Episódios
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In this episode, David interviews Floris Wolswijk: senior project manager at Delphi; co-founder of FLO coaching; and founder of Blossom, an online informational hub collecting psychedelic courses, trials, companies, and over 2000 categorized research articles.
When Wolswijk began Blossom, he was barely able to fill a weekly newsletter, and now he’s adding a new study nearly every day, perfectly illustrating the exponential growth in psychedelic research. He talks about why so much research is happening (and why more isn’t), the trends he’s seen, the benefit in research changing people’s minds, and what he hopes for in the future. What can the research community learn from existing real world evidence, and how can retreat centers and underground communities contribute?
He also discusses:
What culture is like in the Netherlands, where psilocybin truffles are legal Drug development and the possibilities of adjusting existing molecules What we can learn from the Lykos and FDA situation The economics of psychedelics and how insurance will likely be the next big conversation His work with FLO coaching, and how coaching, acceptance and commitment therapy, and psilocybin can work togetherand more!
For links, head to the show notes page.
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In this episode, Joe interviews Jessica Tracy: head of sales & partnerships at Enthea, a company that works with employers, unions, and employee assistance programs to be able to offer ketamine-assisted therapy (and psilocybin where it’s legal) to employees.
She talks about her path to psychedelics and how the shifts in her life led her to want to help others, finding Enthea and using her 15 years of experience in healthcare to make an immediate difference. She explains how the process works for an employee of a company Enthea works with, and the importance of evidence-based medical policy and rigorous screening to make sure people are getting the best intervention possible. One of Enthea’s largest clients is Dr. Bronner’s, who reported incredible improvements after employees used the benefit, with a 65% improvement in depression scores and an 86% improvement in PTSD.
She also discusses:
How psychedelics bring awareness to what we need to work on Less-discussed treatment modalities, like electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and stellate ganglion block (SGB) The inefficiency of traditional talk therapy: 50% of people only see really good benefits after 20 sessions The importance of viewing mental health as individualized care: What else can we offer to people who haven’t been helped by traditional methods? The research that she wants to see, like measures in how present or productive people are before and after experiencesand more!
For links, head to the show notes page.
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In this episode, Joe and Kyle finally meet up again for the first episode of Psychedelics Lately: the updated version of the much-missed Psychedelics Weekly, where they’ll meet each month to talk about the most interesting stories in psychedelics.
The main story this month is the fate of Massachusetts’ Question 4: Regulated Access to Psychedelic Substances Initiative (The Natural Psychedelic Substances Act). They discuss what they like about the bill, its opposition, and its support, including actress Eliza Dushku Palandjian, who went from a diagnosis of PTSD and an in-the-psychedelic-closet underground experience to becoming a very public, soon-to-be certified psychedelic facilitator. If you live in Massachusetts, make sure to read about the bill and get out and vote this Tuesday (or now, if you’re registered for early voting).
They also discuss:
Joe’s recent east coast travels to Harvard and the PhilaDelic conference Alfred North Whitehead and Process Philosophy The Psychedelics and Pain Association, and Court Wing’s involvement in the first published case report of complex regional pain syndrome being treated with psilocybin The scientific community needing to embrace more experientially-based approaches and practices The challenge of making meaning out of the mysticaland more!
For links, head to the show notes page.
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In this episode, Joe interviews Dr. Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes: philosopher, lecturer at the University of Exeter, co-director of the Breaking Convention conference, and author who most recently co-edited Philosophy and Psychedelics: Frameworks for Exceptional Experience.
He discusses how the work of William James and an early psilocybin experience led him to an interest in philosophy and psychedelics, and he dives deep into several philosophical concepts: panpsychism, pantheism, ethical pluralism, teleology, process theology, Whitehead’s fallacy of misplaced concreteness, and more. He believes that science has lost touch with metaphysics – the branch of philosophy that examines the basic structure of reality – and that studying metaphysics will lead to more beneficial experiences with the non-ordinary: If you can understand and frame the experience, you’ll have a much better chance of being able to integrate its lessons.
He discusses:
The complexity of ethics and the need to ask more philosophical questions His book, Neo-Nihilism, which argued that there are no shared objective morals The West’s’ obsession with scientism and believing only what can be reducible to matter: Is science honest if it ignores the ineffable? The connections between philosophical frameworks and religion: Would studying comparative religion help us better understand each other? The need for more experiential researchand more!
