Psychedelics Today

In this episode, Joe and Kyle interview William Richards, STM, Ph.D.: senior advisor at Sunstone Therapies, psychologist at the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, contributor to Vital, and author of Sacred Knowledge: Psychedelics & Religious Experiences. He talks about the first time he experienced psilocybin in a research study in 1963, his early studies on the psychology of religion, working with Abraham Maslow, how he became one of the early psychedelic therapists, and what it was like for all of that to disappear when Nixon came into office and shut everything down. He discusses his move into psychedelics and end-of-life care after seeing patients’ fear of death completely disappear, and contemplates whether psychedelics could help people prepare for death – how would we live if we no longer feared death? He also discusses: How the integration of psychedelics into palliative care should be a huge step in cultural acceptance How psychedelics could be used for education and boosting creativity, problem solving, and even new perspectives on history and classic works The study of comparative religion and the potential for psychedelics to find the connections and commonality between seemingly disparate religions The impact of psychedelic experiences on the perception of the sacred How fascinating it is that the same substance, dose, and set and setting can create such incredibly different experiences and more! For links, head to the show notes page. 

Shahar Amit, psytrance musician, discusses creating a modular album for psychedelic exploration. Topics include music for non-ordinary states, 'choose your own adventure' framework, DMT trials, flow of the album, music as a catalyst, and exploration of consciousness. He also talks about the impact of music on enhancing the psychedelic journey, festival experiences, and genre diversity. Amit challenges Big Bang theory, discusses consciousness as reality's foundation, and explores music's emotional impact on perceptions.

Former Navy Seal Tommy Aceto discusses the toll of military programming on chronic pain, depression, and addiction. Vets finding healing through psychedelics to rewire their brains and process pain. The similarities between soldiers and high performers in dealing with chronic pain. The importance of sharing healing stories for veterans. Exploring challenges in alternative treatment research and advocacy for psychedelic science in healing veterans.

Psychedelic educators Kyle and Johanna share insights on the importance of education in the field, the need for interdisciplinary knowledge, and finding your unique contribution. They discuss the value of personal experiences, the evolving landscape of psychedelic education, and advice for those entering the field. The conversation highlights the transformational power of psychedelics and the upcoming training programs available.

Philip Wolf, a cannabis industry figure, discusses decolonization in psychedelics. He highlights the importance of difficult conversations, asking questions, and changing consumer mindsets. Wolf also touches on merging spirituality and science, engaging with Indigenous tribes, and challenging the current regulatory focus on profit.

Lenny Gibson, Ph.D., shares insights on LSD experiences and the importance of philosophy in understanding psychedelics. Topics include the value of non-ordinary states, Albert Hofmann's discovery on Bicycle Day, the shift from Cartesian to quantum thinking, and the need for a holistic approach to reality. The discussion touches on the philosophical teachings of Plato and Whitehead, the novelty of LSD creation, and the influence of William James and John Dewey on education and philosophical thought.

In this episode, Joe interviews Joey Lichter, Ph.D.: professor in the Chemistry & Biochemistry department at Miami’s Florida International University, and one of the few professors in the U.S. teaching a course about psychedelics at the collegiate level. He talks about his path towards the course, the challenge of creating a curriculum that covers everything in a few months, and the importance of teaching young minds about psychedelics the right away; shifting drug education from the “Just say no!” D.A.R.E. model to a more balanced, honest, and evidence-based approach. He aims for his students to think critically, ignore the hype, and see all possible angles with a fairly simple approach: Present the full story. He discusses: The importance of teaching history, from Stan Grof to MKUltra The work of David Nichols, David Nutt’s drug harm scale, and the greatest lesson William Leonard Pickard took from LSD The representation of Spravato as a new drug, and his concerns with the over-medicalization of psychedelics Teaching about the complexities of Timothy Leary: Was he a positive or negative force? Decriminalization, legalization, and how he gets students to think about drug policy and more! For links and more, head to the show notes page. 

Devon Phillips from MAPS discusses mainstreaming psychedelics, harm reduction at festivals, training influencers as resources, NFL's collaboration with MAPS, upcoming initiatives like Psychedelic Science 2025, and the power of using psychedelics for pleasure and celebration. He emphasizes inclusive drug policy and safe containers for healing.

In this episode, Joe interviews Keeper Trout: archivist, author, photographer, co-founder of the Cactus Conservation Institute, and creator of Trout’s Notes, a website compiling personal research and collected data to help ethnobotanical researchers. From an interest in cactus taxonomy, Sasha Shulgin urged Trout to go through his files, resulting in a friendship, and eventually, an 8-year project of digitizing all of these files into the ever-evolving Shulgin Archive. Trout discusses: His relationship with Sasha and The Shulgin Farm project, which aims to make the farm a community resource for therapy, research, events, and more The messiness of cactus taxonomy, and how he believes we’re nearing the end of being able to properly identify cacti The perception of LSD as unnatural and why the natural vs. synthetic argument is largely political Why repealing the Controlled Substances Act is the path we should take over decriminalization or legalization and more! For links and more, head to the show notes page. 

In this episode, Alexa interviews April Pride: creative entrepreneur, veteran of the cannabis space, and now, founder of SetSet, an educational platform and podcast (picking up where The High Guide left off) for women curious about psychedelics. With Alexa about to embark on the journey of motherhood, she asks many of the questions parents working with psychedelics have to consider: How do you overcome the stigmas of being a psychedelic parent? How do you talk to your children about drugs? How do you know if a substance is ok to use during pregnancy? Pride discusses: Being dubbed “the weed mom” and why she embraced the nickname Parenting children around drug use and how parents lose credibility when they lie (the kids are going to know) The need for more research into how substances interact with women’s cycles and changing hormones Knowing when to trust your doctor and how more conversations lead to more knowledgeable doctors Microdosing psilocybin and the developing SetSet protocol and more! For links and more, head to the show notes page.