Divergent States

Former NFL player and College Football Hall of Famer Robert Gallery joins Divergent States for one of the most raw conversations we’ve had on the show.

After retiring from professional football, Robert began experiencing intense rage episodes, suicidal thoughts, emotional instability, brain fog, and severe PTSD-like symptoms linked to repeated head trauma and brain injury from years in the NFL.

What followed wasn’t a clean or simple recovery story.

We talk about identity loss after professional sports, invisible brain injuries, emotional dysregulation, alcoholism, suicide ideation, veterans and athletes sharing similar trauma patterns, and why psychedelic-assisted therapy — particularly Ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT — became a turning point in his life.

This episode isn’t really about “getting high.” It’s about what happens when the system fails, your brain changes, and you’re left trying to figure out who you are afterward.

We also discuss:

• The psychological cost of repeated head trauma
• Rage responses and emotional volatility
• PTSD similarities between veterans and athletes
• The dangers of untreated brain injury
• Why Robert nearly gave up hope
• Ibogaine therapy and psychedelic-assisted recovery
• Integration, routine, meditation, and rebuilding identity
• Athletes For Care and helping other athletes find treatment

Patreon members get access to the extended Integration Session, where we discuss the risks of Ibogaine, safety concerns, treatment settings, and broader conversations around psychedelic therapy and harm reduction.

If the public episode is the trip, the Patreon edition is the integration.

Music is by [Drip] - Mr. Postman

https://athletesforcare.org/

Chapters:

00:00 Intro – When Brain Injury Changes Who You Are
01:05 Why Football Trauma Is More Than Physical
03:41 Robert Gallery Joins the Show
04:05 Life After Football & Losing Identity
05:43 Rage, Anxiety & Early Warning Signs
07:51 Realizing Something Was Seriously Wrong
09:25 Athletes, Veterans & PTSD Parallels
10:57 Repetitive Head Trauma & The Cost of Football
12:10 The Brain Scan That Changed Everything
13:43 Suicide Ideation, Shame & Hopelessness
15:12 Suffering in Silence
16:22 Asking for Help
17:07 Why Vulnerability Saved His Life
18:15 Discovering Ibogaine Through Veterans
18:50 What Rage Actually Felt Like
21:12 Was It Really Him—or Brain Injury?
22:45 Trying Conventional Treatments First
25:12 Running Out of Options
25:39 Finding Hope in Ibogaine
28:07 The Decision to Go to Mexico
30:21 The Ibogaine Experience
33:39 5-MeO-DMT & "Turning the Lights Back On"
35:54 Coming Home Changed
38:01 Why Healing Isn't One and Done
39:28 Returning for a Second Treatment
41:23 Growth vs Survival
42:50 Building a New Life Through Routine
43:57 Athletes For Care
46:23 Public Episode Outro
48:28 Integration Session Intro
48:42 Misdiagnosis, Trauma & Identity
50:05 Anger, Trauma & Nearly Losing Control
50:40 Neuroplasticity & Recovery
51:16 Support the Show

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https://linktr.ee/3L1T3Mod

Dennis Walker joins Divergent States to unpack how psychedelic stories actually become “news,” why sensationalism dominates drug coverage, and how media narratives shape public perception around psychedelics.

We discuss psychedelic exceptionalism, corporate psychedelics, satire as social critique, harm reduction, underground culture, MAPS, FDA approval, clinical gatekeeping, psychedelic tourism, and the growing divide between real-world psychedelic use and institutional messaging.

Dennis is a journalist, satirist, and creator of Mycopreneur, known for blending humor, gonzo journalism, and cultural criticism to explore the psychedelic ecosystem from angles most outlets avoid.

Topics:

• Why bad drug stories spread faster
• Psychedelic journalism and narrative control
• Corporate psychedelics vs underground culture
• Why satire works in psychedelic spaces
• FDA approval and clinical gatekeeping
• Psychedelic tourism and ethics
• The “good drug / bad drug” double standard
• MAPS, media narratives, and psychedelic exceptionalism

Check out Dennis' work at https://www.mycopreneur.com/

Patreon supporters get the extended Integration Session and early access to episodes:
patreon.com/divergentstates

 Music by Sandbgz 

Chapters:

00:00 – Why Psychedelic Narratives Matter
 04:38 – Dennis Walker on Satire, Psychedelics & Media
 08:11 – When Psychedelics Became Politics & Money
 10:56 – How Drug Narratives Shape Public Opinion
 15:27 – Why Satire Works Better Than Lectures
 18:07 – Why Negative Drug Stories Dominate Headlines
 23:32 – Good Drugs vs Bad Drugs in Media Coverage
 28:26 – The Push Toward Clinical-Only Psychedelic Use
 34:02 – Who Controls Psychedelic Journalism?
 37:19 – The Missing Voices in Psychedelic Media
 42:13 – Field Reporting, Community & Psychedelic Culture
 46:16 – Social Media, Framing & Manufactured Narratives
 50:26 – Building a Healthier Psychedelic Culture
 55:00 – Patreon Integration Session Transition
 58:13 – Final Reflections & Why These Conversations Matter
 01:00:40 – Outro

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Special Thanks to our Macrodosers, Super D and Mike, and our Thumbprint Tier member, Angie on Patreon!  

https://linktr.ee/3L1T3Mod

Psychedelics don’t fix your life.

They don’t make you a better person. They don’t replace responsibility. And they don’t solve the problems waiting for you when you come back.

In this episode, we sit down with Talia Eisenberg from Beond to talk about what actually happens after a powerful psychedelic experience—especially with ibogaine. What changes, what doesn’t, and why the hardest part is often what comes after.

We get into:

• why insight isn’t the same as change
• what people misunderstand about “healing”
• the unglamorous reality of recovery and integration
• why some people aren’t ready for these experiences
• and what it really takes to make those changes stick

This isn’t a conversation about breakthroughs or peak experiences.

It’s about what holds up when the experience ends.

🎧 Music:
Hyperspace — Sndbagz

🎙️ Divergent States is a podcast exploring psychedelics without the hype—focused on harm reduction, integration, and what actually works in the real world.

Chapters:

00:00 – Psychedelics Don’t Fix Your Life
01:17 – Harm Reduction Matters (Zendo Project)
03:08 – Meet Talia Eisenberg (Ibogaine & Recovery)
04:05 – What Psychedelics Don’t Fix
06:32 – Agency, Accountability, and Hard Truths
07:35 – Addiction, Ibogaine, and Starting Over
10:04 – Life After the Trip: Real Change
11:25 – Optimization vs Avoidance
13:26 – Psychedelics Don’t Replace Responsibility
14:39 – Spiritual Bypassing (Ketamine, MDMA, Psilocybin)
17:11 – Why Ibogaine Forces Honesty
20:07 – Escaping vs Doing the Work
20:59 – Do Psychedelics Delay Change?
22:33 – Who Struggles Most After Psychedelics
24:08 – The “Reset” Myth
26:19 – What Actually Changes After Ibogaine
30:05 – What Doesn’t Change
31:41 – The Comedown: Emotional Whiplash
34:00 – Healthy Discomfort vs Avoidance
36:58 – Struggle Isn’t Failure
38:48 – Power, Clinics, and Psychedelic Ethics
44:19 – Red Flags: Gurus, Clinics, and Safety
47:36 – You Don’t Need Ibogaine
48:58 – What We Cut (Patreon Preview)
52:20 – Final Thoughts + Support the Show

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Love the podcast? Help keep the conversations going by checking out our official merch shop! We've got t-shirts, hoodies, hats, mugs, stickers, and more, with new designs added regularly.

Every purchase helps support independent, honest conversations about psychedelics, science, and culture.

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Special Thanks to our Macrodosers, Super D and Mike, and our Thumbprint Tier member, Angie on Patreon!  

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If one or two psychedelic sessions can produce measurable improvements in treatment-resistant depression, why does modern psychiatry still rely on daily medication?

In this episode of Divergent States, we sit down with Dr. Steve Levine, psychiatrist and Chief Patient Officer at Compass Pathways, to break down their newly released Phase 3 clinical trial results for COMP360 psilocybin therapy.

But this isn’t a hype piece.

This is a critical look at what the data actually shows—and what people might be getting wrong.

We explore:
– What Phase 3 trials really mean (and why they often fail)
– Why a “3.8 point improvement” is more significant than it sounds
– The difference between clinical psilocybin therapy and underground use
– Why one or two sessions may work—but not for everyone
– The role of neuroplasticity, subjective experience, and “set & setting”
– Why scaling psychedelic therapy is harder than it looks
– The tension between commercialization and psychedelic culture
– What FDA approval would—and wouldn’t—change

Compass Pathways has now run over 1,000 participants across Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials, showing statistically significant results in treatment-resistant depression. But translating that into real-world treatment is a completely different challenge.

