Psychedelic Times Podcast

Author and ayahuascero Javier Regueiro occupies an important nexus point between indigenous healing traditions and Western culture. Mr. Regueiro is a Spanish national who was raised in Switzerland and moved to Peru in 2004, eventually training under Don Francisco Montes Shuña and becoming a full-time ayahuasca facilitator in 2006. He has also written two books: Ayahuasca: Soul Medicine of the Amazon Jungle, and San Pedro Huachuma: Opening the Pathways of the Heart. In this podcast, Joe Mattia speaks with Javier about the divine feminine, self realization, ayahuasca, and the importance of preparation and integration with ayahuasca and other entheogens. Show Notes: Healing the feminine [7:45] Javier’s personal history [16:15] Apprenticing with ayahuasca [20:15] Self realization and enlightenment [23:45] Unique journeys with ayahuasca [27:15] Spiritual bypass and the shadow [34:15] Remaining a student [39:15] Psychedelic preparation and integration [41:00] Game of Thrones and ayahuasca [44:00] The importance of integration coaches [50:45] Authenticity and integrity [55:45] Processing difficult journeys [59:15] Approaching psychedelic experiences [63:00]   Selected Quotes: On healing the feminine: “Particularly in our Judeo-Christian tradition, we have been repressing, oppressing, oftentimes abusing women and all expressions of feminine energy. Just recently for instance, here in the States, you’re experiencing another wave of women speaking openly about instances of sexual abuse in the workplace. So this is part of a larger process of healing a long history of abuse of women, of repressing their energy through judgement, even through religious and legal texts, limiting their freedom to be women. Women are invited now to not only heal their own wounds, but also whatever ancestral wounds have not been healed and integrated yet, for the sake not only of themselves but collective consciousness.”   On jungle ayahuasca experiences: “In 2004 I went to the Amazon jungle. I had drank ayahuasca a couple of times a couple of years earlier, and finally I went to the jungle for an ayahuasca retreat, as I was once again running out of tricks, and getting increasingly bored with my own dramas. And that experience in the jungle was very healing- so much so as a result I entertained the possibility of studying plant medicine… The year after I went back to Peru to find out whether that idea was serious. While I was there for the second time, in the middle of an ayahuasca ceremony, I was so in awe of this medicine that from a place within me just came out the words directed to the medicine: you’re awesome, I want to work for you. And here I am 12 years later, still in service to this medicine, as well as San Pedro, and in service of all the people who feel drawn to engaging in this process.”   On self realization: “There is a certain misconception about what the experience of enlightenment of full self realization is. We often perceive these episodes as an end, we've reached the goal, whereas in my experience, these experiences of awakening they are simply just another doorway, and that doorway is onto a more expanded state of consciousness and awareness, but also for me the work with plant medicine is not one that seeks transcendence or going away from this level of reality, actually I find that the invitation of plants as well as all of creation is for us to engage more fully with renewed enthusiasm in the process of life.”   On the importance of shadow work: “There are some people who go to plant medicine ceremonies seeking an expanded state of consciousness, seeking a sense of connection, of unity with the cosmos, with everybody, with themselves, but struggle with exploring their own shadow. Basically they never do the dirty work. So in ceremony they experience an expanded state of awareness and consciousness which then dissipates within a few days or weeks or months at the most, because we always fall back into our densest vibratory state. Therefore if we don’t deal with our heaviest energies, with our shadow, our wounds, with our dysfunctions, with our projections and judgements, with our sense of separation, then that’s what we always fall back into.”   On the purpose of life on Earth: “This is a healing planet. Planet Earth is as much a hospital as it is a classroom. It’s not a holiday place. If we are really ready to have a holiday, this is not the place to sign up for. We come here to heal our wounds and remember who we really are. Because this planet with its healing qualities which are expressed in all the plant medicines that grow all over this planet, and are expressions of this healing quality of this planet, is the most ideal place for us to come and do what we came here to do.”