Sjöstedt-Hughes is the co-lead on Exeter’s 12-month postgraduate certificate course, “Psychedelics: Mind, Medicine, and Culture,” and is finalizing his next book, a manual on psychedelics and metaphysics.
For links, head to the show notes page.
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In this episode, Joe interviews 4 members of the Penn Psychedelics Collaborative: Co-Founder, Taylor Andrews Flatt, PMHNP; Associate Director, Victor Pablo Acero, Ph.D.; Professor in Fine Arts and Co-Director of the Weitzman School of Design, Jackie Tileston; and Executive Director and Director of the Penn Program for Mindfulness, Michael Baime, MD.
Recorded earlier this month at the PhilaDelic conference – one of the primary initiatives of the PPC – they discuss their paths to psychedelics and why this transdisciplinary collection of faculty, researchers, and clinicians at the University of Pennsylvania was so necessary. Viewing psychedelics from different perspectives (Flatt from nursing, Acero from bioengineering, Tileston from the art and mysticism side of things, and Baime from a more mindfulness point of view), their group is a case study in collaboration – a place where connections can be catalyzed and shared goals can be addressed from different angles. How far can we go when different groups start working together?
They discuss:
The concept of psychedelics not just being used to treat conditions, but to make us healthier Psychedelic art and the idea of the art itself being psychoactive rather than just representations of trips The work of David Glowacki and bringing about non-ordinary states of consciousness through VR Research into salvia being used to alleviate stroke symptoms How a lack of funding can really create focusand more!
For links, head to the show notes page.
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In this episode, Joe interviews two people on the frontlines of the campaign for Massachusetts' Question 4: The Natural Psychedelic Substances Act: Graham Moore and Community Engagement Director, Jamie Morey.
They discuss the specifics of the initiative, listed on the ballot as the “Limited Legalization and Regulation of Certain Natural Psychedelic Substances,” including the removal of criminal penalties for limited personal use, and the establishment of a regulatory agency that will provide therapeutic access to any of five natural psychedelics (psilocybin, psilocin, DMT, mescaline, and ibogaine). They tell their stories of how they discovered the power of psychedelics, and discuss the work they’re doing, educating a fairly interested – but still very hesitant – public about the bill and the importance of it passing this November.
They talk about:
The significance of this happening in Massachusetts, especially with the amount of biomedical research happening in Boston The story of a member of Baystaters creating a fraudulent persona in a veterans advocacy group to fight against legalization efforts The challenge of getting people to publicly support initiatives that deal with illegal substances The power of small steps in legislation: Before this bill, MA had the most local measures in the U.S. How data collection should be handled at service centersand more!
If you live in Massachusetts, learn about the bill here, and make sure to get out and cast your vote in November.
For links, head to the show notes page.
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In this episode, Joe interviews Diana Quinn, ND: naturopathic doctor, healing justice practitioner, and director of clinical education at the Naropa Center for Psychedelic Studies, where she directs their Psilocybin Facilitator Training certificate program.
She discusses her path from anthropology to naturopathy, and eventually to psychedelics and activism, finding a framework for psychedelic education grounded in healing justice, which recognizes the impact of collective trauma on all of us, seeks to reclaim lost or stolen models of healing, focuses on equity and accessibility, and brings an anti-oppression lens to training programs to give students a greater capacity for culturally responsive care. She encourages seeing things from an anti-capitalist viewpoint, and recognizes the huge clash between using such powerful and mystical medicines inside structures so embedded with problematic human qualities. How can you build inside of these Western systems without being affected by that capitalist energy?
She discusses:
The importance of respecting plants from other cultures – that no healing or consciousness expansion is justifiable when it threatens an entire species The challenge of integrating the weirdest parts of non-ordinary states into education: How does a Western framework come to terms with the ineffable? How colonialism and the culture born from it has hurt us all The importance of finding your own lineage and what is sacred to you The work of Rick Tarnas and the amazing patterns we can find in astrologyand more!
For links, head to the show notes page.
