BKJVS Merchandise: https://www.jameswjesso.com/shop/ More Options: https://www.jameswjesso.com/support Newsletter: https://www.jameswjesso.com/newsletter Telgram Channel: https://t.me/jameswjesso OR you can buy a copy of one of my books! Decomposing The Shadow: Lessons From The Psilocybin Mushroom – https://www.jameswjesso.com/decomposing-the-shadow/ The True Light Of Darkness — https://www.jameswjesso.com/true-light-darkness/

Nov 22, 2022 • 2h 14min
Multiple Selves Without a Central Self | Jordan Gruber ~ ATTMind 168
Jordan Gruber is one of the authors of "Your Symphony Of Selves" and joins us to discuss how we all have multiple selves, not a single self. Some of the topics we explore in this episode include an in-depth look at The Health Selves Model in comparison and contrast to The Single Self Assumption; why we mistakenly assume multiple selves to be pathological; how mental health is being in the right mind (self/selves) as the right time; and how we can start applying the healthy selves model into our lives today. We also talk about Monotheism’s influence on the single self assumption—“the single god assumption”; how Buddishm’s noself and interdependence relates to multiple selves; the difference between multiple selves and Jungian archetypes/autonomous complexes; how Sigmund Freud helped The Single Self Assumption dominate the western mind; and how the very origins of Freud’s model of the mind might be in the gaslighting of sexual abuse. Furthermore, we also explore psychedelic journeying and healing from a healthy selves model; how we might understand the effects of psychedelics on the ego, if there is no such thing as an ego; as well as all of reality being fractal iterations of various wholistic expressions of cosmic multiplicity while debating the validity of The Essential Self, Self Energy, and our ability to live in relationship to “Ultimate Reality”. And, of course, more. Enjoy. ... For links to Jordan's work, full show notes, and a link to watch this episode in video, head to bit.ly/ATTMind168 *** FULL TOPICS BREAKDOWN BELOW** SUPPORT THE PODCAST Patreon: https://patreon.com/jameswjesso Paypal Donation: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=383635S3BKJVS Merchandise: https://www.jameswjesso.com/shop/ More Options: https://www.jameswjesso.com/support Newsletter: https://www.jameswjesso.com/newsletter Telgram Channel: https://t.me/jameswjesso *** Extra BIG thanks to my patrons on Patreon for helping keep this podcast alive! Especially my $23+ patrons, Andreas D, Clea S, Ian C, Yvette FC, Alex F, Eliz C, Nick M, Michelle M, Chloe C, & Heartwood Mushrooms —— ***** Episode Breakdown (0:00) Opening (1:53) Overture (6:42) Patron Thanks | support the show! (8:03) Interview begins | James’ thoughts on Your Symphony Of Selves book (10:09) Why multiple selves can be very confronting (12:07) How we came to see multiple selves as being pathological | and why multiplicity is normal (17:40) Switching into younger/healthier selves in our aging, dying time, or Alzheimer's disease (23:43) How Sigmund Freud helped The Single Self Assumption dominate the western mind (26:31) The origins of Freud’s model of the mind might have be in the gaslighting of sexual abuse (32:37) Jung: the difference between multiple selves and archetypes/autonomous complexes (37:15) Monotheism’s influence on the single self assumption; “the single god assumption”? (43:23) How Buddishm’s noself and interdependence relates to multiple selves (49:51) Can a noself identity be a defensive compensation? (58:07) Centering our selves, without a central self (1:04:12) What about “I”? (1:09:49) Debating the validity of The Essential Self, Self Energy, and our ability to live in relationship to “Ultimate Reality” (1:19:06) Spiritual bypassing by evading the realities of relational life (1:27:02) All of reality is fractal iterations of various wholistic expressions of cosmic multiplicity (1:30:26) Psychedelic journeying and healing from a healthy selves model (1:39:31) Developing your “psychedelic journey self” | Interviews with Christopher Bache (1:41:38) Never do a psychedelic journey unless all selves are on board (1:43:02) Considering the effects of psychedelics on the ego, if there is no such thing as an ego (1:50:33) Why we need to give up on having big definite theories (1:56:10) Don’t force selves into integration or try to get rid of selves (1:59:24) The Single Soul Assumption? (2:03:04) How to start applying healthy selves model into your life today (2:10:11) Follow-up links and contact info (2:12:51) Outro ***** SUPPORT THE PODCAST Patreon: https://patreon.com/jameswjesso Paypal Donation: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=383635S3BKJVS Merchandise: https://www.jameswjesso.com/shop/ More Options: https://www.jameswjesso.com/support Newsletter: https://www.jameswjesso.com/newsletter Telgram Channel: https://t.me/jameswjesso OR you can buy a copy of one of my books! Decomposing The Shadow: Lessons From The Psilocybin Mushroom – https://www.jameswjesso.com/decomposing-the-shadow/ The True Light Of Darkness — https://www.jameswjesso.com/true-light-darkness/

