Psychedelics Today

Joe and Kyle celebrate Vital Cohort 4 and reflect on why Vital is more than a 12-month psychedelic-informed training—it’s a living community (alumni webinars, discussion groups, cross-cohort meetups). Many grads aren’t rushing to facilitate; they’re choosing integration, harm reduction, education, and local community building. Next cohort dates are TBD —applications and email sign-ups are open. Breathwork in Breckenridge (this weekend) Dreamshadow Transpersonal Breathwork returns Fri–Sun. The last workshop reinforced how powerful the format is for bonding, somatic processing, and ongoing peer support. Music & tech: fail-safe playbook Keep redundant sources: primary laptop with WAV/FLAC (VLC/Mixxx), secondary device/phone, and a small Bluetooth speaker as last resort. Redundant mixers/interfaces, tested cables, simple signal flow. Pre-flight the exact rig; monitor for digital artifacts/grounding noise. Use offline playlists + Do Not Disturb (actually test it). Why community matters now With AI accelerating “dead-internet” dynamics, trusted human networks—book clubs, film clubs, local meetups—are essential. Skills for the moment: digital security hygiene and discernment (evaluating claims, sources, and inner signals). News & trends Alaska: statewide psilocybin initiative begins signature gathering. New Mexico: momentum toward group psilocybin care (cost-cutting models; ~2-year horizon). TBI & psychedelics: expanding research interest (ibogaine/5-MeO imaging work; anti-inflammatory angles). Colorado & iboga: advisory board backs therapeutic use and encourages Nagoya Protocol reciprocity; federal import/legal nuances remain. Harm-reduction notes Beware gas-station/head-shop “psychedelic” edibles labeled as “proprietary blends.” Ask for COAs and clear ingredients; understand test-kit limits (chocolates are tricky). For injections (even “legal” clinics), ask about sterile technique, water, dosing, and sourcing. Get involved Navigators: join our membership for exclusive livestreams, book/film clubs, courses, and meetups. Vital: apply or join the interest list—dates announced soon.

Joe Moore sits down with Greg Shanken (Colorado Psychedelic Society, Collaborence Psychedelic Business Association; founder, Higher Frequency Network) for a wide-ranging conversation about building community infrastructure, navigating censorship, and creating accessible, ethical pathways into psychedelic healing. Greg shares his personal arc from lifelong depression to ayahuasca, ketamine, and Bufo; why he launched a vetted affiliate/partner network for our space; and how Oregon–Colorado collaboration can widen access while honoring reciprocity and conservation. Key themes Collaborence: a two-day CO/OR event (online + in-person) connecting facilitators, professionals, and the public with pay-what-you-can access options. Access & affordability: how to widen entry points (microdosing, breathwork, scholarships/funds) within and beyond regulated service/healing centers. Censorship & platform risk: why repeated Meta account shutdowns pushed Greg to build community-based distribution outside big ad networks. Personal journey: depression, SSRIs/SNRIs/ADHD meds → ayahuasca (two-night initiation), IM ketamine, and later Bufo/5-MeO-DMT. Ethics & ecology: “blood toad,” conservation, and the case for synthetic 5-MeO-DMT over toad-sourced material; parallels with peyote/mescaline carve-outs. Leadership & culture: bringing heart-centered leadership, breathwork, and microdosing into companies; moving from transactional to mutual-aid ecosystems. Regulated vs. underground: costs, insurance realities, sliding-scale models, and the role each plays in a healthy landscape.

In this episode of Psychedelics Today, Joe Moore sits down with Dr. Cat Meyer, licensed psychotherapist, sex therapist, and host of Sex, Love, Psychedelics. Together, they explore the deep intersections of sexuality, trauma healing, psychedelics, and the role of play in human connection. Dr. Meyer shares her journey from growing up in rural Missouri and navigating early trauma to becoming a leading voice in sex therapy and psychedelic integration. She opens up about her personal healing path, her work with ketamine-assisted therapy, and how tantra, BDSM, and art have shaped her approach to erotic wellness. Topics Covered Defining the Erotic: Beyond sex, eroticism as vibrancy, life force, and connection to the senses. Personal Story: Dr. Meyer’s early struggles, academic path in marriage and family therapy, and her discovery of tantra and BDSM as transformative practices. Psychedelics and Healing: Her first experiences with MDMA-assisted therapy, ketamine retreats for women, and how these tools can reconnect people with pleasure and embodiment. The Power of Play: Why play is essential for healing, relationships, and cultural transformation—ranging from improv and art to Burning Man experiments. Navigating Power Dynamics: How erotic transference, facilitation, and unconscious needs can shape therapy, sex, and psychedelic work—and why self-awareness is crucial. Feral Mysticism: Rewilding the body, reclaiming personal authority, and embracing vibrancy outside of cultural repression. Pleasure and Illness: How Dr. Meyer works with clients facing chronic pain, fatigue, or illness to maintain erotic connection through presence and small practices. Key Quotes “Eroticism is the connection to vibrancy, to life—it’s how we engage with the world through pleasure.” “Feeling is power. A discerning human who can feel is a powerful human.” “Psychedelics help us come back into right relationship with our body and with pleasure.” “Play gives us the freedom to experiment, to try, to be vulnerable, and to learn without attaching our worth to the outcome.”  

