The HighExistence Podcast

I’d like to use me as living proof that nobody was worse than me that I’ve ever met, and nobody was darker or closer to death or more sad. And to have this thing happen... if it happened to me, it can happen to anyone. So just give it a chance and give yourself a chance. — Gerry Powell, The HighExistence Podcast Gerry Powell, according to his website, “was the personification of the American busin...

Plant medicines such as Ayahuasca are big news. More and more shamans are popping up offering their services to create inner-change and healing for those who are willing to drink from the magic cup. But are there any real shamans left? Are the true masters of plant medicine anywhere to be found? And what negative consequences are coming from trying to heal the world at large with psychedelics?  To...

Can psychedelics cure Autism? It's a question researchers are only beginning to ask, but Andrea Domenichini has already run the experiments – on himself. Over the past few years, he's taken MDMA and LSD to help connect the parts of his brain that allow most people to understand others, feel their emotions, and make lasting connections. But before we get to that, what even  is Autism Spec...

Talking to Daniel Schmachtenberger is like having an audience with a prophet. His vast knowledge extends across health, economics, technology, strategy and philosophy. More importantly, he’s a brilliant communicator dedicated to bringing those often disparate fields into dialogue, in order to make powerful, genuine change for the betterment of our individual and collective lives. Last time I met D...

Geoff Thompson is a charismatic enigma. A nightclub doorman and martial artist turned award-winning playwright, author, and spiritual teacher – he defies easy description and confounds all expectations. Geoff grew up with few prospects, under the shadow of his own fears. Inside, he yearned to be a writer, but with no obvious mentors or opportunities in sight, he slid repeatedly into depression and...

Baba Brinkman is the only peer-reviewed rapper in the world. From evolution to climate change, medicine to religion, he spits rhymes reverberating with provocative questions, hard truths, and an irresistible humor which educate as much as they entertain. At his core, Baba is a communicator, breaking down the barriers between academic science and psychology to bring the latest research insights and...

Daniel Schmachtenberger is truly a modern Renaissance Man. He's a thought leader who crosses disciplinary boundaries with incredible ease. He's an Evolutionary Philosopher, a Systems Designer, a Strategist, and he’s a founder at Neurohacker Collective – a movement dedicated to upgrading our individual and collective capacities and to safeguarding the wellbeing of all. We sat down with Da...

At  Breaking Convention 2017  we had the chance to sit down with a modern-day philosophical powerhouse. Peter Sjöstedt-H is a leading voice in the emerging world of psychedelic phenomenology; he's the inspiration for Karnak, Marvel's new, cerebrally-charged superhero; and he's the author behind one of HighExistence's most popular articles ever. We talk psychedelics and philosop...

Our guest this episode is Dennis McKenna, ethnobotanist, pharmacognosist, brother of the famed bard Terence McKenna, a lecturer, and one of the elders of the psychedelic movement. We talk with Dennis about human evolution, the psychedelic influence on consciousness, tripping with your parents, and the current state of the world. [EXCLUSIVE OFFER FOR PODCAST SUBSCRIBERS] Take the ultimate life expe...

In our fourth episode of the HighExistence podcast we talk with Tim Urban, author/illustrator of Wait But Why and one of the Internet's most popular writers. We talk with Tim about the secret to Elon Musk's success, world travel, what entrepreneurs do wrong, cryonic preservation, and the dangers posed by superintelligent AI. [EXCLUSIVE OFFER FOR PODCAST SUBSCRIBERS] Take the ultimate lif...

In our second episode of the HighExistence podcast we talk with Tom Shroder, author of the book Acid Test: LSD, Ecstasy and the Power to Heal, and Nicholas Blackstone, a former marine who suffered from PTSD and how MDMA assisted therapy enabled him to go deep inside and confront the demons that haunted him after heavy combat in Iraq.  [EXCLUSIVE OFFER FOR PODCAST SUBSCRIBERS] Take the ultimate lif...

In our first episode of the HighExistence podcast we talk with Rick Doblin who is the founder of the non-profit organization MAPS, a true pioneering group of people researching the healing effects of Psilocybin, MDMA and LSD. We discuss the new wave of research about the healing power of psychedelics, spiritual experiences and what he thinks of the famous quote by Alan Watts, "If you got the...