Entheogen

We invited our friend Bobby Lyte to join us for an awesome conversation about flow states, focus, deep work, and fun. Bobby is a DJ, producer, software engineer, and the host of Flow State – a podcast to help you focus.We discuss topics including the states of flow: Struggle, Release, Flow, Recovery; Engineering; Managing, and of course, Management."Should we be communicating all the time? Most workplaces today are essentially turning humans into message senders and receivers – which is terrible for productivity. We're trying to solve complex problems. We need to focus and stay in a problem space to solve those problems, and the work environments are not helping us get there." – Bobby Lyte @ 32:13"Revisiting a previous thesis of mine that's been established in the show: Management…" – Brad @ 34:04"Your lack of planning is not my emergency." – Joe Zap @ 38:06"The temptation to multitask – I could get ahead a little bit if I just send this email while I drive and eat and read the newspaper at the same time." – Kevin @ 40:30Bobby Lyte online:https://twitter.com/_bobbylytehttps://instagram.com/our_flow_state/Flow State – Bobby Lyte's Podcast to help you focus:https://anchor.fm/flow-statehttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/flow-state/id1573961748https://open.spotify.com/show/4IssY4XjHXdpTNOzpaeyxhOther episodes of Entheogen referenced in this episode:Matteson Perry:https://entheogenshow.com/podcast/2016/5/14/028-intro-to-entheogenic-comedy-with-matteson-perryStealing Fire:https://entheogenshow.com/podcast/2018/2/18/045-stealing-fire-part-1https://entheogenshow.com/podcast/2018/7/31/046-stealing-fire-part-2https://entheogenshow.com/podcast/2018/10/19/047-stealing-fire-part-3Julie Holland:https://entheogen.squarespace.com/podcast/2016/7/12/031-dr-julie-holland

We were so honored to be joined by Mitchell Gomez, Executive Director of DanceSafe, a public health organization promoting health and safety within the nightlife and electronic music community.Mitchell is on the advisory council of both Psymposia and PsychSems, a Harm Reduction Consultant at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), and have sat on the CU Denver MURPAA (Master of Urban and Regional Planning Alumni Association) board, the Jefferson County Community Development Advisory Board, and the Denver Drug Strategy Commission Data Subcommittee. Note: We recorded this interview in the summer of 2020. Like many things in 2020 the airing of the show was postponed as we regrouped and refocused, and now we're psyched to be posting this long-awaited show. Hope you enjoy!

Launching the new season of Entheogen and just in time for the new year, we have a very special treat for listeners – and viewers! It was such honor to be joined by a huge supporter of the psychedelic renaissance, David Bronner, CEO – that's Cosmic Engagement Officer – of Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps.Thanks so much to our friend David for the great conversation!To support Entheogen, pledge on Patreon and buy one of our awesome t-shirts!Thanks for listening. To watch the video version of this interview, subscribe to Entheogen on YouTube!

Your friends from Entheogen were honored to be quoted in a Playboy article about Toxic Masculinity.EntheogenShow.com

A very special Entheogen in which we discuss the habitual use of cannabis and why and how to curb it.EntheogenShow.com

Hi everyone, we’re still here, we’re still producing Entheogen, and we’re looking forward to producing more! How are you doing? Let us know how you are managing in the “new normal” and what you want to hear about in future episodes of Entheogen.In this episode, we discuss the current state of affairs with much of the world in quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and we try to stay positive.Note that we recorded this back at the end of March 2020, and while things felt like they were moving quickly then, and the situation continues to evolve, the sentiment is fairly similar now as we finally post this episode. We’re staying positive and strong and hope you all are too.Thanks for listening!

How much pot do you have to smoke to become a Senior Subject Matter Expert?Controlled dosing and increased access to various methods of consuming cannabis has been a benefit of legalization, which has allowed entirely new populations of people to be introduced or re-introduced to it, including KevinGreat resources available at leafly.com - start by checking out the Recent News sectionCheck out podcast ‘What Are You Smoking?’ Hosted by WillAnother benefit of legalization and increased access: the quality of cannabis products are higher than everMore accessible formats of cannabis, like edibles, have in a sense pulled us out of the “dark ages of cannabis”, from the xenophobic associations of weed / drugs / drug paraphernalia / etc.What new forms / formats of cannabis that have emerged over the past 5-10 are the most exciting?Purported potential populace pleasing pro-pot politicsWill hangs with the Broken Lizard crew and Cheech Marin! Cannabis has been Will’s “number one networking tool”Weed can bring people together, or bring people closer together - get high with your folksThis is an industry ripe with puns, a blessing and a curse; this brand humor doesn’t resonate with everyoneCannabis: it’s fun, it can heal you, it’s a social justice issue“If Trump gets re-elected, I’m moving to Cannabis.”Thank you, Will, for hanging out and chatting with us!

This is a very special episode recorded live at Burning Man on Thursday, August 30, 2018, in front of a live audience!And we now have awesome handmade rainbow Entheogen T-shirts for sale!All profits from Entheogen shirts go to MAPS and CoSM through January 31, 2019.TOPICS:- we discuss the origin of Entheogen- we chat about what Burning Man is all about and what it means to us- our live audience shares some vignettes of Burning Man(Side note: please get in touch with us if you know @tferriss so we can send him a t-shirt, as referenced in the show.)

Part Three: The Road to EleusisChapter 8 - Catch a FireChapter 9 - Burning Down the HouseChapter 10 - Hedonic EngineeringBurning Man: it’s a unique thing, and hopefully Donald Trump doesn’t know it existsHow important is Burning Man after the event is over?For the individual, it’s akin to the idea of an ayahuasca ceremony where people often say, “the real work is after the ceremony.” Integration of the inspiration is the “work”.What about for the community or society at large? Burners without Borders, Black Rock Solar, and other indirect influences.Mount HugmoreBecause Burning Man is so inaccessible and inhospitable, attendance requires effort, planning, and intention, which fosters a grateful and positive community.Summit Series: ski trip for the ultra successfulMindfulness: it’s big business!Yoga is bigger than footballThe internet is doomed to be a tool of hegemonyConsequentialism vs. IntentionalismSocial media’s ability to divide populations in half in order to increase the marketable population of consumers, even more effective than 24 hour cable newsThe term “conspiracy theory” was invented by the CIAWeapons designed to turn us all into masturbating monkeysHedonic Engineering: get high with intention, and on a schedule that works best for you“After the ecstasy, the laundry.”Wabi Sabi - Japanese concept that values transience and imperfection“The world is full of magic things patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” - William Butler Yeats“Ring the bells that still can ringForget your perfect offeringThere is a crack, a crack in everythingThat’s how the light gets in.”- Leonard Cohen

Demystifying mystical experiences and the democratization of information, language, practices, and substances Alexander Shulgin, the “Johnny Appleseed of Psychedelics” Etymology of the phrase “hocus pocus” and its unexpectedly religious roots Regarding communion, specifically, consuming the body of christ, “That’s not a nice thing to do to Jesus.” - Kevin “I used to be a Catholic until I reached the age of reason.” - George Carlin Someday soon you will be able to use a 3D printer to print your drugs at home- weighing the possible benefits and risks What’s up with Landmark? “Capitalism is one amplifier for different movements.” - Joe Dangers of capitalism: proliferation of crap music and crap writing Are there aspects of psychedelic experiences that are anti-capitalistic? Sipping the soup of capitalism “When your only tool is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” - Abraham Maslow. How does this idea relate to capitalism? How does this idea relate to our neurobiology? “Every issue we encounter we try to solve by thinking.” The gut-brain axis - do you know where most of your neurotransmitters are? Farting in yoga class Sugar addiction is addiction How much sugar is in a two-liter bottle of Coca-cola? 216 grams of sugar = 54 dang teaspoons! The Flow Dojo- get high on gravity! ...shake your snowglobe! Inventory of animals’ psychedelic-seeking behaviors and their respective preferred substances Closing montage of goats braying. You’re welcome.