Oct 27, 2022 • 1h 39min
ReAwakening Ancestral Wisdom And The Psychedelic Renaissance | Belinda Eriacho ~ ATTMind 167
Belinda Eriacho joins us today to explore the intersection of the psychedelic renaissance and ancestral wisdom; connecting with our own ancestry; and what indigenous people bring to the psychedelic renaissance and the problems created by their absence. We also talk about being in right relationship with sacred plants and where that does and doesn't not overlap with recreational use; how to cultivate reciprocity with indigenous peoples in psychedelic movements; the value and importance of supporting ethical psychedelic companies; and how legislating psychedelic medicine may help support the healing of intergenerational trauma held by indigenous people in North America. Enjoy ... For links to Belinda's work, full show notes, and a link to watch this episode in video, head to bit.ly/ATTMind167 *** FULL TOPICS BREAKDOWN BELOW** *Promo Art For This Episode Courtesy of Simon Haiduk (slightly modified by James)* SUPPORT THE PODCAST Patreon: https://patreon.com/jameswjesso Paypal Donation: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=383635S3BKJVS Merchandise: https://www.jameswjesso.com/shop/ More Options: https://www.jameswjesso.com/support Newsletter: https://www.jameswjesso.com/newsletter *** Extra BIG thanks to my patrons on Patreon for helping keep this podcast alive! Especially my $23+ patrons, Andreas D, Clea S, Ian C, Yvette FC, Alex F, Eliz C, Nick M, Michelle M, & Chloe C —— **** Join Me For The Spirit Plant Medicine Conference! The episode is sponsored by The Spirit Plant Medicine Conference, happening online and in Vancouver BC Nov 4-6 This year's theme is "The Role of Psychedelics for a Planet in Transition" and they are featuring Dennis McKenna, Paul Stamets, Belinda Eriacho, Wade Davis, Chris Bache, Jeremy Narby, Laurel Anne Sugden, Jamie Wheal, and more. The conference organizers have been wonderfully generous in offering the Livestream of the conference at no charge, all you have to do is register to get access. Head to jameswjesso.com/spmc to learn more and register If you want to attend in person, or purchase the VIP digital access, follow that same link and use the promo code JWJ to get 11% off your ticket ***** Episode Breakdown (0:00) Join me for The Spirit Plant Medicine Conference, Nov 4-6 2022, more details and no-charge access to livestream can be found here: https://www.jameswjesso.com/spmc (2:22) Introducing our guest and the topic of the episode (4:41) Thank you, Patrons! (6:49) Interview begins (7:46) Belinda’s offering of land acknowledgment (8:53) Belinda Eriacho’s cultural lineage (11:53) The meaningfulness of being able to openly speak indigenous languages (14:34) Our indigenous ancestry lives on in our blood | awakening to our ancestry (17:56) Connecting with our ancestry through the land, even if we no longer live on that ancestral land (21:47) The reawakening of ancestral wisdom is underway (25:39) The intersection of the Psychedelic Renaissance and Indigenous/Ancestral Wisdom (28:33) The cultural and relational context needed to awaken ancestral wisdom | the different possibilities of ceremonial vs recreational psychedelic use (33:38) What indigenous people bring to the psychedelic renaissance (36:27) Discussing the potential value and losses of the “middle ground” of psychedelic use, neither fully recreational nor fully ceremonial (44:46) Being in right relationship with sacred plants (and medicines) (48:21) Holding even psychedelic chemicals with reverence (49:56) Learning to deepen our relationship with all plants (52:33) The music of the plants | training our gut feeling (57:34) Connection, psychedelics, and the many levels of one’s being (1:01:20) Psilocybin mushrooms are not a tool | additional value (1:02:57) “Medicine” from a Native American perspective (is not the same as medication) (1:04:57) The meaning of “understand” vs “innerstand” (1:06:43) Two issues with indigenous people are not being included in the psychedelic renaissance (1:11:01) Belinda’s thoughts on how to cultivate reciprocity with indigenous peoples (1:16:35) The value of supporting ethical psychedelic companies (1:18:37) Legislating psychedelic medicine and healing the intergenerational trauma of indigenous people (1:27:27) We need to protect the spiritual element of psychedelic medicine (1:29:58) Crazy;Wise (a documentary suggestion from Belinda) (1:31:14) Why any of these actually matters (1:33:43) Closing comments and a final invitation to listeners (1:35:28) Follow-up links and contact information (1:36:55) Outro | Please support ethical psychedelic companies/organization ***** SUPPORT THE PODCAST Patreon: https://patreon.com/jameswjesso Paypal Donation: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=383635S3BKJVS Merchandise: https://www.jameswjesso.com/shop/ More Options: https://www.jameswjesso.com/support Newsletter: https://www.jameswjesso.com/newsletter OR you can buy a copy of one of my books! Decomposing The Shadow: Lessons From The Psilocybin Mushroom – https://www.jameswjesso.com/decomposing-the-shadow/ The True Light Of Darkness — https://www.jameswjesso.com/true-light-darkness/