This conversation pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to turn psychedelics into medicine—and where the limitations still are.

Because this show isn’t about psychedelics being amazing.

It’s about understanding what’s true… and what holds up under scrutiny.

🎧 Subscribe to Divergent States for grounded, skeptical conversations in psychedelic science, culture, and harm reduction.

💬 Join the community Discord via r/Psychonaut (link in subreddit)

🎶 Music:
Elemental by [Drip]

 ⚠️ This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. 

Chapters:

 00:00 If Psychedelics Work, Why Daily Medication?
 01:15 Why This Isn’t a “Psychedelics Are Amazing” Episode
 04:00 From Daily Pills to 1–2 Treatments
 06:45 Why Ketamine Wasn’t the Breakthrough
 09:25 What Phase 3 Trials Actually Prove (And Don’t)
 12:50 What Regulators Are Really Looking For
 14:25 What a “3.8 Score Improvement” Actually Means
 15:55 Psychedelic Hype vs Reality
 18:30 What Actually Stood Out in the Data
 21:40 Why Psychedelics Work Faster
 24:55 Is the Experience Part of the Treatment?
 25:45 Why Set and Setting Still Matter
 30:10 Will This Ever Be At-Home?
 33:00 Why Therapists Don’t “Do Therapy” Here
 34:40 The Real Problem: Scaling Access
 39:00 Commercialization vs Psychedelic Culture
 43:00 What Are the Actual Risks?
 45:10 What Success Looks Like in 10 Years
 47:10 Why Access Matters More Than Approval
 49:50 Why This Fails in the Real World
 52:10 Outro + Patreon Integration Session 

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Special Thanks to our Macrodosers, Super D and Mike, and our Thumbprint Tier member, Angie on Patreon!  

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This is the human center of The Many Faces of Coca.

By the time coca enters Western conversations, it’s already been abstracted—reduced to policy, drugs, or crime. But for millions of people, coca isn’t any of those things.

It’s daily life.

In this final episode of the series, we speak with political theorist and anthropologist Manuela Picq, who has lived and worked alongside communities in the Andes and Amazon. This conversation moves beyond theory and into lived reality—how coca functions as food, medicine, memory, and community.

We explore:

– Why coca is not cocaine—and why that distinction matters
– How prohibition reshapes entire communities
– The generational loss of cultural knowledge
– The role of women as keepers of coca traditions
– How global policy decisions impact real lives on the ground
– Why the war on coca may actually be a war on people

If Parts 1 and 2 explored the science and history of coca, this episode asks a deeper question:

What does it mean to live with this plant today?

This is Part 3 of The Many Faces of Coca
Featuring conversations with Wade Davis, Dennis McKenna, and Manuela Picq

Chapters:

00:00 Intro – Coca as Lived Reality (Not Policy)
04:05 Who Defines Coca? (Culture vs Western Narratives)
09:51 How Coca Became Criminalized
13:22 Coca in Daily Life (Food, Medicine, Community)
18:02 From Tradition to Cash Crop
22:19 Who Pays the Price? (Violence & Exploitation)
25:45 Prohibition, Capitalism & the Drug War
28:35 Women, Knowledge & Hidden Traditions
33:37 Is Coca Control Really About Power?
36:32 The UN, Policy & Global Disconnect
40:09 What the World Gets Wrong About Coca
41:15 Closing Thoughts (End of Interview)
43:07 Post-Conversation Reflection (Why This Series Matters)
45:31 Where to Go Next (Series, Patreon, Discord)

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Love the podcast? Help keep the conversations going by checking out our official merch shop! We've got t-shirts, hoodies, hats, mugs, stickers, and more, with new designs added regularly.

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Special Thanks to our Macrodosers, Super D and Mike, and our Thumbprint Tier member, Angie on Patreon!  

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The Many Faces of Coca – Part Two

In Part Two of the Many Faces of Coca series, 3L1T3 and Bryan sit down with renowned ethnopharmacologist Dennis McKenna to explore the science behind the coca leaf.

Part One focused on history and politics with Wade Davis, this conversation turns to the biology and chemistry of the plant itself.

What actually happens when coca is chewed?
What compounds exist in the leaf besides cocaine?
Why did human cultures independently domesticate coca multiple times?

Dennis breaks down the alkaloid chemistry, pharmacology, and plant symbiosis that shaped coca’s role in Andean societies for thousands of years.