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In this episode, Joe interviews Rick Doblin, Ph.D.: founder and president of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), and former board member at Lykos Therapeutics, MAPS’ public benefit subsidiary.
Doblin tells his side of the story: that the FDA’s concerns with double blinding not working had been fully addressed ahead of time, that they had negotiated agreements that were no longer agreed to when new FDA employees came on board, that there was a lot of confusion from going back and forth with the FDA on how Phase 3 studies should be designed, and more. He believes that Lykos made a massive mistake in assuming that provable science was more important than public opinion, and that ignoring critics who were saying whatever they wanted caused them to lose control of the narrative – which clearly influenced the advisory committee. While Lykos figures out their next steps with the FDA, MAPS is focusing their attention on what they feel is most important in light of this ruling: better public education and drug policy.
He talks about:
How there’s a bias at the FDA to be harsh: Does automatically saying no just make it look like you’re being rigorous? The work of the Dutch government in researching MDMA, and Lykos’ odd decision to not highlight any of it Massachusetts’ Legalization and Regulation of Psychedelic Substances initiative, and the huge opportunity for progress at the local level Why federal agents at Burning Man work so hard to give tickets to attendees for smoking cannabis Why sharing stories of your positive experiences with psychedelics is so importantand more!
MAPS has announced that 2025’s Psychedelic Science conference will be in Denver, June 16-20, and will have experiential opportunities before and after.
For links, head to the show notes page.
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In this episode, Kyle interviews Gabriela Galindo: program coordinator of FLOWS (Foundations for Leaders Organizing for Water and Sustainability), an organization working towards social and environmental justice, ecosystem restoration, community building, and the preservation and protection of Indigenous medicines.
She discusses her entry point to psychedelics and how she got involved with Colorado’s Natural Medicine Health Act (Prop 122) when she saw a complete absence of Indigenous representation in the legislature. The narrative that we all have a right to healing and that these medicines belong to everyone is pretty common today, but Galindo argues that this is not fair: that each plant has its own history, and that each is protected by its own culture. Shouldn’t the communities that have stewarded these medicines for centuries have a say in whether their medicine is going to be shared and legislated at the state level? Shouldn’t they have the ability to consent to these new proposals?
She talks about:
Why she likes using ‘movement’ instead of ‘renaissance’ when discussing our psychedelic culture What we could learn from Indigenous people’s harmony with nature as we face an ongoing climate crisis The balancing act of pleasing everyone: Would decriminalization be as supported if Indigenous communities wanted to keep some of these substances criminalized for the protection of their culture and their ecosystems? How psychedelic communities should evolve to include community work into their routines: What do local communities need and how can you help? The importance of knowing when to step aside and truly center a community voiceand more!
For links, head to the show notes page.
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In this episode, Joe interviews Mareesa Stertz: lead of strategy/communications at the Global Psychedelic Society, co-founder of Lucid News, and filmmaker, currently finalizing her second feature film, “Confessions of a Psychonaut.”
She discusses her path to wanting to create the film: how she always felt like something was wrong with her but didn’t know exactly how to start her healing path, how seven ayahuasca trips didn’t give her the breakthrough experience she wanted, and how she realized over time that she didn’t have a hidden moment of trauma to overcome, but rather, lots of “little t” trauma – something that a lot of us have, without necessarily knowing it. She saw the true power of people sharing their stories of becoming healthier, and has found that aligning our stories to the classic framework of the Hero’s Journey and Carl Jung’s concept of individuation is the perfect formula for self-awareness, growth, and finding more meaning in life.
She talks about:
How the Hero’s Journey makes sense of the abyss, and how the abyss helps us to see how much we’ve been programmed Her formula for a good story: who you were before the event, the event, and how it changed you Her Sphinx project, where she aims to bring giant sphinxes (from “The NeverEnding Story”) to Burning Man, as a way for people to determine if they are “worthy” Her “Talk Box” art installation, which involves strangers meeting in a confession booth to engage in meaningful conversations based on a wheel of questions The power of group coherence and how much stronger a healing container can become over timeand more!
Stertz is offering a course on finding where the Hero’s Journey is in each of our lives: “Emerge: A Journey of Self-Authorship” begins on October 29. Click here for more info.
For links, head to the show notes page.
