Psychedelics Today

Download It is the start of a New Year. People are saying 2016 has been pretty horrible, but 2016 has been pretty decent in regards to psychedelic science and research. We are hoping that 2017 will be a fruitful year as well. In this episode Kyle and Joe run through the year in review -- thoughts about the podcast and project as well as recap just a few of the psychedelic highlights of 2016. Kyle and Joe also talk about a Psychedelic Self Care and Integration course being offered for a short period of time, Psychedelic mentor-ship, speculations and visions for 2017, and much more! There was some discussion towards the end about rites of passage and human development. Kyle mentions writing a paper about this topic. You can check part of the paper out below the "Links" section. 2016 Psychedelic Highlights LSD & The Brain Imaging the Brain on LSD Was the Most Important Experiment of 2016 Neural correlates of the LSD experience revealed by multimodal neuroimaging The brain on LSD revealed: first scans s

Download Natalie Ginsberg - MAPS Policy and Advocacy Manager In this discussion, Natalie shares her insights surrounding U.S. and international policy around drugs. We talk about The opiate and opioid crisis Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna Ibogaine to help combat the crisis U.S. and International Drug Policy United Nations - The Commission on Narcotic Drugs -  Special Session on the World Drug Problem Ways to get involved in advocacy ICEERS - The International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research & Service Titrated doses of Ibogane instead of larger bolus doses Ayahuasca Defense Fund MDMA-assisted psychotherapy The Trump Administration and what does it mean for scientific and academic research We understand that this episode had a bit of static/noise. We believe that it was due to technology difficulties. We have attached a transcript of the conversation below. Enjoy! Click here to download the episode transcript: Natalie Ginsberg Transcript Bio: Natalie earned her Master's in Soc

Download In this episode, Joe and Kyle talk with Emma Bragdon, Founder/Director of Integrative Mental Health for You. The mission of IMHU is, "To facilitate improvements in mental healthcare and encourage psycho-spiritual growth in individuals around the world." During the conversation, Emma shares her experiences of working with people in spiritual emergence processes and defines what a spiritual emergency is. We also talk about the importance of integrating this language into mainstream professional fields. The topic of spiritual emergencies is very relevant to psychedelics considering psychedelics can sometimes be a catalyst for a spiritual emergence process. We are very grateful and thankful for Emma's wisdom and hope that you enjoy it as well! Topic Highlights: Early uses of MDMA and psychotherapy Stanislav and Christina Grof's Spiritual Emergence Network  Breathwork and other spiritual technologies Working with extreme states and non-ordinary states of consciousness Loren Mosher's Soteria House A Sys

Download In this episode, Joe and Kyle chat with Daniel McQueen of Medicinal Mindfulness , which "is a grassroots consciousness organization supporting individuals and communities who choose to use psychedelics and cannabis with intention.  In addition, we create opportunities for legal, accessible, safe and sacred psychedelic journey experiences using breathwork practices, the skillful use of cannabis sativa and through sponsoring psychedelic events in lawful settings." We talk about: Healing power of cannabis Conscious Cannabis Circles Spiritual effects of cannabis Breathwork Tranpsersonal Psychology Psychedelic Shine  Integration and self-care   Be sure to check out Medicinal Mindfulness's Psychedelic Shine event featuring Dennis Mckenna. This event is all day on February 12th, 2017 at the Boulder Theater in downtown Boulder, Colorado.  Get your tickets today!     About Daniel:  Daniel earned a Masters Degree in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology from Naropa and received advanced training in MDMA-assist

Download It has been a big week for psychedelic research. Psilocybin and MDMA have made national headlines. The New York Times article, "F.D.A. Agrees to New Trials for Ecstasy as Relief for PTSD Patients," highlights the recent win for MAPS in regards to their MDMA-assisted psychotherapy research. The FDA has given MAPS the green light to pursue phase 3 research for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder. The New York Times also highlights the recent publications of psilocybin research in the article, "A Dose of a Hallucinogen from a 'Magic Mushroom,' and Then Lasting Peace." Psilocybin has been being researched by various institutions, including NYU and John Hopkins, for its potential therapeutic benefit to combat end-of-life anxiety due to terminal illness and cancer. The study results are fascinating: At the 6.5-month follow-up, psilocybin was associated with enduring anxiolytic and anti-depressant effects (approximately 60–80% of participants continued with clinically signifi

