In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, David interviews Deanna Rogers: Registered Clinical Counselor and Vital instructor. She discusses how trauma grows in our bodies, and the importance of practitioners and facilitators becoming trauma-informed before working with clients. She stresses the need to create the right conditions for clients to be able to work with trauma – to bring compassion to the different parts of their self and build a relationship with the uncomfortable ones, to interrupt negative narratives, and to learn how to exist in a place where they can embrace their window of tolerance and explore discomfort in a safe way. What is the specific container and pace each client needs? How flexible is their nervous system to be able to work with these states? What can be done to bring out the empathetic witness in themselves? And most importantly, how can their sense of agency be improved so that they feel like they’re fully in control of how deep things go? She discusses: Her early ayahuasca experiences, and her path toward working with others, including working with Gabor Maté and Peter Levine How psychedelics allow us to access our irrational, animal parts, and how this work is often a combination of sacred and messy The need for facilitators to have a basic understanding of the nervous system and fight or flight reactions Moving away from the idea of: “There’s something wrong with me.” What do these chronic narratives do to our bodies? Working with clients to build out the capacity of their nervous system first, before working with any trauma and more! Rogers is one of our Vital instructors, featured in one of Vital 4’s new Specializations: Somatics & Trauma. This cohort begins on September 17, and the application deadline is next week, September 3, so apply today before it’s too late! For links, head to the show notes page.

In this episode, Joe interviews Jean Lacy: Executive Director of the Illinois Psychedelic Society; and La Shawn K. Ford: 17-year member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 8th District. Together, they are working on the CURE (Compassionate Use and Research of Entheogens) Act, which aims to decriminalize plant medicines and bring a state-regulated model for psychedelic use to Illinois. Similar to Oregon's model, but with hopefully a more cohesive ecosystem, it would include service centers, different license types, the removal of psilocybin and psilocin from the controlled substances list, and a percentage of taxes allocated to education of first responders and law enforcement. Guided by the mistakes of cannabis legalization, they're putting a lot of focus on accessibility – not just for consumers, but for people trying to get licenses and open businesses. What does equity and inclusion look like in a psychedelic service model? They discuss:  The need to educate lawmakers about psychedelics and shine a light on the myths and lies of the Drug War  The importance of understanding the process and doing the work when working with lawmakers: When it's done right, democracy can actually happen Why conversations about accessibility and certain provisions need to happen up front, as bills are being written The impact of bipartisan support, and how bipartisan psychedelics are starting to become The overwhelming support for the CURE Act that Rep. Ford has seen, from people of all walks of life and more! If you want to help, please sign their petition and/or make a donation. And if you want to help on a larger scale, get out there and have those conversations: Tell your story, and tell it to lawmakers. Your voice can make a bigger difference than you realize.  For links, head to the show notes page. 

In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, David interviews Rachelle Sampson, Ph.D.: researcher and founder of Blue Prism Coaching; and Bennet Zelner, Ph.D.: researcher, speaker, and creator of the Pollination Approach. They are both Vital instructors and Associate Professors at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland. Based on a passion for regenerative economics (how we might be able to apply patterns of nature to socioeconomic systems), they are co-leading the Connected Leadership Study, a research project tracking how psychedelic experiences can facilitate change in people in leadership positions. They believe that a shift from a mechanistic attunement to a more synergistic recognition of our interconnectedness should lead to new ways of thinking, resulting in more creative leaders with better decision-making and team-building skills, and corporate culture caring more about values, regenerative models, equity, and sustainability – all while still being successful. They wonder: Can psychedelic experiences create better leaders? Can capitalism become more conscious? They discuss: The structure of the study, what they learned in the first cohort, and why they track participants for a yea How change happens over time, and why they believe it to needs to happen from the bottom u The concept of emergence and emergent change illustrated by the shifts in movement of a flock of bird How synergistic attunement can be traced back to the cellular level The challenge of balancing the therapeutic aspect of psychedelics with the more corporate strategy/professional side and more! The study’s next cohort begins in October, so if you’re a business leader interested in being a participant, head to Leaders.study for more info. And if you’d like to learn more about these concepts, the new Regenerative Business and Leadership specialization path in this year’s cohort of Vital digs deep into this world. And we’ve just extended the applications to Sept. 2, so you still have time to apply! For links, head to the show notes page.

As the psychedelic renaissance continues to spread throughout the West, we learn more about these substances and experiences every day. But are we losing the important ancestral teachings and Indigenous knowledge that got us here? In this episode, Kyle interviews Alonso Del Río: author, musician, filmmaker, founder of the Center for Healing and Consciousness Studies (Ayahuasca Ayllu), and facilitator with 45 years of experience largely under the framework of the Shipibo tradition. Together with translator, Francisco Rivarola, they have developed a course called “Ancestral Teachings for the Psychedelic Renaissance,” which aims to be both an honoring of knowledge that has safeguarded these traditions, and a bridge between that wisdom and our Western frameworks, teaching ancestral traditions (largely Shipibo and Incan-Peruvian), the roles and function of dietas, the less talked-about dangers of brujeria (witchcraft), holistic frameworks for dealing with mystical experiences, and the connection between spirituality and responsibility towards nature. The course features 20 hours of Del Río’s teachings (with subtitles) and is the first time they’ve been made available to the general public. He talks about: The importance of following guidelines when working with ayahuasca, and how Westerners often don’t respect the rigor required to do it right The different types of healers in the Shipibo tradition, from good and bad to the “Ascended Master,” who transcends physical limits and is incapable of causing harm The potential for ayahuasca to be weaponized, how often this happens, and the risks for Westerners who aren’t aware How the consciousness level of a person can be related to the emotions that that person allows themselves to have How the expansion of consciousness is healing in itself and more! Ancestral Teachings for the Psychedelic Renaissance is a self-paced course that can be taken at any time, so if you’re interested, take advantage of early bird pricing and check it out in the Psychedelic Education Center now! For links, head to the show notes page.

