Podcasts

Philosopher, Scientist, Author and mystic, Dr. Tom Cheetham enters the mind meld.

Video episode 👈

Like nearly all of my favorite thinkers, Tom holds multiple kinds of wisdom. He has a rigorous academic background in philosophy and science. He even spent years as a biology and environmental studies professor. But, even with all of that technical expertise, Tom still thirsted for something more, something beyond the material. That something more arrived in the form of mythopoetic geniuses like author and psychologist, James Hillman, Carl Jung and, especially, philosopher and author Henry Corbin. The above wizarding triad led Tom to a decades-long on-going obsession with understanding the visionary, and the imaginal. The realm Corbin called the "mundus imaginalis."

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In this episode, Joe interviews Erica Rex, MA: award-winning journalist, past guest, thought leader on psychedelic medicine, and participant in one of the first clinical trials using psilocybin to treat cancer-related depression.

She tells the story of her recent harrowing experience, brought on by 6 times the amount of Syrian rue that was recommended: from entities threatening her, to a sense of terror she was going to die, to finding her way out of it with time, and most importantly, context to process and a strong support system. She and Joe emphasize the reality that bad trips can happen at any time, with any dose, for any reason, and that – if you can make your way through the experience without being traumatized – you can learn a lot about yourself during those states.

She discusses:

• Methods to help others having a bad experience
• Her skepticism about psychedelic therapy being in a medical context at all
• Her thoughts on the recent ICER recommendation against approving MDMA and the multiple topics not addressed
• Possible complications from MDMA use nobody talks about, from cytotoxic effects to even sudden-onset psychosis
• The pathologizing of anything outside the ordinary, to the point that we’re trying to suppress natural human emotions and reactions

and more!  For links, head to the show notes page.

Host Paul F. Austin welcomes JM Ryerson to discuss his journey from entrepreneurship to coaching and the profound impact of plant medicine on his life and leadership.

Find episode links, summary, and transcript here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-257-jm-ryerson/?ref=278

JM shares how ayahuasca fueled his spiritual awakening and connection to spirituality, emphasizing discernment in business and the power of a growth mindset. He also highlights the value of openness to new perspectives and the transformative role of psychedelics for leaders. Join us for insights on “upgrading your life,” leadership, and the significance of vulnerability.

JM Ryerson founded and sold 3 businesses and is now helping leadership teams do the same. He is a Leadership & Performance Coach, International Speaker, host of the Let’s Go Win podcast, and Best Selling Author of the books “Let's Go Win”, “Champion's Daily Playbook”, and “Upgrade”. JM has been building companies and leading sales teams for over 20 years. He is the co-founder and CEO of Let's Go Win whose mission is to increase leadership, enhance culture, and help teams achieve peak performance. JM’s great passions are inspiring people to live their best lives and become open to what life has in store for them. His ultimate goal is to give others the tools that will allow them to transcend their self-limiting beliefs. JM was raised in Montana and lives in Boca Raton, Florida with his wife Lisa and their two amazing boys.

Highlights: 

• The deeper meaning of ‘Let's Go Win’
• JM's journey into entrepreneurship
• The importance of discernment in business partnerships
• How JM’s recent ayahuasca journey impacted his life
• Tapping into spirituality, lineage, and new perspectives
• Transition into coaching
• Going beyond prescribed processes in coaching
• The value of aligning with coaching clients
• Sharing life lessons through writing books
• Final thoughts on psychedelics and leadership

Links:

• Let’s Go Win

Episode Sponsors:

• Soltara Healing Center: Use code TW200 to receive $200 off your next retreat.
• Neurohacker Collective: Use code THIRDWAVE for an additional 15% off Qualia Mind.
• Magnesium Breakthrough by BiOptimizers: Use code THIRDWAVE for 10% off any order

In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, Johanna interviews Monica Nieto: Vital graduate, psychedelic facilitator and integration coach, and founder of Holistic TherapeutiX, a retreat center offering cannabis and breathwork retreats; and Jordana Ma: past Vital instructor and psychological counselor who runs retreats in Peru following the Asháninkan tradition of traditional Amazonian medicine.

They discuss their similar paths to psychedelics and healing, the power of plant dietas and fully immersing yourself into nature, and learning to hear your true teacher: the inner healer. They highlight how we’ve lost the connection to the ecological consciousness within our bodies, and how the plants – perhaps in a self-serving way – have become allies, trying to teach us to heal the web we’re a part of and reconnect to nature and ourselves.

They discuss:

• The importance of combining traditional perspectives and Western psychotherapy into a spiritual practice
• The similarities between yoga and traditional Amazonian medicine
• Singing as a somatic (and breathwork) practice
• How things are meant to work in synergy, and the problem with science trying to extract compounds rather than respecting the power of the whole plant
• Their role models who have inspired them and informed their work

and more! The Vital Early Bird discount ($2000 off!) ends on July 22, so make sure to apply today! For links, head to the show notes page. 

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Professor, philosopher and best-selling author, Richard Tarnas Ph.D returns mind meld!

Video Episode 👈

Richard is the author of Passion of the Western Mind and Cosmos and Psyche. He served as program director at the iconic Esalen Institute for a decade where he rubbed shoulders with great minds like Joesph Campbell, Terence McKenna, Ram Dass, Alan Watts, James Hillman, Stan Grof, and many more. Tarnas has an encyclopedic knowledge of history, philosophy, and spiritual traditions.

