The Psymposia Podcast

We're back…mostly. In this episode we ramble about the Psychedemia conference, the serpent handler researcher who helped legitimize Johns Hopkins' psychedelic research, Steve Jobs' guru "Toxic Bob", hot psilocybin patent garbage, Mind Medicine Australia's utterly cringe appearance on ABC's Four Corners documentary "Psyched Up", popping psychedelic hype bubbles, and Dave's new studio that's covered...

This talk was presented live by Dr. Brian Pace and Dr. Neşe Devenot at the UW–Madison Transdisciplinary Center for Research in Psychoactive Substances. This talk was presented on April 28 as part of the "Psychedelic Humanities" speaker series, organized by Dr. Lucas Richert. Public discourse concerning psychedelics and the emerging industry in psychedelic-assisted therapy has extended beyond the p...

In part two of this deep dive, Psymposia and Thought Slime analyze Jordan Peterson's fascination with psychedelics as an example of the reactionary, right-wing ideologies that have been developing within psychedelia in recent decades. Reacting to a 2021 podcast of Peterson's, we discuss the significance of Peterson's popularity among some prominent psychedelic researchers. As figures like Jordan P...

In part two of this deep dive, Psymposia and Thought Slime analyze Jordan Peterson's fascination with psychedelics as an example of the reactionary, right-wing ideologies that have been developing within psychedelia in recent decades. Reacting to a 2021 podcast of Peterson's, we discuss the significance of Peterson's popularity among some prominent psychedelic researchers. As figures like Jordan P...

In part one of this deep dive, Psymposia and Thought Slime analyze Jordan Peterson's fascination with psychedelics as an example of the reactionary, right-wing ideologies that have been developing within psychedelia in recent decades. Reacting to a 2021 podcast of Peterson's, we discuss the significance of Peterson's popularity among some prominent psychedelic researchers. As figures like Jordan P...

Both underground and above-ground therapists and practitioners present their psychedelic services in service to "healing." Why, then, is it so hard to get them to acknowledge the harms taking place in their communities? Why do institutions seem more concerned with preserving their reputations than addressing the numerous harmful dynamics that have persisted for years? If the psychedelic movement i...

When it comes to psychedelics, there's a lot we don't know. The same is true of the practitioners, institutions, and communities that have sprung up around psychedelic therapy and guiding. We explore the intersecting professional and social relationships of a few different guides and institutions. We also discuss Michael Pollan's impact on the current psychedelic landscape.   This episode is Psymp...

What's going on with the MAPS narratives? How is it possible that Mel, Leah, and Meaghan's experiences have been so at odds with the "standard story" we've heard about psychedelic clinical trials? Why can't we seem to get straight answers to simple questions? The Psymposia team drills down into the questions raised by the revelations in "Political Science" in an attempt to highlight some of the dy...

The Psymposia team discusses the reticence of psychedelic advocates to consider cases of unequivocal abuse and neglect of participants in MAPS clinical trials. We provide background on the gap between the public image of MAPS and the experiences shared by Meaghan, Mel, and Leah in New York Magazine's Cover Story Season 1, Power Trip.   Watch: https://youtu.be/EQRttVF7Dy8   Support:   ☼Patreon:  ht...

We talk drugs and anti-capitalism with anthropology PhD candidate, Hilary Agro . Ranging from prohibition to psychedelic clinical trials and beyond, we explore the overlaps and differences in our analyses of the current psychedelic (and broader drug policy) landscape.   Watch: https://youtu.be/s6Puq_8lBnM   Support: ☼Patreon:  http://patreon.com/psymposia ☼Donate:  https://www.psymposia.com/donate...

We continue our discussion about Brian Pace and Neşe Devenot's recently published paper: " Right-Wing Psychedelia: Case Studies in Cultural Plasticity and Political Pluripotency "    Abstract: Recent media advocacy for the nascent psychedelic medicine industry has emphasized the potential for psychedelics to improve society, pointing to research studies that have linked psychedelics to increased e...

We discuss Brian Pace and Neşe Devenot's recently published paper: "Right-Wing Psychedelia: Case Studies in Cultural Plasticity and Political Pluripotency"    Abstract: Recent media advocacy for the nascent psychedelic medicine industry has emphasized the potential for psychedelics to improve society, pointing to research studies that have linked psychedelics to increased environmental concern and...

What the hell is going on in this house full of shit? And where do we go from here? We don't have answers, but we have ideas and plenty of questions to unfold. Power Trip 5 was a montage of stories that illustrate a bigger picture. This episode of Power Tripping offers a complementary platter of ideas. From the structural features of the psychedelic therapy marketplace, to the cognitive biases tha...

