Benefits

017: Modern Shamanism /  by Joe

This is Entheogen. We talk about tools for generating the divine within. It's October 15, 2015. We're talking about Modern Shamanism with special guest, Micah.

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This episode we are grateful to be joined by special guest, Micah, to discuss the use of Ayahuasca in a modern context, as well as in the traditional setting.

Background:

Erowid Ayahuasca Vault: Basics

Topics:

- the traditional preparation vs. a chemical extraction

- the traditional context vs. modern comforts

- shaman vs. therapist

- jungle fauna, icaros vs. modern metaphors and music

- other psychoactive plant medicine: tobacco, chocolate/cacao, wine, sassafras, black pepper

- creating a container for deep experience

References:

Santo Daime

União do Vegetal

Controversy Brews Over Church's Hallucinogenic Tea Ritual

013: Interview with Robert J. Barnhart about his new film, A New Understanding: The Science of Psilocybin /  by Joe

This is Entheogen. We talk about tools for generating the divine within. It's August 21, 2015. We're talking about A New Understanding: The Science of Psilocybin with Robert J. Barnhart.

We are honored to be joined by Robert J. Barnhart, producer of A New Understanding: The Science of Psilocybin.

For historical context, we review the groundwork laid in the 1980's by organizations such as the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) and Heffter Research Institute. Robert serves on the Boards of Directors of both organizations.

Basic research began as early as the 1940's and continued through the '50's and '60's, until Nixon's Drug Control Act of 1970 when the highly promising research was extinguished. In the words of Roland Griffiths, "Can you think of another area of science regarded as so dangerous and taboo that all research gets shut down for decades? It’s unprecedented in modern science."

Only as recently as in the last decade, thanks entirely to private fundraising by organizations like MAPS and Heffter, researchers have completed Phase I and Phase II studies. Plans for Phase III trials are on the horizon, and by some predictions, entheogens like psilocybin could be rescheduled to Schedule II (from Schedule I) perhaps as soon as 2020.

At $10/pill an effective one-time-dose treatment like an entheogen might not be economically feasible or lucrative enough for today's pharmaceutical companies to pursue taking to market. But what about regular, ongoing "microdosing" of something like LSD? And moreover, the potentially vast application of entheogens toward the "betterment of well people" (in the words of Bob Jesse) would seem to be highly interesting to a pharmaceutical company.

In addition to supporting MAPS and Heffter, Robert recommends the Beckley Foundation in England. Also, write to Congress and talk to people about your own entheogenic experiences.

Bonus: Robert recounts the story of how his would-be high school film project about the psychedelic experience may have serendipitously inspired his new film.

For more about the studies, check out Anthroposophia: A different kind of love story: One woman's psilocybin experience by Sandy Lundahl.

Thanks again to Robert Barnhart for joining us. Stay tuned for the release of A New Understanding: The Science of Psilocybin.

012: Interview with Carl A. P. Ruck, the Man who Coined the Term "Entheogen", on Renegotiating our Covenant with Mother Earth /  by Joe

This is Entheogen: three human beings discussing generating the divine within while still being human beings.

In this episode, recorded on June 22, 2015, we are honored to be joined by Dr. Carl Ruck, professor in the Classical Studies department at Boston University. Ruck is credited with coining the term Entheogen to describe neurotropic substances.

Ruck explains the importance of the term entheogen as distinct from neurotropic and other terms which may be used in scientific literature (see also: alchemy…chemistry, astrology…astronomy; alchemy minus theology = chemistry).

Dangers of guidance under the guise of a false guru.

Ancient entheogenic substances and principles of practice being reinterpreted in modern culture is prone to pitfalls.

"Our own European culture has a rich panoply of paradigms to help us with the experience, but we're told that it has nothing to do with this kind of drug induced visionary experience, so people don't understand that the ancient greek myths are a fantastic way of mapping out a pathway for self-discovery." - Carl A. P. Ruck

What is the role of the entheogen in society?

Finding ways to go to "the origins of religious cognition."

Should entheogens be used in a ritualistic setting, or as a private experience?

The Gaia Project: Reclaiming the Mysteries of Eleusis (more info)

The Breaking Conventions conference

Further reading: Entheogens, Myth, and Human Consciousness

011: Enduring Personality Changes from Entheogens /  by Joe

This is Entheogen: three human beings discussing generating the divine within while still being human beings. In this episode, recorded on April 20, 2015, we discuss Enduring Personality Changes from Entheogens.

This show we are joined by special guest, Ingo, to explore the topic of how psychedelics can change one's personality.

Ingo explains how in traditional psychology, one's personality typically doesn't change after the age of 30 years. And yet in his experience, he has grown more as a person since he began using psychedelics than ever before.

How does a psychedelic experience change one's personality? In the peak entheogenic experience? During the afterglow? Cumulatively over the years?

Ingo reminds us of the Roland Griffiths we study discussed in Entheogen 008: The Trip Treatment.

How psychedelics reintroduce us to the joy, wonder, and awe of a child's perspective.

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