This is Entheogen. Elevate the Conversation.Today is November 5, 2017, and we are discussing Stealing Fire, a book by Steven Kotler & Jamie Wheal.Find the notes and links for this and other episodes at EntheogenShow.com. Support us on Patreon with a small monthly contribution to help keep the show going. Follow us @EntheogenShow on Twitter and like EntheogenShow on FaceBook. Thanks for listening.IntroductionIn more contemporary terms, the Eleusinian Mysteries were an elaborate nine-day ritual designed to strip away standard frames of reference, profoundly alter consciousness, and unlock a heightened level of insight. Specifically, the mysteries combined a number of state-changing techniques—fasting, singing, dancing, drumming, costumes, dramatic storytelling, physical exhaustion, and kykeon (the substance Alcibiades stole for his party)—to induce a cathartic experience of death, rebirth, and “divine inspiration.”Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann and Harvard-trained classicist Carl Ruck argued that the barley in kykeon might have been tainted with an ergot fungus. This same fungus generates lysergic acid (LSA), a precursor to the LSD that Hofmann famously synthesized in his Sandoz pharmaceutical lab. — Excerpt from Stealing FirePart One - The Case for EcstasisChapter 1: What Is This Fire?Chapter 2: Why It MattersChapter 3: Why We Missed It“The alternative is unconsciousness, the default setting, the rat race, the constant gnawing sense of having had, and lost, some infinite thing.” —David Foster WallaceEntheogen’s take on the book: “We like it.”Debate on how to pronounce the word ecstasisWhy does “fire” need to be stolen? Why does access to altered states need to be banned?How the Navy SEALs train for dynamic subordination, another kind of altered statePartying with Eric Schmidt at Burning ManFinding “flow” and why it mattersSignature characteristics of ecstasis: selflessness, timelessness, effortlessness, richness (STER)An examining of the word “pale”The “state sanctioned triad” of mind altering substances: caffeine, nicotine, alcohol -- what makes these special? What ends does accepting these particular substances serve?The institutions that create / endorse stigma: the church and the stateAre humans already cyborgs? What is truly “unnatural” anyway? If humans are beings of nature, is anything that humans create also natural?How altered states are directly related to evolution of humans as well as certain plants and other animals (like French Bulldogs)The current and historical balance of individualism vs. collectivism, and its impact on the proliferation and acceptance of certain types of altered states

This is Entheogen. Elevate the Conversation.Please support Entheogen by making a donation on Patreon. Become a Patron for as little as $1. Pledge just $3 or more, and get early access to new episodes, plus exclusive Patron-only features. Head over to EntheogenShow.com and click on Support.Find the notes and links for this and other episodes at EntheogenShow.com. Sign up to receive an email when we release a new episode. Follow us @EntheogenShow on Twitter and like EntheogenShow on FaceBook. Thanks for listening.It’s April 2, 2017, and we are talking with Dr. Rosalind Watts, Clinical Psychologist at Imperial College London, working alongside Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris.Joe’s story of psilocybin on his first “date” with his now-wife, and psilocybin’s role in their engagementThe Couples Using Magic Mushrooms as Relationship TherapyKevin’s regular practice of taking psychedelic medicine with his wifeHow Ros came to study psychedelic therapy after initially becoming disillusioned with the limits of talk therapy for the treatment of anxiety and depression; her initial skepticism about psychedelics based on their negative legacyThe importance of the patient-therapist relationshipSome guidelines from one of the father figures of psychedelic therapy, Bill Richards: “We prepare people to welcome whatever they may encounter – no picking and choosing. Sometimes you have to go through the dark night to get to the top of the mountain and the sunrise. If the inner dragon or monster appears, look him in the eye – go straight towards him. If you look the monster in the eye and go towards it, ask it what it wants – there’s always resolution, transformation, and new knowledge. When you run from it, you get into panic and paranoia, like a typical nightmare – and then you say, ‘I’ve had a bad trip.’”Although psychedelics including psilocybin tend to be considered non-addictive, there are examples of people using them habituallyRos mentions some examples of people in the psilocybin study for depression giving up addictions and habitual behaviorTo help fund this important research, visit the Psychedelic Research Group at Imperial College London

We're excited to be back after our summer hiatus!Over the coming months, we'll post our in-depth review of Stealing Fire: How Silicon Valley, the Navy SEALs, and Maverick Scientists Are Revolutionizing the Way We Live and Work, a National Bestseller by Steven Kotler and Jamie Wheal.

This is Entheogen. Elevate the Conversation. Please support Entheogen by making a donation on Patreon. Become a Patron for as little as $1. Pledge just $3 or more, and get early access to new episodes, plus exclusive Patron-only features. Head over to EntheogenShow.com and click on Support. Find the notes and links for this and other episodes at EntheogenShow.com. Sign up to receive an email when we release a new episode. Follow us @EntheogenShow on Twitter and like EntheogenShow on FaceBook. Thanks for listening. It’s March 5, 2017, and we are discussing the famous LSD-assisted Dock Ellis No-Hitter. Check out the Video: Dock Ellis & The LSD No-No by James Blagden and No Mas, posted by Victory Journal See also: The Electric Dock Ellis Acid Test: An Attempt To Recreate His Drug-Addled No-Hitter, On Xbox AV Club article Snopes: “he worked with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections to rehabilitate black prisoners, helped start the Black Athletes Foundation for Sickle Cell Research, and served as the coordinator of an anti-drug program in Los Angeles before passing away from liver disease in 2008.” Dock Ellis on Wikipedia Other Notes: “I’m high as a Georgia Pine” Dexamyl - 90% of the league was using Benzedrine - also heavily consumed by pros Lady in San Diego with the gold pouches “They knew I was high but they didn’t know what I was high on.” Dealing with the fear, the fear of losing, the fear of winning

This is Entheogen. Elevate the Conversation. It’s March 12, 2017, and we are discussing psychedelic healing with Dr. Neal Goldsmith. Topics: Neal’s book Psychedelic Healing: The Promise of Entheogens for Psychotherapy and Spiritual Development provides copious discussion points for our conversation today. Neal's therapy practice, and how his use of psychedelics has informed his practice of psychotherapy Imago therapy LSD is a tool: Charles Manson becomes more Charles Manson; Richard Alpert becomes Ram Dass. The substitution of the eucharist as a proxy for the original psychoactive sacrament. Can we please go back to the active version? What are the consequences of inactive substitutes in religious ceremonies? How have alternative spiritual practices sprung up in the absence of sanctioned Entheogenic rituals? George Carlin’s Modern Man. Are we in the midst of McKenna’s Archaic Revival? Is this another way to internalize the unfolding ecological apocalypse? “If we’re going to be post-post-modern, if we’re going to be integral, we can’t have a fight between tribalism and modernity. We can’t have a fight between spirituality and the material world.” Meditation, mindfulness, yoga, breathing… Deep breathing to expel carbon dioxide in addition to inhaling oxygen. McKenna’s conjecture that it’s possible to get to the same state of consciousness that psychedelics provide access to, using meditation or chanting or drumming, but who has time for that? What do you recommend to listeners who might be interested in some form of psychedelic therapy, present company included? The dichotomy of tribalism vs. modernism: our human ancestors living naturally but for shorter time, vs. modern humans living longer but disconnected from nature. Spiraling up vs. retreating to tribalism. Spirituality vs. science. The concept of rational mysticism. Einstein quote via Rick Doblin: “There's no real conflict between science & religion; there's a conflict between bad science & bad religion.” Please support Entheogen by making a donation on Patreon. Become a Patron for as little as $1. Pledge just $3 or more, and get early access to new episodes, plus exclusive Patron-only features. Head over to EntheogenShow.com and click on Support. Find the notes and links for this and other episodes at EntheogenShow.com. Sign up to receive an email when we release a new episode. Follow us @EntheogenShow on Twitter and like EntheogenShow on FaceBook. Thanks for listening.

