Altered States of Context

In this compelling episode, Nate and Brian are joined by Victor Cabral, a licensed social worker and therapist, who currently serves as the Director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs at Fluence Training. Victor has a passion for equity and justice in relation to drug policies and hopes to emphasize community views, oppression, and harm that has been done in relation to psychedelics and drug policy. Previous to this role, he had worked in the Pennsylvania Governor’s Office of Advocacy and Reform; notably, creating the first Racial Day of Healing for Pennsylvania. With his experience in government policy, social work, psychedelic assisted therapy, Nate and Brian take Victor on a deep dive into discussions surrounding decriminalization of psychedelics on federal and state levels, as well as the effects on marginalized communities, looking particularly at the recent legislative changes in Oregon and Colorado.

OSMINDOsmind is the premier platform for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy practices. The all-in-one platform includes purpose-built charting for ketamine, SPRAVATO, psychotherapy and more; as well as patient tools for the therapeutic alliance that include 40+ validated rating scales and a patient app for journaling and secure messaging too. Visit Osmind using our link below:osmind.org/asocEpisode Description:In this episode, we interview Max Wolff. Max Wolff is a psychologist and psychotherapist, and serves as the Head of Psychotherapy Training and Research at the MIND Foundation. We discuss the EPIsoDE psilocybin trial that Max is involved with in Germany, perspectives on how to properly conduct psychedelic therapy, differences between Germany and the United States when it comes to therapy and psychedelics, and more.Show Notes:-4:00 EPIsoDE Study (Clinical Trial):https://episode-study.de/https://mind-foundation.org/research/episode-study/-41:00 Psychotherapy in Germany:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279513/#:~:text=Statutory%20health%20insurers%20cover%20up,part%20of%20group%20therapy%20sessions.-48:30 Insight Conference in Berlin:https://insight-conference.eu/-55:30 MIND Foundation:https://mind-foundation.org/Learning to Let Go journal article:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00005/full

Show Description: In this fascinating episode, Brian is joined by Denise Rue, who is a hypnotherapist, social worker, and experienced psilocybin retreat facilitator. Brian and Denise dive deep into the nature of psychedelic therapy and the retreat experience, from preparation through integration. Denise shares her perspective on the role of a psychedelic therapist and what it takes to successfully facilitate psychedelic experiences for clients with a wide range of goals and backgrounds. The particular utility of group work with psychedelics is explored, as are topics of dealing with challenging psychedelic experiences, “deprogramming” beliefs about psychedelics and mental health, relating to psychedelic medicines as teachers, and the mystical and spiritual impacts psychedelics can have on individuals who choose to work with these medicines.  OSMINDOsmind is the premier platform for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy practices. The all-in-one platform includes purpose-built charting for ketamine, SPRAVATO, psychotherapy and more; as well as patient tools for the therapeutic alliance that include 40+ validated rating scales and a patient app for journaling and secure messaging too. Visit Osmind using our link below:osmind.org/asoc

OSMINDOsmind is the premier platform for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy practices. The all-in-one platform includes purpose-built charting for ketamine, SPRAVATO, psychotherapy and more; as well as patient tools for the therapeutic alliance that include 40+ validated rating scales and a patient app for journaling and secure messaging too. Visit Osmind using our link below:osmind.org/asocDid you miss out on Psychedelic Science 2023? Or did you go and want to spend time revisiting some of the highlights? In this episode Brian shares some of his experiences at the conference including learning about the latest science on psychedelics and what it was like to be immersed in a large, diverse psychedelic community of 12,000 people. We critically evaluate the search for the “non-psychedelic psychedelic” and discuss the tension between the hope for a better culture and the need to be cautious. Brian also shares how queerness and psychedelics can both be agents for infusing awe and wonder into our capitalistic flatland culture. 

