Psychedelics Then and Now with Zach Leary

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Episode 22: Kathleen Harrison, Cannabis and Spirituality Dec 13, 2017

Show notes

This episode of the MAPS Podcast is taken from the Psychedelic Science 2017 conference in Oakland, CA. The talk is by the legendary and luminous Kathleen Harrison, M.A. and is entitled "Cannabis and Spirituality - Exploring the Plant Human Spirit Relationship".

Kat's decades of work as an ethnobotanist focussed largely on the deeply inter-connected history and relationship between human beings and cannabis. A relationship existing not just in a cultural setting but also a spiritual one. This talk explores the nuances of the relationship, cultural appropriation in respect to psychedelic mysticsm and a holistic blueprint for how one might approach spirituality with cannabis as a guide.

Kathleen (Kat) Harrison, M.A. is an ethnobotanist who loves to explore the relationship between plants, mushrooms and human beings—particularly in the realms that are often hidden: cultural beliefs, personification of species, rituals of healing and initiation, vision-seeking modalities, and artistic creations that illustrate the plant-human relationship. She also studies and teaches the deep history of humans in nature, encompassing both before and since the advent of agriculture.

Kathleen founded Botanical Dimensions in 1985, with her then-husband, the late Terence McKenna.

Visit www.botanicaldimensions.org

Episode 21 - Amanda Reiman, PhD Dec 05, 2017

Show notes

Episode 21 with Amanda Reiman, PhD

The Use of Cannabis as a Substitute for Opiate and Non-Opiate Pain Medication

This episode of the MAPS Podcast presents an alternative treatment method and all around discussion in respect to the opioid crisis facing America. Currently, there are over 20,000 overdose deaths each year as a result of prescribed opiate pain medication. It's a major epidemic that has many opinions and a myriad of possible remedies. Amanda Reiman has done extensive research into using cannabis as a substitute in the treatment of this affliction. This talk is from Psychedelic Science 2017 and includes a brief audience question and answer at the end. Enjoy.

Intro: 5 essential psychedelic book recommendations for your library.

Amanda Reiman is the California policy manager for the Drug Policy Alliance. Based in San Francisco, Reiman leads DPA's marijuana reform work in California. Reiman has conducted numerous studies on medical marijuana dispensaries, patients and the use of marijuana as a treatment for addiction. Reiman served as the first chairwoman of the Medical Cannabis Commission for the City of Berkeley and has consulted with various cities and states on the development of medical marijuana policy. Reiman is currently a lecturer in the School of Social Welfare at the University of California-Berkeley, where she teaches Drug and Alcohol Policy, Substance Abuse Treatment, and Sexuality and Social Work.

Episode 20 - Dr. William Richards Nov 14, 2017

Show notes

Episode 20 of the MAPS Podcast brings you Dr. William Richards and his talk "Psychedelic Psychotherapy: Insights from 25 Years of Research". From Psychedelic Science 2013 this talk reflects on his past involvement in clinical research with psychedelic substances at the University of Göttingen and the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, and in the current investigations at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Dr. Richards will discuss the discrete alternative states of consciousness that appear to facilitate psychotherapeutic progress, and the factors of set, setting, and dosage that increase the probability of their occurrence.

William A. Richards, PhD, is a psychologist in the Psychiatry Department of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Bayview Medical Center, currently pursuing research with entheogens, and also a clinician in private practice in Baltimore. From 1977-1981, he was a member of the psychology faculty of Antioch University in Maryland. His publications began in 1966 with "Implications of LSD and Experimental Mysticism," coauthored with Walter Pahnke, and published in the Journal of Religion and Health.

Episode 19: Dr. Joe Tafur, The Fellowship of The River Oct 31, 2017

Show notes

This episode of The MAPS Podcast dives into the rich tapestry of the foreign yet wise world of South American plant medicine culture as experienced through the lens of an American medical doctors eyes. Joe's new book "The Fellowship of The River - A Medical Doctor's Exploration into Traditional Amazonian Plant Medicines" is a beautifully written and passionately researched account into Joe's time exploring how traditional plant medicines, with their ability to alter consciousness and open channels of communication to our emotions, offer so much promise in the treatment of many conditions that Western medicine does not seem to have much success with.

Joe and I also danced around his own evolution from traditional medical doctor to plant medicine mystic, the roots of Western medicine's own systematic limitations, various ailments and how we tend to treat them and a couple of case studies that illustrate the effectiveness of Joe's research.

I highly recommend his book (and this podcast) if you're at all curious about a road map of how healing via shamanic plant medicine can be applied to traditional Western medicine as it stands now.