In this engaging discussion, Kate Amy, a clinically-trained psychologist and 'The Kinki Buddhist', explores the intersection of psychedelics and Buddhism. She emphasizes the importance of understanding one’s motivations for psychedelic experiences and the necessity of integration afterward. Kate discusses shadow work and the continuous self-discovery it entails, urging a positive self-relationship before trips. She also shares insights on embracing life’s 'kinks', blending Buddhist philosophy with personal growth and sexuality in the therapeutic journey.

Dr. Jerry Rosenbaum, a founding director and author in psychedelic research, teams up with Sharmin Ghaznavi, MD, Ph.D., a psychiatric expert in cognitive neuroscience. They delve into the fascinating relationship between rumination and the default mode network. Discussing how psychedelics like psilocybin can help disrupt negative thought patterns, they highlight groundbreaking neuroimaging techniques, including hyperscanning, to strengthen the therapist-patient bond. Their insights explore the evolving therapeutic landscape and the potential of psychedelics in treating mental health challenges.

Tiffany Hurd, a microdosing coach and former corporate healthcare professional, shares her inspiring journey of transforming leadership through psychedelics. She discusses how microdosing psilocybin changed her life, enabling a shift from antidepressants to deeper personal fulfillment. Tiffany emphasizes the importance of mentorship in microdosing practices and the tangible benefits it brings to workplace dynamics and mental health. She also addresses the legal complexities of integrating psychedelics into corporate culture, advocating for a more heart-centered approach to leadership.

The path of the psychedelic renaissance has largely touched on the aspects of therapy, personal growth, and initiation rites, but now, the relationship between psychedelics and creativity is being studied more and more. Can psychedelics really increase intellect, novelty, and problem solving? In this episode, Joe interviews Dr. Bruce Damer: astrobiologist with a long history of work at NASA, and now the president and co-founder of the Center for MINDS, a new nonprofit researching the best ways to improve creativity and problem solving. He talks about how we’re losing our best creative minds to hyper-specialization, and while there is lots of research pointing to psychedelics as creativity-enhancers, we need to develop frameworks and protocols to be able to measure exactly how that works, and the best ways to encourage better results. The Center for MINDS is sponsoring research while running its own three year project studying creativity in a naturalistic setting, and aims to answer: How do we unlock more genius? What’s the main driver for novel thinking? He discusses: His path to psychedelics, including his time with ‘endo-tripping’: training his mind to trip without any external substances The importance of adding ‘set up’ to set and setting, representing one’s intentions and preparatory work up until that point The tale of his extraordinary ayahuasca experience where he journeyed together with Mama Ayahuasca all the way to the beginning of life on earth His theory on the real origin of life, and why the ‘survival of the fittest’ framework shouldn’t be our North Star The absolute necessity of mentorship from elders and more! The steps the Center for MINDS will take in studying psychedelics and creativity will largely be steered by people’s personal stories, so please share yours with them by filling out their survey. What has worked for you? What is your personal protocol? For links, head to the show notes page. 

Jungian psychology takes a fascinating look at the relationship between the conscious and unconscious parts of our minds. How is this framework brought more to the forefront through psychedelics and an understanding of our many parts? In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, Johanna interviews Jung experts and Vital instructors: Maria Papaspyrou, psychotherapist and co-founder and director of the Institute of Psychedelic Therapy (IPT); and Dr. Ido Cohen, clinical psychologist and founder of The Integration Circle. They talk about the experiences that helped them first understand the concept of multiple different parts making up their being, and dive into what it is about psychedelics that allows us to discover and work with these different parts: how the protector parts of our psyche work overtime to keep parts away from us, and how psychedelics can dissolve them, leading to a better understanding of ourselves. How much of our persona is based on who we feel we’re supposed to be? What shadow parts are stopping us from being our true selves? And what amazing parts of ourselves have yet to be discovered? They discuss: The idea of self as a unified entity: Does this concept make sense anymore? Risks in understanding how different parts work together, from justifying behaviors to inflating defensive structures The need to move away from solution-based to more process-focused frameworks, and the power in treating healing and growth as an ongoing process The rejection of the shadow and the archetypal (and impossible) wish to extinguish all suffering The large discrepancy between what people think being a psychedelic facilitator is vs. the reality and more! If you really want to dig into Jungian ideas, Jungian psychology is one of the new specialization tracks featured in the next cohort of Vital, beginning September 16. If you want to know more, send us an email or attend one of the next Vital Q+As. For links, head to the show notes page. 

Jasper Degenaars, a mycologist and educator at Fungi Academy, shares his fascinating journey into the world of mushrooms. He emphasizes the critical role fungi play in ecosystems and human experiences. Discussions include the importance of holistic understanding over reductionist views, and the impact of psilocybin on consciousness and evolution. Jasper also explores the blending of Indigenous practices with modern approaches in mushroom therapy and permaculture, highlighting the community's role in healing and sustainable living.