Manoj Doss - Memory Under Psychedelics: Encoding, Learning, and the Risk of Illusion

Dr Lisa Luan is a psychologist and researcher who recently completed her PhD at the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London. Her groundbreaking study explored what happens when DMT — one of the most powerful psychedelics known — is administered not as a short burst, but as a continuous intravenous infusion. She combined EEG brain recordings, physiological data, and in-depth phenomenological interviews to map this prolonged "steady-state" DMT experience. She now works on a Phase III clinical trial using ketamine-assisted psychotherapy for severe alcohol use disorder.In this episode, we explore with her:– Why continuous infusion: most people know DMT as a brief, intense experience — what does sustaining it open for consciousness research, and what happens to intensity and psychological tolerance when doses pile up?– Inside the extended state: how volunteers described it — more stable, deeper, or altogether different from the typical "breakthrough" trip? The recurrence of entities, metacognition, and the cultural/constructivist layer shaping subjective experience– Brain meets experience: a neurophenomenological approach in the spirit of Varela - and the harder question of how to map brain activity onto subjective trajectories and substrates– Holding the space: how safety, grounding, and emotional containment are ensured during and after a prolonged psychedelic state– The bigger question: what findings of this kind tell us about the nature of consciousnessA conversation on what happens when we stay, rather than pass through, the DMT state — and what EEG and phenomenology can teach each other along the way.

Gianluca A. Florineth is a researcher at the University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy in Bern and the UPK Basel. His work explores how psychological support shapes the effects of psychedelics in the treatment of depression. Combining clinical science with a human understanding of therapy, he studies what happens when modern neuroscience meets the ancient idea of transformation through consciousness.In his recent study Association Between Psychological Therapy Quantity and Depressive Symptom Reduction in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy, he analyzed data from 12 clinical trials using psilocybin or LSD for depression. The key finding: the more time patients spent preparing before the psychedelic session, the stronger their improvement in mood. Integration afterwards mattered less than expected — raising new questions about how we design and deliver psychedelic treatments.In this episode, we explore with him:– The role of "therapy before the trip": why preparation hours seem to predict outcomes more than integration, and whether psychedelics amplify an existing psychological framework rather than create insight from scratch– Between molecule and meaning: how neurochemistry, relationship, mindset, and therapeutic structure interact — and how the molecule may become a catalyst for psychotherapy itself– Beyond numbers — quality vs. quantity of therapy: how future research could integrate alliance, empathy, and depth without losing rigor, and whether AI-assisted transcript coding or physiological markers (HRV synchrony) could help– Clinical translation and ethics: what minimal therapeutic "dose" — in hours, content, or preparation type — should be non-negotiable for ethical and effective PAT delivery across clinics and countries– Looking ahead: what the next generation of trials should prioritize — longer follow-ups, diverse populations, multimodal biomarkers, therapist training — and whether PAT will push psychiatry to re-humanize itself, or to biologize consciousness even furtherA conversation on what actually heals in psychedelic therapy — the molecule, the method, or the meaning around it.

Guest: Jonas T. T. Schlomberg, PhD researcher at the University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich (UZH)Jonas T. T. Schlomberg is a researcher at the University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich (UZH). His work explores the intersection between psychedelics, meditation, and consciousness, combining qualitative and computational methods. Trained in neuroscience and phenomenology, he investigates how altered states — whether induced by substances or by contemplative practice — can illuminate the workings of the mind and the nature of experience itself.In his recent study A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Psychedelic-Augmented Meditation Experiences, he and his colleagues compared experiences of DMT or harmine with meditation under placebo within a structured mindfulness retreat — using natural language processing alongside manual qualitative analysis. In this episode, we explore with him:– Two paths to the same mountain: the phenomenological overlap between psychedelic and meditative states, and what their similarities (and differences) tell us about consciousness itself– Language as a bridge to the ineffable: how NLP and AI tools can help science approach experiences that have traditionally been called mystical or inexpressible– Trust and surrender: why meditation tends to evoke "safety" and "calm" while psychedelics evoke "overwhelm" and "insight" — and what this polarity reveals about transformation– From phenomenology to mechanism: the neurobiological and cognitive processes — predictive processing, self-modeling, top-down/bottom-up dynamics — that might underlie this overlap– The ethics and future of integration: how to combine psychedelics with contemplative frameworks in ways that remain rigorous, culturally sensitive, and ethically grounded. Could future retreats see neuroscientists, monks, and psychotherapists co-creating shared protocols?A conversation between neuroscience, phenomenology, and contemplative practice — on what altered states can teach us about the mind, and about being human