This is Entheogen. Elevate the Conversation. Please support Entheogen by making a donation on Patreon. Become a Patron for as little as $1. Pledge just $3 or more, and get early access to new episodes, plus exclusive Patron-only features. Head over to EntheogenShow.com and click on Support. Find the notes and links for this and other episodes at EntheogenShow.com. Sign up to receive an email when we release a new episode. Follow us @EntheogenShow on Twitter and like EntheogenShow on FaceBook. Thanks for listening. It’s February 26, 2017, and we are reflecting on our conversation with Alex Grey, Allyson Grey, and Rick Doblin at Burning Man 2016. Topics: Finding people at Burning Man ReFOAMation Village Getting foamed Meeting our humble heroes Psychedelics as pretense-obliterating substances Effects of MDA vs. MDMA De-scheduling vs. rescheduling cannabis MAPS-hosted Global Psychedelic Dinners raising funds for MDMA research Psychedelic medicine trials beginning to reach a broader audience

This is Entheogen. Elevate the Conversation. Please support Entheogen by making a donation on Patreon. Become a Patron for as little as $1. Pledge just $3 or more, and get early access to new episodes, plus exclusive Patron-only features. Head over to EntheogenShow.com and click on Support. Find the notes and links for this and other episodes at EntheogenShow.com. Sign up to receive an email when we release a new episode. Follow us @EntheogenShow on Twitter and like EntheogenShow on FaceBook. Thanks for listening. It’s February 26, 2017, and we are checking in with Kirk Rutter, who joined us for Episode 025: Psychedelic Medicine Trials with Participant Kirk Rutter. Topics: Kirk’s Organizational Upgrade Ganesh Chant/Mantra (108 times) Barack Obama’s “Fired up, ready to go” The zoo Ecological mindset Vegetarianism Hanlon's razor Burning Man changed Brad’s life

This is Entheogen. Talk about tools for generating the divine within. Today is July 20, 2016, and we are reflecting on our interview with Dr. Julie Holland from last season. Find the notes and links for this and other episodes at EntheogenShow.com. Sign up to receive an email when we release a new episode. Follow us @EntheogenShow on Twitter and like EntheogenShow on FaceBook. Thanks for listening. Your pledges make the show possible! We're trying to cover expenses by asking our fans to pledge at Patreon.com/Entheogen. We really appreciate your support! Topics: Julie’s story of being a college girl reaching out to Rick Doblin Julie’s story of having taken MDMA with Rick Doblin on the last day it was legal: June 30, 1985. Listen to our interview with Rick Doblin from Burning Man for his recollection of the story! George Carlin’s concept of “More Than Happy” as a “dangerous mental condition.” See also The culture of pathologizing things like restless leg syndrome and excessive daytime sleepiness The consumerization of medicine in the United States Cannabis edibles: who eats one third of a cookie? Julie’s recommendation to wait two hours after consuming a cannabis edible before considering re-dosing When consuming cannabis orally, THC is metabolized into 11-OH-THC How cannabis can be part of an anti-inflammatory diet Moody Bitches: The Truth About the Drugs You're Taking, The Sleep You're Missing, The Sex You're Not Having, and What's Really Making You Crazy Recreation is therapeutic Weekends at Bellevue: Nine Years on the Night Shift at the Psych ER The Pot Book: A Complete Guide to Cannabis Ecstasy : The Complete Guide : A Comprehensive Look at the Risks and Benefits of MDMA Follow @BellevueDoc on Twitter Thanks again, Julie!

This is Entheogen. Talk about tools for generating the divine within. Today is December 4, 2016, and we are talking with Alisdair from BlueLight.org. Find the notes and links for this and other episodes at EntheogenShow.com. Sign up to receive an email when we release a new episode. Follow us @EntheogenShow on Twitter and like EntheogenShow on FaceBook. Thanks for listening. BlueLight.org was founded in 1997, and Alisdair has been a member since 2002. What is BlueLight.org? Why “bluelight”? Is there significance to that? Harm reduction What is the backstory on blue light and your involvement? How did you get introduced to it? Legal considerations? Relationship with MAPS Donate to BlueLight

This is Entheogen. Talk about tools for generating the divine within. Today is December 18, 2016, and we are discussing the recent publication of studies from NYU and Johns Hopkins showing that psilocybin can reduce anxiety and depression in cancer patients, and we’re pleased to be joined by Dr. Sarah Mennenga from the NYU Experimental Therapeutics Laboratory. Find the notes and links for this and other episodes at EntheogenShow.com. Sign up to receive an email when we release a new episode. Follow us @EntheogenShow on Twitter and like EntheogenShow on FaceBook. Thanks for listening. TOPICS: We are grateful to be joined by Dr. Sarah Mennenga, Doctor of Neuroscience, NYU Experimental Therapeutics Laboratory NYU and Johns Hopkins just released studies showing that psilocybin can reduce anxiety and depression in cancer patients 80 percent of participants showed significant reduction of anxiety and depression “One theory is that psilocybin interrupts the circuitry of self-absorbed thinking that is so pronounced in depressed people, making way for a mystical experience of selfless unity” i.e. interrupting or disrupting the Default Mode Network? What is the neurological basis for the geometric shapes and auditory effects that characterize the psilocybin experience. What part does suggestibility play in the experience? The “intensity of the mystical experience described by patients correlated with the degree to which their depression and anxiety decreased” – Why is that? What is it about the nature of the psychedelic or mystical experience that does this? Octavian Mihai “saw black smoke rising from my body” Kevin, a participant in the Johns Hopkins study saw “spirals of iridescent spheres that folded in on themselves”. “But you have to approach the session with the right intentions of why you’re doing it. Because you’re going to meet yourself.” Study protocols, and the unique considerations for psychedelic session “seven-hour music playlists.[...] N.Y.U. leaned toward New Age and world music — Brian Eno; sitars; didgeridoos. Johns Hopkins favored Western classical.” Chalice Buddha statue Collaboration among the few institutions doing psychedelic research Criticism from the academic/scientific community? Political concerns; safety concerns around legalization Stigma in the academic community? fMRI scanning during a psychedelic experience? NYU seeking participants in two upcoming studies: Psilocybin for alcoholism and addiction Psilocybin for clergy/mysticism; see also Griffiths’ 2006 study at Johns Hopkins Contact NYUCancerAnxiety.org for more information Enroll in Clinicaltrials.gov NYU seeking $10 million funding for center to study psychedelics HOW TO HELP: Contact NYUCancerAnxiety.org for more information Email nyualcoholdependencestudy@nyumc.org to donate Give to Heffter, helping fund the NYU studies Tim Ferriss raising money for psilocybin research FURTHER READING: NY Times: A Dose of a Hallucinogen From a ‘Magic Mushroom,’ and Then Lasting Peace Big Think: One Dose of "Psilocybin" from Magic Mushrooms Relieves Depression in 80% of Cancer Patients AlterNet: 'Magic Mushroom' Drug Eases Cancer Patient Anxiety