With a background in psychiatric medicine, neurology, advanced ayahuasca dietas, psychedelic integration, and neurocognitive restoration, Dr. Dan Engle is one of the most unique and important voices in the psychedelic movement today. As founder of Full Spectrum Medicine and author of the new book The Concussion Repair Manual, Dr. Dan brings together a deep understanding of both the medical world and the psychedelic experience with an eye toward therapeutic personal transformation. Psychedelic Times founder Joe Mattia spoke with Dr. Dan recently at a mutual friend’s float studio, and their conversation ranges from Dan’s fascinating personal story of ayahuasca dietas in the jungle to his return to the Western world to advance the cause of integrative, soul-centered healing.   Sponsors: Dr. Bronner’s was founded in 1948 by Emanuel Bronner, a third- generation master soapmaker. He used the labels on his superb ecological soaps to spread his message that we must realize our unity across religious & ethnic divides or perish: “We are All-One or None!” Still family-owned and run, Dr. Bronner’s honors its founder’s vision by continuing to make socially & environmentally responsible products, and by dedicating our profits to help make a better world.   The Temple of the Way of Light is an ayahuasca center in Peru that opened in 2007. Their team of indigenous Shipibo healers represents over 250 years of experience practicing the ancient art of ayahuasca shamanism. The healers are supported by highly trained and experienced Western facilitators, who act as a critical cultural bridge between the healers and guests. The Temple was founded on the philosophy that an atmosphere of genuine care and compassion provides the optimum conditions for healing. Show Notes: The grassroots psychedelic movement [9:00] The powerful data from psychedelic research [12:00] The broken medical system [14:00] Psychiatry [15:00] Sustainability [8:00] Finding your truth [18:00] Ayahuasca and dietas in the jungle [20:30] Returning to civilization [26:30] Being an emissary from the forest [29:30] Full Spectrum Medicine [30:00] Western allopathic medicine [32:20] Pharmaceuticals [34:30] Detoxification and healing [37:30] Ibogaine addiction treatment [43:00] Drug policy and ibogaine experiences [50:00] Exploring the shadow [54:00] Being True to You [55:50] Preparation and integration [58:00] That place inbetween worlds [61:00] Kambo [62:00] Selected Quotes: On balancing vision and action: “It can be easy, particularly in the medicine space, to have the grand vision and to see the meta view, but it’s just as important- if not more important- to actualize that and move it into this 3-dimensional reality in the most effective way.” On returning to civilization after intense ayahuasca dietas: “I had married the medicine path so to speak, and I didn't have much of a desire or interest to come back to this way we collectively live in the West. But then I realized that if I was to be of support and a positive impact to the greatest degree that I could be, then it was probably not going to be just hanging out solo in the jungle. It was going to be coming back to potentially be a voice to bridge the psychedelic medicine community with the psychiatric medical community. If we do choose to see the right place that psychedelic medicines have in the unfolding potential of health care moving forward, then it’s helpful to have people who can speak from both perspectives.” On jungle medicine: “When we know that the pharmacy of the entire jungle itself, and the river system itself, with the soil and the animals and the plants and the fish and everything is this buffet of potential options for someone’s healing protocol, then all of these things are used synergistically.” On Deanne Adamson’s program Being True to You: “The program that Deanne has created with Being True to You does turn the whole addiction frame on its head. It encourages a shift from the victim role into an empowerment role. To be able to say “Ok, this experience that I’m going through is my journey towards personal development and towards a more whole, integrated self.” Some people choose the doorway of depression, some people choose the doorway of chronic anxiety, some people choose the doorway of chronic pain… we all have our own hero’s journey that we’re going through. And it is a liberating frame to be able to try on… all of a sudden, now it puts us in the driver’s seat.”