  Download Joe and Kyle talk to Shannon Clare Petitt about the current state of MDMA research and what MAPS needs to do in the next number of months with the FDA as the phase three trials become approved. A few days after the interview the New York Times reported that the phase three research was approved. Shannon's story is great and optimistic. If you are interested in how to get a job in the psychedelic field, this is certainly an episode you'll want to listen to. We also discuss some possible tweaks to the studies that could be done that may yield interesting results, and also why MAPS is taking the approach that they are (its the most straightforward way to push the research through the FDA).   Here is Shannon's bio from the MAPS staff page. Shannon Clare Petitt, M.A., MFTI, Therapist Training Program Coordinator and Zendo Project Community Engagement Coordinator Shannon received her Master’s in Integral Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies in 2014, with a practic

Download Faan was a great guest. He is currently working on a cannabis startup in Montréal, Québec, Canada named Indeeva Biomedical. Joe previously interviewed Faan for his permaulture podcast Permaculture Salad to talk about how shamanism, ayahuasca and permaculture go together in a complementary way (link). At the time of that interview Faan was living on a permaculture/ayahuasca retreat center in Peru named the Paititi Institute. Faan now lives in Montréal and has studied at McGill University where he studied cubic farming methods, which is one of many ways to decrease the total carbon output of agriculture. [caption id="attachment_317" align="alignright" width="255"] Photo via Backcountry Cannabis[/caption] I hope you find his insights as interesting as we did. Feel free to reach out with any questions through our contact page or reach out to Faan via LinkedIn or Twitter - links below. In this interview we speak at length about number of subjects including: Cannabis CBDs Opiates Fentanyl Addiction

Download Kyle recently had the great opportunity to attend one module of the MAPS MDMA Therapy sessions. In this episode we talk about the experience at the workshop and about some other valuable topics as well. Let us know what you think, and please leave a review on iTunes! Details on Phase Three studies for MDMA therapy Oceanic\Manic symptoms vs "real" mania Patients expressing religious material showing up in sessions Measurement tools (CAP Score) Similarities between this MAPS method and the Grof model MDMA taking down the fear response and allowing patients to access difficult material Watching hours of video as a training method for MDMA psychotherapy Timelines for legalization How to apply the scientific method to the music used in MDMA therapy How to get ready for the legalization for MDMA therapy    

In this episode Kyle and Joe speak about the recent interview they recorded with Dimitri Muganis. There were some relatively important points in the interview that needed further discussion and expansion and in this podcast we unravel some of the material. There is plenty more to unpack there. Some of what is discussed in this episode includes. Race Class Research and Treatment When should one take priority Democratization of the medicines Privilege Paying for people to participate in research The white upper middle class bias in the research The bias in research towards veterans Overall there are loads of things that we discussed, and in short the real message here is that we all need to keep moving forward. There is plenty of room for growth in the field for all of us to move our agendas forward. With endless amounts of research left to be run, we can still treat people. I'm not sure we are going to see Psychedelic medicines be used in the next 1-2 years in major hospitals outside of research, but we

Download Tom Shroder Joe and Kyle talk about Tom's great book titled "Acid Test: LSD, Ecstasy, and the Power to Heal". Tom is an editor, and author of a number of books as well as the former editor of the Washington Post. Interviewing Tom was real fun and we appreciate him joining us for the show. We get into some great topics including Tom's interesting connection to Rick Doblin The history of Rick's rise to influence The story of the Mithoefers transitioning from emergency medicine and sailing to Holotropic Breathwork and MDMA research The book and this interview also follow the story of a US Marine who came home with treatment resistant PTSD and was then treated by the Mithoefers with MDMA as part of their research. The book is amazing and well worth your time if you want to get familiarized with the hopes and history of psychedelic research. Links Tom giving a talk in Berkley covered by CSAPN Tom Shroder Wiki Acid Test on Amazon https://vimeo.com/109338542 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06l2FT9cLBs