This is Entheogen. Talk about tools for generating the divine within. Today is October 23rd, 2016, and we are talking with, Dr. Jami, a psychologist in the Bay Area of California. Find the notes and links for this and other episodes at EntheogenShow.com. Sign up to receive an email when we release a new episode. Follow us @EntheogenShow on Twitter and like EntheogenShow on FaceBook. Thanks for listening. To reach Jami, please get in touch with Entheogen. Topics: Jami’s professional experience with couples therapy, Imago, Attachment theory Encounter-centered Couples Therapy (EcCT) Burning Man experiences Our Burning Man opening ceremony this year, incorporating a buddhist meditation and mindfulness exercise Justin’s poem: “...and with the power of our Eucharist, the mystical compound more commonly known as lysergic acid diethylamide, we can, as smarter minds than mine describe, 'disrupt the default mode network' in our brain, allowing us to relish in our pleasure receptors, illuminating the interconnectedness of life, and urging us to, quite literally, trip the light fantastic.” Joe and Jami discuss their Zendo experiences Discussing psychedelics with the uninformed: strategies for raising the conversation, the uninformed vs. the misinformed, psychedelics in relationships Opportunities for therapists Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies and Research from CIIS

F.D.A. Agrees to New Trials for Ecstasy as Relief for PTSD Patients – NY Times, Nov 29, 2016 “It changed my life.” It allowed me to see my trauma without fear or hesitation and finally process things and move forward." – study participant Ed Thompson “There is now a clear path ahead to make MDMA a legal medicine for millions of people suffering from PTSD.” – MAPS Bulletin MAPS needs to raise approximately $25-30 million (of which they’ve already raised more than $10 million) to complete these Phase 3 trials and all associated toxicity and pharmacology studies over the next 5 years. – NY Times MAPS.org

Do we have a treat for you. To welcome our new listeners, we present you a re-mastered special edition of the episode we recorded live at Burning Man on August 31, 2016, which features three pioneers and key drivers in the movement to mainstream psychedelic medicine. Special thanks to Rod for the audio engineering! Special note for Patreon supporters: you will get a special before-the-show "opening conversation". Check patreon.com/Entheogen. Burning Man 2016. We had the great pleasure and honor to speak with three pioneers and key drivers in the movement to mainstream psychedelic medicine: Alex Grey & Allyson Grey, co-founders of CoSM, the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors (CoSM.org). Rick Doblin, founder and executive director of MAPS, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS.org). We thank deeply all three of our esteemed guests for their time and generosity of spirit. We’d also like to thank Dr. Bronner’s ReFOAMation Village for their hospitality and Alex & Allyson for graciously hosting the recording in their RV. TOPICS: Alex & Allyson Grey’s take on the state of the movement to mainstream psychedelics Has non-violence slowed our progress? Alex & Allyson’s $2000 fine for cannabis possession upon entering Burning Man Alex mentions Roland Griffiths’ reprisal of Walter Pahnke’s Good Friday Experiment at Johns Hopkins University: Hopkins Scientists Show Hallucinogen In Mushrooms Creates Universal “Mystical” Experience Rick Doblin discusses the improved relationship with Law Enforcement and the Burning Man organization including better integration of the Zendo Project at Burning Man 2016 Rick quotes Einstein: “There’s no conflict between science and religion. There’s a conflict between bad science and bad religion.” Rick talks about how he sees psychedelics being integrated into society in 25 years Rick discusses the “beautiful breakup” he had while on MDA Rick compares MDA to MDMA Allyson discusses her personal experiences with MDA and MDMA The idea of patient self-titration Alex, Allyson, and Rick discuss their milestones this year: 20 years since the founding of CoSM and 30 years since the founding of MAPS Rick describes building a handball court at New College of Florida, overlooking the nudist colony where his girlfriend was lifeguarding Rick discusses the first responders and veterans enrolled in the MDMA for PTSD study (“not just for hippies at Burning Man”) Cannabis as a neuroprotective, anti-tumor agent (and it makes you feel better too) Carl Sagan’s friendship with Lester Grinspoon Carl Sagan’s secret use of cannabis for 40 years Psychedelics and schizophrenia Rick’s idea to create a “drug license” system Time to “come out of the psychedelic closet” MAPS organizes Global Psychedelic Dinners to encourage “coming out” about our psychedelic use BuildEntheon.com Thank you so much for listening to Entheogen and for supporting us on Patreon and for telling your friends.

Thank you so much for listening to Entheogen and for supporting us on Patreon and by telling your friends. At Burning Man in 2014, we were inspired to create Entheogen (after a talk with Meriana Dinkova). Since then, we’ve released about one-and-a-half episodes per month. On this, our two-year anniversary since posting the first episode, we are beyond overjoyed to share with you our very first “on location” recording, and the first time we’ve all recorded in person together – Burning Man 2016. We had the great pleasure and honor to speak with not one, not just two, but three pioneers and key drivers in the movement to mainstream psychedelic medicine: Alex Grey & Allyson Grey, co-founders of CoSM, the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors (CoSM.org). Rick Doblin, founder and executive director of MAPS, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS.org). We thank deeply all three of our esteemed guests for their time and generosity of spirit. We’d also like to thank Dr. Bronner’s ReFOAMation Village for their hospitality and Alex & Allyson for graciously hosting the recording in their RV. Topics: Alex & Allyson Grey’s take on the state of the movement to mainstream psychedelics Has non-violence hamstrung our progress? Alex & Allyson’s $2000 fine for cannabis possession upon entering Burning Man Alex mentions Roland Griffiths’ reprisal of Walter Pahnke’s Good Friday Experiment at Johns Hopkins University: Hopkins Scientists Show Hallucinogen In Mushrooms Creates Universal “Mystical” Experience Rick Doblin discusses the improved relationship with Law Enforcement and the Burning Man organization including better integration of the Zendo Project at Burning Man 2016 Rick quotes Einstein: “There’s no conflict between science and religion. There’s a conflict between bad science and bad religion.” Rick talks about how he sees psychedelics being integrated into society in 25 years Rick discusses the “beautiful breakup” he had while on MDA Rick compares MDA to MDMA Allyson discusses her personal experiences with MDA and MDMA Alex, Allyson, and Rick discuss their milestones this year: 20 years since the founding of CoSM and 30 years since the founding of MAPS Rick describes building a handball court at New College of Florida, overlooking the nudist colony where his girlfriend was lifeguarding Rick discusses the first responders and veterans enrolled in the MDMA for PTSD study (“not just for hippies at Burning Man”) Cannabis as a neuroprotective, anti-tumor agent (and it makes you feel better too) Carl Sagan’s friendship with Lester Grinspoon Carl Sagan’s secret use of cannabis for 40 years Psychedelics and schizophrenia Rick’s idea to create a “drug license” system Time to “come out of the psychedelic closet” MAPS organizes Global Psychedelic Dinners to encourage “coming out” about our psychedelic use BuildEntheon.com

We're planning to interview Rick Doblin, Alex Grey, and Allyson Grey at Burning Man! Sign up for our newsletter for the latest updates. See you in the dust!

This is Entheogen. Talk about tools for generating the divine within. Today is June 6, 2016, and we are talking with Dr. Julie Holland, psychopharmacologist, psychiatrist, and best-selling author of several books. Find the notes and links for this and other episodes at EntheogenShow.com. Sign up to receive an email when we release a new episode. Follow us @EntheogenShow on Twitter and like EntheogenShow on FaceBook. Thanks for listening. Topics: Julie’s origin story: how did she get interested in this area of research Julie took MDMA with Rick Doblin on the last day it was legal: June 30th, 1985 “Cancer of Yang” – Jeremy Wolff’s phrase (Julie’s husband) Vaginal administration of cannabis to avoid the liver from edible ingestion, 11-OH-THC Edibles: Julie emphasizes the need to wait two hours before re-evaluating dosage Overmedication of society “Do you ever overeat and then feel bad about it?” Big pharma’s answer: strong, long-lasting amphetamine daily. Medical and Recreational Entheogens “Recreation is therapeutic” THC, CBD and Terpenes Some people don’t want to get high from their medicine. Munchies mitigation tip: don’t start eating. Punishment doesn’t work with addiction Pornography and the “new normal”: no pubic hair vs. “very bushy” 70’s Julie’s Books: Moody Bitches: The Truth About the Drugs You're Taking, The Sleep You're Missing, The Sex You're Not Having, and What's Really Making You Crazy Ecstasy: the Complete Guide The Pot Book Weekends at Bellevue