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In this episode, Joe interviews Micah Stover: certified psychedelic somatic therapist and author of the upcoming book, Healing Psychedelics: Innovative Therapies for Trauma and Transformation; and Craig Heacock, MD: adolescent, adult, and addiction psychiatrist, and host of the Back from the Abyss podcast.
Stover discusses the inspiration for the book: the ancestral voices she started hearing after she had children, being featured on Heacock’s podcast and becoming fascinated with people’s healing stories, and her move to Mexico, where she learned the beauty of a less complicated and more connected life. She learned that the village you surround yourself with is really the medicine, and that existing in the mysteries of life can be much more beneficial than trying to solve everything. Combining her Western training with more Indigenous perspectives, she wondered: Where do science and spirit meet? And how can they dance together?
They discuss:
Stover’s early days of offering medicine journeys in Mexico, and how much leaning on elders from all backgrounds matters The importance of discernment in non-ordinary states: Is spiritual bypassing just the absence of discernment? How finding a village can be just connecting to the earth: How much of our trauma is from a “nature deficit disorder”? The power of transference and the relationship between therapists/facilitators and clients The idea that modern psychology has fallen short because we’ve sterilized love out of the room, and the challenge of bringing love back as part of a safe containerand more!
The book, which is laid out somewhat like a workbook (and which Heacock wrote the foreward to) comes out on November 4 and is available for pre-order now.
For links, head to the show notes page.
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In this episode, David interviews Glauber Assis, Ph.D.: research associate at the Interdisciplinary Group for Psychoactive Studies, director of the Psychedelic Parenthood community, Vital instructor, and leader of Jornadas de Kura, a plant medicine center in Brazil.
He talks about growing up in Brazil in the shadows of colonialism, and how he felt his early experiences with ayahuasca and the Santo Daime church decolonized his mind, changing his relationship with himself and his family, and eventually leading him to start his own church: Céu da Divina Estrela. He believes that to truly know ourselves, we need to experience other cultures, and to truly see the commonalities between each other, we need to recognize just how different we all are. He feels that true growth is not found in the substance or experience, but in the relationships we have with others, and our ability to change.
He discusses:
-How ayahuasca becoming a global phenomenon is revitalizing traditions that may have otherwise been lost
-His first travels to the U.S. and why we need to stop romanticizing other cultures
-The power of live music in a ceremonial group setting
-The birth of his third child in a car, and what psychedelic parenthood really means
-The importance of understanding multiple different frameworks and being able to use them togetherand more!
Bonus: This episode features the first live performance in PT podcast history – a song Assis wrote in the Santo Daime tradition.
Click here to head to the show notes page.
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In this episode, Joe interviews award-winning novelist and screenwriter, Norman Ohler.
Following in the footsteps of "Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich," his newest book, "Tripped: Nazi Germany, the CIA, and the Dawn of the Psychedelic Age," tells the story of how the Nazi’s passion for methamphetamine turned into a curiosity about LSD, and how their experiments with trying to harness LSD as a truth drug eventually led to the CIA continuing their research under their MKUltra program. The book came about from trying to understand why LSD never became medicine – a question posed by his father, when discussing how LSD could help with his wife’s progressing Alzheimer’s symptoms.
He discusses:
His path to becoming a “gonzo historian” and how his early psychedelic research was inspired by a friend’s discovery of methamphetamine tablets from the 40s Henry Beecher’s LSD experiments with students at Harvard, and how researchers often didn’t know they were contributing to MKUltra His recent appearances on The Joe Rogan Experience and Jesse Watters Primetime His mother’s experience with microdosing LSD and why police showed up at his father’s door with a warrant Why he believes psychedelics will be legalized in the U.S. in the next 10 yearsand more!
For links, head to the show notes page.
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In this episode, Kyle interviews Lana Pribic, M.Sc: host of the Modern Psychedelics podcast, certified professional life coach, and founder of Kanna Wellness.
She talks about her early days of rave culture and MDMA, to exploring other substances, to where she is today: finding joy in the simple things in life, embracing recreational psychedelics, and continuously working on herself while understanding that psychedelic experiences are not the be-all, end-all medicine, and that taking space to integrate learned lessons is where the true potential lies. She recognizes that many of us set out to heal trauma or work on something specific, but often get caught in a "healing trap," where a victim energy ends up holding us back – and keeps us coming back. When is the healing done? When do these experiences become a habit or escape? What are we not integrating?