From his early days of college activism, to decades of ecological stewardship, to Buddhism and then to psychedelics, Allan Badiner has had a colorful and impactful life. Allan is an important figure in the worlds of psychedelic exploration, Western Buddhism, and rainforest activism. He is the editor of Zig Zag Zen: Buddhism and Psychedelics and a 25-year board member of the Rainforest Action Network. In our latest Psychedelic Times Podcast, Allan speaks with Joe Mattia about his unconventional introduction to psychedelics, his awakening in a Buddhist monastery, and many other fascinating stories and insights. Sponsors: California Institute of Integral Studies Center for Psychedelic Therapies and Research CIIS created the Center for Psychedelic Therapy and Research (the Center) in 2015 to address the demand for trained psychotherapists to work in the expanding field of psychedelic studies. The Center is directed by clinical psychologist Dr. Janis Phelps, who is also a professor in the East-West Psychology program. Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps Dr. Bronner’s Dr. Bronner’s was founded in 1948 by Emanuel Bronner, a third- generation master soapmaker. He used the labels on his superb ecological soaps to spread his message that we must realize our unity across religious & ethnic divides or perish: “We are All-One or None!” Still family-owned and run, Dr. Bronner’s honors its founder’s vision by continuing to make socially & environmentally responsible products, and by dedicating our profits to help make a better world. Show Notes: Early days of college activism [10:00] Infiltrating Hollywood [13:00] Leaving Hollywood for India [15:00] First visit to a Buddhist monastery in Sri Lanka [16:25] Becoming friends with Terence McKenna [21:00] Connecting to Nature [28:30] Interviewing Buddhism teachers for Zig Zag Zen [31:30] CIIS Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy program [33:30] Esalen and psychedelics [37:45] Cannabis’ history as a medicine in the US and India [44:15] Foods and spices that are also cannabinoids [52:30] The importance of psychedelic integration [54:30] Selected Quotes: On Allan’s introduction to psychedelics: “My interest in Buddhism is what brought me to psychedelics. Usually it's the other way around for people.” On his first stay at a Buddhist monastery: “So I went to a monastery in Sri Lanka in the mountains and I hated it; it was awful. It was just unbearable. The bed was basically a board and a thin blanket and there were bugs everywhere… I thought if I could just run out of here I would, but you had to book a week in advance to have a car come get you… About a day or so before I was supposed to be done there, I had an unbelievable experience. I just woke up to being different in so many ways. I looked at the dirt and I thought that’s not nothing, that’s Earth. The bugs were my friends. I felt this connection with them because they were alive. I woke up to no pain- all my joints had been bothering me before that. It was painless, and beyond that it was joyful, and I felt a connection and a profound sense of gratitude and joy to be alive. Everywhere I looked I was in awe. It was this amazing consciousness rebirth of some kind.”   On Terence McKenna giving him psilocybin: “Terence [McKenna] did effectively treat me with psilocybin. That really came close to the Sri Lanka experience; it’s the closest I’ve been. It was my first psychedelic experience, and it came right at a time where I met Sasha Shulgin and would go to his Friday night dinners.”  On connecting with Nature and activism: “One of the insights from the Sri Lanka experience was a connection to Nature, a connection to other beings- animals, bugs even. I felt that there was a strong connection between my own bliss and the connection that I had with other living beings. So that motivated me to get involved as an activist in preserving the life-giving systems of the planet and other species. I took that very seriously… I got to know the people at Rainforest Action Network… and they invited me to come work for them. I did and joined their board, and I’ve been on their board ever since. It’s been really an important part of my life to have that work going on and keep me in awareness of connection with other beings.” On interviewing Buddhist teachers about psychedelics: “In preparing for this book that I decided to do on Buddhism and psychedelics called Zig Zag Zen, I interviewed just about every well known American-born teacher of Buddhism about their previous experience with psychedelics, if they had any… and all of them did! It was ubiquitous- from Jack Kornfield to Joseph Goldstein, all of these teachers had a psychedelic experience or several prior to becoming involved in Buddhism. Jack Kornfield, for instance, openly said that he wouldn't even be a Buddhist teacher if he had not taken LSD- he wouldn't have been able to understand what they call ‘against the grain ideas’ that challenge fundamental assumptions that we make in Western society.” Allan also shared a beautiful quote at the end of the podcast from Dr. Albert Hofmann, who discovered LSD: “Alienation from nature and the loss of the experience of being part of the living creation is the greatest tragedy of our materialistic era. It is the causative reason for ecological devastation and climate change. Therefore I attribute absolute highest importance to consciousness change. I regard psychedelics as catalyzers for this. They are tools which are guiding our perception toward other deeper areas of our human existence, so that we again become aware of our spiritual essence. Psychedelic experiences in a safe setting can help our consciousness open up to this sensation of connection and of being one with nature. LSD and related substances are not drugs in the usual sense, but are part of the sacred substances, which have been used for thousand of years in ritual settings. The classic psychedelics like LSD, Psilocybin and Mescaline are characterized by the fact that they are neither toxic nor addictive. It is my great concern to separate psychedelics from the ongoing debates about drugs, and to highlight the tremendous potential inherent to these substances for self-awareness, as an adjunct in therapy, and for fundamental research into the human mind. It is my wish that a modern Eleusis will emerge, in which seeking humans can learn to have transcendent experiences with sacred substances in a safe setting. I am convinced that these soul-opening, mind-revealing substances will find their appropriate place in our society and our culture.” -Dr. Albert Hoffman in 2007 (at age 101) Explore Links Related to this Podcast: Esalen institute Zig Zag Zen: Buddhism and Psychedelics Rainforest Action Network CIIS Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies and Research Program International Cannabinoid Research Society Psychedelic Integration Workshop at Esalen

