Download It has been a big week for psychedelic research. Psilocybin and MDMA have made national headlines. The New York Times article, "F.D.A. Agrees to New Trials for Ecstasy as Relief for PTSD Patients," highlights the recent win for MAPS in regards to their MDMA-assisted psychotherapy research. The FDA has given MAPS the green light to pursue phase 3 research for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder. The New York Times also highlights the recent publications of psilocybin research in the article, "A Dose of a Hallucinogen from a 'Magic Mushroom,' and Then Lasting Peace." Psilocybin has been being researched by various institutions, including NYU and John Hopkins, for its potential therapeutic benefit to combat end-of-life anxiety due to terminal illness and cancer. The study results are fascinating:

At the 6.5-month follow-up, psilocybin was associated with enduring anxiolytic and anti-depressant effects (approximately 60–80% of participants continued with clinically significant reductions in depression or anxiety), sustained benefits in existential distress and quality of life, as well as improved attitudes towards death. The psilocybin-induced mystical experience mediated the therapeutic effect of psilocybin on anxiety and depression. (http://m.jop.sagepub.com/content/30/12/1165.full)

In this episode, Joe and Kyle chat with, Gabby Agin-Liebes, a co-author of the psilocybin study quoted above and a PhD student studying clinical psychology. During the conversation, we get into topics about the recent publication:

• Formation of the NYU study
• Gabby’s role in the study
• How volunteers were selected
• Inclusion and admission criteria
• Study results
• Can psilocybin help those who are facing death?
• Mystical experiences facilitating and mediating change in depression and anxiety
• Current research that Gabby is part of and co-leading
• How to get involved in the psychedelic field
• Dreams and visions for the future of psychedelics and psychedelic research

  About Gabrielle Agin-Liebes:   Ms. Agin-Liebes is completing her training toward a PhD in clinical psychology at Palo Alto University. She is a member of PAU’s Early Intervention Clinic clinical research laboratory, which provides and evaluates evidence-based treatments to prevent trauma-related problems in recently traumatized individuals. As part of this research laboratory, Ms. Agin-Liebes is examining the effects of trait self-compassion on trauma-related guilt cognitions. Through a supplemental practicum, Gabrielle is training toward a teacher certification in insight oriented mindfulness meditation through the Inner Resources Center at Palo Alto University. Ms. Agin-Liebes’ other research focuses on novel and progressive psychotherapies for a variety of clinical indications, with areas of specialty in anxiety, depressive and traumatic stress disorders precipitated by life threatening illnesses. Through the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Ms. Agin-Liebes is co-leading the qualitative investigation of a pilot study examining the safety and feasibility of Psilocybin-Assisted Supportive-Expressive Group Psychotherapy for demoralization and existential distress in older individuals living with HIV.  Prior to beginning her graduate studies, Gabrielle served as Project Manager of the NYU School of Medicine (NYUSoM) Psychedelic Research Laboratory led by Stephen Ross MD in the Department of Psychiatry, where she oversaw the day-to-day operations of trials exploring psilocybin as a treatment for existential distress in cancer patients, and ketamine as a rapidly-acting antidepressant in Emergency Department patients, Through the NYU School of Medicine lab, she has received funding to investigate the qualitative experiences of participants undergoing psilocybin treatment for alcohol dependence and is helping to design a qualitative trial of religious leaders receiving psilocybin at NYUSoM and Johns Hopkins University (JHU). Ms. Agin-Liebes’ other research interests include the role of self-compassion in addiction recovery and the therapeutic applications of meditation and mindfulness.  

  Download Joe and Kyle talk to Shannon Clare Petitt about the current state of MDMA research and what MAPS needs to do in the next number of months with the FDA as the phase three trials become approved. A few days after the interview the New York Times reported that the phase three research was approved. Shannon's story is great and optimistic. If you are interested in how to get a job in the psychedelic field, this is certainly an episode you'll want to listen to. We also discuss some possible tweaks to the studies that could be done that may yield interesting results, and also why MAPS is taking the approach that they are (its the most straightforward way to push the research through the FDA).   Here is Shannon's bio from the MAPS staff page.