This is Entheogen. Talk about tools for generating the divine within. Today is April 24, 2016, and we are discussing the Neuroscience of Partying with Caitlin Thompson of Entheozen. Find the notes and links for this and other episodes at EntheogenShow.com. Sign up to receive an email when we release a new episode. Follow us @EntheogenShow on Twitter and like EntheogenShow on FaceBook. Thanks for listening. Topics: Caitlin’s Burning Man talk, “The Neuroscience of Partying” Nutrition Leaky gut syndrome Mood disorders Neurotransmitters Serotonin in the gut Are entheogens a food? Some supplements turn into neurotransmitters downstream. Where’s the line? 5-HTP, L-Tryptophan -> Serotonin/Melatonin/DMT Importance of co-factors – vitamins, minerals, e.g. B vitamins General function of entheogens in the body

This is Entheogen. Talk about tools for generating the divine within. Today is May 24 2016, and we are discussing Building Entheon with Alex and Allyson Grey. Find the notes and links for this and other episodes at EntheogenShow.com. Sign up to receive an email when we release a new episode. Follow us @EntheogenShow on Twitter and like EntheogenShow on FaceBook. Thanks for listening. Entheon is a place to discover the divine within Why build a psychedelic temple? BuildEntheon.com – Almost to the stretch goal of $200K Entheon is a 12,000 sq ft building, three floors including a gallery of international visionary art Prehistoric artifacts document early cultures who made art and had a relationship with entheogens “It’s important for our psychedelic sacramental culture to have evidence that in our generation there were people who valued love, unity, spirituality, and peace over commerce and war.” - Allyson Grey LSD is derived from ergot fungus, which shares similar characteristics with psilocybin mushrooms. Allyson recommends Robert Barnhart’s movie, A New Understanding: The Science of Psilocybin. (We have interviewed the producer and discussed the film on Entheogen.) Visit BuildEntheon.com to support the campaign! Check out the amazing original works of art and other rewards.

This is Entheogen. Talk about tools for generating the divine within. Today is April 3rd, 2016 and we’re talking about Entheogenic Comedy. Find the notes and links for this and other episodes at EntheogenShow.com. Sign up to receive an email when we release a new episode. Follow us @EntheogenShow on Twitter and like EntheogenShow on FaceBook. Thanks for listening. We’re delighted to be talking with Matteson Perry, writer and performer based in Los Angeles. We start with a quote from Bill Hicks. Matteson has a humorous memoir coming out on May 24. Topics: Comedy as an Entheogen Laughter is an involuntary response, requires no thought. Some people are just funny. Even just adjusting a mic stand. Andrew Dice Clay Jerry Seinfeld’s theory of comedy: getting an audience to laugh at joke is like getting them to jump across a ditch George Carlin Steven Wright a.k.a. Bucky Goldstein Mitch Hedberg: “I used to do drugs…. I still do, I used to too.” Jon Stewart, carrier of Carlin’s torch Missed satire: the Steven Colbert effect. Comedy is tragedy avoided; or, comedy = tragedy + time Storytelling as quasi therapy Lincoln jokes vs. JFK jokes When you laugh so hard you cry The Psychedelic Yawn can yield entheogenic tears, discussed in episode 025: Psychedelic Medicine Trials with Participant Kirk Rutter. “Kids” movies: entheogens for everyone! In Living Color, Kevin’s “gateway drug” into Entheogenic Comedy. Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

This is Entheogen. Talk about tools for generating the divine within. Today is February 21, 2016, and we are discussing Sacred Plant Retreats with our guest, Maxwell Wieland of Munay Medicine in Peru. This is Part 2. Find the notes and links for this and other episodes at EntheogenShow.com. Sign up to receive an email when we release a new episode. Follow us @EntheogenShow on Twitter and like EntheogenShow on FaceBook. Thanks for listening. Topics: Munay Medicine – what’s the vision, how does a retreat work, what do they offer? The 10-day Retreat “La Dieta” – lifestyle more than diet. Yoga as adjunct therapy to plant medicine. Yoga class as track meet? Yoga more as philosophy than merely athleticism. Reconsidering “traditional” use of ayahuasca in a long historical context. Alchemist? E.g., extraction of alkaloids. The duality of the ego. “I just sleighed my ego.” “Avoid the dreaded underdose. Dose high. Dose healthy.”

This is Entheogen. Talk about tools for generating the divine within. Today is February 21, 2016, and we are discussing Sacred Plant Retreats with our guest, Maxwell Wieland of Munay Medicine in Peru. Find the notes and links for this and other episodes at EntheogenShow.com. Sign up to receive an email when we release a new episode. Follow us @EntheogenShow on Twitter and like EntheogenShow on FaceBook. Thanks for listening. Topics: Max has been in a working relationship with wachuma (san pedro), ayahuasca, changa (dmt), psilocybin mushrooms, iboga, morning glories, salvia, and other plant entheogens for a decade. How did Munay Medicine come to be? What is a typical stay like? Munay is in the Sacred Valley of Peru, a wonderful location with a number of retreat centers, convenient to Machu Picchu and other sacred sites. San Pedro vs. Peyote, the sustainability and eco-friendliness of San Pedro – can grow up to a meter per growing season. Can be propagated easily. The word wachuma translates to “removing the head” (wach- meaning “remove” and -uma meaning “head”) which metaphorically might mean the death of the ego. The word comes from Quechua, the language of the indigenous culture of the same name in the central Andes. As Maxwell told us, “The name San Pedro was an adaptation that came as a result of Catholic contact via Spanish conquistadors.” This is fascinatingly similar to the Bwiti tribe in Gabon who use ibogaine in a syncretic Christian-tribal tradition; it seems that part of the Andean adaptation to missionary influence was to rename this sacred plant after Saint Peter, implying that the entheogenic cactus holds the keys to the gates of heaven just as its new namesake, Saint Peter, is said to do. “Breaking open the Head”, Daniel Pinchbeck’s book about his initiation with the Bwiti (using Ibogaine). Max shares some of his backstory including trouble related to the illegality of plant medicine in the United States, which led to his moving to Peru. San Pedro “Jeff Bridges” variety: Trichocereus bridgesii

This is Entheogen. Talk about tools for generating the divine within. Today is February 28, 2016, and we are discussing Psychedelic Medicine Trials with a participant in a recent psilocybin study, Kirk Rutter. Find the notes and links for this and other episodes at EntheogenShow.com. Sign up to receive an email when we release a new episode. Follow us @EntheogenShow on Twitter and like EntheogenShow on FaceBook. Thanks for listening. Special thanks to our guest on today’s show, Kirk Rutter, who offers listeners a rare glimpse of what it’s like to participate in a psychedelic medicine trial. Kirk worked with Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris, David Erritzoe (who sat in on the sessions), Prof. David Nutt (who oversaw the project), and Mark Bolstridge at the Imperial College of London, studying the impact of psilocybin on depression. Topics: Kirk shares a bit of background about why he sought out this study The screening process Kirk’s prior experience (none) and opinion of psychedelics before the study No interaction with the other participants during the trials, meeting these automatic allies after the conclusion of the trials. The benefit of the “dry run” of set and setting a week ahead of time. Compare this protocol to the DMT studies by Strassman – demonstrates the importance of a comfortable setting. Kirk offers the term “psychedelic turbulence”, and the analogy of taking off in a plane: passing through the clouds, there may be some turbulence, and then once you reach a certain height it becomes calm. Sanskrit text flashing in the darkness, faint geometrics, jewels, golden structures… Describing the session room: niceties like ambient laser lights, aroma machine, candles, fresh flowers. The music in the room. The care given to the playlist. The importance of the playlist as part of the protocol. Psychedelic lacrymation. The “psychedelic yawn”. We all share our deep cries. Using music to help embed the experience. The roles of David, Robin, and Mark and how they factored into the experience. Robin: “one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.” We all don’t like the zoo. (E.g. “Meerkats basking under sunlamps.”) Kirk’s experience of seeing “an Indian god ‘look in on me’ like a parent looking over a baby's crib” Kevin’s experience seeing the same deity as Kirk: Ganesh, the "remover of obstacles", the "God of wisdom, knowledge and new beginnings". He sounds like a good totem to have through the 25mg experience” Chanting, meditating Check out Kirk’s blog for a first person description of what it’s like to participate in modern psychedelic research, including videos from your accommodations at the Imperial College campus in London.