She discusses:
The "7 levels of energy" framework she uses with clients How she works with clients who return to unhealthy patterns after a big experience The judgment of the psychedelic space, both for people who stop using psychedelics and for people who return to the well perhaps too ofte Her relationship with her mother and how her mother's cancer treatment inspired her to create Kanna Wellnes How much of a factor acceptance is in finding joy in the mundaneand more!
Serving Canada (for now), Kannawellness.com just launched, and features kanna extract 8 times more potent than what is on the market today. If you're curious, use code PT10 at checkout for 10% off your order!
For links, head to the show notes page.
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In this episode, Joe interviews Ingmar Gorman, Ph.D.: clinical psychologist and co-founder and CEO of Fluence, a psychedelic education company.
Gorman served as a co-principal investigator and study therapist on MAPS’ Phase II and III clinical trials for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD, and works with drug sponsors: training, developing the components for clinical trials, and designing therapy manuals. With his insider’s perspective, he discusses the reasons why he believes the FDA rejected MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD: from ICER’s 2.1 section of the report giving legitimacy to allegations they don’t have the authority to research, to Lykos not being able to defend some accusations due to confidentiality, to the damage caused over time (which likely influenced the decision) from attacks against Lykos from dissenters.
He discusses:
How, despite abuse claims, the main allegations in the report were actually about the mishandling of data or influence of investigators on participants The complications of needing to follow study frameworks: Should your adverse experience be in the report if it happened outside the study window? How easily opposition can attack and demonize a faceless company, while forgetting the humanity of the people behind it Inner healing intelligence and the proposition that people have been indoctrinated into this concept by MAPS The need for journalists to research more and not just jump on a narrativeand more!
For links, head to the show notes page.
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In this episode, Kyle interviews Beth Weinstein: spiritual business coach, host of the “Medicine For These Times” podcast, and founder of the Psychedelics, Sacred Medicines, Soul’s Purpose & Business summit.
She talks about a pattern she noticed of people working with psychedelics and seeing progress on what they set out to heal, but with a short-lived afterglow, as they remained in unfulfilling jobs without making any changes. She wondered: What if they applied the lessons they learned during their experience to their careers? What small steps could they start taking to either improve their current job, or find their true soul’s purpose and carve out a new path? Weinstein’s path has led her to combine practical business action plans with more spiritual and traditionally psychedelic modalities to help people grow in their careers and become their most authentic selves – especially if they’re trying to enter into the psychedelic space.
She discusses:
The importance of making time to talk things out with a coach, integration circle, or friends – especially in a culture that only gets more distracting and chaotic every day The challenge of differentiating between guidance: Is it your soul’s true purpose, or a trick of your ego? The weirdly taboo topic of money in psychedelics, and the delicate balance of aligning with charitable values while making a living The mystical aspects to how life can change with new energy: Maybe that layoff happened at the perfect time? The power of positivity and small steps toward change, and how working on something outside of work can transform how you show up at workand more!
Weinstein’s newest course begins early next year: The True Path Entrepreneur Group Business Coaching Mastermind Program, which is a 12-month live coaching course designed to reprogram limiting patterns and beliefs and help move people into alignment with their true path. Click here for more info and to apply.
For links, head to the show notes page.
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In this episode, David interviews Daniel Shankin: psychedelic integration coach, Vital instructor, and founder and director of Tam Integration.
He talks about the underrated importance of integration circles, how he created Tam Integration out of a personal need for them, how simple it can be for people to create their own groups, and how open-ended newly formed groups can be. He also discusses his “fractal inquiry” coaching method, and how the best coaching involves simply asking questions that lead clients to their own realizations and wisdom. He is offering courses that teach both of these skills: a course called Creating Community Psychedelic Integration Circles, and the newly-launched, year-long Mt. Tam Psychedelic Integration Coaching Program, beginning in October.
He discusses:
The importance of learning how to focus on your breath, especially during a tough experience Hugging the Hindu spiritual leader, Amma (Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi), and the special energy that some people have The benefits of knowing when a mind path isn’t worth exploring The difference between judgment and curiosity The weirdness of psychonauts, and how maybe getting a little weirder is what’s needed for your healingand more!