In this one, we continue our conversation about the crucial role of Platonism, Jung, depth psychology and the romantics in sense-making. Grappling with the modern meaning crisis. Developing a felt sense of the sacred in everyday life. The importance of initiation and altered states. The need for archetypal fluency, synchronicity, and much more. 

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In this episode, David Nutt meets with Dr Duncan Still, a GP with significant interest in integrative medicine. He highlights the importance of adopting a holistic approach when providing support for patients and connecting traditional medicine with modern medicine as opposed to discounting it. Duncan explains how this holistic and integrative approach led to him becoming involved in psychedelic retreats and explains the process participants will undergo.

PsyEduUK

Acupuncture

Psilocybin

MDMA

Australia MDMA and psilocybin

Mind medicine Australia

Nature connectedness

James Hawkins

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In this episode of the Psychedelic Medicine Podcast, Mark Braunstein, DO joins to discuss the promise and the peril of ketamine. Dr. Braunstein graduated medical school in 1997 then completed a General Psychiatry Residency at the University of New Mexico and then a fellowship in Child and Adolescent psychiatry at Maine Medical Center in 2002. Upon graduation from his fellowship and becoming board certified in general psychiatry he established a private practice in Durango, Colorado where plant medicine became part of his everyday integrative psychiatric practice. 

In this conversation, Dr. Braunstein shares some of the developments in the world of ketamine in the past three years since his previous episode, drawing on his own experience providing ketamine-assisted therapies. He stresses issues of grandiosity that can arise both when working with ketamine and when taking the medicine—issues which in the worst case and fuel ketamine use disorders. Dr. Braunstein stresses the importance of clinicians providing ketamine treatments being realistic and upfront about the potential harms of ketamine when advising prospective patients. In closing, he warns against the dangers of being in an echo chamber which reinforces potentially pathological substance use, especially for clinicians in the ketamine space. 

In this episode you'll hear:

• Why ketamine has an addictive potential and how ketamine addiction presents

• Ways to treat ketamine use disorder 

• The importance of informed consent

• What patients should look for when seeking a ketamine provider

• The importance of ketamine providers working with multiple modalities and having multiple tools in the toolbox besides ketamine 

Quotes:

“Here’s what’s scary to me about ketamine: these people that I’ve seen having problems [with ketamine use] are largely lifetime recreational psychedelic/drug users without problems. And these are people who have made it to age fifty, smoking [cannabis], tripping a little bit, their whole life without having a problem—then at fifty years old, find themselves hooked on something for the first time.” [12:30]

“[Ketamine] is not a microdosing medication… There is no such thing as ketamine microdosing. You think of microdosing as sub-perceptual. Everyone that I’ve met that’s abusing ketamine, it was not a sub-perceptual effect—they were very much abusing it to have that perceived effect. Maybe not a psychedelic effect—usually an intoxicated wonky effect is what they’re going for. And people refer to that as microdosing. It’s not microdosing. It’s abusing small doses.” [17:11]

“What do I see that makes me concerned with someone I’m talking to—a clinician or a client? That grandiosity. So that gets me concerned right away when I hear about these ‘downloads’ because that’s where … other psychedelics can have dependency too. You see people … they go for aya ceremonies every week after week after week. So there can be an addiction to the download or to the release.” [34:35]

“The people I know that have been successful in this line of work (from a patient standpoint), whether they’re a clinician or not, have been the ones that have embraced the work. And just knowing that this is going to be a process and I’m in it to win it, for life. I’m working on myself.”  [35:40]

Links:

Dr. Braunstein on LinkedIn

Ketamine Research Foundation website

NeuPath Mind Wellness website 

Ketamine Training Center website

Previous episode: Ketamine for Alcohol Use Disorder with Steven Mandel, MD

Previous episode: Avoiding the Traps of Psychedelic Self-Absorption with Adam Aronovich, PhD(c)

Previous episode: Navigating Psychedelic Narcissism with Adam Aronovich

Previous episode: Psychedelic Therapy: Slow Down to Heal Faster with Sunny Strasburg, LMFT 

Psychedelic Medicine Association

Porangui

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, host Paul F. Austin welcomes back futurist and entrepreneur Zappy Zapolin, a guest from the early days of the show.

Find episode links, summary, and transcript here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-256-zappy-zapolin/?ref=278

Zappy discusses the urgent need for accessible natural plant medicines for mental health and addiction treatment, highlighting his experiences with ketamine and the innovative concept of 'ketitation' group katamine journeys. He shares insights on how ketamine enhances neural pathways and fosters empathy, and the potential of ibogaine for breaking addiction patterns. Join us for a transformative conversation on the future of mental health.

Zappy Zapolin is a futurist, entrepreneur, and award-winning filmmaker recognized for his expertise in psychedelic therapies. Playboy magazine dubbed him "The man who wants to change the world with psychedelics." He directed the documentaries “The Reality of Truth” and “Lamar Odom: Reborn”, and founded the Mind Army, which aims to legalize psychedelic medicines. Zappy began his career on Wall Street as the youngest vice president in the history of Bear Stearns and has consistently identified major trends, including internet domains” names, legal cannabis, and the psychedelic economy.

Highlights:

• Intro to Zappy and his mission with psychedelics
• Spreading awareness about iboga for treating addiction
• ‘Ketitation’ group ketamine journeys
• Understanding the addictive potential of ketamine
• Raising awareness of and educating about the healing potential of ibogaine and ketamine
• Breaking addiction patterns with ibogaine
• Powerful accounts of ibogaine’s healing potential
• Psychedelics as a solution in the “11th hour” of humanity

Links:

• Mind Army
• Zappy’s website

Episode Sponsors:

• Soltara Healing Center: Use code TW200 to receive $200 off your next retreat.
• Magnesium Breakthrough by BiOptimizers: Use code THIRDWAVE for 10% off any order.