Today is January 24, 2016, and we have for you a microdose of Alex & Allyson Grey. Find the notes and links for this and other episodes at EntheogenShow.com. Sign up to receive an email when we release a new episode. Follow us @EntheogenShow on Twitter and like EntheogenShow on FaceBook. Thanks for listening. We’ll begin with a quote from the New York Times: "Alex Grey's art, with its New Age symbolism and medical-illustration finesse, might be described as psychedelic realism, a kind of clinical approach to cosmic consciousness. In it, the human figure is rendered transparently with X-ray or CAT-scan eyes, the way Aldous Huxley saw a leaf when he was on mescaline. Every bone, organ and vein is detailed in refulgent color; objects and space are knitted together in dense, decorative linear webs." Psychedelic Best known for the Sacred Mirrors series CoSM, the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors “The Mission of the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors, CoSM, is to build an enduring sanctuary of visionary art to inspire every pilgrim’s creative path and embody the values of love and perennial wisdom.” Alex’s art is featured by Tool, Nirvana, The String Cheese Incident, Meshuggah, and the Beastie Boys. Alex and Allyson’s shared journey, visioning the same image, painted by Allyson as Jeweled Net of Indra and by Alex as Universal Mind Lattice

Today is January 24, 2016, and we are discussing why we make the show. Find the notes and links for this and other episodes at EntheogenShow.com. Sign up to receive an email when we release a new episode. Follow us @EntheogenShow on Twitter and like EntheogenShow on FaceBook. Thanks for listening. Submit your comments for the show by text or voice message and send to info@entheogenshow.com. Entheogen: What is it Quick recap on genesis What is the point? Information Community Personal Journey Save your soul and the world? Where we are Referrers: Tool, Erowid, Facebook, Twitter Subscribers: How can you support the show? Sign up for our newsletter: EntheogenShow.com Submit your comments for the show by text or voice message and send to info@entheogenshow.com.

This is Entheogen. Talk about tools for generating the divine within. Today is January 7, 2016, and we are discussing A New Understanding: The Science of Psilocybin. Find the notes and links for this and other episodes at EntheogenShow.com. Sign up to receive an email when we release a new episode. Follow us @EntheogenShow on Twitter and like EntheogenShow on FaceBook. Thanks for listening. We discussed this film and interviewed its producer, Robert Barnhart back in August 2015 before the film’s release. Since then, the film has been released and you can rent or buy it on online. We’ve all had a chance to watch it again and we wanted to reflect on our impressions of the film. We’ll start with a quote from Alex Grey: "A New Understanding: The Science of Psilocybin puts an original face on psychedelics. Not the typical faces in the media of delusional drop-outs associated with drugs, but the faces of normal Americans, some suffering from the final stages of terminal cancer. After one dose of psilocybin the face of joy, relief and peace is nothing short of miraculous. A medical mystical miracle is in our midst, and this film beautifully describes the facts! Bravo to Robert Barnhart and all the production team, the courageous chemists, doctors and patients who are helping our society re-evaluate Psilocybin as a medicine for the Soul." ~Alex Grey Hofmann discovered LSD, creating the modern psychedelic movement; not many people know he also isolated and synthesized psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms. Shutting down of research. Schedule 1. “No medicinal value, addictive” Kevin purports that Maria Sabina had given Albert Hofmann an “academic boner” over his successful synthesis of the active alkaloid in her magic mushrooms, psilocybin. “Throughout history, people have been able to have this mystical experience. The drug is a reliable way of getting one, but it's not about the drug, it's about the experience.” - Anthony Bossis Ann Levy’s son’s eulogy for her How does the experience help you confront death? “We’re all star stuff.” - Carl Sagan Bill Richards: 6 basic categories of a "core religious experience": 1. Unity 2. Transcendence of time and space 3. Noetic / intuitive knowledge 4. Sense of sacredness / awesomeness 5. Deeply felt positive mood / joy / peace / love 6. Ineffability / paradoxicality (difficult to put into words) Psilocybin and LSD as aphrodisiacs Why not? Why can’t we provide terminally ill people the relief these treatments offer? Brad: “word.” Wikipedia: List of Schedule I drugs and Schedule II drugs Rent or buy the film on Vimeo When you rent you can also watch DMT The Spirit Molecule The film’s website has a convenient “who’s who” of psychedelic researchers on the participants tab, with names, titles and photos, and a short bio when clicked

This is Entheogen. Talk about tools for generating the divine within. Today is December 14th, 2015, and we are discussing the Zendo Project with special guest, Sara Gael, Harm Reduction Coordinator for MAPS. Find the notes and links for this and other episodes at EntheogenShow.com. Sign up to receive an email when we release a new episode. Follow us @EntheogenShow on Twitter and like EntheogenShow on FaceBook. Our guest, Sara Gael, has been involved with the Zendo Project since its inception in 2012. Since then she has helped coordinate harm reduction services at festivals all over the world including Burning Man, Afrika Burn, Envision Festival, and Lightning in a Bottle. She is also an intern investigator in the Boulder, Colorado Phase II Clinical Trial of the Safety and Efficacy of MDMA-assisted Psychotherapy. Sara works as a psychotherapist in private practice and received her Master’s in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology at Naropa University. What is the Zendo Project? Zendo is billed as Psychedelic First Aid for Festivals & Events: “The Zendo Project provides a supportive environment and specialized care designed to transform difficult psychedelic experiences into valuable learning opportunities, and even potentially offer healing and growth. In turn, our work reduces the number of drug-related hospitalizations and arrests.” Why is a program like Zendo necessary? Basic tips: how to help a friend through a difficult trip Safe Space Talk through, not down Sitting, not guiding Difficult is not bad What type of training does the “sitter” or “facilitator” receive? Benefits of human contact, touch How to volunteer with Zendo Volunteers are needed for Burning Man, Afrika Burn, other festivals Sara discusses experience in the field at Burning Man, BOOM, Cannabis Cup, etc. How does Zendo work with medical and other support services KosmiCare at BOOM in Portugal, where drugs are decriminalized, provides a glimpse of a post-prohibition future: their efforts are sponsored by the local government and festival, and they include onsite testing of pills. Erowid Center helps bridge the gap with EcstacyData.org which features pill testing results database, in addition to the psychoactive vaults of Erowid.org. What’s the deal with folk remedies (bananas, oranges?) Nice things that smell good, art supplies, beautiful space, pillows, blankets, tea – your Psychedelic Grandma’s house Resources: Watch Zendo Training Video on YouTube Donate to Zendo Zendo Training Manual Zendo webinar The Manual of Psychedelic Support Handbook for Therapeutic Use of LSD Zendoproject.org Zendo Project Year End Review: 2015