Shannon Clare Petitt, M.A., MFTI, Therapist Training Program Coordinator and Zendo Project Community Engagement Coordinator

Shannon received her Master’s in Integral Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies in 2014, with a practicum working with youth on moderation management for drug and alcohol use. Her passions include working with addiction, trauma, relationship, the body, and nature. At the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies she serves as the Therapist Training Program Coordinator. She also leads Community Engagement for the Zendo Project, bringing harm reduction services to events and expanding efforts for awareness and integration of psychedelic experiences. Shannon is a co-therapist in a MAPS-sponsored Phase 2 trial researching MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for anxiety associated with life-threatening illness. She is a California native and can be found running outdoors anywhere she travels, dancing to the beat, and jumping in the ocean when she gets the chance!

Links Psychedelic Salon Podcast Featuring Shannon, Rick Doblin and Annie Oak Zendo Project MAPS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDzwFRbV9gg

Download Faan was a great guest. He is currently working on a cannabis startup in Montréal, Québec, Canada named Indeeva Biomedical. Joe previously interviewed Faan for his permaulture podcast Permaculture Salad to talk about how shamanism, ayahuasca and permaculture go together in a complementary way (link). At the time of that interview Faan was living on a permaculture/ayahuasca retreat center in Peru named the Paititi Institute. Faan now lives in Montréal and has studied at McGill University where he studied cubic farming methods, which is one of many ways to decrease the total carbon output of agriculture. [caption id="attachment_317" align="alignright" width="255"] Photo via Backcountry Cannabis[/caption] I hope you find his insights as interesting as we did. Feel free to reach out with any questions through our contact page or reach out to Faan via LinkedIn or Twitter - links below. In this interview we speak at length about number of subjects including:

• Cannabis
• CBDs
• Opiates
  • Fentanyl
  • Addiction
• Ayahuasca
• Pharmahuasca
  • To what degree is Pharmahuasca different from Ayahuasca in terms of effect
• Novel applications of drugs for specific diseases/conditions
• Speculations about future cannabis laws in Canada
• Synergistic qualities of cannabis.

 Links

https://www.medicaljane.com/directory/professional/faan-rossouw/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/faan-rossouw-73961b96 https://twitter.com/brah_faanicus https://www.facebook.com/indeevabm http://permaculturesalad.com/faan-rossouw-episode-7-amazonian-permaculture/ Aug 2013 interview

Download Kyle recently had the great opportunity to attend one module of the MAPS MDMA Therapy sessions. In this episode we talk about the experience at the workshop and about some other valuable topics as well. Let us know what you think, and please leave a review on iTunes!

• Details on Phase Three studies for MDMA therapy
• Oceanic\Manic symptoms vs "real" mania
• Patients expressing religious material showing up in sessions
• Measurement tools (CAP Score)
• Similarities between this MAPS method and the Grof model
• MDMA taking down the fear response and allowing patients to access difficult material
• Watching hours of video as a training method for MDMA psychotherapy
• Timelines for legalization
• How to apply the scientific method to the music used in MDMA therapy
• How to get ready for the legalization for MDMA therapy

   

In this episode Kyle and Joe speak about the recent interview they recorded with Dimitri Muganis. There were some relatively important points in the interview that needed further discussion and expansion and in this podcast we unravel some of the material. There is plenty more to unpack there. Some of what is discussed in this episode includes.

• Race
• Class
• Research and Treatment
  • When should one take priority
• Democratization of the medicines
• Privilege
• Paying for people to participate in research
• The white upper middle class bias in the research
• The bias in research towards veterans

Overall there are loads of things that we discussed, and in short the real message here is that we all need to keep moving forward. There is plenty of room for growth in the field for all of us to move our agendas forward. With endless amounts of research left to be run, we can still treat people. I'm not sure we are going to see Psychedelic medicines be used in the next 1-2 years in major hospitals outside of research, but we are going to see it in the next decade for sure. Lets keep moving and taking care of each other. -Joe Sign up for our mailing list here.

