Podcasts

In this episode, Kyle interviews Beth Weinstein: spiritual business coach, host of the “Medicine For These Times” podcast, and founder of the Psychedelics, Sacred Medicines, Soul’s Purpose & Business summit.

She talks about a pattern she noticed of people working with psychedelics and seeing progress on what they set out to heal, but with a short-lived afterglow, as they remained in unfulfilling jobs without making any changes. She wondered: What if they applied the lessons they learned during their experience to their careers? What small steps could they start taking to either improve their current job, or find their true soul’s purpose and carve out a new path? Weinstein’s path has led her to combine practical business action plans with more spiritual and traditionally psychedelic modalities to help people grow in their careers and become their most authentic selves – especially if they’re trying to enter into the psychedelic space.

She discusses:

• The importance of making time to talk things out with a coach, integration circle, or friends – especially in a culture that only gets more distracting and chaotic every day
• The challenge of differentiating between guidance: Is it your soul’s true purpose, or a trick of your ego?
• The weirdly taboo topic of money in psychedelics, and the delicate balance of aligning with charitable values while making a living
• The mystical aspects to how life can change with new energy: Maybe that layoff happened at the perfect time?
• The power of positivity and small steps toward change, and how working on something outside of work can transform how you show up at work

and more! 

Weinstein’s newest course begins early next year: The True Path Entrepreneur Group Business Coaching Mastermind Program, which is a 12-month live coaching course designed to reprogram limiting patterns and beliefs and help move people into alignment with their true path. Click here for more info and to apply.

For links, head to the show notes page.

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin welcomes Dr. Rachelle Sampson, an executive coach, professor of business at the University of Maryland, and board member at the USONA Institute.

Find episode links, summary, and transcript here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-266-rachelle-sampson-llb-phd/?ref=278

Dr. Sampson shares insights from the Connected Leadership Project, a groundbreaking study exploring how psychedelic experiences with psilocybin impact decision-making and leadership in business executives.

Dr. Rachelle Sampson is a distinguished researcher and executive coach. She is Associate Professor of Public Policy at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland, and Senior Research Fellow at the ESG Institute, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Sampson also serves on the Board of Directors for the Usona Institute, a non-profit conducting clinical trials for psilocybin and 5-MEO-DMT.

Dr. Sampson co-leads a pioneering research project on the impact of psychedelics on leadership creativity and decision-making, driven by her curiosity about the role of business organizations in catalyzing systems change.

Highlights:

• Introduction to Dr. Rachelle Sampson and her background in business research and leadership
• Initial interest in psychedelics’ impact on leaders
• The genesis of the Connected Leadership Project
• Key findings from the pilot study with business leaders
• Observations on transformative experiences and their impact on leadership
• On the longevity of psychedelic effects in leadership contexts
• Exploration of narcissism concerns in leadership and psychedelics
• The potential for psychedelics to catalyze systems change

Episode Links:

• Connected Leadership Study
• Dr. Sampson on LinkedIn
• Dr. Sampson’s coaching practice
• The Psychedelic Coaching Institute’s Practitioner Certification Program

Episode Sponsors:

• KA! Empathogenics Kanna Supplements. Get 10% off with code THIRDWAVE at checkout
• Apollo Neuro - Third Wave listeners get 15% off.

In this episode, David interviews Daniel Shankin: psychedelic integration coach, Vital instructor, and founder and director of Tam Integration.

He talks about the underrated importance of integration circles, how he created Tam Integration out of a personal need for them, how simple it can be for people to create their own groups, and how open-ended newly formed groups can be. He also discusses his “fractal inquiry” coaching method, and how the best coaching involves simply asking questions that lead clients to their own realizations and wisdom. He is offering courses that teach both of these skills: a course called Creating Community Psychedelic Integration Circles, and the newly-launched, year-long Mt. Tam Psychedelic Integration Coaching Program, beginning in October.

He discusses:

• The importance of learning how to focus on your breath, especially during a tough experience
• Hugging the Hindu spiritual leader, Amma (Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi), and the special energy that some people have
• The benefits of knowing when a mind path isn’t worth exploring
• The difference between judgment and curiosity
• The weirdness of psychonauts, and how maybe getting a little weirder is what’s needed for your healing

and more! 

For links, head to the show notes page.

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Seeker and creator behind Area 52, Chris Ramsay enters the mind meld!

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On his new channel, Area 52, Chris explores some of life's biggest mysteries: Remote viewing, out of body experiences, the UFO phenomenon, and more. 

In this one, we riff on Chris' deep dive into remote viewing and his time at the infamous Monroe Institute where he was initiated into the mysterious Gateway Process. We also muse about the nature of consciousness, reality, and much more.

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In this episode of the Psychedelic Medicine Podcast, L.J. Lumpkin III, MA LMFT joins to discuss the potential of psychedelic medicine in the context of sports psychology. L.J. is a therapist, adjunct professor at Pepperdine University, a coach, author, speaker, and the CEO of Nomad Healing Practices.

In this conversation, L.J. shares his personal experience as an athlete and discusses the difficult transition to a new life once an athlete’s career has concluded. He compares the need to reinvent oneself in this context to ego death and explains how psychedelic-assisted therapy may be helpful for navigating this transition. L.J. also discusses the intense pressure athletes are under to perform, mentioning that the drive to win can often overpower the more basic mode of play at the heart of athleticism. This is an area where he finds ketamine to be a particularly powerful medicine, as its dissociate quality can help athletes tune out the high pressure expectations. L.J. also discusses leveraging the critical learning period provided by psychedelic therapies to institute new healthy habits, something which could benefit athletes both on and off the field. 

