Send us a text Sigmund Freud said that dreams are the royal road to a knowledge of the unconscious activities of the mind. In today’s episode of the Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers podcast, we explore this royal road as we discuss the nature of dreams, the neurophysiology of the dreaming brain, the therapeutic utility of dream interpretation, nightmare rescripting, lucid dreaming, and the parallels between dreams states and and the altered states occasioned by psychedelics. For those of you who ar...
Mar 11, 2025•58 min•Ep 196•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text Have you ever been accused of being insecure? It’s something, if we’re being honest with ourselves, nearly all of us struggle with. I’m not smart enough, attractive enough, rich enough, successful enough. It seems like there are an infinite number of rulers that prove how poorly we measure up. But where do these insecurities come from? Why do we often feel so inadequate? And perhaps most importantly, how can we overcome our insecurities? In today’s episode of the Psychedelic Thera...
Mar 04, 2025•41 min•Ep 195•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text What is consciousness? Is it unique to humans? Is a bat, a tree, or an AI agent conscious? What does it mean for something to be subconscious or unconscious? What does altering consciousness with psychedelic compounds teach us about its nature? How does understanding consciousness help us improve our mental health? In today’s episode of the Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers podcast, we discuss these questions and more as we explore the nature of conscious awareness. For those of you w...
Feb 25, 2025•49 min•Ep 194•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text The human mind is a meaning-making machine. It does its best to make sense out of the constant barrage of information flooding it moment to moment. One of the ways your mind does this is by creating and using filters. These filters go by many names: cognitive bias, heuristics, core beliefs, values, narratives, prejudice, etc. In today’s episode of the Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers podcast, we explore how these filters work for us and against us and discuss how you can become the a...
Feb 18, 2025•51 min•Ep 193•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text In this episode of the Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers podcast, Dr. Steve Thayer and Dr. Reid Robison discuss adult development. That’s right, folks. Developmental stages aren’t just for the kids. Reid and Steve explore different theories on adult development, particularly Ken Wilber’s integral theory and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. They talk a bit about their own approaches to personal development and how they help clients on this journey. They also discuss the phenomenon of the s...
Feb 11, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Ep 192•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text Do you have one of those fancy wearable devices that tracks your sleep? How reliable are those things? Could they help detect a serious sleep disorder like sleep apnea? How detrimental is sleep apnea on physical and mental health? What are the latest treatment innovations for sleep apnea? Can psychedelics help people with personality disorders? Could 5-MeO-DMT help reduce excessive alcohol consumption? Could LSD be used to treat anxiety? What happens when you let people self-regul...
Feb 04, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Ep 191•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text If you take any beginner’s class in economics or finance you undoubtedly learn about how investments grow over time via compound interest. But what if we apply this concept of investment and compounding growth to personal development? In today’s episode of the Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers podcast, we discuss a variety of approaches to personal growth, healing, and development using the metaphor of investment and compounding growth. We cover the “imperfectionist” approach, treatin...
Jan 28, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep 190•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text When we describe artists we typically describe them in terms of their medium: a musician, a scuplter, a painter, a poet, etc. But what does it really mean to be an artist or, for that matter, to be creative? Can you be an artist without a medium? How do we think about or describe the creative act? What might life look like if we were to view it as a work of art? In today’s episode of the Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers podcast, we discuss these questions and more with special guest,...
Jan 21, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Ep 189•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text How relevant are the teachings of ancient philosophers for modern problems? Marcus Arelius didn’t have social media. The Buddha never got stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. At first glance the stressors of modern life seem so different from what humans had to deal with a few hundred or especially a few thousand years ago. In today’s episode of the Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers podcast, we discuss how and why the principles taught by ancient philosophers are relevant and helpful fo...
Jan 14, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep 188•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text Last episode we talked about taking time as a new year approaches to reflect on the previous year. In today’s episode of the Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers podcast, we discuss how to make new year’s resolutions that really matter to you. We explore why we struggle to accomplish new year’s resolutions, the difference between goals and values, the importance of self-compassion when trying to make changes, learning from life’s challenges, avoiding toxic positivity, actionable systems ...
