Psychedelics Then and Now with Zach Leary

The State of Psychedelic Therapy, Culture and Policy in the UK and Beyond with Dr. Ben Sessa Ben beams in via cyberspace for an original episode of The MAPS Podcast. Ben's talk with Zach weaved in and out of topics including the psychedelic dance in the UK, his own experiences with various methods, how to integrate results with traditional therapy and the culture wars that we're still fighting. Be...

Have you wondered what happens on a neuro-scientific and physiological level when phsychedelics enter your body? That question has been at the root of the psychedelic experience for generations if not centuries. Ancient mystics had the understnading that these sacred plant medicines contained tribal DNA which was necessary to keep cultures and history alive. However, now that we have more data and...

Microdosing: The Phenomenon, Research Results, and Startling Surprises From Psychedelic Science 2017 Yes, Dr. Fadiman is back on the show! I know it seems disproportionate and it is. But after you listen to this episode you'll see why! Microdosing is by far one of the most popular revolutions happening within the psychedelic community today. The wide ranging applications for use in increased cogni...

This episode of the MAPS Podcast is from the Psychedelic Science 2017 conference in Oakland, CA. Draulio Barros de Araujo gives a very compelling and engaging talk on his research into the use of Ayahuasca in Treatment-Resistant Depression. It seems that life in the modern world sees that depression issues touch nearly everyones life either directly or indirectly. Research into how these plant med...

PART TWO of a three part series on the similarities between psychedelic and Buddhist experiences. This part is primarily the question and answer session from the audience. The audience is clearly very well versed and attentive. Many great questions are asked.  On Saturday, October 20, 2012, Rev. Kokyo Henkel and James Fadiman, Ph. D., engaged a diverse crowd in Santa Cruz with a discussion about t...

This is part one of a three part series on the similarities between psychedelic and Buddhist experiences. This topic is also explored in depth in the now seminal book by Allan Badiner called "Zig Zag Zen" which is of course highly recommended.  On Saturday, October 20, 2012, Rev. Kokyo Henkel and James Fadiman, Ph. D., engaged a diverse crowd in Santa Cruz with a discussion about the similarities...

This episode of the podcast was taped LIVE in Los Angeles on June 28th in partnership with the Aware Project. Zach Leary led an hour long engaging, funny and insightful panel discussion with the great wisdom of Dr. Cole Marta and Ashley Booth. The conversation ranged from a look at the current state of psychedelic research, how culture and community plays a role, actual medical updates from the fr...

"The opiates were stealing my life bit by bit," she confided. For years, she had been eating very little and her nutrition was abysmal, and in more recent years the opiates hadn't even provided relief from pain. But then, as she put it, "ibogaine gave my life back to me." She went on to tell me about the importance of the ongoing support and care she received at Clare's clinic and at another clini...

Live from Psychedelic Science '17 in Oakland, this panel explores the future of psychiatry in the psychedelic context. In this conversational panel format, the conversation discucces with great candor and honesty all the pros, cons, triumphs and setbacks that have occurred within the last 10 years. Dr. Summergrad and Dr. Insel both share their experiences from the mental health and patient-doctor...

Live from Psychedelic Science '17 this talk from the legendary and iconic Stanislav Grof explores the implications of altered states of consciousness and their implications within the fields of psychiatry, psychology and psychotherapy. Based on his 50 years of exploring methods in the fields of psychedelics and their various applications Dr. Grof presents a compelling talk on why there is still lo...

Taken from the Psychedelic Science '13 conference this epic talk from Heffter Research Institute Founder, David E. Nichols, explores the depths of the brains relationship with LSD.  This talk will provide a foundation for understanding the importance of 5-HT2A receptors in the brain, now widely believed to be the key brain target for psychedelics. The study of this G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR...

This episode was recorded live at the Psychedelic Science '17 conference in Oakland, CA! It took place on the last day of the conference on the wildly fun and irreverent Psymposia Stage. Hosted by Zach Leary this round table discussion features the immense wisdom of Shane Mauss, Lex Pelger and Berra Yazar-Klosinkski.  We took many twists and turns with topics ranging from a recap of the PS17 confe...

Ralph and myself (Zach Leary) sat down at the MAPS Psychedelic Science '17 conference in Oakland, CA on April 23rd to embark on a wide reaching conversation that focussed on the early days of his research at Harvard, the culture of the 60's and how much has changed in the last 50 years. Of course, we also talked about the time he spent with Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert, the nature of conscious...

Most of those who have engaged in the psychedelic experience can attest to some sort of mystical experience taking place. Even with that happening it doesn't always bring one close to religion. Why is that?  Walter Houston Clark has defined "religion" as an individual's inner experience of a Beyond, especially as evidenced by active attempts to harmonize his or her life with that Beyond. The Johns...

Many variables factor into the diseases that afflict our lives that go beyond the obvious medical symptoms. Complex unconscious psychological stresses underlie and contribute to all chronic medical conditions, from cancer and addiction to depression and multiple sclerosis. Therapy that is assisted by psychedelics, in the right context and with the right support, can bring these dynamics to the sur...

Mac McClelland joins the MAPS Podcast for the first original episode of content for the show. Mac is an award winning journalist who wrote the article "The Psychedelic Miracle" for Rolling Stone magazine. The sub headline reads: "How some doctors are risking everything to unleash the healing power of MDMA, ayahuasca and other hallucinogens."  Mac's fantastically in depth journalistic prose combine...

Since 2008, the NYU Psychedelic Research Group (established in 2006) has administered a moderate dose of psilocybin to 16 participants in a double-blind placebo-controlled trial of the efficacy of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in individuals with advanced cancer and psychosocial distress. Dr. Ross will present preliminary clinical observations and data from our study, in which a majority of pa...

Scientific Problem Solving with Psychedelics James will describe how to best use psychoactive materials for enhanced problem solving, a poorly understood and under-researched area. However, there are established methods that open minds to useful solutions for real problems. He will share his personal experience as part of a group that established the basic guidelines: set and setting, substance an...