Martijn Schirp of Synthesis Institute joins us on Adventures Through The Mind to wonder with us about the potential harms that will come from the profit-driven industrialization of psychedelics and psychedelic therapy; how we might safeguard the sacredness of psychedelics and people seeking psychedelic therapy against those harms; and where and how he sees Synthesis Institute as attempting to do so. We also talk about cultural maturity; the systemic issues that lead to broad-sweeping ill-health ...
Jun 17, 2022•2 hr 13 min•Ep. 161
Anna Lutkajtis is the author of The Dark Side of Dharma: Meditation, Madness and other Maladies on the Contemplative Path. Lutkajtis joins us on the Adventures Through The Mind podcast to discuss mediation; the adverse effects of meditation; where those adverse effects may arise from; the importance of meditation teachers having psychotherapeutic skills; the nerfing of spirituality; and why it is that Western meditation contexts not only generally lack an awareness and understanding of mediation...
May 27, 2022•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 160
Featuring speakers from the ESPD55: Ethnopharmacologic Search for Psychoactive Drugs symposium , this cafe explores the question: What does ethnopharmacology have to teach humanity in our present times? Topics include: the reconciliation of humanity with nature; what traditional and indigenous knowledge systems hold for our capacity to facilitate this reconciliation; the importance and challenge of good reciprocity, fair compensation, and the prioritization and protection of indigenous sovereign...
May 13, 2022•1 hr 37 min•Ep. 159
Brian Blomerth joins us on ATTMind to discuss his journey into drawing and comics, his artistic process, the intense journalistic research that went into both his psychedelic history graphic novels Mycelium Wassoni and Bicycle Day, the strange findings and complexities he uncovered during that research, and why making these cartoonist accounts of Psychedelic History matter to him. ... For links to Blomerth's work, full show notes, and a link to watch this episode in video, head to bit.ly/ATTMind...
Apr 22, 2022•59 min•Ep. 159
Dr. Darcia Narvaez joins us on Adventures Through The Mind to explore how early life experiences shape our morality and culture in adulthood and the kind of early life that leads to human thriving—what she calls The Evolved Nest. We also explore the impact 10,000 years of unnested children is having on our psychology, our morality, and our civilization as a whole; how early life nesting experiences lead to what Narvaez's calls Cycled Of Cooperative Companionship; and how the undercare of being u...
Apr 03, 2022•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 158
Noah Cebuliak joins us to explore what Tarot and Asotlrogy are and are not; their use and history of involvement with psychedelic work; wagering fair skepticism with pragmatism and opportunity; the use of astrology for spiritual bypassing; how we can work with both astrology and tarot for our psychedelic preparation and integration; and more. For links to Noah's work, full show notes, and to watch this episode in video, head to https://bit.ly/ATTMind157 ***Full Topics Breakdown Below*** SUPPORT ...
Mar 05, 2022•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 157
Sky Otter (Bill Pfeiffer) joins us to talk about Deep Ecology, the problematic place we are in as a planet, and the profound healing potential still available to us, personally and collectively, through coming back into ecstatic communion and relationship with the Earth. For links to Otter's work, full show notes, and to watch this episode in video, head to https://bit.ly/ATTMind156 ***Full Topics Breakdown Below*** SUPPORT THIS PODCAST ► Patreon: https://patreon.com/jameswjesso ► Donations: htt...
Dec 31, 2021•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 156
What are the healing potentials of expanded states? It is this question that guides the conversation featured on this episode of Adventures Through The Mind, another Psychedelic Café episode. Our guests are Maria Papaspyrou, Nir Tradmor, Natasja Pelgrom, and Renee Harvey. For links to our participants work, full show notes, and to watch this episode in video, head to https://bit.ly/PsyCafe7 ***Full Topics Breakdown Below*** SUPPORT THIS PODCAST ► Patreon: https://patreon.com/jameswjesso ► Donati...
Dec 17, 2021•1 hr 52 min•Ep. 155
Alex Dorr joins us on Adventures Through The Mind to provide us an overview of mushrooms and the fungi kingdom; the anatomy, life cycle, and evolutionary history of mushrooms; and the role fungi play in the very foundations of life on this planet. We also talk about mycoremediation, mycotechnologies, and go in-depth about the health effects of functional mushrooms such as reishi, lion's mane, and cordyceps. For links to Dorr's work, full show notes, and to watch this episode in video, head to ht...
Dec 03, 2021•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 155
Jesse Gould of Heroic Hearts Project is on the show for this episode to talk about his own battle with PTSD and his recovery through ayahuasca therapy. We also talk about the challenges of integrating back into civilian life after combat, the tragic mental health and suicide statistics amongst veterans, and the role Heroic Hearts Project is playing to help those veterans. More than that though, Jesse and I speak about what it's like as a soldier to find out that their government lied to justify ...