For links, head to the show notes page.
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In this episode, Joe interviews Joanna Kempner, Ph.D.: associate professor in the Department of Sociology at Rutgers University and author of the recently released, Psychedelic Outlaws: The Movement Revolutionizing Modern Medicine.
The book profiles the history and groundbreaking work of ClusterBusters, a nonprofit researching and spreading awareness about what someone named Flash discovered decades ago: that for some people, psilocybin and LSD could stop cluster headaches from coming on. Through early internet message board posts and email exchanges between Bob Wold, Rick Doblin, and others, Kempner pieced together their story. And through attending ClusterBusters meetings, she discovered that a lot of the true healing lies in the bonds formed and the hope people find when seeing something new work for a pain for which science has no answer.
She discusses:
The lack of political will behind something so debilitating: Why is there no funding for this? The importance of patient advocacy and the role of the internet in sharing novel information The difficulty in studying a disease so unpredictable: How do you run a randomized trial when you don’t know when a cluster is going to happen? Why the headache community clashes with psychology Concerns over how to ethically combine underground and Indigenous knowledge with above-ground University researchand more!
For links, head to the show notes page.
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In this episode, Kyle interviews Mustapha Khan: Emmy Award-winning director with over 100 film and television credits, who has worked with clients such as Coca-Cola and Honda, and celebrities ranging from Maya Angelou to Snoop Dogg.
Khan is finalizing a film about Lenny and Elizabeth Gibson and their ongoing work at Dreamshadow – the people and community responsible for Joe and Kyle meeting and the creation of Psychedelics Today. He talks about meeting the Gibsons, being welcomed into their community (instead of his proposed “fly on the wall” role), how centered and happy he felt after his first breathwork session, and what he has learned through the process: that breathwork can be an incredibly healing modality, but the magic he has found has been more in the community surrounding it, and the responsibility (and honor) of being a sitter for someone else.
He discusses:
The first time his breathwork went psychedelic, and speaking with his recently deceased Mothe How he got into filmmaking and why he wants to tell stories about people like the Gibson The beauty of breathwork not having a dogma or doctrine attached to it The power in holding space for someone else, even if it’s just being presen The importance of taking action that aligns with psychedelic ethos: What can you do to contribute to your community?and more!
Khan is hoping to release the documentary, “Life and Breath,” in October. In addition to a screening at Dreamshadow, PT will likely do a virtual one as well, so stay tuned for updates!
For links, head to the show notes page.
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In this episode, Joe interviews Danielle Nova: founder of Psychedelic Recovery, founding team member of Decriminalize Nature Oakland, and Executive Director of the San Francisco Psychedelic Society.
As a recovering addict, Nova discusses how working with psychedelics helped her find her way to recovery, and how she's spreading that knowledge to others through her Psychedelic Recovery program, which focuses more on 'targeted abstinence,' instead of the total abstinence model of Psychedelics In Recovery (which works alongside AA's 12-step program). She believes that it's extremely important to reframe addiction as a life process or temporary state of consciousness (rather than a life sentence you can't escape), and that beating addiction is not about constantly being afraid of a relapse, but about evolving to a state of empowerment: that you can overcome it, and that actually, a horrific addiction may have saved you and brought you to where you're supposed to be.
She discusses:
The complications of Western medicine and the impact of conflicting medications that are nearly impossible to stop taking How self-regulation of tough emotions with outside stimuli (be it drugs, pornography, or even video games) trains people to rely on external forces rather than themselves How addicts end up programing themselves with 'addict consciousness,' and the power of changing one's mind state to view suffering as the fuel for a new purpose How, over time, we will likely start viewing microdosing as a regular dose, and the large doses we're used to will be seen as overdosing How being part of her ayahuasca experience (and having one himself) completely changed her father's perspective on drugs and addictionand more!
She has co-created Microdosing Facilitator Training with Adam Bramlage of Flow State Micro: a first-of-its-kind 4-month program teaching clinicians, facilitators, and coaches about microdosing and how to safely guide others through the practice. The next cohort launches in January 2025.
For links, head to the show notes page.
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