Invité: Dr Vincent Liaudat, musicien, psychiatre et psychothérapeute. Vincent Liaudat est psychiatre et psychothérapeute suisse, spécialisé dans les états modifiés de conscience et la médecine psychédélique. Multi-instrumentiste et compositeur, il crée aussi des expériences de musique immersive où neurosciences, art sonore et méditation se rencontrent. À travers ses concerts hypnotiques, il explore la vibration comme langage du vivant, invitant chacun à traverser les couches de la conscience et à retrouver une connexion sensible entre corps, espace et silence.Dans cet épisode, nous explorons avec lui :– Le passage du cabinet psychiatrique à l'espace sonore, et ce que le son ouvre comme voie de soin– Le cadre d'une pratique à la croisée de la science et du ressenti : protocoles, préparation, intégration– Ce que la recherche récente nous dit de la vibration — des canaux mécano-sensibles (PIEZO1, PIEZO2) aux travaux de Kyoto sur l'effet des ondes sonores sur l'activité cellulaire– La frontière entre le poétique, le plausible et le démontré, quand on dit que "le corps entend plus qu'on ne le pense"– Comment tenir la rigueur scientifique face à un mot aussi galvaudé que "vibration"– La spécificité des thérapies assistées par psychédéliques, le rôle de la musique pendant et après l'expérience, et ce que dit de nous ce retour massif vers l'intérioritéUne conversation entre psychiatrie, physique et art sonore — pour interroger ce que signifie, aujourd'hui, se soigner par l'écoute.

InvitéeBettina Ferdmann, co-fondatrice de la Fondation Conscience et Santé Mentale.Coach, entrepreneure et écrivaine, Bettina Ferdmann est l'une des pionnières de la RSE en Suisse. Elle a passé sa carrière à relier sens, impact et transformation — aussi bien individuelle qu'organisationnelle. Elle met aujourd'hui cette expérience au service d'un projet visionnaire : la Fondation Conscience et Santé Mentale, dédiée à favoriser l'accès aux thérapies assistées par psychédéliques en Suisse.Dans cet épisode, nous explorons avec elle :– Le fil qui relie la responsabilité d'une entreprise envers la société et celle d'un individu face à sa propre santé mentale– Une médecine de la relation, où médecins, chercheurs et patients co-créent les soins– Le dialogue entre science et sagesses — hypnose, respiration, méditation, rituels traditionnels– L'éthique d'un soin élargi, fondé sur l'empowerment et la dignité– Sa vision d'un projet pionnier qui veut transformer notre rapport collectif à la conscience, au-delà des institutionsUne conversation à la croisée de la transformation intérieure et de la transformation sociale.

What actually happens to the self under psychedelics?In this episode, linguist and cognitive scientist PD. Dr. Kurt Stocker introduces a new framework for understanding psychedelic experience—beyond “mystical” or “spiritual” labels.Drawing on placebo-controlled studies with LSD and DMT, he explores how experiences of ego dissolution, transcendence, and interconnectedness are structured, described, and interpreted. We dive into the role of language, the difference between immanent and transcendent states, and a key question: even at the edge of self-loss, is something still there to tell the story?A precise, science-driven look at how psychedelics reshape consciousness and the self—and how we make sense of it.