Nov 19, 2021•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 154
Dr. Monica Gagliano takes us on a deep dive into the results of her scientific research into plant intelligence. But she also shares the profound impact of her personal encounters with the living intelligence of the natural world, and what those encounters have revealed about herself, about life, and about the murderous consequences of modern scientific training. We also explore definitions of intelligence and plant intelligence; the impact of anthropocentrism on our relationship to the natural ...
Nov 05, 2021•2 hr 2 min•Ep. 153
Ed Prideaux joins us to discuss what Hallucinogen Perception Persisting Disorder (HPPD) is, its symptoms, its history, its association with other mental health conditions, how widespread it seems to be, and how it isn't necessarily a negative experience. We also speak of psychedelic flashbacks--what they are and what they are not; the role of memory, trauma, and neuroplasticity in HPPD; the pathologizing of neurodiversity; and each of our personal experiences of the condition. For links to Pride...
Oct 22, 2021•1 hr 51 min•Ep. 152
Chris Kilham joins us on Adventures Through The Mind to explore yoga, cannabis, and yoga and cannabis. We also explore the spirit of cannabis, psychedelics in general as a part of spiritual practice, and the dangerous pitfalls of spiritual narcissism and delusions that arise from all spiritual practice, and especially insular spiritual communities. For links to Chris' work, full show notes, and to watch this episode in video, head to https://bit.ly/ATTMind151 ***Full Topics Breakdown Below*** OU...
Oct 08, 2021•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 151
Shelley and Charley Wininger join us to tell a story of great loss, one that provides the context to wonder about the potential of group MDMA experiences for grief and the recently bereaved, as well as questions about death and dying, feeling safe to be vulnerable, and the profound healing of togetherness in times of great loss. ... For links to Winingers's work, full show notes, and to watch this episode in video, head to https://bit.ly/ATTMind150 ***Full Topics Breakdown Below*** SUPPORT THIS ...
Sep 24, 2021•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 150
Casey Schwartz, author of Attention: A Love Story , joins us talk about her journey with Adderall addiction; how social media technology influences our attention and behavior; internet reactivity and mob "justice"; psychedelics and their impact on attention; the deeper philosophy of what attention is; and why attention matters. For links to Schwartz's work, full show notes, and to watch this episode in video, head to https://bit.ly/ATTMind149 ***Full Topics Breakdown Below*** SUPPORT THIS PODCAS...
Sep 10, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 149
Our guest for this episode is Stephen Jenkinson and, with him, we will wonder about wonder and inquire–with wonder–about wisdom, prejudice, language, Mystery, generational truancy, the plague, and inquiry itself. For links to Jenkinson's work, full show notes, and to watch this episode in video, head to https://bit.ly/ATTMind148 ***Full Topics Breakdown Below*** SUPPORT THIS PODCAST ► Patreon: https://patreon.com/jameswjesso ► Donations: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=383635S3BKJVS ► Merchan...
Aug 27, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 148
Amanita Dreamer is on the show to talk about her story of healing from panic and anxiety with the amanita muscaria mushroom. We also talk about the mushroom's pharmacology, safe preparation and use; and how (and why) it can help us heal from not only childhood trauma but pre-birth and infancy trauma by re-parenting us. Finally, we talk about what it means to live traumatized in a traumatized and traumatizing world and how the amanita mushroom might help us discover, and build, a world that feels...
Aug 13, 2021•1 hr 44 min•Ep. 147
Danny Nemu is on the show to talk about Science Revealed, the failures of our scientific institutions, and their unreliability as proxies for sensemaking reality. We explore the question: Can we trust science? ***Interview recorded April 29, 2021 (This is a weird interview because there are several moments where my—I personally consider valid—inclination to push back against certain statements revealed myself as being somewhat wrapped in ideological assumptions and juvenile reactivity... It was ...
Jul 30, 2021•2 hr 10 min•Ep. 146
Natasha Mason PhD and Jan Ramaekers PhD are on the show to discuss the effects of psilocybin on creativity; the challenge of measuring creativity in a lab; the role creativity plays in mental health; and even the connections between psychedelics, creativity, and movements in art and culture. For links to out guest's work, full show notes, and to watch this episode in video, head to https://bit.ly/ATTMind145 ***Full Topics Breakdown Below*** SUPPORT THIS PODCAST ► Patreon: https://patreon.com/jam...
Jul 16, 2021•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 145
Antwan Saca and Leor Roseman are two of the authors of the research paper Relational Processes in Ayahuasca Groups of Palestinians and Israelis . They are on the show to talk about that research and the complexities of conflict and conflict-resolution it explores. For links to our guest's work, full show notes, and to watch this episode in video, head to https://bit.ly/ATTMind144 ***Full Topics Breakdown Below*** SUPPORT THIS PODCAST ► Patreon: https://patreon.com/jameswjesso ► Donations: https:...
