MDMA does not carry the same degree of cultural baggage as its’ more hallucinogenic stablemates. As the campaign to promote this compound as a legitimate mainstay of psychiatric treatment gathers momentum, how can we ensure that the cultural conversation threads the needle between irrational over-exuberance and reactionary ignorance?

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MIND MANIFEST EP3 - MARTIN WILLIAMS by Mind Manifest Podcast

In this episode Amanda Feilding, director of the Beckley Foundation, invited us to her beautiful home and research hub in the Oxfordshire countryside. We had a wide ranging and fascinating conversation, where it became apparent that, after decades of tireless researching and campaigning, the foundation finds itself in the anteroom to major change in the world of psychedelic science.

We discussed:

- The Genesis of the Beckley Foundation

- Her work with a selection of fascinating scientific collaborators

- The qualitative characteristics of the ‘mystical experience’

- How she differentiates the mystical experience from ‘peak’ experiences

- The utility and potential of psychedelics to briefly interrupt the axiom of negative rumination which is such a characteristic trait types of refractory mental illness

- The role of psychedelics in palliative care

- The issue with funding

Please enjoy and if you have a minute, give us a rating! Thanks for listening.

If you didn’t have time to read our blog about Bicycle Day, you can just listen to it, instead!

“Everything glistened and sparkled in a fresh light. The world was as if newly created. All my senses vibrated in a condition of highest sensitivity, which persisted for the entire day.”

These are the words of Albert Hoffman, the scientist who discovered LSD. Listen to hear more!

Today I was joined by Dr Ben Sessa - Ben is a man who wears a very many hats. He is a Psychiatrist in the South of England where he works in the fields of child and adolescent psychiatry and he also works with adults suffering from addictions. Dr Sessa is currently conducting a proof of concept trial into the safety and efficacy of MDMA assisted psychotherapy in the treatment of alcoholism. Ben was very gracious with his time and we covered quite a lot of ground as a result. We spoke about the suitability of MDMA for the treatment of psychological trauma, Ben’s professional background in the field of psychedelic medicine and research, and we touched on some of the potential cultural and political challenges and opportunities we foresee as the use of psychedelic compounds start to nudge up against mainstream society.