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, host Paul F. Austin welcomes back futurist and entrepreneur Zappy Zapolin, a guest from the early days of the show. Zappy discusses the urgent need for accessible natural plant medicines for mental health and addiction treatment, highlighting his experiences with ketamine and the innovative concept of 'ketitation' group katamine journeys. He shares insights on how ketamine enhances neural pathways and fosters empathy, and the potential of ibogaine for breaking addiction patterns. Join us for a transformative conversation on the future of mental health.

Zappy Zapolin is a futurist, entrepreneur, and award-winning filmmaker recognized for his expertise in psychedelic therapies. Playboy magazine dubbed him "The man who wants to change the world with psychedelics." He directed the documentaries “The Reality of Truth” and “Lamar Odom: Reborn”, and founded the Mind Army, which aims to legalize psychedelic medicines. Zappy began his career on Wall Street as the youngest vice president in the history of Bear Stearns and has consistently identified major trends, including internet domains” names, legal cannabis, and the psychedelic economy.

Highlights:

• Intro to Zappy and his mission with psychedelics
• Spreading awareness about iboga for treating addiction
• ‘Ketitation’ group ketamine journeys
• Understanding the addictive potential of ketamine
• Raising awareness of and educating about the healing potential of ibogaine and ketamine
• Breaking addiction patterns with ibogaine
• Powerful accounts of ibogaine’s healing potential
• Psychedelics as a solution in the “11th hour” of humanity

Episode Sponsors:

• Soltara Healing Center: Use code TW200 to receive $200 off your next retreat.
• Magnesium Breakthrough by BiOptimizers: Use code THIRDWAVE for 10% off any order

On this episode of the Psychedelic Invest Podcast, host Bruce Eckfeldt is joined by Matt Zemon, writer of Beyond the Trip and Psychedelics for Everyone.

Matt Zemon, MSc, an Educator, Author, and Leader in Psychedelic Wellness, specializes in the impact of psychedelics on mental health. Author of the best-selling Psychedelics for Everyone and the preparation and integration journal Beyond the Trip, he holds a Master’s degree from King’s College London. Matt combines academic insights with a passion for safe and sacred psychedelic use, focusing on broadening understanding and access to these transformative substances. Additionally, he consults with medical practitioners in psychedelic therapy, contributing his expertise to further the responsible integration of psychedelics in healthcare.

In this episode, Joe interviews Jon Reiss: critically acclaimed filmmaker, author, and host of the Plantscendence podcast, which tells people’s psychedelic stories and is beginning its second season soon.

He talks about his early days of directing Nine Inch Nails and Type O Negative videos, and how Plantscendence was born after he realized that the conversations he was having with people about their most transformative experiences were perfect for a podcast. He discusses his first psychedelic experience with ayahuasca, how microdosing is helping him today, and his realization that people can get to these big experiences in many different ways.

He discusses:

• The two episodes of Plantscendence that stand out the most to him
• Using the term, ‘plant medicine’
• His 30 years of meditation practice and how it likely helped him to integrate his first psychedelic experiences
• The concept of plant intelligence and how plants can stop you from being a “consciousness tourist”
• Kabbalah, Kashmir Shaivism, non-duality, and his Shaktipata experience

and more! For links, head to the show notes page. 

In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, David interviews Sara Reed: Vital instructor, lecturer, and lead psychedelic research therapist at Imperial College London; and Alex H. Robinson: Vital student, integration coach and psilocybin facilitator for Heroic Hearts Project, and distinguished Army SOF combat Veteran with a decade of active duty service.

Reed has worked with MAPS to make clinical trial populations more diverse and is creating culturally sensitive Clinical Research Forms for future research trials, and Robinson spearheaded her unit’s Cultural Support Team program and contributed to policy changes to help place women into traditionally male-centric Special Operations roles. Representing marginalized groups themselves, they’re both passionate about making psychedelic therapy more inclusive and representative of the general population, and getting more practitioners up to speed to be able to deliver culturally competent care.

They discuss:

• The importance of having difficult conversations and calling out bad behavior
• The fallacy of zero-sum thinking: Doing something special for a smaller community doesn’t take away from the main goal; it adds to it
• The benefit of being able to self-reflect and personalize content when most psychedelic education consists of one-sided lectures
• The challenge of getting people who don’t feel represented to enroll in clinical trials, and how personal stories go a long way

and more! For links, head to the show notes page.  Vitalpsychedelictraining.com

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Erick Godsey returns to the mind meld!

Video version here

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In this one, Erick and I riff about the practical and psychospiritual aspects of Plato's cave. We also discuss potential links between the cave allegory and Jung's individuation process. Other points of musing include lessons from the creative path, insights from Erick's five-day darkness retreat, esoteric buddhism and more! 

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In this episode, Joe and REMAP Therapeutics Founder, Court Wing, host Lynn Watkins: medically retired USAF JAG & Ops Resource Mgmt Specialist; and C.J. Spotswood, PMHNP: principle psychiatric clinician at REMAP Therapeutics, and author of The Microdosing Guidebook: A Step-by-Step Manual to Improve Your Physical and Mental Health through Psychedelic Medicine.