In this episode you'll hear:

• How ketamine-assisted therapy may be able to help athletes with their unique psychological challenges

• Integrating mindfulness to prepare for psychedelic therapies

• Leveraging the somatic component of psychedelic therapies to address pain

• The importance of integration practices and support systems

• The differences between working with psilocybin versus ketamine

• Drowning out critics and sports commentary and getting back to basics with the help of psychedelic therapy

Quotes:

“If you’ve been paid millions of dollars to hit and be aggressive for so long and that’s how you’ve dealt with your emotions—and it wasn’t a problem because you were being rewarded for it—what do you do when you’re not getting rewarded for that anymore? When you have to actually change how you process emotion—there’s not a playbook for that.” [7:46]

“Just talking about [mental health] and normalizing it—all of a sudden you’re allowed to get help, you’re allowed to heal, you’re allowed to go to practices that have been practiced throughout human civilization. We’re bringing [psychedelics] back and I think that athletes are the ones who are really going to be the ship of normalization.” [22:38]

“Especially if you’re off season, those other medicines [besides ketamine] I think they’re going to be even more helpful because that might encourage the rest, it might encourage being able to connect with family systems. I think for some of the more acute stuff, the ketamine does serve a great purpose in that.” [28:16]

Links:

L.J. on Instagram

L.J. on LinkedIn

Nomad Healing Practices website 

Psychedelic Medicine Association

Porangui

In this episode, we meet with Dr Karenza Moore as she discusses changes in drug trends in the UK, focusing on the motivations, risks, and patterns of drug use, particularly among young people. Karenza identifies trends in drug use, including the impact of the lockdown on substance abuse. She also examines various drug trends within dance music culture, which leads to a discussion of safer partying practices, with a particular focus on the LGBT community and the importance of staying safe during a night out.  Finally she addresses the challenges of conducting research in this area and outlines strategies for overcoming these barriers to gain a comprehensive understanding of substance use.

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In this episode, Joe interviews Joanna Kempner, Ph.D.: associate professor in the Department of Sociology at Rutgers University and author of the recently released, Psychedelic Outlaws: The Movement Revolutionizing Modern Medicine.

The book profiles the history and groundbreaking work of ClusterBusters, a nonprofit researching and spreading awareness about what someone named Flash discovered decades ago: that for some people, psilocybin and LSD could stop cluster headaches from coming on. Through early internet message board posts and email exchanges between Bob Wold, Rick Doblin, and others, Kempner pieced together their story. And through attending ClusterBusters meetings, she discovered that a lot of the true healing lies in the bonds formed and the hope people find when seeing something new work for a pain for which science has no answer.

She discusses:

• The lack of political will behind something so debilitating: Why is there no funding for this?
• The importance of patient advocacy and the role of the internet in sharing novel information
• The difficulty in studying a disease so unpredictable: How do you run a randomized trial when you don’t know when a cluster is going to happen?
• Why the headache community clashes with psychology
• Concerns over how to ethically combine underground and Indigenous knowledge with above-ground University research

and more! 

For links, head to the show notes page.

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin welcomes Wade Lightheart, co-founder and president of BiOptimizers.

Find episode links, summary, and transcript here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-265-wade-t-lightheart/?ref=278

Wade shares his journey from bodybuilding to creating one of the world's best supplement brands. He discusses the importance of digestive health, the role of enzymes and probiotics, and how plant medicine experiences have shaped his philosophy on health and consciousness. Wade emphasizes the need for a holistic approach to wellness that combines physical, mental, and spiritual practices.

Wade T. Lightheart is a Certified Sports Nutritionist Advisor and president/director of education and co-founder of BIOptimizers. As a plant-based and drug-free athlete for more than two decades, Wade is a three-time National Natural Bodybuilding Champion who competed in both the IFBB Mr. Universe and the INBA Natural Olympia by the age of 31. At the age of 50, Wade came out of retirement to win the Open Men’s and Grand Master’s Categories at the INBA Ironman International, then competed at The PNBA Natural Olympia. Six months later, Wade successfully ran his first marathon in four hours.

Highlights:

• Experiences with psychedelics and near-death experiences
• Wade's journey from bodybuilding to plant-based nutrition
• The five-stage process of digestion and modern food challenges
• The role of magnesium in health and its importance in Bioptimizers products
• BiOptimizers' mission and vision for the future
• The free "84 days" course offered by Bioptimizers

Episode Links:

• BiOptimizers
• Magnesium Breakthrough (Third Wave Discount applied)
• Instagram
• Facebook

Episode Sponsors:

• Apollo Neuro - Third Wave listeners get 15% off.

In this episode, Kyle interviews Mustapha Khan: Emmy Award-winning director with over 100 film and television credits, who has worked with clients such as Coca-Cola and Honda, and celebrities ranging from Maya Angelou to Snoop Dogg.

Khan is finalizing a film about Lenny and Elizabeth Gibson and their ongoing work at Dreamshadow – the people and community responsible for Joe and Kyle meeting and the creation of Psychedelics Today. He talks about meeting the Gibsons, being welcomed into their community (instead of his proposed “fly on the wall” role), how centered and happy he felt after his first breathwork session, and what he has learned through the process: that breathwork can be an incredibly healing modality, but the magic he has found has been more in the community surrounding it, and the responsibility (and honor) of being a sitter for someone else.

He discusses:

• The first time his breathwork went psychedelic, and speaking with his recently deceased Mothe
• How he got into filmmaking and why he wants to tell stories about people like the Gibson
• The beauty of breathwork not having a dogma or doctrine attached to it
• The power in holding space for someone else, even if it’s just being presen
• The importance of taking action that aligns with psychedelic ethos: What can you do to contribute to your community?

and more! 

Khan is hoping to release the documentary, “Life and Breath,” in October. In addition to a screening at Dreamshadow, PT will likely do a virtual one as well, so stay tuned for updates!

For links, head to the show notes page.

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin welcomes Tonia Erin, a psychedelic practitioner and graduate of The Psychedelic Coaching Institute’s Practitioner Training Program.

Find episode links, summary, and transcript here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-264-tonia-erin/?ref=278

Tonia shares her journey from a successful career in tech at Adobe to becoming a psychedelic coach and startup founder. She discusses her work with Energy.Work, a platform bridging technology and spirituality, and explores the potential of ultra-low dose 5-MeO-DMT. Tonia also delves into the importance of bringing feminine energy into psychedelic work and the value of ceremony and ritual in personal development.

Tonia Erin's life’s work is woven from threads of deep spiritual inquiry and a heartfelt calling to facilitate transformation and healing. Having ventured through the realms of technology and leadership, she found her true passion in bridging the ancient wisdom of earth-based practices with modern approaches to personal growth.

For over two decades, Tonia immersed herself in the tech industry, where she led teams and pioneered innovative projects. Yet, beneath the surface, she was cultivating a rich, inner landscape through her studies and practices in spirituality and self-development. Her journey took a transformative turn when she embraced the profound teachings of psychedelics, which deepened her relationships with herself and the world around her.

