MAPS Podcast

Episode 02 - John Mackey: The Whole Story

This episode of the Psychedelics Then and Now podcast features an all new interview with Zach and John Mackey that was recorded live in Austin, TX thanks to Psychedelic Society of Texas. John takes us through an oral history of his early life in Austin and how Whole Foods grew from a fledgling local natural food grocer to an international revolution that changed the way we think about food, nutrition and health. And yes, there are some very poignant psychedelic stories that influenced John and helped to shape his path.

The intro content features a snippet from a 1982 talk from William Burroughs recorded at Naropa Univeristy and is part of the Timothy Leary Estate collection.

John Mackey is an American businessman and writer. He is the co-founder of Whole Foods Market and was the CEO of the company from its inception in 1980 until 2022. Named Ernst & Young entrepreneur of the year in 2003, he is one of the most influential advocates in the movement for organic food. John's new book 'The Whole Story: Adventures in Love, Life and Capitalism' is out now. 

Psychedelics Then and Now with Zach Leary: Episode 01 - East Forest: Music for Mushrooms

This is the first episode in the rebranded Psychedelics Then and Now Podcast with Zach Leary. Formerly the MAPS Podcast - the show will continue to bring you insightful and entertaining interviews with some of the great minds within the psychedelic community. The podcast is a collaboration between Zach Leary and Psychedelics Today. 

We relaunch with an all new episode featuring East Forest, a multidisciplinary artist, producer, and ceremony guide. Since 2008, East Forest’s “lush” (Rolling Stone) and “blissful” (NPR) music has blended ambient, neoclassical, electronic, and avant-pop to explore sound as a tool for inner journeys and consciousness expansion.

The project's latest endeavor is the feature-length film Music for Mushrooms, a narrative documentary showcasing the transformative power of psychedelics, music, and community. The accompanying Official Documentary Soundtrack is an immersive album featuring tracks recorded during live psilocybin ceremonies.

East Forest's extensive catalog includes over 30 albums and notable collaborations with artists such as Ram Dass, Jon Hopkins, Laraaji, Dead Prez, Nick Mulvey, Peter Broderick, Max Cooper, and DJ ANNA. The project has performed in over 18 countries at major festivals and venues including BottleRock, Beyond The Pale, Mysteryland, Wilderness and SXSW.

Episode 75 - Rob from Adeptus Psychonautica

This episode of the MAPS Podcast features and all new, and very entertaining, interview with Rob from Adeptus Psychonautica which is a YouTube channel, podcast and psychedelic education and harm reduction outlet. Rob and Zach chat about the current state of the psychedelic movement, their earliest introductions into plant medicine healing and get into Robs all around unique take on magic and mysticism! 

Rob considers himself to be a fairly ordinary person from the North West of England, who like most teenagers back in the 1990's was introduced to various mind altering chemicals, some of which had a profound effect on him and encouraged further exploration into the world of altered states. This journey has lasted over thirty years until the present day. As well as his personal exploration Rob has spent significant time participating in traditional psychedelic ceremonies, from ayahuasca in the Amazon, to huachuma in the Sacred Valley, and amanita muscaria in his native Europe. In 2018 Rob started a YouTube channel as a hobby, with the goal being to document some of his travels in South America. The channel was named Adeptus Psychonautica as a reference to the sci-fi mysticism of Warhammer 40K (a board game), and also because roughly translated it means "one who has been initiated into the college of psychonautic study", which not only served as an appropriate description, but also sounded kinda cool. Rob currently lives in Switzerland with his two teenage children, and a small assortment of tropical fish.

Episode 74 - Joe Moore, Psychedelics Today

Joe Moore, CEO and co-founder of Psychedelics Today, joins this episode of the MAPS podcast for a wide ranging discussion around the past, present and future of psychedelic culture. Joe shares some of his personal story, the origins of Psychedelics Today, feelings around the War on Drugs and take home ketamine. Joe has so much in depth knowledge on the current state of psychedelic growth, culture and harm reduction. His take is not to be missed. 

Joe Moore is CEO and co-founder of Psychedelics Today. 

Psychedelics Today is the planetary leader in psychedelic education, media and advocacy.

Psychedelics are set to disrupt the way humanity approaches healing and wellness, making way for a new paradigm in healthcare and cognitive liberty. We bridge scientific, academic, philosophical, societal, and cultural disciplines, covering up-to-the-minute developments and diving deep into crucial topics. Together, we are leading the discussion in this rapidly evolving ecosystem.

Through compelling content, thoughtful conversation and industry-leading education for a community of over 2.2 million annual learners, Psychedelics Today has the largest global reach of any media platform in the modern psychedelic realm. We honor this responsibility with humanity and humility.