Watkins tells her story of 20+ years of chronic pain: from Complex Regional Pain Syndrome brought on by a severed nerve to multiple foot surgeries, chest pains, cognitive issues, the inability to move her toes, burning mouth syndrome, and more, which unsurprisingly resulted in depression, anxiety, and being unable to work. Wing and Spotswood talk about their initial assessment, how they figured out how to work with her and her multitude of medications, and the incredible success they saw when combining practiced techniques, neuromodulation, and regular assessments with neuroplastic windows brought on by psilocybin.

They discuss:

• How much preparation was done before introducing psychedelics, and the importance of realizing that they were dealing with PTSD
• How often a history of chronic pain is related to a history of trauma, whether the patient realizes it or not
• Consequences and complications of medications, specifically Clonazepam in Watkins’ case
• The cascade of ailments and side effects that can happen from just one injury

and more! For links, head to the show notes page. 

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, host Paul F. Austin welcomes Jillian Acosta to share her transformative healing journey through psychedelics.

Find episode links, summary, and transcript here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-255-jillian-acosta/

Jillian, a registered dietitian, reveals how ketamine and cannabis therapy helped her overcome childhood trauma, disordered eating, and body dysmorphia. She discusses the profound impact of removing her breast implants and offers insights into creating safety within oneself and fostering healthier relationships. Jillian also highlights the power of storytelling and the potential of psychedelics like ayahuasca for deep healing.

Jillian Acosta, a registered dietitian, specializes in functional medicine and the psychology of eating. Owner of the nutrition private practice, The Root Cause Method, she guides clients towards health and vitality in unconventional ways. Jillian believes many of the chronic illnesses exacerbated by obesity are deeply rooted in trauma. In her practice, she collaborates with physicians who administer ketamine, using this powerful tool as a means to help her clients transform their relationship with food, feelings and Self. Uprooting what shapes our relationship with food is essential, in her experience, for reversing and preventing chronic illness, and can lead to true embodiment, fulfillment, and connection.

Highlights:

• Jillian's journey of healing and transformation
• Using psychedelics for eating disorder recovery
• The Garden: Jillian’s one-on-one program
• Unlocking self-love through the hidden gifts in the wound
• The profound healing experience of removing breast implants
• Creating safety: transforming relationships
• Approaching conversations about eating disorders with loved ones
• Specific medicines for healing eating disorders
• Defining the Root Cause Method

Links:

• The Root Cause Method
•  Jillian on Instagram
• (directory) Eating Disorders-focused Psychedelic Clinics

Episode Sponsors:

• Soltara Healing Center: Use code TW200 to receive $200 off your next retreat.
• Magnesium Breakthrough by BiOptimizers: Use code THIRDWAVE for 10% off any order
• KA! Empathogenics Kanna Supplements. Get 10% off with code THIRDWAVE at checkout

Neuroscientist and DMT researcher and author, Dr. Andrew Gallimore returns to the mind meld!

In this one, we dive deep on visionary molecules like DMT. Is it possible that it opens your brain up to alien communication or even other realms? What do these experiences of high-strangeness tell us about consciousness?

We also riff on the incredible DMTx (extended-state) studies coming out of Imperial College London, the unbelievable research on the horizon, and much more. 

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In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, David interviews Casey Paleos, MD: Vital instructor, researcher, psychiatrist with a private practice offering ketamine infusion therapy and KAP, and co-founder of Nautilus Sanctuary, a non-profit psychedelic research, education, and advocacy organization. 

Paleos talks about how stress creates trauma, and how the symptoms Western medicine tries to silence are actually signals – a quality assurance mechanism sending an alert that something is wrong, and that when symptoms are labeled as ‘treatment-resistant,’ is it actually a case of one’s own inner healing intelligence outsmarting a medication to make sure that that message is delivered?  

He discusses:

• MAPS’ recent advisory board ruling, past ethical violations, and how training should be done
• How consent in a therapeutic relationship is an ongoing process of checking in
• How psychedelic-assisted therapy (and maybe all therapy) is simply removing obstacles so one’s own inner healing intelligence can do its job
• The importance of a culture (and training) that celebrates all therapeutic modalities as complementary: There’s a lot of uniqueness in this world, so we should embrace that  

and more!

For links, head to the show notes page. 

In this episode of the Psychedelic Medicine Podcast, Steve Rio joins to discuss 5-MeO-DMT for Trauma and PTSD. Steve is a psychedelic facilitator and Co-Founder of Enfold, which offers a groundbreaking psychospiritual model that combines psychedelic intensives, coaching, and community to help individuals heal trauma and reach their full potential. 

In this conversation, Steve shares his journey of how he got into facilitating 5-MeO-DMT experiences and insights on working safely and effectively with this medicine over the course of his practice. He discusses the screening procedure he uses before clearing clients for facilitated 5-MeO-DMT experiences to ensure safety as much as possible when working with this powerful psychedelic. Steve also talks about how he tailors his work with clients based on the state of their nervous system and their unique personality. In closing, Steve emphasizes the somatic quality of 5-MeO-DMT experiences, sharing different types of experiences people typically have on the medicine and how these can best be integrated.