Driven by a vision to support others on their paths to self-discovery, she left the corporate world to dedicate herself to coaching and healing work. She is a certified coach specializing in psychedelic preparation and integration with a passion for creating sacred spaces and facilitating ceremonies that honor the rites of passage that unfold throughout our lives.

Highlights:

• Transitioning from tech to psychedelic coaching
• The role of psychedelics in career transitions
• energy.work: Bridging technology and spirituality
• The potential of ultra-low dose 5-MeO-DMT
• The importance of data in psychedelic research
• Working with women in psychedelic integration
• Creating rituals for life transitions
• Building nature-inspired technologies

Episode Links:

• Tonia’s Website
• energy.work
• Tonia on Instagram
• Tonia on LinkedIn
• The Psychedelic Coaching Institute

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Depth Psychology psychotherapist and author, Simon Yugler enters the mind meld!

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In this one, we riff on the unique power of depth psychology, taking the soul seriously, the importance of visionary exploration, archetypes, the shadow, Carl Jung and more.

Preorder Simon's book, Psychedelics and the Soul, A Mythic Guide to Psychedelic Healing, Depth Psychology and Cultural Repair 

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In this episode, Joe interviews Danielle Nova: founder of Psychedelic Recovery, founding team member of Decriminalize Nature Oakland, and Executive Director of the San Francisco Psychedelic Society.

As a recovering addict, Nova discusses how working with psychedelics helped her find her way to recovery, and how she's spreading that knowledge to others through her Psychedelic Recovery program, which focuses more on 'targeted abstinence,' instead of the total abstinence model of Psychedelics In Recovery (which works alongside AA's 12-step program). She believes that it's extremely important to reframe addiction as a life process or temporary state of consciousness (rather than a life sentence you can't escape), and that beating addiction is not about constantly being afraid of a relapse, but about evolving to a state of empowerment: that you can overcome it, and that actually, a horrific addiction may have saved you and brought you to where you're supposed to be.

She discusses: 

• The complications of Western medicine and the impact of conflicting medications that are nearly impossible to stop taking
• How self-regulation of tough emotions with outside stimuli (be it drugs, pornography, or even video games) trains people to rely on external forces rather than themselves
• How addicts end up programing themselves with 'addict consciousness,' and the power of changing one's mind state to view suffering as the fuel for a new purpose
• How, over time, we will likely start viewing microdosing as a regular dose, and the large doses we're used to will be seen as overdosing
• How being part of her ayahuasca experience (and having one himself) completely changed her father's perspective on drugs and addiction

and more!

She has co-created Microdosing Facilitator Training with Adam Bramlage of Flow State Micro: a first-of-its-kind 4-month program teaching clinicians, facilitators, and coaches about microdosing and how to safely guide others through the practice. The next cohort launches in January 2025.

For links, head to the show notes page. 

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin welcomes Dr. Matthew Dawson, co-founder and CEO of Wild Health.

Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-263-matt-dawson-md/?ref=278

Dr. Dawson shares his journey from sports to medicine, highlighting the importance of movement and play in human well-being. He discusses Wild Health's innovative approach, combining cutting-edge technology with reconnecting people to nature.

Dr. Matthew Dawson attended medical school at The University of Kentucky before completing his residency in emergency medicine at The University of Utah, where he served as both chief resident and fellow. He has practiced medicine and was an associate professor at the University of Kentucky for 7 years, with an acute interest in functional medicine and, later, genomics. Dr. Dawson's obsession with performance optimization began well before medical school. Dr. Dawson crystallized this approach to providing patients with true health care, rather than sick care, by building Wild Health – a Precision Medicine service providing personalized, genetics-based care to help patients achieve optimal wellbeing. Dr. Dawson also co-hosts the Wild Health Podcast.

Highlights:

• From athlete to physician: Dr. Dawson's journey
• Wild Health: Merging technology and nature
• Psychedelics' potential in personalized medicine
• Genetic factors in psychedelic metabolism
• Balancing objective metrics and subjective experiences
• Holistic approaches to health optimization
• AI-driven personalized health recommendations
• Epigenetics: The frontier of diagnostics
• Citizen science in advancing personalized medicine
• Health Sovereignty: Empowering individuals through personalized medicine

Episode Sponsor:

• Apollo Neuro - Third Wave listeners get 15% off.

In this episode, my guest is Jennifer Guskin, a resilient survivor of child trafficking and MK-Ultra-style programs. Despite fragmented memories from her traumatic past, she shares her story with honesty and clarity. Jennifer's childhood, marked by exploitation, included experiences in offshore facilities and visits to notorious locations like Epstein Island.

She has witnessed horrific abuses involving high-profile individuals and has bravely come forward despite facing scrutiny from Child Protective Services. Jennifer remains dedicated to raising awareness about child trafficking and the lasting effects of trauma. Join us as we delve into her inspiring journey and advocacy work. Follow her on X @CTSurvivor17 and read her substack here: jenniferguskin.substack.com.

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Sam Quick

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In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, David interviews Deanna Rogers: Registered Clinical Counselor and Vital instructor.

She discusses how trauma grows in our bodies, and the importance of practitioners and facilitators becoming trauma-informed before working with clients. She stresses the need to create the right conditions for clients to be able to work with trauma – to bring compassion to the different parts of their self and build a relationship with the uncomfortable ones, to interrupt negative narratives, and to learn how to exist in a place where they can embrace their window of tolerance and explore discomfort in a safe way. What is the specific container and pace each client needs? How flexible is their nervous system to be able to work with these states? What can be done to bring out the empathetic witness in themselves? And most importantly, how can their sense of agency be improved so that they feel like they’re fully in control of how deep things go?

She discusses:

• Her early ayahuasca experiences, and her path toward working with others, including working with Gabor Maté and Peter Levine
• How psychedelics allow us to access our irrational, animal parts, and how this work is often a combination of sacred and messy
• The need for facilitators to have a basic understanding of the nervous system and fight or flight reactions
• Moving away from the idea of: “There’s something wrong with me.” What do these chronic narratives do to our bodies?
• Working with clients to build out the capacity of their nervous system first, before working with any trauma

and more!