Jul 02, 2021•1 hr 51 min•Ep. 144
In this psychedelic café, we explore spiritual awakening and spiritual crisis; what they are, and what causes them. We also explore how we heal from spiritual crisis; their connection to trauma; the spiritual roots of healing bipolar; differentiating spiritual crisis from clinical psychiatric illness; the anti-theistic paradigm of psychiatry; personal crisis in the context of global climate crisis; and having a force larger than oneself un-make and remake our lives. Our guests are: Anna Lutkajti...
Jun 18, 2021•1 hr 38 min
Pierre Bouchard is on the show to talk about somatic therapy, the traumatic roots of depression, and the role ketamine-assisted somatic psychotherapy can play in healing that trauma, and thus the depression it produces. For links to Bouchard's work, full show notes, and to watch this episode in video, head to https://bit.ly/ATTMind143 ***Full Topics Breakdown Below*** SUPPORT THIS PODCAST ► Patreon: https://patreon.com/jameswjesso ► Donations: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=383635S3BKJVS ► M...
Jun 11, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 143
Chris Bache PhD has previously been on the show to talk about his work with high dose LSD journeys, out of his book LSD and The Mind Of The Universe. In that book, he discusses visions he had of 'the birth of the future human' emerging out of the incredible suffering and challenges of a total, global collapse. In this interview, Chris outlines why and where he sees this collapse as already having begun and what his LSD journeys into 'deep time,' the collective suffering of all humanity, and divi...
Apr 23, 2021•1 hr 52 min•Ep. 142
"Where do the Australian psychoactive acacia species fit into the contemporary, local psychedelic scene, and how does interaction with these species inform a deeper connection to this land and its dreaming?" That's the question we are discussing in this episode of the podcast, psychedelic cafe #5. We talk about the history, pharmacology, and phenomenology of drinking the psychedelic acacia trees of Australia. As well as their conservation, challenges of learning there being no known history of t...
Apr 09, 2021•2 hr 6 min•Ep. 141
Heather Hargraves joins us to discuss using neurofeedback therapy to heal the brain and build a resilient nervous system. We also talk about mental health disorders as an adaptive response of the nervous system, rather than a pathology. As well as where neurofeedback therapy fits in as an adjunct to psychotherapy in treat those disorders. We also talk extensively about ADHD, traumatic brain injury, and brain health. And, of particular excitement to you psychedelic-enthusiasts out there, we talk ...
Mar 26, 2021•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 141
Benjamin Malcolm, aka The Spirit Pharmacist , joins us on to explore and compare the pharmacological actions of antidepressant psychotropics with the actions of the classical psychedelics, ayahuasca, MDMA, and ketamine. We also explore the risk of combining psychedelics, MDMA, and/or ketamine with the different classes of antidepressants, including SSRIs, SNRIs, and MAOIs, and even NDRIs like Wellbutrin and Strattera. This episode is chock full of very specific information about pharmacology. Ge...
Mar 12, 2021•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 140
Akua Ofosuhene is on the show to discuss the role psychedelics can play in dismantling racism in society by helping us learn to let go of the conditioned beliefs we are taught to hold about race in general. We also talk about how the dismantling of racism is actively harmed by the politics of outrage being carried into our personal relationships, and how getting beyond racism as a society can only truly come about in a cultural context based on the sacredness of the individual. For links to Akua...
Feb 26, 2021•2 hr 6 min•Ep. 139
Charley Wininger, author of Listening To Ecstacy: The Transformative Power of MDMA, joins us to talk about MDMA for couples, as well as MDMA for personal healing, spiritual awakening, and staying connected to the joy of being alive as we age into the winter years of our lives. Of course, MDMA comes with certain risks, and we talk about that too. For links to Wininger's work, full show notes, and to watch this episode in video, head to https://bit.ly/ATTMind138 ***Full Topics Breakdown Below*** S...
Feb 12, 2021•1 hr 53 min•Ep. 138
Alexander Beiner joins us on Adventures Through The Mind to discuss the rise of psychedelic capitalism, its impact on the culture, and the risk of us losing something promising if we get swept up by various narratives for-profits models are seeding into our minds. We also discuss modern Western culture's crisis of meaning, the dissolution of trust in institutions, "the internet of beefs", and the challenge of sensemaking in our modern technological landscape. For links to Beiner's work, full sho...
Jan 29, 2021•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 137
We feature two anonymous guests on today's episode to talk about applying psychedelics to somatic relational therapy. One of whom is a practicing underground therapist. The other is not a therapist or doing therapy, but a social worker and researcher specializing in somatic healing, interpersonal neurobiology, and psychedelic therapy. This is a radically different approach to the psychedelic-assisted therapy you are likely aware of--headphones, eye shades, therapist there to hold a hand if neede...
Jan 15, 2021•1 hr 56 min•Ep. 136