Kevin and Earth reminisce about Burning Man 2007, the “Eclipse/Man-Burn-Early Year” What was Burning Man like in 1995? Fire tells the story of a Burning Man purist in 1995 who had stopped going since there were people there she didn’t know “radical self-reliance” and community reliance Earth asks Kevin: “did you carry out your own poop?” When they moved to California in 1994, Earth worked remotely for his dad’s tech company; what was working remotely like in 1994? Earth started New College in Sarasota, FL, the same year Rick Doblin graduated; Fire joined the next year. (Rick’s wild time at New College in the ‘80’s described in Acid Test by Tom Shroder) Earth and Fire discuss their friendship with Sasha and Ann Shulgin and the famous Friday night dinners Erowid becoming an educational nonprofit in 2008 Erowid’s Library

This is Entheogen. Talk about tools for generating the divine within. Today is December 9, 2015 and we are very excited to feature a special interview. This is the first half. It is our great pleasure and honor to welcome Earth and Fire Erowid! For context, Joe reads a quote from Michael Horowitz, personal archivist for Timothy Leary: “Powerful descriptive writing about personal drug experiences mimics the effects of the drugs themselves. Reading Aleister Crowley on how hashish aided his meditation, or Mezz Mezzrow on playing in a jazz band on marijuana, or Gordon and Valentina Wasson’s otherworldly mushroom journey in a curandera’s hut in Mexico, or Anais Nin describing how LSD turned her body into liquid gold can be mildly psychoactive in itself. Especially so if you’d had your own prior experiences. We also collected books and studied the rituals of the peyote and mushroom cults, the history of the opium wars and laughing gas parties. We learned that drug literature is endless, and drug-taking was one of the earliest and most common activities of mankind.” - Michael Horowitz, from an interview about the Tim Leary Archives Followup from previous episode of Entheogen, Honoring the 20th Anniversary of Erowid: Earth and Fire helped 17 year-old Brad avoid jail time Earth and Fire helped Kevin get through high school and college Joe got Erowid blocked from the network at his corporate job Support Erowid! Donate money, choose a gift Become a member or monthly supporter, receive the excellent and beautifully designed Erowid Extracts newsletter Donate your books, used or new Volunteer to triage experience reports or for other projects, e.g. foreign language help Topics: What role did the “mildly psychoactive” effect Horowitz attributed to some drug literature play in the founding of Erowid? Feeling it before taking it – hours (or days) before Imagination, memory, DMT, neurotransmitters, hallucinations lucid dreaming Oneirogens (dream generators); list of Oneirogenic substances on Wikipedia dream pillows Calea zacatechichi (the "dream herb") the physical expression of one’s intention, e.g. the taking of a substance, can be just as powerful as the substance itself What is it like having a New Yorker reporter in your home for three days? Reflecting on Emily Witt’s profile of Erowid from inside the mirrored bubble Kevin preaches: “drug education about marijuana was the gateway drug itself” What could responsible drug education in school look like? Abstinence, fear-based approaches are the norm. What could be the alternatives for young people? Earth introduces the concept of electroceuticals Brad is hopeful about the psychedelic research renaissance Special thanks to Earth and Fire Erowid for their tireless efforts for over 20 years, and huge thanks to Erowid’s noble crew Erowid Experience Vaults: edited, curated alternative to “wild west” internet forums like bluelight.org; other contemporaries: lycaeum.org, deoxy.org statistics about trip reports submitted, triaged, reviewed, and posted Earth clarifies something in the New Yorker article: “we are in fact ‘the weirdos among the straights and the straights among the weirdos’.” Fire live-edits the Entheogens page on Erowid to add LSD after our observation corrections@erowid.org

Erowid’s mission: “Documenting the complex relationship between humans and psychoactives.” Thanks to Earth and Fire Erowid for their hard work over the last two decades. Our personal experience with the page: Joe got Erowid blocked from his corporate job 15 years ago Erowid helped 17 year-old Brad avoid jail time Erowid helped Kevin get through high school and college The accurate, honest information from Erowid vs. the limited, outdated info supplied by anti-drug programs. Informing doctors. Erowid precept: don’t take anything without first researching it. Does this information make people more likely to try drugs? Is there a double standard for psychedelics? Alcohol, pharmaceuticals, football? The Shulgins’ Friday Night Dinners, attended by Earth and Fire. Donate to Erowid, a 501(c)(3) non-profit.

We would like to thank our 3,000 monthly subscribers for listening to the show. We want to hear from you! Visit EntheogenShow.com and subscribe to our newsletter to receive show notes by email when new episodes are posted. Get in touch on Facebook or Twitter. And spread the word about Entheogen! And check out our first Entheogen T-shirts! Show your support of Entheogen and start a conversation at the same time. teespring.com/entheogen This episode we are grateful to be joined by special guest, Micah, to discuss the use of Ayahuasca in a modern context, as well as in the traditional setting. Background: Erowid Ayahuasca Vault: Basics Topics: - the traditional preparation vs. a chemical extraction - the traditional context vs. modern comforts - shaman vs. therapist - jungle fauna, icaros vs. modern metaphors and music - other psychoactive plant medicine: tobacco, chocolate/cacao, wine, sassafras, black pepper - creating a container for deep experience References: Santo Daime União do Vegetal Controversy Brews Over Church's Hallucinogenic Tea Ritual

Holotropic Breathwork was developed by Stan Grof, an early researcher and practitioner of LSD Psychotherapy, as a substitute for LSD when the substance was outlawed. Topics: "Holotropic Breathwork"? What is it like to experience of a Holotropic Breathwork workshop? Yoga Nidra guided meditation Pranayama "Iceman" Wim Hof's method of teaching people how to control their immune system response Further: Pineal gland as "director" of other glands? Glands secrete hormones, which regulate mood, energy level, wellness, etc. The importance of pH level and its affect on neurotransmitters?

On the first anniversary of Entheogen, to kick off Season 2, we decide to discuss the cultural phenomenon of Burning Man, where the show was conceived. Kevin wonders if setting the stage for a more intentional journey – gathering a group, making a circle, and expressing intentions collectively – empowered him to go further this time Kevin shares the itinerary of his (initially) "hard trip" at Burning Man – well into the spiritual realm, dosage-wise – revisiting and redeeming the journey he discussed in Entheogen 004: Bad Trips, and transcending anxiety and fear to experience bliss The ground as a point of reference: "grounding" Brad and Kevin re-play their Burning Man 2015 experience in the video game tent at Center Camp – the simple controls belying the mind-fuck of "level two" joystick inversion and character mitosis Brad reviews three more excellent talks by Meriana Dinkova at Burning Man 2015 Entheogen 006: Interview with Meriana Dinkova Navigating Altered States The feeling/vibe of Burning Man Decommodification The importance of the crazy clothing aspect to Burning Man, a unifying force – "furs" as the eleventh principle The 10 Principles of Burning Man

This is Entheogen. We talk about tools for generating the divine within. It's June 29th, 2015. We're talking about microdosing. James Fadiman http://www.npr.org/2015/06/27/418032035/limericks http://fourhourworkweek.com/2015/03/21/james-fadiman/ http://www.themorningnews.org/article/the-heretic http://www.alternet.org/drugs/microdosing-new-low-key-way-use-psychedelics http://www.rawstory.com/2015/06/microdosing-a-new-low-key-way-to-use-psychedelics/ http://pulseradio.net/articles/2015/06/lsd-for-breakfast-makes-you-better-at-your-job-scientist-says

We are honored to be joined by Robert J. Barnhart, producer of A New Understanding: The Science of Psilocybin. For historical context, we review the groundwork laid in the 1980's by organizations such as the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) and Heffter Research Institute. Robert serves on the Boards of Directors of both organizations. Basic research began as early as the 1940's and continued through the '50's and '60's, until Nixon's Drug Control Act of 1970 when the highly promising research was extinguished. In the words of Roland Griffiths, "Can you think of another area of science regarded as so dangerous and taboo that all research gets shut down for decades? It’s unprecedented in modern science." Only as recently as in the last decade, thanks entirely to private fundraising by organizations like MAPS and Heffter, researchers have completed Phase I and Phase II studies. Plans for Phase III trials are on the horizon, and by some predictions, entheogens like psilocybin could be rescheduled to Schedule II (from Schedule I) perhaps as soon as 2020. At $10/pill an effective one-time-dose treatment like an entheogen might not be economically feasible or lucrative enough for today's pharmaceutical companies to pursue taking to market. But what about regular, ongoing "microdosing" of something like LSD? And moreover, the potentially vast application of entheogens toward the "betterment of well people" (in the words of Bob Jesse) would seem to be highly interesting to a pharmaceutical company. Robert recounts the story of how his would-be high school film project about the psychedelic experience may have serendipitously inspired his new film. In addition to supporting MAPS and Heffter, Robert recommends the Beckley Foundation in England. Also, write to Congress and talk to people about your own entheogenic experiences. For more about the studies, check out Anthroposophia: A different kind of love story: One woman's psilocybin experience by Sandy Lundahl. Thanks again to Robert Barnhart for joining us. Stay tuned for the release of A New Understanding: The Science of Psilocybin.