Rogers is one of our Vital instructors, featured in one of Vital 4’s new Specializations: Somatics & Trauma. This cohort begins on September 17, and the application deadline is next week, September 3, so apply today before it’s too late! For links, head to the show notes page.

Author and scholar of the mystical, Dr. Jeffery Kripal enters the mind meld!

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Jeff has been researching and writing about high-weirdness, mystical experiences, the UFO phenomena, near-death experiences, and more for decades.

He's the J. Newton Rayzor Chair in Philosophy and Religious Thought at Rice University. Jeff is the author of numerous books including The Flip, The Super Humanities and his latest, How To Think Impossibly About Souls, UFOs, Time, Belief, and Everything Else.

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In this episode, Prof Nutt meets with Rose Cartwright as she discusses the impact of psychedelics on her Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). She reflects on some of the common misconceptions around OCD as well as the impact diagnosis and traditional treatment had on her life. Throughout the episode, she reflects on her own psychedelic experiences, mistakes made along the way and the steps she would have taken differently going into this with the knowledge she has today.

Rose Cartwright is a screenwriter whose memoir, Pure, about her life with intrusive sexual thoughts, was adapted for Channel 4. Her revolutionary new memoir, The Maps We Carry, reveals how the failure of the mental health system to cure her OCD led her to radical action. While she explored her trauma through a series of mind-bending psychedelic trips, she began to interrogate our dominant medical paradigm. Her writing about psychedelics, consciousness and mental health has also been published in The Face, Vice and the Guardian. Rose is a writer on the Netflix adaptation of Liu Cixin’s The Three Body Problem.

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In this episode, Joe interviews Jean Lacy: Executive Director of the Illinois Psychedelic Society; and La Shawn K. Ford: 17-year member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 8th District.

Together, they are working on the CURE (Compassionate Use and Research of Entheogens) Act, which aims to decriminalize plant medicines and bring a state-regulated model for psychedelic use to Illinois. Similar to Oregon's model, but with hopefully a more cohesive ecosystem, it would include service centers, different license types, the removal of psilocybin and psilocin from the controlled substances list, and a percentage of taxes allocated to education of first responders and law enforcement. Guided by the mistakes of cannabis legalization, they're putting a lot of focus on accessibility – not just for consumers, but for people trying to get licenses and open businesses. What does equity and inclusion look like in a psychedelic service model?

They discuss: 

• The need to educate lawmakers about psychedelics and shine a light on the myths and lies of the Drug War 
• The importance of understanding the process and doing the work when working with lawmakers: When it's done right, democracy can actually happen
• Why conversations about accessibility and certain provisions need to happen up front, as bills are being written
• The impact of bipartisan support, and how bipartisan psychedelics are starting to become
• The overwhelming support for the CURE Act that Rep. Ford has seen, from people of all walks of life

and more!

If you want to help, please sign their petition and/or make a donation. And if you want to help on a larger scale, get out there and have those conversations: Tell your story, and tell it to lawmakers. Your voice can make a bigger difference than you realize.  For links, head to the show notes page. 

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin welcomes Dr. Stephen Thayer, a clinical psychologist and lead trainer for psychedelic therapists at Numinus.

Find episode links, summary, and transcript here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-262-stephen-thayer-phd/?ref=278

Dr. Thayer shares his journey from military psychologist to psychedelic-assisted therapy specialist, discussing his personal experiences with ketamine and psilocybin. He explores the integration of psychedelics into therapy and coaching, highlighting the distinctions between these roles. Dr. Thayer emphasizes the importance of facilitator training and personal psychedelic experiences, making a compelling case for evidence-based psychedelic mental healthcare alongside ceremonial or spiritual contexts.

Note: This conversation was recorded in May 2024, prior to the FDA's decision on Lykos Therapeutics' MDMA-assisted therapy clinical trial for PTSD. The recent FDA ruling, which requested additional studies, will impact some of the information discussed regarding MDMA's path to medical approval. However, we believe this episode remains valuable for its insights into the broader landscape of psychedelic therapy, practitioner training, and the ongoing evolution of the field. Enjoy!

Dr. Steve Thayer, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist who specializes in psychedelic-assisted therapy practice, training, and research. He began his career in the U.S. Air Force where he led mental health care teams, provided therapeutic and assessment services, and counseled military leadership about community mental health concerns. As an adjunct professor, Dr. Thayer has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in counseling skills, clinical psychology, and personality theory. He has served as the lead therapist on several psychedelic medicine clinical trials and currently consults for Compass Pathways as a mentor to the therapists working on their phase 3 trial of psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression. Dr. Thayer is the Lead Instructor for Numinus's psychedelic-assisted therapy certification program and co-hosts Numinus's podcast, Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers. Dr. Thayer has a private therapy and coaching practice where he helps people resolve the unconscious blocks keeping them from creating the happiness, wealth, freedom, and relationships they crave.

Highlights:

• From military psychology to psychedelic therapy
• Personal explorations with ketamine and psilocybin
• Psychedelics for mental health and spiritual exploration
• Integrating psychedelics into therapy and coaching
• Motivation for entering the psychedelic industry
• Bringing psychedelic awareness to the unconscious mind
• The potential for harm in the psychedelic underground
• Principles of effective psychedelic facilitation
• Assessing personal readiness as a psychedelic facilitator
• Experiential MDMA training for therapists
• Balancing evidence-based and spiritual approaches

Episode Sponsors:

• Apollo Neuro - Third Wave listeners get 15% off.
• Soltara Healing Center: Use code TW200 to receive $200 off your next retreat.

In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, David interviews Rachelle Sampson, Ph.D.: researcher and founder of Blue Prism Coaching; and Bennet Zelner, Ph.D.: researcher, speaker, and creator of the Pollination Approach. They are both Vital instructors and Associate Professors at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland.

Based on a passion for regenerative economics (how we might be able to apply patterns of nature to socioeconomic systems), they are co-leading the Connected Leadership Study, a research project tracking how psychedelic experiences can facilitate change in people in leadership positions. They believe that a shift from a mechanistic attunement to a more synergistic recognition of our interconnectedness should lead to new ways of thinking, resulting in more creative leaders with better decision-making and team-building skills, and corporate culture caring more about values, regenerative models, equity, and sustainability – all while still being successful. They wonder: Can psychedelic experiences create better leaders? Can capitalism become more conscious?