What happens to memory under psychedelics?In this episode, cognitive neuropsychopharmacologist Manoj Doss breaks down how psychedelics alter memory formation, stabilization, and retrieval. We explore disrupted hippocampal encoding alongside enhanced cortical learning, fear extinction, and reward adaptation—showing how these compounds reshape cognition rather than simply “expand consciousness.”Drawing on behavioral experiments, neuroimaging, and computational models, Manoj explains what makes 5-HT2A psychedelics unique, and why their effects on memory matter for therapy as well as risk—particularly false insight and memory distortion.A clear, science-driven conversation for clinicians, researchers, and curious minds.Watch Manoj's full talk at the 2025 ALPS Conference here:The Current State of Knowledge on How Psychedelics Impact MemoryYou can follow Manoj on:LinkedInhttps://x.com/ManojDosshttps://x.com/ManojDoss

Rick Doblin, Ph.D., is the founder and president of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). He founded MAPS in 1986 and is considered the godfather of the current psychedelic renaissance.  Rick studied with Dr. Stanislav Grof and was among the first to be certified as a Holotropic Breathwork practitioner. His professional goal is to help develop legal contexts for the beneficial uses of psychedelics and marijuana, primarily as prescription medicines but also for personal growth for otherwise healthy people, and eventually to become a legally licensed psychedelic therapist.  It’s thanks to his MAPS organization that MDMA is currently at phase 3 trial in the US and will be normally approved by the FDA to treat PTSD patients in 2024.  For more info on Rick Doblin :  MAPS Founder and President Twitter X : @RickDoblin TED Talk : the future of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy This interview was recorded during the Alps Conference 2023 on Psychedelic Science in Geneva, Switzerland in October 2023.  More info on the Alps Conference 2023 - ⁠Website⁠ - ⁠Twitter⁠ - ⁠Facebook⁠ - ⁠Instagram⁠ - ⁠Youtube

Michael Mithoefer, MD, is a psychiatrist living in Asheville, NC. He and his wife, Annie, completed the first MAPS-sponsored Phase Il clinical trial testing MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for crime-related PTSD, and subsequent studies with military veterans, firefighters and police officers, and a pilot study treating couples. He has been Medical Monitor for a series of Phase 2 trials which produced data that led to FDA breakthrough therapy designation. Since 2012 he and Annie have conducted training for research therapists, and  supervision of therapists in two recent, successful Phase 3 clinical trials.  For more info on Michael Mithoefer :  MAPS : https://maps.org/news/media/michael-mithoefer-m-d-principal-investigator/  LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-mithoefer-b15bb53b/  This interview was recorded during the Alps Conference 2023 on Psychedelic Science in Geneva, Switzerland in October 2023.  More info on the Alps Conference 2023 - ⁠Website⁠ - ⁠Twitter⁠ - ⁠Facebook⁠ - ⁠Instagram⁠ - ⁠Youtube

Vanja Palmers was born in Austria and grew up in Switzerland. His career as a student at the University of Zürich and as the founder of a successful business start up came to a sudden halt when he ingested a few micrograms of a certain fungi derivative aka LSD. After a few years of being  a Hippie and a Yogi, he ended up becoming a Zen person, specializing in being nobody special, making effort towards effortless, traceless praxis….  with mediocre success - Felsentor and Puregg (two meditation centers) as well as some animal rights campaigns and institutions have materialized.  For more info on Vanja Palmers:  Descending the Mountain - a tender film exploring psilocybin and the nature of consciousness Felsentor Meditation Center in Switzerland  Puregg - Meditation Center in Austria This interview was recorded during the Alps Conference 2023 on Psychedelic Science in Geneva, Switzerland in October 2023.  More info on the Alps Conference 2023 -⁠ ⁠Website⁠⁠ -⁠ ⁠Twitter⁠⁠ -⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠⁠ -⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠⁠ -⁠ ⁠Youtube