Along the way, the conversation explores:

• The three coca species used by humans
• Why coca and cocaine are chemically and culturally different
• The entourage effect of whole plant medicines
• How alkaline activation changes coca absorption
• Why coca chewing may help treat cocaine addiction
• The scientific questions prohibition has prevented researchers from asking

The result is a clearer picture of a plant that has been misunderstood for over a century.

This episode is Part Two of a three-part series examining coca from history, chemistry, and lived experience.

Part Three will explore how coca prohibition shapes real life in Andean communities with Manuela Picq.

Key Points

• Coca comes from three main domesticated species in the genus Erythroxylum.
• The coca leaf contains multiple alkaloids, not just cocaine.
• Cocaine is only one compound within a larger phytochemical matrix in the leaf.
• Traditional coca chewing uses alkaline substances to increase alkaloid absorption.
• Whole plant use produces a broader entourage effect compared to isolated cocaine.
• Indigenous cultures independently domesticated coca multiple times across South America.
• Coca may help high-altitude populations adapt through increased energy, nutrition, and appetite suppression.
• Cocaine acts primarily as a dopamine reuptake inhibitor in the brain.
• Some evidence suggests chewing coca may help people transition away from cocaine dependence

Chapters:

00:00 – What Is Coca? The Question That Starts Everything
00:44 – Major Psilocybin News: Compass Pathways Phase 3 Results
04:28 – The Many Faces of Coca Series (Part 2 Introduction)
07:36 – Dennis McKenna Joins the Conversation
08:09 – Coca vs Cocaine: The Botanical Reality
15:06 – Why Humans Domesticated Coca
18:23 – Why Humans Seek Altered States of Consciousness
26:06 – What’s Actually Inside the Coca Leaf?
31:31 – Why Coca Is Not the Same as Cocaine
36:48 – Is Coca Addictive? The Science Explained
42:23 – The Medical Potential of Coca
48:41 – Why Drug Laws Block Scientific Research
55:25 – What We Learned From the Chemistry of Coca
59:33 – The War on Drugs and the Economics of Coca
01:00:42 – Next Episode: The Human Cost of Prohibition 

Send us Fan Mail

Love the podcast? Help keep the conversations going by checking out our official merch shop! We've got t-shirts, hoodies, hats, mugs, stickers, and more, with new designs added regularly.

Every purchase helps support independent, honest conversations about psychedelics, science, and culture.

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Special Thanks to our Macrodosers, Super D and Mike, and our Thumbprint Tier member, Angie on Patreon!  

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In Part One of The Many Faces of Coca, 3L1T3 and Bryan sit down with Wade Davis to unpack the long history of the coca leaf and how a plant used for over 8,000 years became globally criminalized.

This conversation isn’t about cocaine. It’s about coca.

Wade walks us through:

• How coca was independently domesticated multiple times in pre-Columbian South America
• Why early 20th-century elites blamed coca for poverty instead of confronting inequality
• The 1949 UN commission that arrived with its conclusions already written
• The nutritional research that challenged decades of ideology
• How the modern international scheduling framework still treats coca as if it were fentanyl or heroin
• Why the recent WHO review maintained the status quo — and what that means

We also explore the deeper cultural reality: coca as ritual exchange, spiritual alignment, social glue, and daily sustenance in the Andes.

This episode lays the foundation for the series.
Next, we move into the ethnobiology with Dennis McKenna.
Then we examine sovereignty and lived realities with Manuela Picq.

If you’ve ever wondered why coca gets ignored while other plant medicines dominate Western discourse, this is where we start pulling that thread.

This isn’t nostalgia.
It’s about policy, ideology, and whether a plant can be separated from the story told about it.

Key Points

• Coca has been used for over 8,000 years in the Andes, distinct from cocaine.
• Cocaine is an extracted alkaloid; the leaf itself functions very differently.
• Coca was independently domesticated three times in pre-Columbian South America.
• The leaf contains significant nutritional value (calcium, vitamins, protein) and aids digestion at altitude.
• Early 20th-century elites blamed coca for poverty and social issues instead of structural inequality.
• The 1949 UN commission formed conclusions before conducting meaningful investigation.
• The 1961 UN drug scheduling framework still reflects that early ideological bias.
• Coca plays a central spiritual and social role in Andean cultures (ritual exchange, prayer, daily labor).
• Prohibition has fueled violence, displacement, and environmental harm in coca-growing regions.
• The core policy question is political, not pharmacological: can coca be separated from cocaine in law and narrative?