They discuss:

• The structure of the study, what they learned in the first cohort, and why they track participants for a yea
• How change happens over time, and why they believe it to needs to happen from the bottom u
• The concept of emergence and emergent change illustrated by the shifts in movement of a flock of bird
• How synergistic attunement can be traced back to the cellular level
• The challenge of balancing the therapeutic aspect of psychedelics with the more corporate strategy/professional side

and more!

The study’s next cohort begins in October, so if you’re a business leader interested in being a participant, head to Leaders.study for more info. And if you’d like to learn more about these concepts, the new Regenerative Business and Leadership specialization path in this year’s cohort of Vital digs deep into this world. And we’ve just extended the applications to Sept. 2, so you still have time to apply! For links, head to the show notes page.

In this bonus episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, recorded live on Third Wave's community platform, Paul F. Austin welcomes Maria Dimakos, a Greek lineage holder, medicine woman, and graduate of The Psychedelic Coaching Institute's Practitioner Certification Program.

Find episode links, summary, and transcript here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-261b-maria-dimakos/?ref=278

Maria shares her journey from corporate success to becoming a spiritual teacher and psychedelic practitioner. She discusses her experiences as a death doula, her deep connection to Greek heritage, and the transformative power of psychedelic experiences. Maria also explores her vision for resurrecting mystery schools in Greece and creating healing temples that honor ancient wisdom while embracing modern practices. Join future live recordings by setting up a free account at community.thethirdwave.co.

Maria Sophia is a spiritual teacher who transitioned from a successful career in start-ups and Fortune 500 companies to embrace her authentic intuitive gifts. Despite achieving corporate success, Maria felt limited in expressing her full potential in traditional work environments. Her journey of self-discovery led her to dedicate more time to spiritual practices, where she found a community that recognized and valued her unique abilities. This shift in perspective empowered Maria to fully embrace her spiritual gifts and channel them into serving others. Now, as a spiritual teacher, she guides individuals to access their own innate "superpowers" by encouraging them to look inward rather than seeking external validation. Maria's approach combines her corporate experience with spiritual insight, helping clients unlock their authentic intuitive gifts for personal growth and fulfillment.

Highlights:

• Greek lineage and connection to ancient wisdom
• Journey from corporate success to spiritual teaching
• Transformative jungle hike in Costa Rica
• Experiences as a death doula and certified psychedelic coach
• Insights on integration and facilitation
• Vision for Greek mystery schools and healing temples

Episode Links:

• Maria's Website
• The Psychedelic Coaching Institute
• Third Wave Community Platform
• Third Wave’s Upcoming Costa Rica Intensive (October 5-12)

Philosopher, professor, and author, Dr. Gregory Shaw enters the mind meld!

Video Episode 👈

Gregory Shaw is the author of Theurgy and the Soul the Neoplatonism of Iamblichus, and his latest, Hellenic Tantra. He's a world-renowned expert on Neoplatonism, particularly the mysterious philosopher-sage, Iamblichus of Chalcis. Unlike his Platonic predecessors (apparently), Iamblichus engaged heavily in ritual esoteric practices. The heart of said practices were  mysterious rites known as “theurgy.” A Greek word that translates to something like "god-working."

Though no one knows exactly what these practices were, there is a great deal we do know thanks to Iamblichus' extant writings and scholars like Shaw. 

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In this episode of the Psychedelic Medicine Podcast, podcast host Dr. Lynn Marie Morski comes on the mic to provide a five-year update on the podcast and share the changes in the legal landscape of psychedelics in the past half-decade. Lynn Marie Morski, MD, JD is the president of the Psychedelic Medicine Association and host of the Psychedelic Medicine Podcast. She sits on the advisory boards of Psychedelics Today, Cybin, VETS, Inc (Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions), the Oxenberg Foundation, and the Ketamine Task Force. Dr. Morski is a Mayo Clinic-trained physician in family medicine and sports medicine, as well as an attorney and former adjunct law professor.

In this anniversary episode you’ll hear about the legally-accessible forms of psychedelic therapy which have come to prominence as potential mainstream therapeutics in recent years. Dr. Mroski shares Information on the legal adult use framework for psilocybin in Oregon, including licensing, costs, and exclusion criteria. She also discusses programs in Australia and Canada that will allow certain patients to access psychedelic therapies such as psilocybin- and MDMA-assisted therapy. In addition to classic psychedelic medicines, Dr. Morski also shares information on the medicine which is currently most accessible: ketamine. She discusses the difference between S-ketamine and R-ketamine and on-label and off-label uses of this substance. In closing, Dr. Morski presents some of the finer details of the current landscape of insurance coverage for ketamine. 

In this episode you'll hear:

• The difference between decriminalization and legalization

• The FDA decision to deny the Lykos Therapeutics’ new drug application for MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD

• The upcoming Colorado psilocybin program

• Psychiatric licenses to administer MDMA and LSD to patients in Australia 

• The Special Access Program for psychedelic therapies in Canada 

• Legal ketamine access in the United States

• How the Psychedelic Medicine Podcast chooses guests

Quotes:

“I wanted to focus mostly on what is legal because we know that’s the way things are going to be the most monitored and therefore safely accessible.” [20:45]

“People are in this industry because they want other people to feel better and they want to help and they’re so generous with their time” [25:31]

Links:
clinicaltrials.gov - the place to find information on upcoming clinical trials for psychedelic medicine for which you may qualify

Insurance Coverage for Psychedelic Therapy by Vincent Joralemon

SPRAVATO withMe Patient Support Program

Enthea insurance

Previous episode: How to Choose A Psychedelic Facilitator or Retreat Center with Joël Brierre

Previous episode: Warning Signs When Selecting a Psychedelic Facilitator with Juliana Mulligan

Previous episode: Ketamine Scientific Research with Dr. Jason Wallach

Psychedelic Medicine Association

Porangui

As the psychedelic renaissance continues to spread throughout the West, we learn more about these substances and experiences every day. But are we losing the important ancestral teachings and Indigenous knowledge that got us here?