Episode 73 - Court Wing - Chronic Pain and Psychedelics

This episode of the MAPS podcast dives deep into the intersection of chronic pain and psychedelics with Court Wing. If you want to learn something new about an issue that often goes overlooked by the general public, look no further. Chronic pain is something that one out of five Americans suffer from and Court provides data, science and empathy into new ways in which it can be treated.

Court Wing

As a former chronic pain sufferer, Court Wing is the founder and CEO of REMAP Therapeutics. Under his direction, REMAP Therapeutics is dedicated to exploring, innovating, and developing the intersection between psychedelics and chronic pain.

REMAP Therapeutics is devoted to the development of formal psychedelic rehabilitation sessions and cohesive best practices for many treatment-resistant chronic pain conditions. 

Episode 72 - Jamie Wheal: Psychedelics and Human Optimization

Recorded live in Austin, TX thanks to the Psychedelic Society of Texas! This episode has a very provocative and lively conversation with flow state and human optimization wizard, Jamie Wheal. We explore topics ranging from the end of the world to reclaiming our humanity to safe and effective psychedelic use. 

Jamie Wheal is the author of the global best-seller and Pulitzer Prize-nominated Stealing Fire: How Silicon Valley, Navy SEALs and Maverick Scientists are Revolutionizing the Way We Live and Work and the founder of the Flow Genome Project, an international organization dedicated to the research and training of ultimate human performance. Since founding the organization in 2011, it has gone on to become the leading voice of evidence-based peak performance in the world, counting award-winning academics, legendary professional athletes, special operations commanders, and Fortune 500 business leaders among the hundreds of thousands of people in its global community.

Episode 71 - Yvie Oddly, Psychedelic Drag

Happy 2024 and may it be filled with psychedelic wonder and creation! 

This episode of the MAPS podcast features an all new interview with international drag superstar, Yvie Oddly. If you're wondering where the world of drag and psychedelics meet, wonder no more and listen to this very unusual and inspiring episode!

We also, once again, remember the legacy of Dr. Roland Griffths. 

Yvie Oddly is an (r)evolutionary drag queen performer, rapper, and fine artist from Denver, Colorado. Yvie captured the attention of the world when she won the eleventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race. New York Magazine named Oddly one of the most powerful drag queens in June 2019 because of her ability to push the boundaries of drag performance art.

Episode 70 - Dr. Joe Tafur; New Thought, Ancient Wisdom

In this episode of the MAPS Podcast, we connect once again with the wise and colorful Dr. Joe Tafur. Our conversation explores the roots of the absence of spirituality in Western medicine, how plant medicines can grow our inution and the current state of the psychedelic movement. Joe also teases some of his new book and let's us know what to expect from it.

The podcast intro also remembers the great Dr. Roland Griffths and brings awareness to the compassion that's needed in the Israel/Hamas conflict.

Joe Tafur’s interest in complementary and alternative approaches to health management took root in 1997, at the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. It deepened during medical school at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), continued during his Family Medicine residency at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and has become the primary focus of his medical career.

Episode 69 - Dr. Cat Meyer; Sex, Trauma and Psychedelics

This episode of the podcast features a wide ranging conversation with Dr. Cat Meyer on the potential to heal trauma through psychedelics, renewed sexual health and vulnerability. Cat is on the leading edge of multi disciplinary approaches to healing and overall wellness. Her methods challenge the mainstream and is sure to spark curiousity in all of us.

We also hear from Dr. Roland Griffths in a preview of the content available for The Virtual Trip - the Psychedelic Science '23 online portal for all the sessions, panels and more. 

Dr. Cat Meyer, PsyD, LMFT is a licensed psychotherapist specializing in sex, trauma, and ketamine-assisted therapy (KAP), author, yoga teacher, and international speaker dedicated to evolving the relationship we have surrounding sexuality and our bodies. Dr Cat is the founder of SexLoveYoga.com, an online platform integrating various schools of thought including science, tantra, yoga, and psychedelic therapy,  designed to help people create a deeply fulfilling, prosperous relational and sexual life. As an expert and published researcher on the topic of sexual health, Dr. Cat sees clients in her private practice office in Los Angeles and leads workshops, lectures, and retreats internationally.  She is the author of the book sexloveyoga. Dr. Cat is the host of the podcasts Sex Love Psychedelics and Erotically Wasted, co-founder of Un.done women’s sensual yoga experience.