You may not know it, but the CEO behind America’s favorite all natural soap brand is also a leading figure in the contemporary psychedelic movement. Our guest on the latest Psychedelic Times podcast is David Bronner, Cosmic Engagement Officer of Dr. Bronner’s, MAPS board member, hemp activist, and shining example of how passion-driven business can change the world. David invited our own Joe Mattia to tour the Dr. Bronner’s corporate offices and sit down to discuss his eclectic life story, replete with tales of psychedelic revelations, cannabis churches, suing the DEA and winning, and refocusing the family business to it’s roots with wild success.   Show Notes: David discusses connecting with Rick Doblin and MAPS [2:00] David’s first psilocybin mushroom experience [4:10] Amsterdam adventures: Cannabis Cup and squatting  [5:05] Ego death and revelations on acid and MDMA in a gay trance club [7:00] Integrating his psychedelic experience and becoming a mental health counselor [15:55] The value of resistance and helping humanity to harmonize [17:35] Dolphin overlords, 13th chakra glactivation [19:00] The world needs good men, not spiritual recluses [19:20] Carrying on the Bronner family legacy to unite spaceship earth [23:00] Fighting for hemp seed oil and cannabis  [27:00] Meeting Rick Doblin on the playa and the Zendo Project [31:00] Litigating the DEA and winning [35:00] Coming out of the psychedelic closet [35:30] Board position at MAPS and Burning Man stories [42:10] Psychedelic integration: journaling and meditation [49:50]

In our latest Psychedelic Times podcast, Joe Mattia speaks with Dr. Rachel Harris, psychotherapist, ayahuasca researcher, and author of the wonderful book Listening to Ayahuasca: New Hope for Depression, Addiction, PTSD, and Anxiety. In this hour-long conversation, Rachel and Joe discuss a wide array of subjects surrounding ayahuasca, including the importance of family connections, the process of becoming a shaman, the link between ayahuasca and nature, and much more. Show Notes: Ayahuasca and family healing [1:00] Ayahuasca and nature [2:23] Esalen in the 60’s [4:00] The War on Drugs [5:40] Underground ayahuasca research [6:25] Accounts of “miracle cures” [9:20] Ayahuasca integration [12:20] Spiritual bypass [15:10] Psychotherapy vs. integration [17:15] Finding ayahuasca [20:05] Becoming a shaman [20:10] Navigating difficult experiences [23:00] The importance of lineage [24:55] How psychedelics affect the brain [28:35] Traumatic experiences on ayahuasca [31:00] Traditional vs. underground ayahuasca use [34:15] Psychedelic research challenges [36:30] Why ayahuasca? [41:25] Psychic surgery [45:00]

This is a special update to episode #4 with Dr. Gerry. The topic was 5-MeO-DMT, and since this episode was recorded, there has been a surge in the media around the topic, including the Vice series: Hamilton's Pharmacopeia. I have been contemplating deleting this episode and have finally come to the decision that the better thing to do, is to record this update, so here it is.  My team and I decided to keep the episode, because a lot of valuable information was covered. We are using this episode to fill in the gaps. Please consider this is a resource before making any decisions to journey with any specific facilitator.

In our most recent podcast, Psychedelic Times founder Joe Mattia got to sit down and chat with Dr. Gerardo Sandoval, one of the world’s leading experts on 5-MeO-DMT about his own experiences with the psychedelic, his new book, and the work he’s doing to advance our understanding of this truly transformative substance. 5-MeO-DMT, also known as the God molecule, might be one of the most remarkable substances ever discovered. A naturally occurring tryptamine found in both plant species and the Bufo alvarius toad, 5-MeO-DMT acts directly on serotonin receptors to offer an intense, concentrated, and profoundly mystical experience. As Dr. Martin Ball says: “The experience is a feeling of total surrender to the direct presence of our union with God. It is readily comparable to Hindu experiences of Moksha or Buddhist experiences of Samadhi and Nirvana, and it may be more profound than experiences attained through meditation alone. Advanced meditators tend to agree that their deepest meditations barely scratch the surface of the depth of the 5-MeO experience.”   Show Notes: Dr. Sandoval’s introduction to sacred medicine and the spirit molecule. [04:20] What are DMT and 5 MeO DMT? [10:10] The differences between DMT and 5 MeO DMT. [14:00] Preparing yourself for therapeutic and entheogenic 5 MeO DMT experiences. [16:50] How to integrate entheogenic experiences. [23:20] Coping with spontaneous reactivations. [25:30] Overview of the Bufo Alivarius toad. [29:51]   The building of the Toad Sanctuary. [32:30] Medical contraindications to toad medicine. [38:20] Combining 5 MeO DMT with ibogaine. [40:15] The God Molecule. [42:40] How Dr. Sandoval stays grounded and centered. [45:40] What kind of outcomes Dr. Sandoval sees. [48:00] Using 5 MeO DMT to cope with fear of death. [50:00] Thanks to Torkomji for our intro music!        