In this episode, Kyle interviews Alonso Del Río: author, musician, filmmaker, founder of the Center for Healing and Consciousness Studies (Ayahuasca Ayllu), and facilitator with 45 years of experience largely under the framework of the Shipibo tradition.

Together with translator, Francisco Rivarola, they have developed a course called “Ancestral Teachings for the Psychedelic Renaissance,” which aims to be both an honoring of knowledge that has safeguarded these traditions, and a bridge between that wisdom and our Western frameworks, teaching ancestral traditions (largely Shipibo and Incan-Peruvian), the roles and function of dietas, the less talked-about dangers of brujeria (witchcraft), holistic frameworks for dealing with mystical experiences, and the connection between spirituality and responsibility towards nature. The course features 20 hours of Del Río’s teachings (with subtitles) and is the first time they’ve been made available to the general public.

He talks about:

• The importance of following guidelines when working with ayahuasca, and how Westerners often don’t respect the rigor required to do it right
• The different types of healers in the Shipibo tradition, from good and bad to the “Ascended Master,” who transcends physical limits and is incapable of causing harm
• The potential for ayahuasca to be weaponized, how often this happens, and the risks for Westerners who aren’t aware
• How the consciousness level of a person can be related to the emotions that that person allows themselves to have
• How the expansion of consciousness is healing in itself

and more!

Ancestral Teachings for the Psychedelic Renaissance is a self-paced course that can be taken at any time, so if you’re interested, take advantage of early bird pricing and check it out in the Psychedelic Education Center now! For links, head to the show notes page.

Join host Paul F. Austin in a special live episode recorded at Psychedelic Horizons in Malibu in June, 2024, with guests Louie Schwartzberg, Lauren Taus, and Bá Minuzzi.

Find episode links, summary, and transcript here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-261-psychedelic-horizons/?ref=278

This engaging discussion explores themes of resilience, systems change, and inspired living, focusing on the intersection of psychedelics and conscious entrepreneurship. Discover insights on personal transformation, community building, and the evolving psychedelic landscape. Don't miss this unique conversation from the forefront of the psychedelic renaissance.

Louie Schwartzberg: Director of "Fantastic Fungi" and a pioneer in high-end time-lapse cinematography, Louie supports clinical research with visual imagery, bringing a visionary lens to the benefits of psilocybin mushrooms.

Lauren Taus: Founder of Inbodied Life, Lauren is a clinical therapist trained by MAPS. Her work focuses on ecologies of healing, supporting liberation, and integrating societal systems for growth and healing.

Bá Minuzzi: Entrepreneur and conscious investor, Bá leads wealth management for high-net-worth clients with UMANA. She champions psychedelic medicine as a transformative force for societal change.

Highlights:

• Introduction to panel discussion
• Lessons from the mycelial network of fungi
• Embracing the third wave of psychedelics
• Navigating challenges in business
• The balancing act of integrity and vision
• Seeking reverence for plant life
• Using beauty to fight fear
• The inner work of leaders
• The transformative power of psychedelics

Episode Sponsor:

• Sacred House of Eden: Get a $500 discount on one of their 2024 retreats by mentioning Third Wave when filling out their inquiry form.

In this episode, Vital instructor, Diego Pinzon, hosts his first podcast, interviewing Vital graduate and clinically-trained psychologist, “The Kinki Buddhist”: Kate Amy.

As Amy’s interest in psychedelics grew, she began to see a clear intersection between psychedelic states and the non-ordinary states she’d reached through years of meditation practice, as well as lessons from Buddhism that could help in better understanding psychedelic journeys. She talks about the importance of really understanding what it is one is seeking when looking to have a psychedelic experience, and the significance of integration – no matter how long it takes. While she has tips that have worked for clients, she feels that the psychedelic space has a long way to go in establishing best practices for the most effective integration.

She discusses:

• Why she uses the name, “The Kinki Buddhist”
• How she frames the psychedelic experience as taking an evolutionary substance (and/or receiving a software upgrade)
• The necessity of having a positive relationship with the self before a big trip
• The continuous process of patients and facilitators both engaging in shadow work, and ways of discovering our different hidden parts
• The rigidity many of us prescribe to certain healing frameworks, and how beneficial it can be to view strict rules as guidelines for exploration instead

and of course, her experience with Vital!

The deadline for submitting your application is next week, August 23, so make sure to get your application in today. For links, head to the show notes page. 

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Journalist and Author of The UFO Paradox, Keith Thompson enters the mind meld!

Video Episode 👈

Keith has been surfing the UFO / UAP phenomenon and related rabbit holes for decades. He's developed a unique, sophisticated, multifaceted way of approaching this mystery that ranges from journalistic and empirical to mythopoetic and esoteric. His books Angels and Aliens and The UFO Paradox are available now. 

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In this episode, we meet with Satya, a consciousness activist, who has been entirely dedicated to the expansion and evolution of human consciousness for 15 years. Throughout this time, she has facilitated retreats for over 63,000 people around the world, with profound processes of transformation. Satya is the founder of Working With Satya and of the Awareness Facilitator School, that is currently training facilitators with the method she has developed, uniting modern therapies with science, meditation and ancient wisdom. 

She discusses the process of her work through a wide range of transformational processes, with a special focus on combining ancient rituals with contemporary therapeutic techniques. Satya shares how her personal healing journey, following sexual abuse, led her to discover the transformative power of Ayahuasca. Inspired by this experience, she became passionate about sharing this sacred medicine and supporting others on their own paths to healing.

Working With Psilocybin - Training Course
Ayahuasca

Psilocybin

mescaline

Working with Satya

Ayahuasca retreat

Trauma

PTSD in Veterans 

Indigenous ethics in psychedelic work

Support the podcast

In this episode, Chris Koddermann interviews two members of the Center for the Neuroscience of Psychedelics at Mass General Hospital: founding director, author, and co-founder of three drug development companies, Dr. Jerry Rosenbaum; and psychiatrist and associate director and director of cognitive neuroscience, Sharmin Ghaznavi, MD, Ph.D.

Rosenbaum and Ghaznavi bonded over an interest in rumination, and wondered: How could the plasticity-inducing effects of psychedelics change these negative loops people find themselves in? How important is the ability to break out of those loops – and learn new patterns – when our concept of self is so central to who we are? Ghaznavi is studying the effects of psilocybin on rumination and scanning patients at multiple times throughout the process to track data we still don’t really have: how psychedelic-induced neuroplasticity changes over time, and why.