Chapters

 00:00 – 8,000 Years of Coca
 04:19 – What Is Coca?
 08:22 – Traditional Use & Preparation
 14:36 – The 1949 UN Commission
 23:10 – Drug War Consequences
 29:23 – Coca as Cultural Foundation
 33:40 – Why There’s No Public Constituency
 43:35 – Coca vs Cocaine Extraction
 46:00 – DEA, Cartels & Prohibition Incentives
 50:47 – If You Remember One Thing
 53:10 – Reflection & Series Preview 

Send us Fan Mail

Love the podcast? Help keep the conversations going by checking out our official merch shop! We've got t-shirts, hoodies, hats, mugs, stickers, and more, with new designs added regularly.

Every purchase helps support independent, honest conversations about psychedelics, science, and culture.

Shop now: https://divergent-states-shop.fourthwall.com/

FiresideProject.org

Download the app or text/call 62-FIRESIDE

Support the show

Special Thanks to our Macrodosers, Super D and Mike, and our Thumbprint Tier member, Angie on Patreon!  

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Iboga has a reputation.

It’s intense. It’s long. It carries real risk. And for some people, it’s life-changing.

But what actually happens inside a retreat container? And what does this work look like behind the scenes?

In this episode of Divergent States, 3L1T3 and Bryan sit down with Paije West and Fletcher Burdick, founders of ETEREO, an iboga retreat center in Baja, Mexico. Their approach sits somewhere between medical oversight and traditional ceremony, which opens up some thoughtful questions about safety, responsibility, integration, and how we talk about powerful medicines without turning them into mythology.

This isn’t a hype piece.

It’s a grounded conversation about:

• The difference between iboga and ibogaine
 • Cardiac risk and how they screen for it
 • Why they sometimes say “no”
 • What ceremony actually does (beyond aesthetics)
 • Whether luxury retreat settings help or distract
 • Why integration matters more than most people think
 • And whether the field might be moving a little too fast

We talk about neuroplasticity, structure vs freedom, tradition vs extraction, and what’s still unknown about iboga.

If you’re curious about the medicine — or about how people try to hold it responsibly — this one’s worth your time.

The extended, more personal segment continues on Patreon.

Chapter Markers

00:00 – Introducing Bryan & Why This Conversation Matters
 02:00 – Framing the Episode: No Miracle Claims
 03:15 – What ETEREO Is (In Plain Language)
 07:00 – What an Iboga Retreat Looks Like
 11:20 – Iboga vs Ibogaine
 14:30 – Ceremony: Structure, Not Symbolism
 16:30 – Neuroplasticity & Set and Setting
 17:40 – Who Iboga Is Not For
 21:30 – Safety & Medical Screening
 24:30 – Small Groups vs High-Volume Clinics
 25:30 – “Conscious Luxury” — Does It Help?
 29:00 – Stepping Away from the Real World
 30:00 – Why Integration Is Everything
 32:00 – Relational Healing
 35:00 – Why They Don’t Track Outcomes Like Clinics
 36:10 – Incentives & Avoiding Extraction
 39:10 – Is the Field Moving Too Fast?
 40:00 – What We Still Don’t Know About Iboga
 41:30 – Final Reflections
 42:00 – Patreon Segment Tease
 44:50 – Closing Thoughts

 🎧 Extended version available on Patreon
🎓 Zendo Project peer-support training: use code DIVERGENTS10

Send us Fan Mail

Love the podcast? Help keep the conversations going by checking out our official merch shop! We've got t-shirts, hoodies, hats, mugs, stickers, and more, with new designs added regularly.

Every purchase helps support independent, honest conversations about psychedelics, science, and culture.

Shop now: https://divergent-states-shop.fourthwall.com/

FiresideProject.org

Download the app or text/call 62-FIRESIDE

Support the show

Special Thanks to our Macrodosers, Super D and Mike, and our Thumbprint Tier member, Angie on Patreon!  

https://linktr.ee/3L1T3Mod

What happens when a 25-year career at CNN ends — and a new life begins?

In this episode of Divergent States, we talk with Cesar Marin, former CNN producer and founder of Microdosing Over 50, about how psychedelics helped him navigate midlife, identity loss, and personal reinvention.

Cesar shares his journey from broadcast media to becoming an advocate for intentional microdosing later in life. We explore the difference between microdosing for healing vs optimization, how intention shapes outcomes, and why people over 50 face unique integration challenges.