This is Entheogen: three human beings discussing generating the divine within while still being human beings. In this episode, recorded on June 22, 2015, we are honored to be joined by Dr. Carl Ruck, professor in the Classical Studies department at Boston University. Ruck is credited with coining the term Entheogen to describe neurotropic substances. Ruck explains the importance of the term entheogen as distinct from neurotropic and other terms which may be used in scientific literature (see also: alchemy…chemistry, astrology…astronomy; alchemy minus theology = chemistry). Dangers of guidance under the guise of a false guru. Ancient entheogenic substances and principles of practice being reinterpreted in modern culture is prone to pitfalls. "Our own European culture has a rich panoply of paradigms to help us with the experience, but we're told that it has nothing to do with this kind of drug induced visionary experience, so people don't understand that the ancient greek myths are a fantastic way of mapping out a pathway for self-discovery." - Carl A. P. Ruck What is the role of the entheogen in society? Finding ways to go to "the origins of religious cognition." Should entheogens be used in a ritualistic setting, or as a private experience? The Gaia Project: Reclaiming the Mysteries of Eleusis (more info) The Breaking Conventions conference Further reading: Entheogens, Myth, and Human Consciousness

This show we are joined by special guest, Ingo, to explore the topic of how psychedelics can change one's personality. Ingo explains how in traditional psychology, one's personality typically doesn't change after the age of 30 years. And yet in his experience, he has grown more as a person since he began using psychedelics than ever before. How does a psychedelic experience change one's personality? In the peak entheogenic experience? During the afterglow? Cumulatively over the years? Ingo reminds us of the Roland Griffiths we study discussed in Entheogen 008: The Trip Treatment. How psychedelics reintroduce us to the joy, wonder, and awe of a child's perspective. Check out Entheogen Show on Facebook!

Wild Daga a.k.a Lion's Tail: any relationship to Rooibus tea? tastes similar, pairs very well Dan discusses his inspiring journey of self-healing using medicinal plants Kevin wonders about mixing various herbs Blue Lotus: calming, narcotic effect, lucid dreaming, Dan recommends combining with mugroot Tolerance; addictive potential Kana Flower: alertness, focus, faster perception of senses; correlation with the development of human consciousness? Kevin recommends smokeableherbs.com Dan recommends a glass bowl, "Patience," and the Whisper vaporizer Thoughts on ibogaine? 36 hour effects, "negative life review" aspect (another African plant)

- Grof began studying LSD in 1956 when Sandoz shipped a big box of LSD-25 ampules, with a mysterious description of the history of its discovery by Albert Hofmann, and offering two suggested avenues of research: first, to induce a experimental state of psychosis in normal people, and secondly as an unconventional educational tool, to induce this state in the therapist to better understand the "psychotic" state. Grof had been feeling dissatisfied with modern psychology and lack of results, costs in time, energy, etc., and the Sandoz box and invitation came at just the right time. - He also agreed to have his brainwaves driven as a participant in another avenue of research that was taking place, which involved stereoscopic light – which, combined with the LSD, elicited an overwhelming experience of cosmic consciousness, and a sense of becoming everything there was. - Grof discusses the correlation between the workings of the brain and consciousness, but points out there is no proof that the brain creates consciousness. His first psychedelic experience brought him to a state of superconsciousness that led him to understand that consciousness was a property of reality that can be experienced by humankind, but was not created by the brain. - In psychiatry, these states are Altered States are considered pathologic. Grof realized we needed a new word and coined Holotropic: Holos, wholeness; tropic, movement toward something. - Quoting Grof: The term “altered states of consciousness” (Tart 1969) commonly used by mainstream clinicians and theoreticians is not appropriate, because of its one-sided emphasis on the distortion or impairment of the “correct way” of experiencing oneself and the world. (In colloquial English and in veterinary jargon, the term “alter” is used to signify castration of family dogs and cats). Even the somewhat better term “non-ordinary states of consciousness” is too general, since it includes a wide range of conditions that are not relevant for the subject of this paper. Here belong trivial deliria caused by infectious diseases, tumors, abuse of alcohol, or circulatory and degenerative diseases of the brain. These alterations of consciousness are associated with disorientation, impairment of intellectual functions, and subsequent amnesia. - Grof describes two modes of consciousness: hylotropic referring to "the normal, everyday experience of consensus reality" and holotropic, which is moving toward wholeness (e.g. meditative, mystical, psychedelic experiences). - Grof developed breathing techniques (Holotropic Breathwork) as a successor to the use of psychedelic drugs, when psychedelics encountered legal difficulty in the 1960's.

- Roland Griffiths, trained as a behaviorist and holding senior appointments in psychiatry and neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University, is one of the nation’s leading drug-addiction researchers. Pollan quoting Griffiths: “There is such a sense of authority that comes out of the primary mystical experience that it can be threatening to existing hierarchical structures. We ended up demonizing these compounds. Can you think of another area of science regarded as so dangerous and taboo that all research gets shut down for decades? It’s unprecedented in modern science.” - Robert Jesse, founder of Council on Spiritual Practices (CSP) in 1993, former VP of Oracle. - Rick Doblin, founder of Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) in 1986. - Charles Grob, at U.C.L.A., who won F.D.A. approval in 2006 for a Phase I pilot study to assess the safety, dosing, and efficacy of psilocybin in the treatment of anxiety in cancer patients. - David Nichols, emeritus professor of pharmacology at Purdue University and a founder of the Heffter Research Institute in 1993, key funder of psychedelic research. - Robin Carhart-Harris and David Nutt of Imperial College, London. See prior coverage on the show: Entheogen 002: Psychedelic Research Renaissance, Part 2

An Interview with Albert Hofmann by Michael Horowitz in 1976. Eleusinian Mysteries Psychotomimetic María Sabina Albert Hofmann's Letter to Steve Jobs

- Meriana's work: preparing and processing - techniques for protection and optimization of a trip - Bruce Lee; superheroes as archetypal guides or guardians to be called upon during altered states - personifying LSD, mushrooms, and ayahuasca - LSD: that's you. That's your shit. Deal with it. (Can cover a lot. Can be cold about it.) - Mushrooms: the little brothers, jokers. This is your shit and this is how it's funny. Lightness. The universe is a cosmic joke. Intelligent. Caring. At higher doses, less funny and more deep. - Ayahuasca: the great mother; the grandmother: wise feminine being who cares about you. These are the ways in which you're not your shit. Hard truths, e.g. shows you how you've harmed other people. Non-judgemental. Caring, wise. Supportive. 10 Day Plant Medicine Reteat With 3 Shamans- Peru; Apr 18-27th 2015 – Tickets - future topic teaser: Sex Magic and Erotic Influence