Download Neal M. Goldsmith, Ph.D. is a psychotherapist specializing in psychospiritual development. He is a popular speaker on drug policy reform, spiritual maturation, and the emergence of an integral society (a six-minute clip of his talk on the “Fusion of Spirit and Science” may be found at: http://vimeo.com/7517009) and an author, most recently of Psychedelic Healing: The Promise of Entheogens for Psychotherapy and Spiritual Development. Dr. Goldsmith has curated dozens of successful conferences and cross-disciplinary “meetings of minds” for corporations as well as the psychedelic community, including the Horizons and MAPS Psychedelic Science conferences. He is a founder of several discussion salons on integral philosophy, governance, media, postmodern science, healing, and the future of society. Trained in humanistic, transpersonal, and eastern traditions, Dr. Goldsmith maintains a (non-psychedelic) psychotherapy practice in New York and Sag Harbor, NY, and may be reached via his Web site: http://www.n

Download In this episode we speak with Dimitri about a ton of interesting subjects including: Iboga Addiction Bwiti Dana Beal Structural Criticism Problems with giving psychedelics to the current medical system Psychedelic Anarchy Non-hierarchical organizing - making the group the parent instead of making a person the parent Peer programs Alexandre Tannous Century of Self documentary "Be hurt, forgive and organize" Blessings of the Forest - Give back to Gabon Links Dimitri's site Instagram Facebook

Download Featuring Brian Normand, Co-Founder of Psymposia. Bio from Psymposia's site.  Brian Normand is Co-Founder of Psymposia, greenthumb, and occasional trouble maker, focused on creating spaces and projects to teach people about plants and drugs. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a BS in Plant, Soil, Insect Science, & Sustainable Horticulture, Magna Cum Laude. He lives in Baltimore. In this interview, we discuss a lot, but here are some highlights. Brian's introduction to psychedelic art. Music and plants informing Brian's interest. The genesis of Psymposia at a more academic conference. The stuffiness of the academic world and it not being suitable for everyone. Yet how important the academic work in top schools is. Rick Doblin, David Nichols, Mithoffers and Grifiths and Dennis McKenna are individuals who prove how important it is to have top academic credentials. The Psymposia Afterparty at this years Horizons: Perspective on Psychedelics Conference This yea

Download In this episode we talk about the following: Katherine's path to becoming involved in psychedelic research Bias in Research Mental state required to be a researcher Impact to worldview after Privilege Harm reduction Paying participants involved with psychedelic research Future best uses of psychedelics Medicalization of birth and death Taking away human life from humans and giving that power to institutions Katherine's work with Ingmar Gorman at the Center for Optimal Living Integration circles Happyacres.farm https://vimeo.com/109990665 Bio via Psymposia - Katherine MacLean is an academically trained research scientist and meditation practitioner with a long-standing interest in the brain, consciousness and the science of well-being. As a graduate student at the University of California, Davis, Katherine was supported by a prestigious National Science Foundation research fellowship to study the effects of intensive meditation training on concentration, emotional well-being and brain function. As a

Download In this episode we talk to Ingmar about some great topics that included. Harm Reduction Psychedelic Science 2017 Upcoming Zendo Training in NYC Czech Psychedelic Medical History MAPS MDMA Psychotherapy Video Archive Group work to help support Processing Ingmar Gorman, M.A. is a currently unlicensed doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at the New School for Social Research. His clinical work is supervised by licensed clinical psychologists at his training sites.  After receiving his B.A. in Psychology from the New College of Florida. Ingmar completed a pre-doctoral externship at Bellevue's Chemical Dependency Outpatient Program and Dual Diagnosis Inpatient Unit, where he obtained specialized training in treating people living with substance use disorders. He has also gained extensive experience treating severe mental illness at South Beach Psychiatric Hospital's Heights Hill Outpatient Clinic. Ingmar has trained in individual and group psychotherapy at Beth Israel Medical Center's Psychiatric