This episode of the podcast honors the life and legacy of Ram Dass with none other than Raghu Markus, the Executive Director of the Love, Serve, Remember Foundation. Ram Dass's influence on psychedelic research and culture has largely been forgotten because of his shift towards eastern spiritual practices. Raghu takes us on a journey through then Richard Alpert's early work in the field and his later thoughts on using psychedelics as a method. 

Raghu Markus spent 18 months in India with Neem Karoli Baba and Ram Dass. He has been involved in music and transformational media since the early 1970s, when he was program director of CKGM-FM in Montreal.

In 1974, he collaborated with Ram Dass on the box set Love Serve Remember. In 1990, he launched Triloka Records, which established itself as a critical leader in the development of world music. For 17 years, Triloka was home to such artists as Krishna Das, Hugh Masekela, Walela, Jai Uttal and transformational media projects that featured Ram Dass, Deepak Chopra, and Les Nubians.

Raghu lives in Ojai, California, and is the Executive Director of the Love Serve Remember Foundation.

We welcome Rachel Harris back to the MAPS Podcast in support of her new book 'Swimming in the Sacred - Wisdom from the Psychedelic Underground.' Our conversation takes into the heart of the research and experiences Rachel had in interviewing the 15 brave women who have been doing medicine work over the last 30-50 years. In her words they are more like "shamans and priestesses" than any other label we can come up with. Their stories and Rachel's wisdom takes us deep into the heart of the psychedelic movement past and present. 

Psychologist Rachel Harris, PhD is the author of 'Swimming in the Sacred - Wisdom from the Psychedelic Underground."  She was in private practice for thirty-five years working with people interested in psychospiritual development. During a decade working in research, Rachel received a National Institutes of Health New Investigator’s Award and published more than forty scientific studies in peer-reviewed journals. She has also consulted to Fortune 500 companies. 

Rachel was in the 1968 Esalen Residential Program, Big Sur, CA. This intensive six-month program focused on meditation and body work. In the early1970’s, Rachel studied with Dorothy Nolte in the movement system, Structural Awareness, based on Dr. Ida Rolf’s Structural Integration (Rolfing). Rachel also co-edited the Journal of the American Dance Therapy Association for three years. Awareness of how people live and move in their bodies has always been an aspect of Rachel’s approach to psychotherapy.

Episode 66 - Alex and Allyson Grey, Forging Their Own Magical Path

This all new episode of the MAPS podcast was recorded live at Psychedelic Science '23 with the legendary seekers of all things mystical, Alex and Allyson Grey. If you've heard a podcast with them before you know it needs no introduction. 

NOTE - please excuse the glitch of the missing first 4 minutes of the interview. There were some technical issues at PS '23. 

Allyson Grey, a conceptual abstract painter and co-founder of CoSM, Chapel of Sacred Mirrors, has long been a mentor and influencer of the contemporary Visionary Art movement. In 1971, in a psychedelic awakening through the guidance of Ram Dass’ book Be Here Now, Allyson heard a voice calling her to express in her art an essentialized world view. Chaos, Order & Secret Writing came to artistically symbolize the three essential characteristics of human perception, a minimal yet all-encompassing artistic statement worthy of immersion for a lifetime. Allyson’s art is a personal and shared meditation on the structure of thought, life and enlightenment.

Alex Grey is an American visual artist, author, teacher, and Vajrayana practitioner known for creating spiritual and psychedelic paintings. He works in multiple forms including performance art, process art, installation art, sculpture, visionary art, and painting.

This post Psychedelic Science '23 episode of the podcast features an all new interview with Dr. Bia Labate. Bia's wisdom, passion and openess to keep psychedelic use rooted in not just science but also in the awarness that indigenous use has so much foundational knowledge to teach us is as inspiring as it is necessary. Zach and Bia take a journey on sacred culture, equality in access and the wisdom of our elders while keeping focus on the. modern psychedelic movement. 

This is the first MAPS podcast episode after Psychedelic Science '23 and Zach reflects on his experience on the historic event in Denver. 

Dr. Beatriz Caiuby Labate (Bia Labate) is a queer Brazilian anthropologist based in San Francisco. She has a Ph.D. in social anthropology from the University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Brazil. Her main areas of interest are the study of plant medicines, drug policy, shamanism, ritual, religion, and social justice. She is Executive Director of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines and serves as Public Education and Culture Specialist at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). She is also Visiting Scholar at Naropa University’s Center for Psychedelic Studies and Advisor at the Veteran Mental Health Leadership Coalition. Dr. Labate is a co-founder of the Interdisciplinary Group for Psychoactive Studies (NEIP) in Brazil and editor of its site. She is author, co-author, and co-editor of twenty-seven books, two special-edition journals, and several peer-reviewed

This episode of the MAPS podcast takes us through the deeply moving and inspirational story of Justin Lapree, a veteran who nearly lost everything and then came through the otherside to help lead the charge on providing sacred medicinal care to our veterans and first responders. No single population has moved the needle in helping the world to understand how psychedelics can be used effective than our veterans. Justin's story will move you in ways that are both inspirational and frustrating when you learn how under served the veteran population really is. 