This Episode's SponsorOSMINDOsmind is the premier platform for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy practices. The all-in-one platform includes purpose-built charting for ketamine, SPRAVATO, psychotherapy and more; as well as patient tools for the therapeutic alliance that include 40+ validated rating scales and a patient app for journaling and secure messaging too. Visit Osmind using our link below: osmind.org/asocIn this episode, we speak with Jon Dennis. Jon is a lawyer by training, and has played an integral role in the development of Measure 109 in Oregon. He also serves as the Executive Director of a pending facilitator training program. We discuss the development of policy surrounding psychedelics in the United States, including making space for community use, safety considerations, populism vs elitism, accessibility, and more. 12 states are currently in the process of developing legislation surrounding psychedelics, and we discuss how states can build on and learn from one another throughout this process.Guest Biography:Jon Dennis is a lawyer, activist, and entrepreneur in the psychedelics ecosystem. He is the executive director of Vital Oregon, a psilocybin facilitator training program by Psychedelics Today, and the co-host of the “Eyes on Oregon” podcast from Psychedelics Today. Jon is a member of the Chacruna Institute’s Council for the Protection of Sacred Plants. He is a member of the Psychedelics Bar Association and sits on its Religious Use Committee. Jon serves on the Executive Committee of the Oregon State Bar Practice Section on Cannabis and Psychedelics and is a founding member of the Entheogenic Practitioners Council of Oregon.Show Notes:Article about Measure 109 not being psilocybin-assisted therapy: https://chacruna.net/oregon-legalized-psilocybin-supported-adult-use/Story about boy who died: https://www.wftv.com/news/local/federal-judge-dismisses-ayahuasca-churchs-request-overturn-dea-decision/DA3FHCYUP5GMJNW26NY7WHWX6U/Measure 109, Measure 110:Oregon Psilocybin Services (Measure 109): https://www.oregon.gov/oha/ph/preventionwellness/pages/oregon-psilocybin-services.aspxMeasure 110: https://www.oregon.gov/oha/hsd/amh/pages/measure110.aspxIllinois legislation:https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocTypeID=HB&DocNum=1&GAID=17&SessionID=112&LegID=14183Graham Boyd Horizons Northwest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UTWxaW7edkNatural Medicine Health Act: https://dpo.colorado.gov/dpo-home/natural-medicine-health-act-homeThe facilitator training program Jon is the Executive Director of: Vital Oregon: https://www.vitalpsychedelictraining.com/oregon? utm_source=vitalOG&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=LPReferral

Brian and I wrap things up for season two and lay the groundwork for season 3.

Dr. Rosalind Watts discusses her work in applying Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to psychedelic-assisted therapy. Dr. Watts shares about how her own challenging psychedelic experiences have provided her with valuable insight and perspective in working with depressed clients, as well as the value in opening up to our pain in helping us become more engaged in our lives. Dr. Watts emphasizes the importance of integration and describes it as a lifelong process of growth. She also shares about her new project, ACER integration, which is a 12-month program that combines her work in ACT with an explicit focus on nature to provide a framework for psychedelic integration. Dr. Watts emphasizes the importance of a peer model of psychedelic use and the need to evolve beyond the current medical model to meet the needs of people who are in crisis and suffering.https://www.drrosalindwatts.com/

Zach Haigney is the author of the Trip Report, a weekly newsletter that synthesizes psychedelic news in the areas of medicine, science, and policy. Looking at the big picture, we discuss where the field is at and where it is going. We review the hype cycle and identify why psychedelics tend to be aggrandized, and Zach discusses his view of how the psychedelic space is an ecosystem filled with checks and balances that is incredibly complex and unique in our culture. We talk about why the DEA doesn’t seem to want to mess with entheogenic churches, and what that means for the public in terms of access. Finally, Zach shares his perspective on the role of capitalistic influences on the emerging field of psychedelic therapy, including Big Pharma, patents, and psychedelics that don’t have psychedelic effects. What does that mean? Come listen and find out the latest news and get caught up on what is happening in psychedelics!  https://thetripreport.substack.com/ https://thetripreport.substack.com/p/psychedelic-hype-cycle-employer-kap#footnote-1

Dr. Ingmar Gorman discusses the current state of psychedelic training programs and how Fluence, the organization that he helped co-found, is attempting to meet the training needs of mental health professionals. He also discusses the little known history of psychedelics in the Czech Republic and Europe, and describes what it was like for psychedelics to flourish in a conservative region of the world decades ago. We also discuss various metaphors for psychedelic-assisted therapy, including emphasizing the disrupting effect of psychedelics that, for better or worse, can lead to dramatic change. Dr. Gorman brings his expertise in developing therapy portions of psychedelic-assisted therapy for drug sponsors and describes his transtheoretical model of psychedelic harm reduction and integration.

Psychedelics are known for their ability to shake up one’s existing belief system and provoke new ways of seeing the world. Several studies show that people often become more spiritual or religious after a powerful psychedelic experience. There is a trend in moving away from physical or materialistic worldviews into non-physical, fatalistic, or nondual worldviews. In this episode we discussion the function of a worldview in providing a sense of predictability in the world and bring a skeptic’s eye to explaining the increase in spiritual beliefs- is this just human’s proclivity to engage in pattern recognition and meaning-making? We use nerdy terms such as“ontological shock” and “ecstatic literacy”, and describe how the openness created after a deep psychedelic experience can be used for good or evil. Studies discussed in this episode include:https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-01209-2https://psyarxiv.com/rdzmy/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32461241/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32345112/