Dear Plus Three listeners,    Thanks so much for your continued support throughout the year. We couldn't do it without y'all. Psymposia is a small 501(c)(3) non-profit entirely funded by people who believe in our work. We're a volunteer organization and 100% of the funds we raise go into operating costs, which add up quickly. Please consider supporting us monthly on Patreon or making a one-time do...

Many people are familiar with MK-ULTRA, the CIA's illegal human experimentation program, which involved psychedelics and resulted in torture techniques that have since been used at CIA black sites around the world. What if someone tried to tell you these techniques were, in fact, a novel therapy that could revolutionize mental healthcare and transform dissidents into better citizens? In this episo...

Michael Pollan, Tim Ferriss, Gabor Maté, and a number of other "thought leaders" have offered glowing endorsements of Françoise Bourzat and her approach to training psychedelic guides. However, amidst the wave of allegations and revelations about Bourzat, her husband Aharon Grossbard, and their training program, many of these individuals have refrained from weighing in on these events, or even ret...

Power Tripping is Psymposia's weekly deep-dive into New York Magazine's Cover Story: Power Trip podcast, co-produced with Psymposia.   The Psymposia team, discusses how the "Psychedelic Community" responded to T's abuse of Lily in the Ecuadorian Amazon and her attempts to call attention to the wider issues around her experience. We recall our own experiences of Lily's efforts dating back to 2012,...

Power Tripping is Psymposia's weekly deep-dive into New York Magazine's Cover Story: Power Trip podcast, co-produced with Psymposia. This week, Lily Kay Ross introduces the Psymposia team, all of whom have been working on a variety of projects in addition to supporting the research and release of Power Trip. The team tries to avoid spoilers and give a brief sense of who we are, what we do.   For f...

In part two of our conversation with Villanova visiting professor of philosophy Emma Stamm, we discuss the "psychedelic industry's" increasing fixation on digital capitalism. Looking at apps like MyDelica and hardware like Kernel's brain-scanning helmet, we discuss how the social implications of this technology extend well beyond psychedelia. Co-hosts: Neşe Devenot, Brian Normand, David Nickles, B...

In part one of our conversation with Villanova visiting professor of philosophy Emma Stamm, we discuss Mark Fisher's Acid Communism , leftist thought in psychedelia, Jacques Derrida's hauntology, and Byung-Chul Han's Psychopolitics : Neoliberalism and New Technologies of Power. Co-hosts: Neşe Devenot, Brian Normand, David Nickles, Brian Pace. Editor: Matt Payne Watch: https://youtu.be/-68rSz1BePE...

In Part Two, the crew continues their break down of Atai Life Sciences' founder and COMPASS Pathways investor Christian Angermayer's recent appearance on right-wing YouTuber Dave Rubin's "The Rubin Report." Co-hosts: Brian Normand, Neşe Devenot, David Nickles, Brian Pace, Russell Hausfeld, Sarvesh Ramprakash. Editor: Matt Payne Watch: https://youtu.be/Rts3vgy_zkU Support: If you like the show plea...

In Part One, the crew breaks down Atai Life Sciences' founder and COMPASS Pathways investor Christian Angermayer's recent appearance on right-wing YouTuber Dave Rubin's "The Rubin Report." Co-hosts: Brian Normand, Neşe Devenot, David Nickles, Brian Pace, Russell Hausfeld, Sarvesh Ramprakash. Editor: Matt Payne Watch: https://youtu.be/Rts3vgy_zkU Support: If you like the show please  support us on...

The crew reviews Michael Pollan's recent New York Times Op-Ed " How Should We Do Drugs Now? "   Co-hosts: Neşe Devenot, Brian Normand, David Nickles, Brian Pace. Editor: Matt Payne   Additional links:    Michael Pollan: Not So Fast on Psychedelic Mushrooms | New York Times   #1 - We Hope Michael Pollan Changes His Mind | Plus Three podcast   Michael Pollan worries we don't know enough to legalise...

In Part Two Normie, Dave, Russell, and Sarvesh continue their conversation about Atai Life Sciences and how the introduction of for-profit psychedelic pharmaceutical corporations have shifted capital away from non-profits. This episode gets extra wacky and dark as they dive into Atai Founder & Chairman Christian Angermayer's role on Rwandan president Paul Kagame's Advisory Council. According to Hu...

Brian Normand, David Nickles, and Russell Hausfeld are joined by new team member, Sarvesh Ramprakash, to discuss Atai Life Sciences' recent IPO on Nasdaq. They also discuss and provide updates on Russell's previous 2020 report exploring how the introduction of for-profit psychedelic pharmaceutical corporations has shifted capital away from non-profits. Watch: https://youtu.be/zijXN5GCgsk Co-hosts:...