Psychedelics Today

In this episode of Psychedelics Today, Joe Moore sits down with South African ethnobotanist and healer Jean-François Sobiecki to explore the rich and largely underrecognized world of African psychoactive plants. With over two decades of fieldwork and research, Jean-François sheds light on the traditional use of these plants in healing, divination, and spiritual practices across Southern Africa. Topics covered include: Jean-François’s early inspirations and the ancestral roots of his herbal knowledge His discovery and documentation of 306 African psychoactive plant species The ritual use of Ubuwalu (dream-enhancing emetic infusions) and their role in personal transformation How vomiting, dietary restrictions, and sensory isolation are used as part of initiation processes Cross-cultural parallels between Southern African and Amazonian plant healing traditions The underexplored use of psychoactive plants to treat mental health conditions like schizophrenia and hysteria Ethical fieldwork, indigenous k