They discuss:

• How much of a role the default mode network takes in the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics: Is it overblown?
• Hyperscanning, which involves scanning two individuals at the same time, looking for potential concordance in signal and/or an increased alliance between the therapist and patient
• The Schultes Legacy Project and the work of Stephen Haggarty to explore the potential of largely unstudied psychoactive plants
• Critiques of the recent ruling on Lykos and MDMA-assisted therapy and the clash between the FDA and the advisory committee: Were they really on the same page?
• The false dichotomy of neuroscience vs. patient experience: Does the subjective experience actually increase plasticity and other measurable benefits?

and more!

For links, head to the show notes page.

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin welcomes Hamilton Souther, a master shaman and innovator in plant medicine.

Find episode links, summary, and transcript here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-260-hamilton-souther/?ref=278

Hamilton shares his journey from the tech-driven San Jose Bay Area to the Amazon, where he found his calling in shamanic plant medicine. He discusses founding Blue Morpho, the first healing center in the Peruvian Amazon focused on Amazonian natural medicine, and emphasizes the importance of education, lineage, and safety in shamanic practices.

Hamilton explores the differences between psychedelic guides and shamans, and shares his vision of bringing greater education, standardization, and safety to the psychedelic renaissance.

In 2002 at the age of 23, after graduating University in Anthropology, Hamilton Souther opened Blue Morpho, the first healing center in the Peruvian Amazon focusing on Amazonian natural medicine and the sustainable use of Amazonian Visionary Medicines.

Hamilton is a bridge between ancient wisdom and cutting-edge innovation, fully immersed in the modern world. With a foot in Web3 and AI, he is not just keeping pace with the future; he is helping to shape it. He is on a mission to awaken consciousness and technology for the betterment of humanity.

Highlights:

• Upbringing, education, and journey to the Amazon
• The rigorous path of an Ayahuasca apprentice
• Involvement in the shamanic revolution
• Pioneering ayahuasca jungle tours with Blue Morpho
• Integrating shamanic plant medicine into Western society
• Shaman vs. guide: Crucial distinctions in psychedelic work
• Inside Blue Morpho Academy's innovative programs
• Elevating safety and standards in the psychedelic renaissance

Episode Sponsors

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

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin welcomes Hamilton Souther, a master shaman and innovator in plant medicine.

Find episode links, summary, and transcript here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-260-hamilton-souther/

Hamilton shares his journey from the tech-driven San Jose Bay Area to the Amazon, where he found his calling in shamanic plant medicine. He discusses founding Blue Morpho, the first healing center in the Peruvian Amazon focused on Amazonian natural medicine, and emphasizes the importance of education, lineage, and safety in shamanic practices.

Hamilton explores the differences between psychedelic guides and shamans, and shares his vision of bringing greater education, standardization, and safety to the psychedelic renaissance.

In 2002 at the age of 23, after graduating University in Anthropology, Hamilton Souther opened Blue Morpho, the first healing center in the Peruvian Amazon focusing on Amazonian natural medicine and the sustainable use of Amazonian Visionary Medicines.

Hamilton is a bridge between ancient wisdom and cutting-edge innovation, fully immersed in the modern world. With a foot in Web3 and AI, he is not just keeping pace with the future; he is helping to shape it. He is on a mission to awaken consciousness and technology for the betterment of humanity.

Highlights:

• Upbringing, education, and journey to the Amazon
• The rigorous path of an Ayahuasca apprentice
• Involvement in the shamanic revolution
• Pioneering ayahuasca jungle tours with Blue Morpho
• Integrating shamanic plant medicine into Western society
• Shaman vs. guide: Crucial distinctions in psychedelic work
• Inside Blue Morpho Academy's innovative programs
• Elevating safety and standards in the psychedelic renaissance

Episode Sponsors

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

In this episode of Vital Psychedelic Conversations, David interviews Tiffany Hurd: microdosing coach, speaker, business leadership advisor, and student in our current cohort of Vital.

After 15 years in the corporate healthcare industry and several years on antidepressants, she started microdosing psilocybin and saw an immediate change in her life, tapering off antidepressants within a few months. She realized that she could blend her background in business development and strategy with microdosing, helping companies (and specifically company leadership) become more vulnerable, heart-centered, and innovative. She has found that the changes in people have (not surprisingly) led to improved employee mental health, better team relationships, and more open-mindedness and authenticity, and likely, a large reason for that is not the microdosing itself, but the increased attention to preparation and integration – two huge factors often not discussed with microdosing.

She talks about:

• Why mentorship/coaching has not been seen as an integral part of a microdosing practice, and why it should be
• Her drive to normalize the use of low-dose psychedelics, especially in our Western ‘go all in’ culture
• The benefits of pairing microdosing with other healing modalities, and how microdosing can help you embrace more of them
• Why she signed up for vital and how she feels about the course half way through
• How she deals with the illegality of substances in the corporate world

and more!

Microdosing is one of the new specialization tracks featured in our next cohort of Vital, beginning September 16. If you want to know more, send us an email or attend one of the next Vital Q+As!

For links, head to the show notes page.

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Psychologist and author, Dr. Emma Seppala enters the mind meld! In this one, we riff on the mystery of intuition, remote viewing, the power of breath-work and meditation, and much more.

Video Episode  👈

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Emma is the author of The Happiness Track and her latest book, Sovereign. A psychologist and research scientist by training, her expertise is the science of happiness, emotional intelligence, and social connection. She currently lectures at Yale and has published research on breath work, compassion & meditation.

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In this episode of the Psychedelic Medicine Podcast, Dr. David Rabin, MD, PhD joins to discuss whether genes can be predictive of one’s response to MDMA Therapy. Dr. Rabin, a board-certified psychiatrist and neuroscientist, is the co-founder & chief medical officer at Apollo Neuroscience. In addition to his clinical psychiatry practice, Dr. Rabin is also the co-founder & executive director of The Board of Medicine, and a psychedelic clinical researcher currently evaluating the mechanism of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy in treatment-resistant mental illnesses.