Javier Prato's brewing up something very special. Our third guest on the Psychedelic Times podcast series, Javier is in the later stages of shooting and directing a documentary about psychedelic plants called Spirit Medicine. The feature-length documentary is complete with forays around the world into the lands of indigenous cultures and their psychedelic healing traditions with Ayahuasca, Peyote, Psilocybin Mushrooms and Iboga as well as exclusive interviews with some of the leading figures in the psychedelic movement.   Some of those figures are Dennis McKenna (ethnobotanist), Gabor Mate (clinical psychologist and addiction expert), Claudio Naranjo (psychiatrist and author), Ralph Metzner(psychologist and consciousness researcher), Jordi Riba (pharmacologist), Rick Doblin (founder & executive director of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies—MAPS), David Jay Brown (science writer and consciousness researcher), Daniel Pinchbeck, (author & Journalist), as well as several neuroscientists, shamans and plant medicine practitioners.   Show Notes Javier’s introduction to plant medicines [3:00] Javier's introduction to ayahuasca and first ayahuasca experience in Peru [4:00] Taking ayahuasca with psychologists and shamans [8:18] Javier's history with film [10:02] Filming, learning, and making connections at the ibogaine conference [11:50] The openness of the psychedelic community and benefits of interviewing people [15:15] The primacy of content creation in media [18:50] Integrating a psychedelic experience [21:18] Traveling to Africa for a traditional Bwiti ibogaine ceremony [24:30] Development of Spirit Medicine [31:54] Interviewing leaders of the psychedelic community like Dennis McKenna [33:10] Dr. Eduardo Jovel, ibogaine conservation, and the Ibogaine Conference [34:00] Use of ibogaine therapy for addiction treatment [35:55] Production of Spirit Medicine and Kickstarter campaign [36:50] Attending traditional peyote ceremonies with the Huichol in northern Mexico [38:15] Indigenous use of psilocybin and peyote in Mexico [39:05]

Today, in the second installment of our podcast series, we speak with Jonathan Dickinson, the Executive Director of the Global Ibogaine Therapy Alliance (GITA), a not-for-profit organization that supports the therapeutic and sacramental use of Ibogaine as well as research, education, and advocacy about the medicinal plant’s benefits as an addiction interrupter and beyond.   Show Notes The birth of Bwiti tradition in resistance to colonists [2:18] The differences and applications of iboga, ibogaine, and total alkaloid extract [6:10] How to reconcile iboga conservation with its therapeutic demand [11:20] Jonathan Dickinson’s Bwiti initiation experience in Ebando, Gabon, and the risks and benefits of a traditional initiation experience [15:13] The origins of GITA, the importance of diverse backgrounds, and how Dickinson joined the team [25:33] Ibogaine is an oneirogen: how it differs from classic psychedelics [32:30] The Global Ibogaine Conference: Who, what, and where? [35:32] What to look for when choosing an iboga-assisted addiction treatment [49:15] Current attitudes toward iboga in America: Vermont and beyond [55:40]

Joe Mattia, founder of psychedelic resource and news site PsychedelicTimes.com, interviews M.A.P.S. (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) founder Rick Doblin, on his experiences and his insights regarding the future of MDMA assisted psychotherapy. Rick shares some personal history, and references his own "coming out of the psychedelic closet." There's a mention of the Zendo, the harm reduction program set up by MAPS at festivals, a story about MAPS' beginnings at Esalen, and the use of Cannabis in the clinical trials.   Show Notes The history of psychedelics in the US: From William James’ experimentation with nitrous oxide in 1890 to the Controlled Substance Act in 1970 [3:58] The 1970s: Rick’s introduction to LSD, attendance of Stan Groff’s workshop at Esalen, and dropping out of school [8:00] The 1980s: Rick’s studies at Esalen, personal discovery of MDMA, and the start of MAPS as a psychedelic and medical marijuana pharmaceutical non-profit company [9:45] Why it’s important to work within the system [19:00] A possible alliance with the police, who experience high rates of PTSD and could benefit from this type of therapy [25:32] Current status of MDMA studies in Switzerland, Israel, Canada, and the US [29:16] Psilocybin research as end-of-life therapy [44:28] Phase 2 of MDMA research [46:46] Pros, cons, protocol, and challenges of using marijuana for PTSD [52:52] Phase 3 of MDMA research: How MAPS retains its nonprofit status by creating a Public Benefit Corp. [1:16:47] Phase 3 of MDMA research (cont): Therapist training program through MAPS and CIIS certification for psychedelic therapy [1:19:00] Zendo Project at Burning Man [1:30:43]