Justin Lapree served in the Marine Corps from 2001 to 2005. His second deployment to Iraq in 2004 left him at the bottom of a dark abyss upon his return home, and the Middle East took something from him, that he wouldn’t come to understand for years to come. 

During his five years as an Austin Firefighter, he would witness a magnitude of traumatic events where lives were lost; mass shootings, the Austin serial bomber, consistent overdoses, and fatality collisions. While he had come so far since his failed suicide attempt in 2018, he noticed the darkness once more creeping in because of his job environment. In February 2022, he resigned from the Fire Department knowing he'd found a higher purpose and wanted to serve in another way. Thus, Heroic Path to Light was born. His vision was to create a non-profit that served the Veteran, First Responder and Gold/White star communities in hopes that their suffering could end by building community and utilizing sacred entheogenic ceremonies. 

"As the Founder and President of Heroic Path to Light, I'm still on my journey, but want to meet you where you are, because I have seen firsthand that healing happens in community and together, we can get through anything."

This episode of the MAPS podcast features an all new interview with Dr. Richard Louis Miller author of the new book 'Psychedelic Wisdom: The Astonishing Reward of Mind Altering Substances."

The mission of this publication – and the book of the same name – is to reveal what up to now has been suppressed in the mainstream. I have chosen to bring about this change through two primary avenues: illuminating the science of psychedelics and influencing the culture to accept them as medicines.

Dr. Miller talks with Zach about a wide range of issues ranging from harm reduction to politics to the lasting effects of the 60's promise of a new world. Dr. Miller is a wise, warm and hilarious soul whose voice must be heard.

Richard Louis Miller is an American clinical psychologist, author, founder of Wilbur Hot Springs Health Sanctuary, and broadcaster who hosts the Mind Body Health & Politics radio program. The program feature national figures from the world of medicine, psychology and politics.

ALSO - This is the Bicycle Day '23 edition of the MAPS Podcast!

This episode of the podcast was recorded live in front of an audience thanks to the Psychedelic Society of Texas - Austin and features a dynamic interview with Adrian Grenier. He's most famous for staring on the wildly popular HBO show, Entourage. But as you'll here in this conversation, the awakening that Adrian experienced since leaving Hollywood is a tale of a heroes journey style of reinvention that we could all stand to learn so much from. Inspiring, poignant and appplicable to anyone no matter what stage of the journey they are on.    Adrian Grenier has cemented his place as a change agent who leverages his influence and talent as a communicator to spread consciousness on essential issues: family, community and nature. As an investor, Adrian has backed companies and entrepreneurs that he believes can change the world for the better through his impact fund, DuContra Ventures. He is also a UN Ambassador where he helped the UN Environment Programme launch Clean Seas, a campaign to end marine plastic pollution.    His efforts are now focused on his new company, Earth Speed Media .The goal of Earth Speed Media is to educate, inform, and bring people closer to nature, highlighting ways to live an Earth-centered life.

This episode of the MAPS Podcast features an all new interview with the amazing and magical musical artist, Mazie. Her use of psychedelics to help fuel her art not only is inspirational but also gives voice to how Gen Z is forming their own relationship with psychedelic exploration. Her new album 'Blotter Baby' is out now and there's no question you can sense the inspirational sources. 

With darkly fantastical lyrics and kaleidoscopic arrangements that pull from pop, punk, and electronic music, LA-via-Baltimore artist mazie is helming the next evolution of psychedelic pop. On her ambitious debut album, blotter baby (a nod to her love of hallucinogens), the 23-year-old confronts coming-of-age heartbreak and a Gen-Z doom mindset with catharsis and absurdity. Through ’60s and ’70s-inspired pop hooks, she shamelessly sings of sapphic makeout sessions, wanting to look hot at her own funeral, and her own toxic relationship patterns. It features her massive hit “dumb dumb,” a manic anthem that has since gained more than 250 million global streams, 1 million TikTok creates, and a feature in Netflix’s original film Do Revenge. Having studied classical and jazz singing from an early age, mazie found her online breakthrough with 2020’s “no friends,” the whimsical debut single she crafted with then-neighbor and producer Elie Rizk. Taking the success as a sign to drop out of college, move to Los Angeles, and never look back, mazie then quickly issued the rainbow cassette, her debut 2021 EP that became what she calls “an ode to an ending of my childhood.” Now pushing her artistry into more over-the-top, vulnerable, and musically adventurous territory, mazie is now emerging as a multifaceted icon who’s aspirationally imperfect. “I hope people can see themselves in me, but I’m definitely not the first person you’d think of to ‘set a good example,’” she says with a laugh.