This episode features Joe Moore, co-host of Psychedelics today. Joe was a student at Plymouth State University in New Hampshire and is now working in the software industry as well as hosting a few podcasts and coordinating Transpersonal Breathwork workshops mostly in Breckenridge, Colorado. LINKS Dreamshadow - Holotropic Breathwork in Vermont CAPS PTSD scoring system VICE article on Tony Macie - MDMA\PTSD

Download Kyle and Joe speak with Jonathan Thompson about his podcast Psychedelic Parenting and the future of the Psychedelic Parenting organization.  Other topics that were covered include: Talking about psychedelics and substances with teenagers and children The Aftercare Project and psychedelic integration, and holding space. How to pass on the values of the psychedelic experience through spirituality, conscious living, social justice, free expression, and radical honesty. Children's books that describe marijuana. It's Just a Plant: http://www.justaplant.com/ Stinky Steve Explains Causal Cannabis: https://www.amazon.com/Stinky-Steve-Explains-Medical-Marijuana/dp/0615867049 The Religious Freedom Restoration Act and religious sacraments/medicine A video of the Ashland, Oregon Santo Daime Church: https://vimeo.com/6821805 Psychedelic summer camp, rites of passage, breathwork, and cacao ceremonies. "Psychedelic Summer Camp" presentation: http://prezi.com/yakuu3hyxzfo/?utm_campaign=share&utm_

Download Kyle and Joe speak with Raven Renee Ray about the Aftercare project. Here is a short description of the project from it's facebook site. The Aftercare Project is dedicated to the psychological and spiritual well-being of people reintegrating after challenging psychedelic experiences. The conversation is fun and wide ranging. We hope it is helpful and informative to academics, therapists, counselors and psychiatrists who are interacting with people coming back from difficult experiences. Here is a slightly longer description of the ACP. Given the fact that ayahuasca has shown promise in research studies, we feel we not only have the humane duty to help those in need, but also the responsibility to ensure the reputation of ayahuasca and her traditional stewards among decision-makers in our own culture. This will allow us to continue holding space for research to continue, while protecting traditional practices. Because of the colossal challenges inherent in navigating multicultural spaces and the lac

Download Lex, Kyle and Joe discuss MAPS, Psymposia, Ibogaine, Mushrooms, Ketamine, LSD, Cannabis, and loads more. Lex is working on a book related to the supremely complex neurochemistry of cannabis. "Whales, Cannabis and Neurochemistry" Lex -- http://www.lexpelger.com/ Aunt Zelda's Tea Farie Iboga Story https://www.erowid.org/columns/teafaerie/2014/12/18/hard-reset/ Dimitri -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvEv5trIdrg Nese -- http://www.psymposia.com/magazine/preview/nese-devenot-coming-out-of-the-psychedelic-closet Ketamine -- https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00088699 Bluebird Botanticals -- https://www.bluebird-botanicals.com/  

Download In this episode of Psychedelics Today, Joe interviews the co-host of the show, Kyle Buller.  As hosts of the show, we thought that it would be fun to dig a little deeper into our own personal narratives to give our listeners an idea of who we are.  This episode offers the opportunity for Kyle to share his story about how he became interested in psychedelics and other non-ordinary states of consciousness. From Kyle of Psychedelics Today I became interested in non-ordinary states of consciousness at an young age.  One event that sparked my interest in these topics stems from suffering a near-death experience when I was teenager.  This experience changed the trajectory of my life and also left me with asking myself many questions about life and death. Tune into this episode as Joe asks me about my history with non-ordinary states of consciousness, the development of a psychedelic course at Burlington College, my interest in Holotropic Breathwork, and much more. Thanks for listening!