The Psymposia Podcast

In Part Two, the Psymposia crew continues to deconstruct a conversation between two self-described entrepreneurs who recently discussed psychedelics and medicalization during an event called Psychedelic Capitalism with Alexander Beiner [Rebel Wisdom] and Lars Wilde [COMPASS Pathways, Atai Life Sciences]— while studiously avoiding a debate of capitalism altogether. Watch:  https://www.youtube.com/w...

The Psymposia crew deconstructs a conversation between two self-described entrepreneurs who recently discussed psychedelics and medicalization during an event called Psychedelic Capitalism with Alexander Beiner [Rebel Wisdom] and Lars Wilde [COMPASS Pathways, Atai Life Sciences]— while studiously avoiding a debate of capitalism altogether. Watch:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNHX3OIO3-4 Read:...

Ioan Grillo is a journalist who has reported on the Mexican Drug War and cartel violence for the last 20 years. His books include " El Narco : Inside Mexico's Criminal Insurgency," " Gangster Warlords : Drug Dollars, Killing Fields, and the New Politics of Latin America," and " Blood Gun Money : How America Arms Gangs and Cartels." In this episode we discuss his newest book, Blood Gun Money, which...

Ioan Grillo is a journalist who has reported on the Mexican Drug War and cartel violence for the last 20 years. His books include " El Narco : Inside Mexico's Criminal Insurgency," " Gangster Warlords : Drug Dollars, Killing Fields, and the New Politics of Latin America," and " Blood Gun Money : How America Arms Gangs and Cartels." In this episode we discuss his newest book, Blood Gun Money, which...

Psymposia sits down with Thought Slime to chat about carving out a leftist space in psychedelia. Co-hosts: Neşe Devenot, David Nickles, Brian Pace, Russell Hausfeld. Editor: Matt Payne   Support us on Patreon or make a tax-deductible donation Watch this episode: https://youtu.be/NoIX8Gj30HQ Thought Slime's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/ ThoughtSlime/   Contents of this podcast   Reaso...

Psymposia advisory board member and psychedelic researcher, Jae Sevelius, joins us to talk about queer theory, psychedelic research with transgender and gender diverse people, and what happens when political assumptions go unexamined in both research contexts and the world at large. Drawing on the work of Dr. Sevelius, as well as Dr. Devenot and Dr. Ross, we discuss some of the ways that research...

Psymposia editors discuss Dr. Martin Ball's "session info" document that the retired 5-MeO-DMT practitioner sent to Psymposia. Dr. Ball has referenced the document in defense of his practices and cites it as evidence that his clients consented to him touching their genitals or vomiting on them while under the influence of 5-MeO-DMT. Our analysis shows that this isn't actually a consent document. I...

Psymposia Advisory Board member Alex Zaitchik drops in to chat about his work and experiences as an investigative journalist with a critical analysis of capitalism. Alex has covered topics ranging from the effects of extractive industry on Indigenous communities, to the existential need for degrowth, and the economics of vaccine development.   Check out Alex's writing here:  https://www.zaitchik.c...

In this episode, we're joined by our new advisory board member Yarelix Estrada to discuss her experiences with organizing psychedelic societies, psychedelic exceptionalism, and harm reduction on the streets of New York. Yarelix shares insights from her formal and practical training in public health as well as her interactions with frontline communities and her personal experiences. Co-hosts: Neşe...

Brian Normand and David Nickles are joined by Psymposia Senior Writer Russell Hausfeld to discuss MindMed's CEO, Jamon Rahn's, recent claims that his company "may be creating effectively the Tesla of mental health," and that the company is now a "$1B+ Unicorn." Tesla, for those unaware, has been sued by (and settled with) the SEC for securities fraud, flaunted COVID-19 (and other) safety guideline...

In this episode, we discuss a prominent participant in the bumbling coup attempt of January 6: "QAnon Shaman" Jake Angeli. Along with a coalition of Donald Trump supporters and assorted right wing ideologues, Angeli stormed the Capitol following a speech by Trump. Featuring a dissection of an "Ascension Masterclass" that was hosted on Angeli's now-deleted Star Seed Academy Facebook page, we (once...

This episode explores the rise of self-styled "thought leaders" within the psychedelic community, using Anand Giridharadas' book "Winners Take All" as a jumping off point. Although people have been on the conference circuit for years, the recent explosion of capital investments means that there's an unprecedented potential for money, celebrity, and status in the space. The thought leader proposes...