Episode 60 - Lt. Sarko Gergerian, Reformative Policing in the Psychedelic Age

Recorded live in Austin thanks to The Psychedelic Society of Texas! Sarko's wisdom, heart and intellect will take you through what it's like to be an active police officer who has set forth on a course of police reform, mental health advocacy and has done MDMA via the MAPS MDMA training program. Yes, really. This is an incredible opportunity to change your mind and find the tools needed to come together as a community in this challenging time. 

Lieutenant Sarko Gergerian began his career in 2010 as a patrol officer withWinthrop Police Department. In 2016, he received the Outstanding Service and Contribution award; in 2019, Lieutenant Gergerian was subsequently awarded the Department of Mental Health & Law Enforcement Award.

Lt. Gergerian is a founding member of the Community and Law Enforcement Assisted Recovery Program (CLEAR). CLEAR is a network of community partners, theWinthrop Police Department, and theWinthrop Health Department that ensures individuals seeking support for substance use disorders or mental health are connected to community-based service providers. Lieutenant Sarko Gergerian serves as a police peer support officer, community outreach officer, and health & fitness officer. In this role he manages a shift of officers,reviews policies and procedures related to mental health, and supports a multidisciplinary team response to mental health response.

Sarko Gergerian is certified in adult and youth mental health first aid,recovery coaching, motivational interviewing, individual and group critical incident stress management (CISM), and critical incident training (CIT). He holds a BA in philosophy from Northeastern University and a MS in mental health counseling and psychological services from Salem State University

Episode 59 - Dave Hodges, On The Front Lines of The Decrim Movement

This all new episode of the MAPS podcast takes you to a front row seat of the decriminalization movement with Dave Hodges, the founder of Zide Door which is the largest psilocybin church with a memebership of over 70,000 people. Dave's story made headline news when his church was raided in Oakland despite psilocybin being a low priority for law enforcement. Dave also takes us into his mysticaly prfound methods using high doses and shares with us the downloads he gets when in that space. This is wild one!

Dave Hodges is the Founder of the Church of Ambrosia and Pastor for Zide Door, the Church of Entheogenic Plants in Oakland. He is known for starting the first medical cannabis club in San Jose and for his work with High Dose Mushrooms exploring the origins of religion. Dave has spent the past 15 years fighting legal cases to protect sacred plants he believes in. He is currently preparing for his next major legal fight, a federal lawsuit against the Oakland Police Department for the illegal raid on his Church and their violation of the church's religious freedom. Dave's work with Mushrooms to explore religion has led him to the high dose work. Mushrooms guided him from doing 5 to 30 dried grams in a signal dose. Dave now does between 15-25 grams regularly in an attempt to understand religion and the true nature of reality

Episode 58 - Rick Doblin, PhD - MAPS: Past, Present and Future

This all new episode of the MAPS podcast needs no introduction. Our very own Rick Doblin beams in with Zach and takes us through an oral history of MAPS from the early fledgling days to the leader in psychedelic research that it is today. Also, the talk gets personal when Rick reminisces on memories of Timothy Leary, Laura Huxley and Ram Dass from the first Psychedelic Science conference in 1990. This interview is a beautiful glimpse into the history of psychedelic research and one mans passion for a mission that many said could not be fulfilled. It is not to be missed. 

Rick Doblin, Ph.D., is the founder and executive director of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). He received his doctorate in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, where he wrote his dissertation on the regulation of the medical uses of psychedelics and marijuana and his Master’s thesis on a survey of oncologists about smoked marijuana vs. the oral THC pill in nausea control for cancer patients. His undergraduate thesis at New College of Florida was a 25-year follow-up to the classic Good Friday Experiment, which evaluated the potential of psychedelic drugs to catalyze religious experiences. He also conducted a thirty-four year follow-up study to Timothy Leary’s Concord Prison Experiment. Rick studied with Dr. Stanislav Grof and was among the first to be certified as a Holotropic Breathwork practitioner. His professional goal is to help develop legal contexts for the beneficial uses of psychedelics and marijuana, primarily as prescription medicines but also for personal growth for otherwise healthy people, and eventually to become a legally licensed psychedelic therapist. He founded MAPS in 1986, and currently resides in Boston with his wife and puppy, with three empty rooms from his children who have all graduated college and begun their life journeys