Are you ready for the psychedelic revolution? In the next few years, the FDA is likely to approve these mind-bending drugs for treating depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Some states have already decriminalized psilocybin, the active ingredient in "magic" mushrooms. But for all the headlines, many questions are swirling around this psychedelic renaissance. How do we make these drugs effective, safe and accessible to the people who need the most help? And how can they be used ethically, when much of the knowledge about plant medicines comes from Indigenous cultures? Psychedelics also raise profound questions about the nature of consciousness and mystical experience. People often describe their psychedelic experiences as “more real” than everyday life. Is this just an illusion, or do these experiences tap into some deeper reality? In “Luminous,” TTBOOK executive producer Steve Paulson explores the philosophical and cultural implications of psychedelics. "Luminous” is a series from "To The Best Of Our Knowledge" featuring conversations about psychedelics with scientists, healers and religious scholars. You can listen to each episode on the radio or find the series plus bonus extended conversations on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.
Katherine MacLean on Mushrooms and the Limits of Consensus Reality
Psychedelic people are practicing at the very edge of anyone else’s comfort zone,” says psychologist Katherine MacLean, author of the psychedelic memoir “Midnight Water.” MacLean was a pioneering psychedelic researcher at Johns Hopkins, who then left her job to pursue her own unconventional psychedelic journey. She talks with Steve Paulson about her work as a psychedelic guide, her personal history with psychoactive substances, and why she reveres the Mexican healer Maria Sabina.Original Air Date: August 30, 2024Interviews In This Hour: Guests: Katherine MacLeanFor more from Luminous: ttbook.org/luminous
8/31/2024 • 49 minutes, 18 seconds
Erik Davis on LSD, the psychedelic underground and visionary experience
Erik Davis’ “Blotter” is really three books in one: It’s about the way LSD tabs were embedded in blotter paper so they wouldn’t be detected by the authorities; it’s also a deep dive into the psychedelic underground; and finally, it’s an art book — gorgeously illustrated, with lots of very trippy blotter art. Steve talks with Erik about the wildness of psychedelic experiences and whether they reveal a deeper dimension of consciousness.Original Air Date: July 20, 2024Guests: Erik DavisFor more from Luminous: ttbook.org/luminous
7/20/2024 • 44 minutes, 36 seconds
Did the ancient Greeks use drugs to find God?
Brian Muraresku makes the controversial argument that the famous Eleusinian Mysteries were fueled by a psychedelic wine. And he speculates that this secret ceremony, with its mind-altering drugs, became the Eucharist — the foundational event of early Christianity.
Original Air Date: May 04, 2024
Guests:
Brian Muraresku
5/4/2024 • 49 minutes, 47 seconds
Luminous: Your Brain on Shrooms
Can neuroscience explain what happens to the brain on psychedelics? And even if we map the brain while it’s tripping, does that tell us why these experiences can be so transformative?
We’ll talk with some of the pioneers in psychedelic research — from Amanda Feilding’s boundary-busting work to Robin Carhart-Harris’ theory of the "entropic brain." Also, renowned neuroscientist Christof Koch goes down the rabbit hole on 5-MeO-DMT, also known as toad venom.
Original Air Date: July 15, 2023
Interviews In This Hour:
Exploring consciousness on toad venom — The godmother of the European psychedelic revival — How therapeutic psilocybin could help heal long-buried trauma — Magic mushrooms and the 'entropic brain'
Guests:
Christof Koch, Amanda Feilding, David Nutt, Robin Carhart-Harris
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7/15/2023 • 52 minutes, 33 seconds
Luminous: Melissa Etheridge on Ayahuasca
Just a few years ago, it was pretty unusual to hear big-time celebrities talk about their own psychedelic experiences. But that stigma is starting to fade thanks to people like the rock star and music icon Melissa Etheridge.
For her, this psychedelic renaissance has gotten very personal. Three years ago, her son Beckett died at the age of 21 from an opioid drug overdose. When Etheridge heard that clinical trials with psilocybin were showing real promise for treating addiction, she became an outspoken advocate for psychedelic therapy. And she started her own nonprofit organization, the Etheridge Foundation, to support scientific research into the causes and treatments for opioid addiction.
Melissa Etheridge recently came through Madison, Wisconsin for an evening concert. Earlier that day, she stopped by the Usona Institute — which is running its own clinical trials on psilocybin and 5-MeO-DMT — where she sat down with Steve for a short interview. She talked about the death of her son, and her own life-changing experiences with ayahuasca. She explains why she’s fascinated by psychedelics as both a path for spiritual exploration and a source of creativity.
Original Air Date: July 08, 2023
For more from Luminous, check out ttbook.org/luminous.
7/8/2023 • 16 minutes, 3 seconds
Luminous: What Can Psychedelics Teach Us About Dying?
In the first episode of "Luminous," our series about the philosophy and the future of psychedelics, how can psilocybin ease our fears about dying? And how can psychedelics change the way we approach the end of life?
Original Air Date: April 08, 2023
Interviews In This Hour:
How a pioneering psychedelic researcher 'leaned in' to his terminal cancer diagnosis — Dying without fear: How psychedelics can ease the anxiety of terminal illness — The terror and the ecstasy of psychedelics
Guests:
Roland Griffiths, Lou Lukas, Anthony Bossis
Check out the full series at ttbook.org/luminous
4/8/2023 • 51 minutes, 59 seconds
Coming April 8: Luminous, a podcast about psychedelics
Are you ready for the psychedelic revolution? In the next few years, the FDA is likely to approve these mind-bending drugs for treating depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Some states have already decriminalized psilocybin, the active ingredient in "magic" mushrooms. But for all the headlines, many questions are swirling around this psychedelic renaissance. How do we make these drugs effective, safe and accessible to the people who need the most help? And how can they be used ethically, when much of the knowledge about plant medicines comes from Indigenous cultures?
Psychedelics also raise profound questions about the nature of consciousness and mystical experience. People often describe their psychedelic experiences as “more real” than everyday life. Is this just an illusion, or do these experiences tap into some deeper reality?
In “Luminous,” TTBOOK executive producer Steve Paulson explores the philosophical and cultural implications of psychedelics through conversations with scientists, healers and religious scholars. You can listen to each episode on the radio or find the series plus bonus extended conversations on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.