Visit - drjoetafur.com to learn more and to purchase the book

Episode 19: Dr. Joe Tafur, The Fellowship of The River Oct 31, 2017

Show notes

I highly recommend his book (and this podcast) if you're at all curious about a road map of how healing via shamanic plant medicine can be applied to traditional Western medicine as it stands now.

Visit - drjoetafur.com to learn more and to purchase the book

Episode 18 - Dr. Ben Sessa Oct 24, 2017

Show notes

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. Ben's experience, candor and passion is not to be missed. He's a force on the front lines of the psychedelic movement.

Intro: An excerpt was read from "Why I'm microdosing LSD" By Erica Avey. The entire piece can be read here

From DrSessa.com -

I am a medical doctor providing private psychiatric consultation through Mandala Therapy Limited

I am a published medical and fiction author

I carry out psychopharmacology research with psychedelic medicines

I am researching MDMA Therapy for mental disorders

I publish in the academic and medical press

I present regularly in multi-media platforms

I carry out medico-Legal family law expert witness work

I am co-founder and chair of the Breaking Convention conference.

Episode 17 - Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris: Brain Imaging with Psilocybin and MDMA Sep 28, 2017

Show notes

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 research available we can augment that thinking with actual stuides that illustrate how the brain is effected when these agents enter our system.

Highlighting the results of two fMRI studies and one MEG study with psilocybin and an fMRI study with MDMA, Carhart-Harris will report the effects of both drugs on regional brain activity and brain network organization. Additionally, he will report the effects of both drugs on brain and subjective responses to personal autobiographical memory cues.

Dr Robin Carhart-Harris talks about his scientific research into the effects and potential therapeutic uses of psychedelic drugs. Join him as he discusses brain imaging work involving psilocybin, the active ingredient of magic mushrooms, and explains how the drug works in the brain. In 2005, Robin began a four year PhD in Psychopharmacology at the University of Bristol. In 2009, he successfully coordinated the first clinical study of psilocybin in the UK and the first clinical study of a classic psychedelic drug in the UK for over 40 years. Also in 2009, Robin moved to Imperial College London to continue his work under the supervision of Professor David Nutt. Robin has since coordinated the first resting state fMRI and MEG investigations of a psychedelic drug and the first fMRI study of MDMA in the UK. Robin and David Nutt recently received ethics approval for an MRC-sponsored clinical trial that will investigate the efficacy of psilocybin as a treatment for depression and an LSD fMRI and MEG study. Robin's work is published in PNAS, Brain, Schizophrenia Bulletin and the British Journal of Psychiatry and he has appeared in television interviews for BBC news and Channel 4.

Episode 16 - James Fadiman, PhD, and Sophia Korb, PhD - Microdosing! Aug 23, 2017

Show notes

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 cognitive capacity based experiences is fast becoming a legitimate psychedelic method for use within the general population. James Fadiman and Sophia Korb at the center of cyclone with their ongoing research of over 1500 active participants.

From their site,

These are the three most frequently asked questions:

How much is a microdose? Most people start at 1/20 to 1/10 of a recreational dose of whatever substance they are trying and adjust based on their experience. If you are experiencing visual effects, you have taken too much.
How often are microdoses taken? Most participants dose every three days.
Is microdosing right for me? Only you can make that determination. There is more information about who has benefited so far and possible risks in the full FAQ.

Over 1500 participants have reported their experiences of microdosing as of this writing, and submitted narrative reports and daily data. We are taking time to read and analyze and report on all the data.

Episode 15 - Draulio Barros de Araujo Aug 08, 2017

Show notes

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 medicines can unlock certain parts of the brain to aid in natural anti-depression re-balancing functions is very eye opening. The research isn't fully matured yet but is well on its way.

Draulio Barros de Araujo works as a professor in neuroimaging at the Brain Institute, Natal, Brazil. Since 2006 my research has focused on using functional neuroimaging methods (EEG and fMRI) to investigate the acute and lasting effects of a psychedelic called Ayahuasca. Our research group has also been studying the antidepressant potencial of Ayahuasca.

Episode 14 - Buddhism and Psychedelics (PART TWO) Jul 25, 2017

Show notes

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 the similarities between psychedelic and Buddhist experiences. Rev. Kokyo Henkel has been practicing Zen Buddhism since 1990 at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, Green Gulch Farm Zen Center, and Bukkokuji Monastery in Japan. He was ordained as a priest and received Dharma Transmission from Tenshin Anderson Roshi, and is currently the Head Teacher at Santa Cruz Zen Center. James Fadiman, Ph.D., author of The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys (2011) has been teaching about, working with and doing research on psychedelic and entheogenic experiences for decades. He has taught at Brandeis, San Francisco State, Stanford, and is now at Sofia University.

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