Download
Tom Shroder Joe and Kyle talk about Tom's great book titled "Acid Test: LSD, Ecstasy, and the Power to Heal". Tom is an editor, and author of a number of books as well as the former editor of the Washington Post. Interviewing Tom was real fun and we appreciate him joining us for the show. We get into some great topics including

• Tom's interesting connection to Rick Doblin
• The history of Rick's rise to influence
• The story of the Mithoefers transitioning from emergency medicine and sailing to Holotropic Breathwork and MDMA research
• The book and this interview also follow the story of a US Marine who came home with treatment resistant PTSD and was then treated by the Mithoefers with MDMA as part of their research.

The book is amazing and well worth your time if you want to get familiarized with the hopes and history of psychedelic research. Links Tom giving a talk in Berkley covered by CSAPN Tom Shroder Wiki Acid Test on Amazon https://vimeo.com/109338542 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06l2FT9cLBs

Download In this episode we speak with Dimitri about a ton of interesting subjects including:

• Iboga
• Addiction
• Bwiti
• Dana Beal
• Structural Criticism
• Problems with giving psychedelics to the current medical system
• Psychedelic Anarchy
• Non-hierarchical organizing - making the group the parent instead of making a person the parent
• Peer programs
• Alexandre Tannous
• Century of Self documentary

"Be hurt, forgive and organize" Blessings of the Forest - Give back to Gabon

Links

Dimitri's site Instagram Facebook

Download In this episode we talk about the following:

• Katherine's path to becoming involved in psychedelic research
• Bias in Research
• Mental state required to be a researcher
• Impact to worldview after
• Privilege
• Harm reduction
• Paying participants involved with psychedelic research
• Future best uses of psychedelics
• Medicalization of birth and death
• Taking away human life from humans and giving that power to institutions
• Katherine's work with Ingmar Gorman at the Center for Optimal Living
• Integration circles
• Happyacres.farm

https://vimeo.com/109990665 Bio via Psymposia - Katherine MacLean is an academically trained research scientist and meditation practitioner with a long-standing interest in the brain, consciousness and the science of well-being. As a graduate student at the University of California, Davis, Katherine was supported by a prestigious National Science Foundation research fellowship to study the effects of intensive meditation training on concentration, emotional well-being and brain function. As a postdoctoral fellow and faculty member at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, she was one of the only scientists in the world studying psilocybin — a psychedelic chemical found naturally in certain types of mushrooms. Her groundbreaking research on psilocybin and personality change suggests that psychedelic medicines may be the key to enhancing mental health and promoting openness and creativity throughout the lifespan.

Download In this episode we talk to Ingmar about some great topics that included.

• Harm Reduction
• Psychedelic Science 2017
• Upcoming Zendo Training in NYC
• Czech Psychedelic Medical History
• MAPS MDMA Psychotherapy Video Archive
• Group work to help support Processing

Ingmar Gorman, M.A. is a currently unlicensed doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at the New School for Social Research. His clinical work is supervised by licensed clinical psychologists at his training sites.  After receiving his B.A. in Psychology from the New College of Florida. Ingmar completed a pre-doctoral externship at Bellevue's Chemical Dependency Outpatient Program and Dual Diagnosis Inpatient Unit, where he obtained specialized training in treating people living with substance use disorders. He has also gained extensive experience treating severe mental illness at South Beach Psychiatric Hospital's Heights Hill Outpatient Clinic. Ingmar has trained in individual and group psychotherapy at Beth Israel Medical Center's Psychiatric Inpatient Services, as well as the Brief Psychotherapy Research Program. Ingmar uses an integrative approach to treatment utilizing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Psychodynamic principles. When treating substance misuse, Ingmar draws on his extensive training with Dr. Andrew Tatarsky and Dr. Jen Talley, in Harm Reduction Psychotherapy and Mindfulness based approaches. Links Ingmar's site Center for Optimal Living - Psychedelic Program Upcoming Zendo Training in NYC (Training for harm reduction at festivals) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG-CteSuae8

Download Kyle and Joe speak with Jonathan Thompson about his podcast Psychedelic Parenting and the future of the Psychedelic Parenting organization.  Other topics that were covered include:

• Talking about psychedelics and substances with teenagers and children
• The Aftercare Project and psychedelic integration, and holding space.
• How to pass on the values of the psychedelic experience through spirituality, conscious living, social justice, free expression, and radical honesty.
• Children's books that describe marijuana.
  • It's Just a Plant: http://www.justaplant.com/
  • Stinky Steve Explains Causal Cannabis: https://www.amazon.com/Stinky-Steve-Explains-Medical-Marijuana/dp/0615867049
• The Religious Freedom Restoration Act and religious sacraments/medicine
  • A video of the Ashland, Oregon Santo Daime Church: https://vimeo.com/6821805
• Psychedelic summer camp, rites of passage, breathwork, and cacao ceremonies.
  • "Psychedelic Summer Camp" presentation:
    http://prezi.com/yakuu3hyxzfo/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Hope everyone enjoys this episode. We really enjoyed talking to Jonathan and feel blessed by his wealth of knowledge and wisdom. Let us know what you think! Be sure to subscribe to our podcast via Sitcher or iTunes and please consider leaving us a review and comment. We greatly appreciate your support! Where to find Jonathan and his work: Psychedelic Parenting: http://www.psychedelicparenting.org/ Contact: psychedelicparenting@gmail.com

• 5 Psychedelic Family Values: http://www.psychedelicparenting.org/?p=300
•  What EXACTLY Do You Mean by "Psychedelic Parenting" http://www.psychedelicparenting.org/?p=55
• How Old is Old Enough?: http://www.psychedelicparenting.org/?p=204
•  Motherboard Vice article by Jonathan: http://motherboard.vice.com/read/psychedelic-parenting-is-about-more-than-just-drugs
• PrimeMind - Psychedelic Parenting: https://primemind.com/parenting-with-psychedelics-994e2776583a#.e5ahzw10o

Download
Kyle and Joe speak with Raven Renee Ray about the Aftercare project. Here is a short description of the project from it's facebook site.

The Aftercare Project is dedicated to the psychological and spiritual well-being of people reintegrating after challenging psychedelic experiences.

The conversation is fun and wide ranging. We hope it is helpful and informative to academics, therapists, counselors and psychiatrists who are interacting with people coming back from difficult experiences. Here is a slightly longer description of the ACP.

Given the fact that ayahuasca has shown promise in research studies, we feel we not only have the humane duty to help those in need, but also the responsibility to ensure the reputation of ayahuasca and her traditional stewards among decision-makers in our own culture. This will allow us to continue holding space for research to continue, while protecting traditional practices. Because of the colossal challenges inherent in navigating multicultural spaces and the lack of understanding outside of the anthropological community regarding conflicting paradigms of urban capitalism and jungle reciprocity, we must do our best as North Americans to prepare those in our own communities who are called to this experience prior to their trip. This preparation will include full, informed consent, education on safety, cultural expectations and differences, and what to do in the case that further care is required upon return.

Raven is also fundraising for the Aftercare Project. You can find a page for the fundraising effort here. Main site for Aftercare Project - Facebook

Download In this episode of Psychedelics Today, Joe interviews the co-host of the show, Kyle Buller.  As hosts of the show, we thought that it would be fun to dig a little deeper into our own personal narratives to give our listeners an idea of who we are.  This episode offers the opportunity for Kyle to share his story about how he became interested in psychedelics and other non-ordinary states of consciousness.

From Kyle of Psychedelics Today

I became interested in non-ordinary states of consciousness at an young age.  One event that sparked my interest in these topics stems from suffering a near-death experience when I was teenager.  This experience changed the trajectory of my life and also left me with asking myself many questions about life and death. Tune into this episode as Joe asks me about my history with non-ordinary states of consciousness, the development of a psychedelic course at Burlington College, my interest in Holotropic Breathwork, and much more. Thanks for listening!

Download Philosophy and psychedelics brought Lenny to Holotropic Breathwork. Since then he has co-facilitated countless sessions with even more people mainly in Vermont, but also in Massachusetts and Maine. Lenny and Elizabeth (his wife) have helped foster Kyle and Joe's interest in Holotropic states and facilitating breathwork sessions. We are thankful and happy to share this two part interview with Lenny Gibson. From his website

Lenny Gibson is a philosopher and clinical psychologist concerned with issues that bridge both disciplines:

• Practices that foster experiential understanding of philosophy, historically and contemporarily.
• Transpersonal psychology, particularly Holotropic Breathwork.