Jan 07, 2025•51 min•Ep 187•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text 2024 is coming to a close. Before we give too much thought to resolutions and intentions for the new year, it can be helpful to reflect on the past year. In today’s episode of the Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers podcast, we discuss what can be gleaned from a yearly reflection practice, review some notable developments in the psychedelic therapy space, and do some reflecting ourselves. For those of you who are new to the show, welcome! Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers is brought to you ...
Dec 31, 2024•44 min•Ep 186•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text Reid has recently returned from the Ram Das Legacy Retreat in Maui run by the Love Serve Remember Foundation. In today’s episode of the Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers podcast we sat down for a trip report with Reid’s brother, Jeremy Robison, and our friend, John Patterson, who also attended the retreat. We discuss the theme of the retreat (“grist for the mill”), their motives for going, their experiences at the retreat, the healing power of music, aversions to gurus, how life’s cha...
Dec 26, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep 185•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text In today’s episode of the Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers podcast we’re exploring legacy (or sometimes called ancestral) burdens and gifts. This is the idea that beliefs, interpersonal patterns, narratives, emotions, unresolved trauma, and/or pain from previous generations can be passed down to descendants, influencing their psychological, emotional, and even physical well-being. We discuss how this is possible from psychological, developmental, psychospiritual, and biological persp...
Dec 19, 2024•53 min•Ep 184•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text If an artificial intelligence (AI) therapist was available, would you use it? Could an AI program replace your therapist? What are the potential opportunities and risks of using AI for help with your mental health? What might the future hold as this technology advances? In today’s episode of the Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers podcast we explore the revolutionary, exciting, and sometimes frightening world of AI in mental health care. For those of you who are new to the show, welcome...
Dec 10, 2024•41 min•Ep 183•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text In this episode of the Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers podcast Dr. Steve Thayer and Dr. Reid Robison are joined by Dr. Gül Dölen MD, PhD. Gül is an associate professor of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a pioneer and world leader of psychedelics research. She earned her MD, PhD at Brown University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she carried out seminal work on critical periods, learning and memory, and the pathogenesis o...
Dec 03, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Ep 182•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text Does using cannabis put you at a greater risk of developing schizophrenia? Is it safe to use psychedelic-assisted therapy for psychotic disorders? Is there a difference between the psychotic experience and the psychedelic experience? In today’s episode of the Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers podcast we discuss these questions as we explore the fascinating topic of psychosis. For those of you who are new to the show, welcome! Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers is brought to you by Numinus ...
Nov 26, 2024•42 min•Ep 181•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text Do psychedelics make people more empathic? Does coming off antidepressants before psychedelic therapy affect outcomes? Can MDMA change your personality? Can a psychedelic medicine without the “trip” still help with depression? In today’s episode of the Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers podcast, we discuss recent studies that seek to answer these questions and much more. For those of you who are new to the show, welcome! Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers is brought to you by Numinus and is...
Nov 19, 2024•51 min•Ep 180•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text We’ve spent a lot of time on this show talking about the potential mental health risks and benefits of experiences occasioned by psychedelic medicines. But how do scientists and clinicians know if and to what extent a psychedelic experience is helpful or harmful? Well, we measure it. In today’s episode of the Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers podcast, we discuss the various ways that scientists and clinicians measure the psychedelic experience and the mental health outcomes of such an...
Nov 12, 2024•54 min•Ep 179•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text In today’s episode of the Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers podcast, we discuss what narcissism is, the difference between narcissistic personality disorder and narcissistic traits, some theories on why narcissism develops, why we might want to have compassion for someone with narcissistic traits, therapies for narcissism, how to protect yourself if you find yourself in relationship with someone with narcissistic traits, whether or not psychedelics could be a remedy for narcissism, an...
Nov 05, 2024•48 min•Ep 178•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text You’ve probably been given the advice at some point in your life that you shouldn’t care about what other people think of you. For some of you this might feel pretty easy. For others it’s a challenge. And for some of you the threat of negative social judgment and embarrassment is absolutely terrifying. In today’s episode of the Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers podcast, we discuss social anxiety disorder. We talk about how this mental health condition is different than being shy, intr...