In this episode you'll hear:

• Preparation for safe and effective 5-MeO-DMT experiences

• Stories of transformation following 5-MeO-DMT healing for PTSD and focused integration practices

• How common 5-MeO-DMT reactivations are, and when they typically happen

• Issues of spiritual bypassing in underground psychedelic facilitation

• How to navigate informed consent in the context of facilitating psychedelic experiences

Quotes:

“At the peak of the 5-MeO experience, there is no mind… When people talk about the death and the rebirth experience with 5-MeO, what we’re really talking about is relaxing and essentially dissolving the ego entirely so there is no experience of ‘you’ in the experience—you become one with the experience. But… what’s possible there is that we then access the nervous system and we see these very dramatic energetic releases and people often are physically reliving traumatic experiences and physically releasing the fight, flight, freeze response that may have happened or not happened.” [6:52]

“Trauma is complex and for some people it’s not that simple. For some people, they go through a six- to twelve-month process after 5-MeO-DMT that is really challenging.” [22:37]

“So [we’re] helping people… build sensitivity in their nervous system—reconnect with sensitivity and slowing things down and building more awareness and learning how to notice their emotions as sensations in the body before they become thought patterns.”  [32:00]

“I think one of the challenges in all of this is that people will lie to you to get to your experience because they’re desperate for the healing. And you have to be really careful about the conversations you have and asking open-ended questions and really listening to your intuition—and really being grounded in that.” [40:28] 

“What we’re doing here I would say there’s obviously a psychological component to it, but often that happens in the weeks and months afterwards. What’s happening here is a much more somatic experience and it can be very confusing and challenging for the mind of a person… you’ve paid all this money, you’ve prepared for weeks and months, you’ve been thinking about it, you come have this experience… Right after the ceremony for some people, the thought is ‘what just happened?’ and ‘did anything happen?’ and ‘did it work?’ because there’s very rarely like an immediate insight on ‘here’s how you’re going to make your life better’—that’s not what comes out of this experience. What comes out of this experience is a dramatic shift in how your body feels and often people will report feeling emotionally lighter or that they lost ten pounds. It’s hard to explain, but the way peoples’ eyes light up the day after the ceremony is so different—like they often just look different coming in and leaving.” [42:56]

Links:

Enfold Website

Enfold on Instagram

Enfold on YouTube

Still In It: 5-MeO-DMT Stories

Previous episode: Psychedelic Therapy: Slow Down to Heal Faster with Sunny Strasburg, LMFT

Previous episode: Psychedelic Adjunct Series: Somatic Therapy with Jenna Valentine, DACM, LAc

Previous episode: Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy for Accelerated Growth with Nick Brüss, EdD, LMFT

Previous episode: When *Not* to Proceed with a Planned Psychedelic Journey with Rick Barnett, PsyD

Psychedelic Medicine Association

Porangui

In this episode we meet with Dr Apo Aporosa

He discusses his unconventional route to his PhD, having not finished school and joined the Army followed by the police only to break into academia at a masters level and continuing studies from there. 

Apo talks about his PTSD diagnosis and his subsequent journey with Kava, a spiritual drink consumed in Fijian culture. He discusses the affect this had in treating his PTSD symptoms as well as it facilitating his work overcoming his trauma. In this episode, Apo explains cultural aspects of the Kava experience.

Finally, Apo discusses methods of translating Kava into the medical field without impacting on its traditional and cultural uses. as well as its position of legality within the UK.

Kava Drug information

What is Kava?

Kava Myths and Misunderstandings

PTSD

PTSD in Veterans

Fijian Kava Ceremoney

Become a drug science community member

In this episode, Kyle interviews Peter A. Levine, Ph.D.: developer of Somatic Experiencing®, educator, and author of several best-selling books on trauma.

His most recent book, An Autobiography of Trauma: A Healing Journey, is exactly that: a change from more scholarly writing into an extremely vulnerable telling of his early childhood trauma and how he has healed over the years. He talks about how his unconscious convinced him to write the book, how trauma can move into the body, and how he needed a student to identify how his trauma was affecting him. He believes that we all have wounding, but it's how we carry these wounds and tell our truth that matters. 

He discusses: 

• The need to allow space for both Indigenous traditions and evidence-based Western frameworks
• The power of having even just one distinct moment of feeling cared for and loved
• How Colin Turnbull saw healing differently after living with an African tribe for three years
• Why he suggests 15-20 sober experiences with non-ordinary states for each drug experience
• Why not having a community or empathetic other makes us more vulnerable to trauma

and more!

For links, head to the show notes page. 

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, host Paul F. Austin welcomes retired Navy SEAL commander Mark Divine.

Find episode links, summary, and transcript here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-254-mark-divine/

Mark shares his journey to becoming a SEAL, emphasizing the transformative power of meditation and nature. He discusses the role of preparatory work, such as meditation and therapy, before engaging with psychedelics and highlights how these practices help navigate intense psychedelic states. Mark also delves into his daily practices, ongoing PhD research in global leadership, and his upcoming book 'Uncommon,' which focuses on principles for an extraordinary life.

Mark Divine is an entrepreneur, New York Times best-selling author, philanthropist, and one of the world’s top leadership and coaching experts. After a successful 20-year career as a Navy SEAL and SEAL Commander, Mark was hired by the Navy to create a nationwide coaching and leadership program for the SEALs. The bold goal of this program was to give the SEALs the best leadership and mental management tools in the world—to help them forge unbeatable SEAL teams that achieve mission success in the most stressful and challenging environments on earth.

Mark’s leadership and coaching program for the SEALs was so effective that it’s now being used outside of the Navy by top CEOs, Fortune 100 companies, USA Olympics, elite universities, major league sports franchises, celebrities, and successful individuals worldwide.

