Interview begins @ 3:30

In Episode 97 of The Sacred Speaks, Mary Cosimano begins with the question, "What is suffering?". Renowned for her heart-led approach, Mary aims to connect those she works with to their heart centers, facilitating a deeper understanding of their own experiences. Throughout our discussion, Mary shares her personal encounters with suffering, particularly as a professional in her scientific network and system. She highlights the constraints and limitations inherent within her field's foundational principles, which often hinder expansive thinking and inspiration. Mary also talks about her journey joining the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, shedding light on what prepared her for becoming a part of this vibrant community. We further examine the foundation of the psilocybin therapy process at Hopkins, including dosage, preparation, and procedural aspects. Mary emphasizes the importance of setting genuine intentions when individuals choose psychedelics as part of their healing journey. Since its inception, Hopkins has been at the forefront of psychedelic therapies, collaborating closely with the FDA to explore the efficacy of these natural compounds in contexts such as palliative care, treatment-resistant depression, eating disorders, and trauma healing. In this illuminating dialogue, Mary discloses the remarkable benefits of psilocybin interventions, including a notable depression study where subjects witnessed a 50% reduction in treatment-resistant depression symptoms. Our conversation broadens to encompass themes of love, safety, fear, laughter, play, and joy as potent forces for healing and transformation. We conclude with thought-provoking insights into forgiveness and death, rounding off a deeply profound exploration of human suffering and healing.

Bio:

Mary Cosimano, LMSW, has been with the Department of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research since 2000 when they began research with psilocybin. She is currently a Psychedelic Session Facilitator and has served as Director of Clinical Services and as a research coordinator. She has been involved with all the psilocybin studies and has conducted over 500 study sessions including Club Drug studies with Salvia Divinorum and Dextromethorphan. Mary has trained post doctorate fellows, faculty, clinicians, and research assistants as guides and taught individual and group meditation to breast cancer patients in a Johns Hopkins research study. She is a teacher and mentor at California Institute to Integral Studies for their Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies and Research (CPTR) certificate program and conducts trainings for therapists in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. In 2003 she started a meditation group for employees in her department. She also has 15 years of experience with direct patient care as a hospice volunteer.

https://hopkinspsychedelic.org

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/psychiatry/research/psychedelics-research.html

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