Oct 29, 2024•46 min•Ep 177•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text Sometimes it seems like life is crumbling around you. Maybe something terrible has happened or the accumulation of stressors is just too much to bear. What do you do when life keeps giving you lemons and you’re just sick of making lemonade? In today’s episode of the Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers podcast, we discuss tools and strategies for navigating life at its most difficult. For those of you who are new to the show, welcome! Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers is brought to you by Nu...
Oct 22, 2024•56 min•Ep 176•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text Have you ever wondered what happens at an ayahuasca retreat? How do you know if out-of-country retreat centers are safe? Why would anyone voluntarily drink a tea that makes them vomit? What benefits do people report experiencing after participating in an ayahuasca ceremony? What are the dangers of ayahuasca? In today’s episode of the Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers podcast, we explore these questions and more with founder and CEO of the LaWayra Ayahuasca retreat center in Colombia, ...
Oct 16, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep 175•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text Do you think anger is a negative emotion? Have you ever been told that you need to control your anger? What’s the difference between healthy and unhealthy expressions of anger? In today’s episode of the Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers podcast we’re exploring this often misunderstood emotion and the strategies for processing and expressing anger in a healthy, adaptive way. For those of you who are new to the show, welcome! Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers is brought to you by Numinus an...
Oct 08, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep 174•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text What do mental healthcare practitioners think of psychedelics? Does combining MDMA and psilocybin/LDS have therapeutic potential? Can DMT enhance the practice of experienced meditators? What can we learn from recurring dreams? Can your ADHD medication cause psychosis? In today’s episode of the Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers podcast we’re exploring a wide range of new research on these topics and others. For those of you who are new to the show, welcome! Psychedelic Therapy Frontier...
Oct 02, 2024•48 min•Ep 173•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text In this episode of the Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers podcast, Dr. Steve Thayer and Dr. Reid Robison are joined by Dr. Christopher Bache, PhD. Chris is professor emeritus in the department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Youngstown State University, adjunct faculty at the California Institute of Integral Studies, Emeritus Fellow at the Institute of Noetic Sciences, and on the Advisory Council of Grof Legacy Training. He’s the author of several books, but the one that prompte...
Sep 24, 2024•2 hr 32 min•Ep 172•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text Have you ever had someone really listen to you? What does that feel like when somebody gives you their undivided, compassionate, and validating attention? In today’s episode of the Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers podcast we’re exploring the concept of deep listening. We discuss the difference between deep listening and simply hearing, improving relationships by listening well, the specific skill set required for deep listening, how to listen to people you don’t agree with, how to li...
Sep 17, 2024•45 min•Ep 171•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text Binge eating disorder is the newest addition to the eating disorder diagnostic category in the DSM. In today’s episode of the Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers podcast we’re exploring this condition, including its etiology, how it’s diagnosed, prevalence rates, recent research, available treatments, the potential of psychedelic treatments, and much more. For those of you who are new to the show, welcome! Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers is brought to you by Numinus and is hosted by Dr. S...
Sep 10, 2024•51 min•Ep 170•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text Is meditation dangerous? It might seem like a silly question. Many people would put meditation on the short list of practices that are essential for good mental and spiritual health. Indeed, we’ve recommended meditation many times on this show as a powerful tool to use in psychedelic-assisted therapy. In today’s episode of the Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers podcast we’re exploring the situations in which meditation could do more harm than good. We discuss different kinds of meditat...
Sep 03, 2024•52 min•Ep 169•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text Have you ever felt conflicted about something–like there was a war going on in your head between parts of you with different agendas? Do you ever get frustrated with yourself for behaving in self-defeating ways only to find yourself repeating that same behavior over and over again? Well you, my friend, might have a mind comprised of many different parts, each with their own origin story, attachments, aversions, duties, and burdens. In today’s episode of the Psychedelic Therapy Fro...
Aug 27, 2024•58 min•Ep 168•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text On Aug 9th the FDA rejected the new drug application by Lykos (formerly MAPS PBC) for MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD. This is disappointing news for those of us who were excited about the promising study results and eager to add MDMA-assisted therapy to the menu of treatment options for those suffering with PTSD. We discuss what appears to have influenced the FDA’s decision, the possible path forward for Lykos, how this ruling affects other companies trying to bring different psyc...
Aug 20, 2024•43 min•Ep 167•Transcript available on Metacast 