Joe Moore interviews Dee Dee Goldpaugh, LCSW about their new book Embrace Pleasure: How Psychedelics Can Heal Our Sexuality. The discussion covers the book’s reception, critiques of over-medicalization, personal healing experiences, definitions of erotic energy and pleasure, historical repression of substances, and contemporary ethical concerns. Key topics Conversion therapy: historical use of psychedelics in conversion practices, risks today, and need for professional consensus to ban psychedelic-assisted conversion therapy. Motivation: reaction to dominance of the clinical/medical model in psychedelics. Author background: clinical social worker, ketamine-assisted therapy provider, sexual abuse survivor, early psychedelic integration work. Personal healing: ayahuasca and San Pedro (Wachuma) experiences leading to embodied healing and pleasure. Concepts defined: erotic energy as life force; distinction between healing pleasure and leisure. Political framing: pleasure as anti-capitalist resistance; sustaining community and activism. Links https://www.deedeegoldpaugh.com Embrace Pleasure: How Psychedelics Can Heal Our Sexuality

From the Rave Scene to Psychedelic Therapy In this episode, Kyle Buller speaks with Matt Xavier, DJ, therapist, and author. The conversation took place live at Psychedelic Science. Matt recalls his early years in the rave culture of 1990s New York. He ran record labels, hosted psychedelic trance events, and lived through the intensity of that scene. Why Music Is Medicine Matt believes music should be treated as medicine. He explains how playlists can align with the stages of a psychedelic journey—onset, climb, peak, and descent. He encourages people to listen with intention and to categorize tracks by emotion, energy, and therapeutic impact. Psychedelic Soundtracking Instead of relying only on fixed playlists, Matt performs live mixing during sessions. This method keeps him fully engaged and responsive. He calls the approach “psychedelic soundtracking.” In his view, the guide becomes a tuning fork, adjusting the soundscape to match the client’s process. Key Themes in the Conversation The evolution from rave DJ to therapist and author How music amplifies psychedelics, and why it matters Matching music with each stage of a journey Differences between psilocybin, MDMA, and ketamine work The value of silence, long-form tracks, and harmonic mixing Why buying music supports artists and protects creativity from AI Practical tips for building playlists and rediscovering a love of listening Supporting Artists and Building Community Matt highlights the artists who inspire his work, from ambient pioneers to contemporary sound designers. He urges practitioners to support independent musicians by purchasing their music. In his words, keeping human creativity alive is essential for meaningful psychedelic work. Writing, Mixing, and the Future Matt also discusses his new book and the curated four-hour DJ protocol mix he designed for therapy sessions. He explains how this project grew into a collaborative effort and why writing became a spiritual journey for him. Looking ahead, he hopes to create a training program for others interested in weaving music into psychedelic practice. 🎶 Whether you are a therapist, a DJ, or simply a music lover, this episode shows how sound can transform the psychedelic experience.