Oct 7, 2022 • 1h 56min
Restoring The Kinship/Indigenous Worldview | Four Arrows & Darcia Narvaez, PhD ~ ATTMind 166
Darcia Narvaez, PhD and Wahinkpe Topa (Four Arrows) join us to explore various precepts of the indigenous worldview—aka the kinship worldview—how we might restore that worldview in both our personal lives and the world at large. We also explore the basis of what a worldview is and why our guests propose there are only two, the indigenous/kinship worldview and the dominant/Western worldview. We go in-depth on the historical rise and impact of the dominant worldview and the intergenerational cycle of trauma it propagates; the left brain / right brain dynamic and how it aligns with worldview, perception, and behavior; how generations of anthropocentrism impact our capacity to perceive our interconnection with nature and each other; a substantial dive into death, dying, grief, and ceremony; and what it means to become fully human. ... For links to our guests' work, full show notes, and a link to watch this episode in video, head to bit.ly/ATTMind166 Their Book: Restoring the Kinship Worldview: Indigenous Voices Introduce 28 Precepts for Rebalancing Life on Planet Earth *** FULL TOPICS BREAKDOWN BELOW** SUPPORT THE PODCAST Patreon: https://patreon.com/jameswjesso Paypal Donation: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=383635S3BKJVS Merchandise: https://www.jameswjesso.com/shop/ More Options: https://www.jameswjesso.com/support Newsletter: https://www.jameswjesso.com/newsletter *** Extra BIG thanks to my patrons on Patreon for helping keep this podcast alive! Especially my $23+ patrons, Andreas D, Clea S, Ian C, Yvette FC, Alex F, Eliz C, Nick M, Michelle M, & Chloe C Another special thanks to Lisa F for their generous one-time donation ***** Episode Breakdown (0:00) Opening (1:30) Guest bios (6:11) Patron thanks (8:10) Interview begins (10:35) How Four Arrows came into the indigenous worldview through a near-death experience (14:05) How Darcia Narvaez came into the indigenous worldview through science (16:39) An explanation of “shifting baselines” and why understanding it matters (20:04) The dominant worldview, religion, trauma, the Roman conquest, and colonialism (32:00) What is a worldview and why there are only two worldviews that exist: Western/Dominante and Kinship/indigenous (35:16) Exploring these two worldviews and the history of their dynamic (38:39) The intergeneration cycle of trauma embedded in us through the Dominant worldview (43:53) How generations of anthropocentrism impact our capacity to perceive our interconnection with nature and each other (51:02) Feeling interconnected with life decreases fear of death, and vice versa (54:43) The left brain / right brain dynamic and how it aligns with worldview, perception, and behavior (59:31) Exploring a visit from some giant birds (1:02:10) A meditation practice on death from Four Arrows | Having a death song (1:05:01) The difference between courage and fearlessness | trust the universe (1:10:48) Ceremony and the indigenous worldview’s impact on death and dying (1:14:23) Grief in the indigenous worldview vs the dominant worldview (1:21:22) Some anecdotes of psychedelic ceremony from Four Arrows (1:27:09) Being in relationship with the spirit of psychoative plants (1:31:07) “Last resortism” in the medical system and Four Arrows’ journey with cancer (1:33:44) James’ thoughts on the value of leaning on last resortism to Insitute psilocybin for dying people (1:35:46) Cultivated interconnectedness and relationship throughout life and death | grieving together and ceremony (1:43:14) Becoming fully human—neurobiologically and culturally (1:46:08) Does it make sense to have hope that we will change our ways before it's too late? (1:50:28) Further links and contact information for our guests (1:53:16) Some closing words in Lakota from Four Arrows (1:53:55) Outro ***** SUPPORT THE PODCAST Patreon: https://patreon.com/jameswjesso Paypal Donation: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=383635S3BKJVS Merchandise: https://www.jameswjesso.com/shop/ More Options: https://www.jameswjesso.com/support Newsletter: https://www.jameswjesso.com/newsletter OR you can buy a copy of one of my books! Decomposing The Shadow: Lessons From The Psilocybin Mushroom – https://www.jameswjesso.com/decomposing-the-shadow/ The True Light Of Darkness — https://www.jameswjesso.com/true-light-darkness/

Sep 16, 2022 • 1h 48min
Psilocybin and The Evolution of Life | Jahan Khamsehzadeh, Ph.D. ~ ATTMind 165
A discussion with Jahan Khamsehzadeh, Ph.D., on the evolution of life and the role of psilocybin; exploring topics such as the influence of fungi on consciousness, the development of human consciousness with the help of psilocybin, the importance of a healthy ego, the limitations of reductionism, and the symbiotic relationship between fungi and plants in ecosystems.