Luminous: A Podcast about the Science, Philosophy and Culture of Psychedelics

For all the talk about how psychedelics might transform psychiatric care, there's still a fascinating question at the heart of psychedelic science. Is it the mind-blowing experience that fundamentally changes a person’s outlook on life? Or is it the powerful molecules that rewire the brain?

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00:00:00 Introduction
00:04:35 David Olson's Psychoplastogens
00:18:15 Chuck Raison on Psilocybin While Asleep
00:36:35 Rachel Harris and the Underground
00:48:45 Who Gets to Be a Guide

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Some people dabble in psychedelics, others are more serious psychonauts. And then there’s Chris Bache. Over the course of 20 years, he had 73 high-dose LSD experiences — doses so high that the human body couldn’t tolerate anything more. For Bache, who was a religion professor, these were journeys into deeper dimensions of reality. These were grueling experiences — at times terrifying and other times ecstatic. He believes he transcended every aspect of personal identity and ultimately encountered the Divine – what he calls “the infinite creative intelligence of the universe.” And he ended up in a really interesting place, wondering if it’s possible to have too much transcendence.

It’s an extraordinary story – one that Bache later wrote about in his book “LSD and the Mind of the Universe.” In this conversation, he reflects on the years when he was going on these intense LSD journeys, which he did in secret, on weekends, while carrying on his work as a college professor during the week.

Just to be clear, what Chris Bache did was extremely risky. His story is fascinating, but it’s not something anyone else should do.

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00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:15 Twenty Years in Secret
00:08:45 Set, Setting and Ego Death
00:16:00 The Ocean of Suffering
00:31:20 Why He Stopped

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• Bio: Chris Bache

It’s easy to get caught up in the hype about how psychedelics might revolutionize the treatment of mental illness. But there are also lots of ethical concerns. And probably none are so troubling as the charges of exploitation and cultural appropriation. The fact is, the knowledge about many psychedelics — like magic mushrooms and ayahuasca — comes from the sacred ceremonies of Indigenous cultures. But over the past century, Western scientists and pharmaceutical companies have been going into these cultures, collecting plants and synthesizing their chemical compounds.

Even if science is all about building on the knowledge of earlier discoveries, what is the psychedelic industry's ethical responsibility? Can psychedelics be decolonized?

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00:00:00 Introduction
00:04:35 Gordon Wasson and Maria Sabina
00:24:20 Sutton King on Reciprocity
00:38:50 Parke-Davis Goes Bioprospecting
00:44:50 Yuria Celidwen on Spirit Medicine

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Psychedelics have a unique capacity to open up the mind so that everything feels fresh and full of possibilities. Especially as you get older, it can be easy to get stuck in a rut — but under a psychedelic, the brain can become more plastic. This time period, though, is limited - it might last just a few days, or a few weeks. So it’s really important to understand this “critical period” when our minds are so open — and also so vulnerable.

These “critical periods” are what Gül Dölen has been studying for years. She’s a neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins that has done some groundbreaking investigation of the “critical periods” of psychedelics, including studies that involve giving MDMA — also known as “Molly” in some circles — to octopuses.

She’s also challenging a lot of the scientific work that’s been done on psychedelics — she has serious doubts about the value of neuroimaging, or even a concept like the “default mode network.” If you heard our last Luminous episode on the neuroscience of psychedelics, you’ll want to listen to this interview.

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00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:00 MDMA and Social Reward
00:05:40 Reopening Critical Periods
00:25:25 Octopuses on MDMA
00:43:40 Cults and the Risk of Reopening

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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.  

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00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:25 Christof Koch on Toad Venom
00:24:00 Amanda Feilding's Beckley Foundation
00:32:20 David Nutt on Drug Policy
00:40:00 Robin Carhart-Harris and Entropy

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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.

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00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:50 Discovering Plant Medicine
00:06:00 Losing a Son to Opioids
00:11:20 Creativity and What Comes Next

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In the last decade, an unlikely place has emerged as a hub for the latest psychedelic renaissance — Madison, Wisconsin. And the Usona Institute is a major part of that.

Usona is currently building a 93,000-square foot structure devoted to psychedelics. There’s nothing else like it. The man behind it all is the psychedelic CEO Bill Linton. He prefers to stay out of the spotlight, but he recently sat down for a rare interview with Steve Paulson.

In this episode of "Luminous," we go inside Usona’s chemistry lab and go deep with Bill Linton about his pioneering work with psychedelics.

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00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:00 Inside Usona's Chemistry Lab
00:08:15 Bill Linton's Long Detour
00:22:10 Toad Venom and the God Molecule

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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?

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00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:45 Roland Griffiths Faces His Diagnosis
00:06:10 Psilocybin and Mystical Experience
00:19:45 Lou Lukas on Palliative Care
00:36:05 Tony Bossis and Death Anxiety

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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.