In this episode, Joe Moore sits down with Dr. Case Newsom, an emergency room physician in Denver and Medical Director for both Zendo Project and Stadium Medical. They explore how psychedelic harm reduction is merging with event medicine at concerts, festivals, and large-scale gatherings. Dr. Newsom shares his path from osteopathic medical training to bridging emergency medicine with psychedelic peer support. He explains how the Zendo Project has expanded beyond Burning Man, and why collaboration with medical teams matters. The discussion highlights new triage protocols, cultural shifts in Colorado, and the legal challenges that still stand in the way of safer events. Topics Covered The role of the Zendo Project: Peer support, harm reduction, and creating grounded spaces in chaotic environments. Stadium Medical’s model: Covering Denver’s biggest venues and connecting emergency care with psychedelic peer support. Developing medical triage protocols: A simple system that reduces unnecessary ER transports while ensuring sitter and guest safety. Colorado as a hub: Why Denver and Red Rocks are central to psychedelic culture and harm reduction innovation. Legal and regulatory challenges: The impact of the RAVE Act and limits on drug checking services. Research and data collection: Building stronger studies to show venues and first responders the value of harm reduction. Future concerns: Ibogaine’s cardiotoxic risks, the rise of AI-designed drugs, and why medical involvement is urgent. Ketamine in the ER: How ketamine provides pain relief and can create meaningful patient experiences when used with care.

In this episode, Joe Moore is joined by Kat Murti, Executive Director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), the largest youth-led network working to end the war on drugs. SSDP organizes at the campus, local, state, federal, and international levels, with more than 100 chapters across the U.S. and sister organizations worldwide. Kat shares her personal journey into drug policy reform, from witnessing DEA raids on AIDS patients in the 1990s to fighting for civil liberties as a student at UC Berkeley. She explains how SSDP empowers young people to challenge outdated laws and promote policies rooted in compassion, scientific evidence, and human rights. Topics Discussed The War on Drugs as a War on Us: Kat’s early realizations about the drug war’s racism, injustice, and destruction of civil liberties. Her Path to SSDP: From working on California’s Prop 19 cannabis campaign to serving on SSDP’s board and eventually becoming Executive Director. Meta Censorship Campaign: Why Meta’s restrictions on drug education and harm reduction content harm communities, and how SSDP is organizing public pressure to protect freedom of information online. Forced Institutionalization & Executive Orders: Kat critiques recent federal moves to expand forced treatment, cuts to naloxone training programs, and the misguided use of tariffs as “solutions” to the overdose crisis. The Fight Against DEA Scheduling of DOI & DOC: Why these research chemicals are vital to neuroscience and medicine, how SSDP challenged the DEA in court, and what’s at stake for future research. Illogical Drug Policy & Careerism: How prohibition persists due to political incentives, propaganda, and entrenched bureaucratic interests. Building a Better Future: Realigning incentive structures, embracing harm reduction, and supporting community-based solutions to drug use. Key Takeaways The war on drugs is deeply racist, anti-science, and erodes civil liberties. Meta’s censorship of harm reduction information actively endangers lives. Forced treatment doesn’t work—addressing social conditions and providing safe housing does. DOI and DOC, rarely if ever used recreationally, are critical to medical research, and scheduling them would halt decades of progress. Real reform means both ending prohibition and creating environments where people feel supported, connected, and empowered. Links & Resources Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP): ssdp.org Kat Murti on Twitter/X: @KatMurti Kat Murti on Instagram: @KittyRevolution SSDP Petition against Meta Censorship: ssdp.org

Mareesa Stertz and Tania Abdul, the visionaries behind the ambitious Sphinx Gate project for Burning Man 2025, delve into how art and play can fuel personal and collective transformation. They share insights on the mythical inspiration from The NeverEnding Story and the evolving experience of self-discovery through immersive installations. The duo discusses the importance of community co-creation, emotional exploration, and envisioning future traveling art that fosters joy and integration, making the Sphinx Gate a transformative journey for all.

Chad Charles, an educator and practitioner with nearly a decade of experience in 5-MeO-DMT therapy, shares his expertise on integrating this powerful substance into therapeutic settings. He emphasizes the need for thorough practitioner training and the importance of personalized therapeutic alliances. Chad discusses the ethical complexities around dosing, informed consent, and the significance of a trauma-informed approach. Additionally, he introduces his upcoming research project analyzing over 500 sessions to uncover best practices and enhance harm reduction in the psychedelic space.

In a deep dive into psychedelic research, Alan Davis, an Associate Professor at Ohio State University, discusses the evolving potential of Ibogaine, focusing on its therapeutic benefits for substance use disorders. He highlights the groundbreaking Iboga Patient Survey, emphasizing the necessity of rigorous, real-world safety data. Alan also tackles the challenges of clinical trials, the interplay between ethical practices and corporate interests, and the specific needs of veterans facing trauma. Their conversation is both informative and thought-provoking, shedding light on the future of psychedelic medicine.