We kicked off the start of our ongoing livestreams with the announcement of Psymposia's 501(c)(3) non-profit status, discussions of corporadelic dynamics, fond memories of helping people learn how to extract psychedelic drugs during an Ivy League University's psychedelic conference, and a whole bunch of back and forth with the audience about the current state (and future) of psychedelia. Co-hosts:...

In this episode we explore the myriad of problems that result from media outlets treating corporate press releases as though they're legitimate news sources, rather than advertisements. We examine "science by press release" cases ranging from psychedelic pharmaceutical firms who claim their barely-studied compounds are superior to (and safer than) psilocybin (one of the safest psychoactive compoun...

Recorded live at the Capital Psychedelic Summit, hosted virtually in Washington D.C., Russell Hausfeld joins Brian Normand and David Nickles to discuss the infiltration of the psychedelic pharmaceutical industry by companies, investors, and executives from extractive industry. This episode explores the destructive nature of extractive industry and the effects of introducing those dynamics into psy...

Recorded live (online) for the Capital Psychedelic Summit in Washington D.C., the Plus Three crew picks up the threads of a recent panel discussion about the effects of corporations and capitalism on the emerging psychedelic landscape. Examining the logic of capitalism, the realities of medicalization, and the need for radical social transformations, we explore philosophies underlying the "Grow, G...

Terence McKenna once mused, "Conspiracy theory is a kind of epistemological cartoon about reality." Looking around at the world, things appear awfully cartoonish at the moment. We're joined by Psymposia Senior Writer, Russell Hausfeld, to discuss the propagation of coronavirus conspiracies, recent revelations about QAnon, and the likelihood that some "conspiracy" claims are simply warped articulat...

Dr. Ido Hartoghson joins the show to talk about the ideas in his new book,  American Trip: Set, Setting, and the Psychedelic Experience in the Twentieth Century . Acknowledging psychedelics as non-specific amplifiers of consciousness, we discuss different historical (and present) paradigms of use in order to interrogate the role of psychedelics within our culture. As we find ourselves staring down...

In response to the unexpected early release of William Leonard Pickard from prison, we discuss some of the characters and stories surrounding the case. Having served twenty years of a double life sentence for conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and dispense LSD— charges which he disputes— Pickard has never spoken publicly about the specifics of his case, and some of the drug-media coverage of t...

In this episode, we explore the implications of MAPS' main political strategy: demonstrating affinity for and utility to the police, the military, the far right, and individuals who have repeatedly upheld violent white supremacism. Unpacking a  recent article  by David Nickles, we examine the "ends justifies the means" logic that has become pervasive in psychedelic research. As uprisings against t...

In this episode, we unpack some of the characters and dynamics of the psychedelic "arm" of the Intellectual Dark Web. We use Neşe Devenot's recently released video on Jamie Wheal, Lucian Tarnowski, and other affiliates of the Rebel Wisdom media platform to explore questions of power, class, and ahistorical theories of social change. Just how much sense do these self-labelled "sensemakers" actually...

Brian Normand, David Nickles, and Russell Hausfeld continue their conversation about neoliberals in psychedelia, including companies using the coronavirus pandemic to promote psychedelics for mental health. They also deconstruct non-profit vs. for-profit rhetoric and propose more pragmatic frameworks for examining the implications (and material realities) of psychedelic corporations and their oper...

Brian Normand and Dave Nickles are joined by Psymposia Senior Writer Russell Hausfeld to discuss capitalist logic in psychedelia, the principles of open science, and the increasing eagerness of extractive industry players (including gold and lithium mining outfits and traders) looking to capitalize on psychedelics. Support us on Patreon  or make a tax-deductible donation .  *Patrons* Reliable Spor...

Sexual abuse in psychedelic therapy (above and underground) is a long-standing, documented , and enduring reality maintained through cultures of silence, coercion, and victim blame . The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) has received complaints about therapists affiliated with their clinical trials and integration list. In spring 2019, MAPS published a Code of Conduct wh...

On this episode we talk with Douglas Rushkoff, author, teacher, and host of the Team Human podcast. Rushkoff's work explores how different technological environments change our relationship to narrative, money, power, and each other. His latest book, also called Team Human, calls for the retrieval of human autonomy in a digital age. Rushkoff is also no stranger to the psychedelic scene having coll...