Mark is the author of five best-selling books and hosts a #1-ranked podcast, “Mark Divine’s Unbeatable Mind.” He founded five successful companies: Unbeatable Mind, SEALFIT, NavySEALs.com, USCrossFit, and the award-winning Coronado Brewing Company in California.

As a philanthropist, Mark founded the Courage Foundation to help wounded Veterans who are suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS). Recently, Mark and his team at the Courage Foundation set a world record by completing over 22 million burpees to raise awareness, support, and funding for Veteran heroes.

Highlights:

• Meditation, martial arts, and becoming a Navy SEAL commander
• What it means to be a warrior
• Approaching psychedelics with integrity
• Taking control of your mind
• Integrating Eastern and Western mind-body practices
• Staying grounded in a chaotic world
• Mark’s new book, “Uncommon”

Episode Sponsors:

• Soltara Healing Center: Use code TW200 to receive $200 off your next retreat.
• The Coaching Certification Program by Third Wave’s Psychedelic Coaching Institute.

In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, Johanna interviews Erika Dyck: author, professor, historian, Vital instructor, and research chair in the History of Health & Social Justice at the University of Saskatchewan.

Dyck talks about the book she co-edited: Women and Psychedelics: Uncovering Invisible Voices, which was released in March as a Chacruna anthology, and collects pieces from several different authors highlighting the untold or lesser known stories from women throughout psychedelic history. Albert Hofmann was the first person to intentionally ingest LSD, but who was the first woman to do so? Who were the women assisting in research or sitting with experiencers in the early days who never got the credit for their contributions? Who were the women supporting some of the biggest psychedelic names in history?

She talks about:

• The contrast in societal attitudes towards psychedelic exploration based on stereotypical gender roles
• Some of her favorite stories from the book, including a woman diagnosed with manic depression becoming one of the first guides in LSD trials
• The use of psychedelics in pregnancy and birthing practices across other cultures
• Traditional gender attributes: Are women more wired to care for others? Is there something about the psychedelic experience that’s inherently feminine?
• The importance of moving past the gender binary and implementing more diversity in research – with the challenge of needing to universalize medicine at the same time

and more! For links, head to the show notes page.

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Plato's Allegory of the Cave is a powerful tale. Not only is it one of the oldest versions of what, today, we'd call the "matrix" or "simulation" scenario, it's the most practical, prescient, and esoteric. In fact, Plato's cave and the Republic at-large contain occulted layers of meaning that scholars are still discovering and debating about to this day. In this transmission, we'll summarize the tale and do a deep dive into its more esoteric, often missed layers of wisdom.

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In this episode, Joe interviews Lia Mix, LMFT, CPTR: founder and CEO of Delphi, a consulting firm dedicated to the healthy growth of the psychedelic movement.

After many years of working in community mental health and 15 years in the commercial health insurance industry (where she helped to establish coverage for autism), Mix was one of the first graduates of CIIS’s training program, and after a very distinct MDMA-assisted therapy session, she wondered: “How can I be of service?” She’s since helped to launch The Board of Psychedelic Medicines and Therapies, the American Psychedelic Practitioners Association, and Enthea, and is working every day toward a more unified and uniform psychedelic space, with healthcare frameworks, official boards and certifications, consumer protections, and a general consensus that this is our responsibility to manage – not some outside regulator’s. So how can we, as a scattered psychedelic community, come together?

She discusses:

• Her path to psychedelics and how nobody was talking about how to bring psychedelics into healthcare
• The need for a unified code of ethics for any practitioner of psychedelic therapy
• The FDA, Lykos Therapeutics, and how the recent advisory committee’s recommendations on MDMA-assisted psychotherapy were largely based on fear
• How there actually is a lot of financial possibility if we can all agree on what is absolutely essential right now

and more! For links, head to the show notes page.

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, host Paul F. Austin welcomes Jonathan Robinson, a psychotherapist and bestselling author, to discuss his unique approaches to MDMA-assisted psychotherapy.

Find episode links, summary, and transcript here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-253-jonathan-robinson/

Jonathan shares insights from his appearances on The Oprah Show, the power of deep questions, and his innovative methods for remote MDMA therapy for individuals and couples. He also explores techniques to achieve MDMA-like states without substances and his Motivational Method for integration. Join us for a transformative conversation on healing and consciousness expansion.

Jonathan Robinson is a psychotherapist, best-selling author of 15 books, and a professional speaker from Northern California. His practical methods have reached over 200 million people worldwide, and his work has been translated into 47 languages. Mr. Robinson has made numerous appearances on The Oprah Show and CNN, as well as other national TV talk shows. Jonathan’s most recent book is called, “Ecstasy as Medicine: How MDMA Therapy Can Help You Overcome Trauma, Anxiety and Depression…and Feel More Love.” In the book, Jonathan shares the best methods, stories, and ideas he’s learned from leading over 700 MDMA journeys and teaching hundreds of therapists how to do his unique protocol over Zoom. His other books include the bestsellers, “Communication Miracles for Couples,” and “More Love, Less Conflict.” Jonathan is also the co-host of the podcast Awareness Explorers.