We also discuss:
 • Microdosing psilocybin vs LSD
 • Career loss and psychedelic-driven reinvention
 • Presence, connection, and integration practices
 • How media shapes psychedelic narratives
 • Why midlife may be the most powerful time for change
 • Healing vs performance framing in psychedelic use
 • Stigma, legality, and education
 • Building a mission-driven life after burnout

This conversation is about more than substances — it’s about agency, curiosity, and what happens when you stop outsourcing your meaning.

🎧 Extended version available on Patreon
🎓 Zendo Project peer-support training: use code DIVERGENTS10
🧠 For listeners interested in microdosing, midlife transitions, and psychedelic culture

https://cultivatingwisdom.net/

⏱️ Chapter Markers

00:00 – Introduction & Cesar’s background
 01:45 – 25 years at CNN and getting laid off
 04:30 – Discovering psychedelics at 55
 06:40 – Cultivating Wisdom & microdosing over 50
 10:15 – Loss, grief, and mission-driven work
 13:10 – What shifted personally
 17:45 – Early doubts and first psychedelic experience
 22:23 – Fun vs healing: why people stay
 22:41 – How media shaped his psychedelic voice
 26:13 – Bad headlines and stigma
 28:26 – Why storytelling matters
 29:18 – Midlife fear and reinvention
 32:12 – “It’s not almost over — it’s just starting”
 33:18 – Integration for older adults
 37:55 – Meditation, presence, and connection
 39:13 – Healing vs optimization
 43:45 – Microdosing LSD vs psilocybin
 46:36 – Psychedelic commercialization
 47:47 – Public episode wrap-up
 48:31 – Post-interview reflections
 50:05 – Bryan’s takeaway
 52:11 – Healing vs optimization framing
 54:17 – Outro & Patreon plug

Send us Fan Mail

Love the podcast? Help keep the conversations going by checking out our official merch shop! We've got t-shirts, hoodies, hats, mugs, stickers, and more, with new designs added regularly.

Every purchase helps support independent, honest conversations about psychedelics, science, and culture.

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FiresideProject.org

Download the app or text/call 62-FIRESIDE

Support the show

Special Thanks to our Macrodosers, Super D and Mike, and our Thumbprint Tier member, Angie on Patreon!  

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What really happens when psychedelics change someone, and why do some people come back grounded while others spiral into ego, conspiracy, or spiritual bypassing?

In this long-form conversation, comedian and science-minded psychonaut Shane Mauss joins Divergent States for a deep dive into what psychedelics do to the human mind beneath the mystical language. Drawing on neuroscience, cognitive bias, evolutionary psychology, and lived psychedelic experience, Shane explains how substances like LSD, mushrooms, and DMT increase mental plasticity, loosen rigid categories, and open the brain to new ways of thinking — for better and for worse.

Together, we explore why altered states can lead to creativity, healing, and insight, but also why they can just as easily fuel delusion, conspiracy thinking, and inflated ego. We talk about the placebo effect, Dunning-Kruger, belief formation, and how access to infinite information can make people feel like they know everything while understanding very little. Shane also shares candid stories from inside the psychedelic comedy world, including how Tales From the Trip was secretly launched at Comedy Central, why he’s uneasy about the current psychedelic “gold rush,” and how mainstream acceptance has changed the culture.

This episode isn’t about chasing cosmic secrets or mystical narratives. It’s about how the mind actually works — and how psychedelics can either help us become more open, curious, and flexible, or lock us deeper into fantasy if we don’t know how to think critically about what we experience.

If you care about psychedelics, consciousness, and staying grounded in reality while exploring extraordinary states, this conversation is for you.

Shane's new special comes out 2/18 on ShaneMauss.com!

Special thanks to Drip who did the music, check him out on Spotify and Soundcloud!

 00:00 — Season 2 Opening
 04:18 — From Stand-Up to Science
 07:40 — Creating Psychedelic Theater
 11:40 — Why Psychedelic Comedy Was Taboo
 14:50 — Tales From the Trip Origin Story
 19:20 — Why He Doesn’t Feel Like a Regular Comic
 23:40 — Comedy as Tension and Truth
 34:00 — George Carlin and Big-Idea Comedy
 38:20 — Psychedelics Going Mainstream
 41:00 — Skeptical Psychonauts
 45:20 — Seeing the Dark Side of the Scene
 47:45 — Psychedelics, Categorization, and the Brain
 51:30 — The Crunchy-to-Conservative Pipeline
 54:00 — Dunning-Kruger and Illusions of Knowledge
 57:10 — Why Science Is Counterintuitive
 01:02:40 — Why These Conversations Matter 

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