In this conversation, Dr. Rabin shares his research into epigenetic responses to MDMA-therapy, exploring topics of trauma, gene expression, and personalized, data-driven medicine. He discusses the seminal discovery that trauma can cause epigenetic changes in the structure and function of the cortical system and his own research findings that uncovered a reversal of these changes associated with MDMA-assisted therapy. Dr. Rabin hopes further research in this area may allow for leveraging epigenetic data to determine which psychedelic medicine a particular patient may be most likely to respond to and track how effective a given treatment has been. In closing, he expresses excitement about bringing objective biological precision to mental health treatment, drawing a parallel to the discovery of antibiotics which allowed for much more tailored treatments of infections which has saved countless lives. 

In this episode you'll hear:

• Response rates to psychedelic-assisted therapy for PTSD versus conventional therapies

• The consequences of ineffective treatment for PTSD

• MDMA-assisted therapy as preventative care and the societal cost savings involved

• Genetics, epigenetics, and gene expression

• Using epigenetic data from simple saliva swabs to better gauge response to MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD

Quotes:

“Most of the treatments we have available today for PTSD—that are the FDA-cleared, considered gold standard treatments—only actually induce remission from illness… in about 30% of people. So of the 100% of the millions of people every year that are getting treated for PTSD, with the best treatments that we have that are currently available, only 30%—at best—are getting better long term. Everyone else has a diagnosis of PTSD for life.”  [3:55]

“MDMA-assisted therapy for people with PTSD is having an effect that’s similar to what we saw with the discovery of antibiotics for infection.” [8:07]

“Folks with severe PTSD who went through this trial, when they received MDMA-assisted therapy, [the researchers] saw a statistically significant change—in terms of repair—of the cortisol receptor’s epigenetic code which reflects improved structure and function of that receptor site. But not only that—we saw that the amount that people got better… was directly correlated with… the amount of remodeling and repair at the receptor site.” [18:36]

“Epigenetic code is actually something that can be modified by experiences in our environment. And trauma—or PTSD diagnoses, a series of significant traumas over time—can in fact change epigenetic code of the cortisol receptor gene. And that changes how the cortisol receptor gene gets made, and it changes its function.”  [29:52]

“PTSD is a disorder of learned fear. How do we treat PTSD? In animals and humans, we provide the same stimulation that they were getting that they are now afraid of in the context of safety. That’s how exposure therapy works, that’s how MDMA therapy works to some extent—all of these tools and techniques work to treat PTSD effectively… in the same way. It’s called safety conditioning.” [36:48]

Links:

Dr. Rabin’s article: Pilot study suggests DNA methylation of the glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1) is associated with MDMA-assisted therapy treatment response for severe PTSD

Dr. Rabin’s website

Dr. Rabin on LinkedIn

Dr. Rabin on Instagram 

Dr. Rabin on Twitter 

Apollo Neuroscience website 

Psychedelic Medicine Association

Porangui

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, host Paul F. Austin welcomes Tricia Eastman, medicine woman and founder of Ancestral Medicine Heart.

Find episode links, summary, and transcript here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-259-tricia-eastman/?ref=278

Tricia shares her journey through the world of plant medicine and psychedelics, offering insights from her initiations into the Bwiti tradition and her experiences as a medicine woman.

Tricia discusses her new book, 'Seeding Consciousness', detailing the challenges and revelations encountered during the writing process. She also unveils her vision for a wellness retreat center currently under construction in the Azores, exploring how this project aligns with her mission to integrate ancestral wisdom with modern healing practices.

Throughout the conversation, Tricia and Paul delve into the transformative power of psychedelics, their potential for personal and collective evolution, and the importance of responsible use in catalyzing positive change. They explore how these powerful medicines can be safely integrated into our culture to foster healing, creativity, and spiritual growth.

Tricia Eastman, a lineage-honoring medicine woman and founder of nonprofit Ancestral Heart, bridging worlds rooted in her mestiza ancestry with profound insights from a decade of Bwiti initiations and training. A renowned speaker, artist, and writer, Eastman has been privileged to engage with audiences at Stanford University's d.school, the World Economic Forum, and on GAIA TV's Psychedelica. Eastman has curated transformative retreats worldwide with plant medicines as well as facilitated the psychospiritual program with Ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT at Crossroads Treatment Center in Mexico. Her wellness retreat center, Hu Azores, is scheduled to open in late 2025.

• Highlights:
• Tricia’s connection to Asheville, North Carolina
• Early life and introduction to psychedelics
• Medicine woman's journey: Tricia's path and experiences in plant medicine
• Committing to a life of service to the medicine
• Iboga initiations with the Bwiti tradition in Gabon
• 'Seeding Consciousness': Key themes and challenges in writing Tricia's new book
• The journey starting Tricia’s retreat center, Hu Azores
• “Eating the medicine right off the land”: The vision for the retreat center

Episode Sponsors:

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

The path of the psychedelic renaissance has largely touched on the aspects of therapy, personal growth, and initiation rites, but now, the relationship between psychedelics and creativity is being studied more and more. Can psychedelics really increase intellect, novelty, and problem solving?

In this episode, Joe interviews Dr. Bruce Damer: astrobiologist with a long history of work at NASA, and now the president and co-founder of the Center for Minds, a new nonprofit researching the best ways to improve creativity and problem solving.

He talks about how we’re losing our best creative minds to hyper-specialization, and while there is lots of research pointing to psychedelics as creativity-enhancers, we need to develop frameworks and protocols to be able to measure exactly how that works, and the best ways to encourage better results. The Center for Minds is sponsoring research while running its own three year project studying creativity in a naturalistic setting, and aims to answer: How do we unlock more genius? What’s the main driver for novel thinking?

He discusses:

• His path to psychedelics, including his time with ‘endo-tripping’: training his mind to trip without any external substances
• The importance of adding ‘set up’ to set and setting, representing one’s intentions and preparatory work up until that point
• The tale of his extraordinary ayahuasca experience where he journeyed together with Mama Ayahuasca all the way to the beginning of life on earth
• His theory on the real origin of life, and why the ‘survival of the fittest’ framework shouldn’t be our North Star
• The absolute necessity of mentorship from elders

and more!

The steps the Center of Minds will take in studying psychedelics and creativity will largely be steered by people’s personal stories, so please share yours with them by filling out their survey. What has worked for you? What is your personal protocol? For links, head to the show notes page.