Highlights:

• Appearances on Oprah and national talk shows
• Quick methods for inner peace and expanded consciousness
• Practices to achieve an ‘MDMA-like’ state without substances
• Specific considerations for MDMA therapy
• Effectiveness of remote MDMA therapy sessions for individuals and couples
• Jonathan’s approach vs. the MAPS MDMA protocol
• The Motivational Method for psychedelic integration
• Practices for relational work in MDMA couples therapy
• Jonathan’s inspirations and future projects

Episode Sponsors:

• Neurohacker Collective: Use code THIRDWAVE for an additional 15% off Qualia Mind.
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In this episode my guest is author, historian and renegade archaeologist Dr. Heather Lynn. Her book Baphomet Revealed will take readers on a journey that weaves together the threads of history, symbolism, and esoteric philosophy, unraveling the tapestry of Baphomet’s enduring mystique. Check out her website: www.drheatherlynn.com.

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Music featured in this episode:

Son of a Priest / Brutal Wounds

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In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, David interviews Kaitlin Roberson: Vital graduate and co-founder and CEO of Cacti Therapeutics, a psychedelic biotech company developing novel therapies for chronic pain; and Dr. Michele Cox, DO: current Vital student, veteran, physician, and co-founder of LifeBloom, a brand new company focusing on bringing community and connection into women’s healthcare.

They talk about their work: Roberson’s research on trauma and chronic pain, and why she feels that working in the pharma industry is a calling; and Cox’s framework as an osteopath, the value she’s found in touch and connection, and how she explains to clients what to expect when undergoing ketamine treatment.

They discuss:

• Why psychedelics are such useful interventions
• The body’s ability to tell us what’s wrong, as long we’re listening
• The destabilization that can occur after a big experience: If you don’t have a good support system, is it really the right time?
• Self-care and our tendency to never feel like we’re good enough
• How there is energy in everything and we should all recognize that more

And, as Vital students, they talk about what they hoped to get out of Vital and how it delivered more than expected. If you’re just discovering Vital, be sure to check out the website and fill out an application. Secure your spot and take advantage of the Early Bird discount! For links, head to teh show notes page. 

Host of the Creative Codex podcast, MjDorian returns!

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This week, we explore the psychology, philosophy, and esoteric history of Tarot. 

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According to legend, the Tarot may reach back as far as ancient Egypt. Origins aside, the Tarot orbits numerous fascinating historical figures and events. Its archetypal symbolism is incredibly deep and is carefully tailored around major elements of western esotericism. Some of which stretch back to Neoplatonist geniuses like Proclus.

And, oh yeah, there's even a wizard battle or two in this episode! 

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In this episode of the Psychedelic Medicine Podcast, Sunny Strasburg joins to open the conversation of leveraging lower doses of psychedelic substances for more effective healing. Sunny Strasburg, LMFT, a licensed psychotherapist, educator, and pioneering author, specializes in psychedelic therapies and training clinicians to be skilled and trauma-informed psychedelic therapists. As the founder and author of The Theradelic Approach, she equips clinicians with trauma-informed psychedelic-assisted therapy methods, blending IFS, EMDR, archetypal psychology, trauma-informed care, and her extensive experience.

In this conversation, Sunny shares insights drawn from Internal Family Systems (IFS) and explores how these perspectives can help inspire more effective psychedelic work, especially with lower doses. She emphasizes the importance of adequate preparation and not over-valorizing intense psychedelic experiences, noting that these therapies themselves can be traumatic if not handled with care. Sunny also discusses how one’s own internal protectors have adaptive rolls and display a lot of compassionate intelligence, so even though these parts may initially provide a barrier to deep trauma work, it is important for therapists to work collaboratively with these parts of a client’s psyche. In closing she talks about how to better set reasonable expectations in group psychedelic therapy and retreat settings, where integration can easily turn into a competition of who had the most intense experience, with things like ego dissolution becoming the barometer for healing. 

In this episode you'll hear:

• How “protector systems” and “rubber band effects” manifest in high-dose psychedelic therapy sessions

• Uncovering previously unknown traumas during psychedelic therapies and how therapists can be better prepared for this situation

• How therapists can skillfully work with symbolic material that arises in psychedelic journeys 

• The importance of slowing down and letting the client guide the pace when addressing serious traumas in particular

• Differences between ketamine, MDMA, and the classic psychedelics in terms of effects on the fear center of the brain

• Leveraging critical learning periods in therapy to reprocess traumatic memories

Quotes:

“Being a trauma therapist, you have to be skilled enough to know what is symbolic in a psychedelic journey, what’s a literal memory… You don’t want to do any kind of leading or prompting the client to fill in anything or directing them to anything—you’re really tracking where they are and letting them uncover their own path. Again, at the speed in which their protector system is ready for that.” [22:43]

“These parts want people to remember. They want to heal, they want to let their stories be told. And so our job as therapists is to clear the clutter so we can really hear the system and trust the system. The system knows.” [28:02]

“Trauma is like a sliver that’s buried in the arm—like in the deep skin of your arm and it’s got an infection around it. And all of your coping mechanisms, all of your protectors (using IFS language), is like building a giant layer of scar tissue on top of that. And you could just go through life with that, and you could just put lotion on the top of that scar and just try to make it look pretty—and that’s okay. But you could go in and surgically remove the sliver that’s been offending your system the whole time. And once you remove that sliver, you will start to heal—your arm will heal, it won’t have an infection anymore, right? But removing that sliver hurts. It’s painful. It’s a process. But you don’t have to deal with that sliver anymore. And that’s kind of how I imagine going through trauma work.” [31:08]

“I’ve had clients that I’ve worked with using EMDR, IFS for years, we’ve made some progress, but then we get ketamine on board and it’s totally helped them and amplified the benefit.” [35:13]

“Trust your protector system. Slow down. I promise, if you slow down and really get curious about what your protectors need, you will go so much further with these medicines. It really is not a race. It’s slow and steady, and you’re going to be able to get more work done.” [40:23]

Links:

Sunny’s website

Sunny on LinkedIn

Sunny on Instagram

Previous episode: Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy for Accelerated Growth with Nick Brüss, EdD, LMFT

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In this episode, Kate Hayes reflects on her experiences with the LSD Microdot Gang, drawing upon her interactions and experiences with Dr. Christine Bott and Richard Kemp. She addresses Richard and Christine’s aspiration to bring about positive change in the world using LSD which led to their eventual arrest following involvement in an LSD production and distribution network. At the time, however it was not uncommon for there to be a separation from LSD funders and manufacturers with distributors and dealers. Kate, therefore, further reflects on her own personal experiences with having fallen victim to the drug trade and trafficking at a young age and how this impacted on her experiences going forwards. Kate further reflects on the historical issues in treating mental health conditions and the current limitations of this, drawing further upon Christine and Richards aspirations for LSD.

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In this episode, Joe interviews Dr. Amanda Holley: pharmacologist and regulatory consultant in nonclinical drug development, and previously a nonclinical pharmacology/toxicology reviewer at the FDA.

With Lykos Therapeutics working towards FDA approval of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD, ICER (Institute for Clinical and Economic Review) recently published its draft evidence report, concluding that they couldn't endorse this modality. While disappointing to the psychedelic space, this report doesn't determine the FDA's official stance, and also really highlights a lot about how the FDA works, the knowledge gap between consumers and regulators, and how clinical studies should be designed in the future. Holley talks about the FDA's dedication to safety and data, and how, essentially, drug development comes down to a risk/benefit analysis. 

She discusses: 

• Misconceptions about the FDA, especially related to psychedelics
• The path of a substance in early drug development and how breakthrough status works
• The complications with blinding psychedelics, the placebo effect, and how much therapy is a factor
• The contrast between productization and harm reduction: Should we be concerned with creating products, or understanding these substances better?
• How changing one molecule really does create a different drug

and much more! For links, head to the show notes page. 

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, host Paul F. Austin talks with Stephanie Wang, founder and CEO of KA! Empathogenics.

Find episode links, summary, and transcript here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-252-stephanie-wang/

Stephanie shares her journey from finance to plant medicine, including her involvement at The Alchemist's Kitchen.

Paul and Stephanie discuss the unique benefits of kanna, its comparison to SSRIs, and KA!'s intentional branding. Stephanie also highlights the importance of education and community in the kanna space. She closes by sharing her vision for KA!, touching on exciting new research into kanna.

Stephanie Wang is passionate about the power of plants and evolving consciousness. She is the Founder and CEO of KA! Empathogenics, with a mission to restore full-spectrum aliveness for all beings. KA! offers 100% plant-based empathogenic supplements featuring kanna - a heart-opening succulent from South Africa that is clinically proven to activate an immediate sense of grounded energy, helping people feel more alive, capable and connected as they navigate everyday stress.

Previously Stephanie was the President of The Alchemist's Kitchen and Director of Evolver, a conscious lifestyle company in New York. She was also a documentary and narrative film producer. A native Hong Konger, Stephanie began her career in corporate finance on Wall Street and was a number one ranked equity analyst in the retail sector with HSBC Securities, Hong Kong.

KA! Empathogenics is offering podcast listeners 10% off. Use code THIRDWAVE at checkout.

Highlights:

• From a career in finance to evolving consciousness
• The evolution of the Evolver Network and The Alchemist’s Kitchen
• Stephanie’s first kanna experience
• Kanna as an ally for daily wellbeing, psychedelic integration, and more
• Is kanna an alternative to SSRIs?
• KA!’s branding, design, and educational efforts
• The unique sensation of KA!’s ingredients
• Stephanie’s vision for KA! and the outlook of future kanna research

Episode Links:

• KA! Empathogenics (use code THIRDWAVE for 10% off)  
• KA!’s 30-Day “Journey Into The Heart” Bundle (next journey starts 6/30/24)

Episode Sponsors:

• Magnesium Breakthrough by BiOptimizers: Use code THIRDWAVE for 10% off any order
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In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, Kyle interviews two Vital graduates: Alice Dommert: certified breathwork facilitator and co-founder of retreat company, The Infinite Center; and Kara Tremain, ACC: somatic practitioner and growth and development coach.

A huge part of Vital is the experiential aspect of attending a retreat. Students report that being part of a group process, feeling the power of the proper set and setting, taking a journey as both a sitter and experiencer, and separating from the world and connecting with each other has been one of the best parts of the program – even life-changing. With Dommert behind 13 Vital retreats to date, she and Kyle dive into what they’ve learned in how to run a successful retreat.

They discuss:

• Facilitator humility and how important it is for everyone to be on the same page
• How much additional activities can add to the experience (tea ceremonies, CrossFit, chanting, fireside chats)
• The importance of allowing enough time and space for everything, from personal time with facilitators to possible issues
• Co-creation and openness: What can facilitators and people coming to the retreat build together? How do we create the most meaningful time together?

If you’re interested in Vital, applications are now open with an Early Bird discount! And if you want to attend a Vital retreat, we have a few spots left in two: a transpersonal breathwork retreat in Pennsylvania, July 9-14, and a cannabis + breathwork retreat in Agoura Hills, CA in October. Head to the Infinite Center’s website for details. For links, head to the show notes page.