Today’s episode is as close to home as it gets for us.

Myself (Nicholas Stubbs) and PsySoc SA founder Mishka Latib have a conversation that covers many important but less spoken experiences that people new to the psychedelic space often find themselves in.

We go from giving our two cents on what to do if you find yourself having a ‘bad trip’ at a party, all the way into the depths of Mishka’s unbelievable life story so far.

The journey that lead Mishka to where she is now is one that should be heard by everyone going through any kind of struggle. The fact that she not only made it through, but has since developed into one of the most clear-headed and empowered people I know, is evidence that darkness precedes the light if you’re willing to face it.

We hope you enjoy this conversation!

IN THIS EPISODE:

- Mishka’s profound personal journey with plant medicine

- Where the Psychedelic society came from and where we see it going

- The new paradigm of healing

- Is plant medicine for you?

- How to deal with a ‘bad trip’ at a party

- The limitations and dangers of psychedelics

- The dark night of the soul which often accompanies healing

- The importance of finding a facilitator who ‘speaks your language’

- Surrendering and having the courage to become yourself

- Microdosing

- African and Western perspectives on plant medicine

- AND A WHOLE LOT MORE!

If you think that psilocybin should be rescheduled SIGN THE PETITION

Want to find us and stay up to date on Psychedelic News in South Africa? Check out our website or find us on Facebook and Instagr

Gui is a trained spiritual psychologist, family constellations teacher, interpreter and natural born clown from Brazil.

He has been working with a wide range of plant medicines and healing modalities, mainly Ayahuasca in Brazil and South Africa, for about 30 years now.

He likes to talk down the idea of having a Dharma or purpose, but he is clearly a man in full alignment with his own.

With the wisdom of an elder and the wonder of child, Gui brings his spirit of lightness and laughter to this conversation, making it an absolute delight to listen to!

Enjoy!

In this episode:

Find Gui on Instagram or LinkedIn. If you want to learn more about Shamanic Family Constellations, check here

If you think that psilocybin should be rescheduled SIGN THE PETITION

Want to find us and stay up to date? Check out our website or find us on Facebook and Instagram

Our host is Nathan Maingard and you can find more of him and his medicinal music here

Françoise Bourzat is a world leading psychedelic guide trainer. With over 30 years of experience combining indigenous wisdom with modern knowledge, she is truly at the forefront of the psychedelic renaissance and we could think of no one else we would rather have at the helm.

It is such an honor to have Francoise on the podcast. To be honest, we were quite surprised when she responded to our invite. After reading her book Consciousness Medicine, I felt a sense of deep comfort knowing that someone is doing this work in a way that acknowledges every aspect of being human and integrates the best of the old with the new ways with so much love and integrity that it feels like she’s giving you a big hug through the pages. 

And thats exactly what this episode is. A big warm hug.

We hope you enjoy this one as much as we did.

Thank you Francoise!

In this conversation:

Links to Francoise Work:

Françoise is the co-founder of the Center for Consciousness Medicine, which is looking to become a world leading organization in training reputable psychedelic guides. Interested in becoming a trained psychedelic therapist? Check it out.

Françoise’s Book, Consciousness Medicine : Indigenous Wisdom, Psychedelic Therapy, and the Path of Transformation: A Practitioner's Guide is the first book I've read that simultaneously feels like a text book and an adventure novel and a letter from a loved one. Highly recommended for anyone anywhere on the medicine path.

Follow Françoise on Instagram @francoise_bourzat and the Center for Consciousness Medicine @centerforconsciousnessmedicine

She leads mushroom ceremonies and retreats for parents who have lost their children, in Jamaica

If you want to hear more of Françoise, checkout her recent podcast with Tim Ferris

From tax lawyer to prestigious medicine woman, Liesl Kruger is one of the most respected people in the plant medicine world of South Africa.

With 18 years of training under various teachers from different traditions in Mexico and Brazil, working deeply with an extensive range of plant medicines such as Ayahuasca, Mushrooms, Peyote, San Pedro, Bufo and more, she has much wisdom to share on a range of topics.

Liesl is now focused on facilitating plant medicine ceremonies, mainly Ayahuasca, as well as the Vision Quest, an initiatory rite of passage in which participants isolate themselves on a mountain for 4 days and nights with no food or water in search of a vision.

Not only a bridge between ancient and modern ways of being, but also between the different generations, Liesl is somewhat of a mother to those searching for healing and seeking to find their way.

IN THIS EPISODE:

You can find Liesl here: http://spiritusvictoria.com 

If you think that psilocybin should be rescheduled SIGN THE PETITION

Want to find us and stay up to date? Check out our website or find us on Facebook and Instagram.

"I think it is one of the most immoral things that has ever happened to western society - that the attempt by people to better themselves has been shunned and criminalized."

- Paul-Michael Keichel,

Paul-Michael Keichel is a force to be reckoned with.

He is an internationally recognized and well respected lawyer at Schindler’s Attorneys.

If you’re looking for someone to thank for the legalisation of marijuana in South Africa, he is your guy. With a vast range of knowledge, a bright intellect and razor-sharp wit, he is exactly the type of person that you want on your side of the court room.

And he is currently spearheading the case to reschedule psilocybin (magic mushrooms) in South Africa.

It is an honour to present to you such an important conversation with the legendary Paul-Michael Keichel.

IN THIS EPISODE:

·  The current legal status of psilocybin in South Africa

·  How we ended up putting magic mushrooms and crack in the same schedule

·  Nate’s journey of healing his depression with psychedelics

·  Similarities between the Marijuana and Psilocybin cases

·  The argument for the decriminalization of psilocybin

·  Paul-Michael’s personal relationship with psychedelics

·  PMK’s estimation of when we might see psilocybin legalized

·  The Backfire effect: why pushing psychedelics (or anything) on people is counterproductive

·  Book recommendations on the topic

·  Can children take psychedelics?

·  Debugging unhelpful mental code

·  The difference between the Shaman and the Psychiatrist

·  LOTS MORE…

NOTE: We lost our previous petition data as the host shutdown unexpectedly, so please sign again if you signed before this episode's release.

If you think that psilocybin should be rescheduled SIGN THE PETITION

Want to find us and stay up to date? Check out our website or find us on Facebook and Instagram.

Resources mentioned:

Michael Pollan's How to Change Your Mind

Steven Kotler's Stealing Fire

Graham Hancock

Brian Muraresku's The Immortality Key

Checkout this awesome article that Paul-Michael wrote on changing South Africa's mind on psychedelics

Soundtrack: Somewhere Really Fun by Dom Benigno, LEEU and MeToo

On the first ever episode of The Psychedelic Society South Africa Podcast, our host Nate Maingard interviews the 'mushroom grandmother', Monica Cromhout.

Monica has a kind of innocence and a very deep and organic sense of trust in life, and in that way is truly a phenomenal embodiment of the spirit of the mushrooms.

She shares her unbelievable story, from her stumbling into Ayahuasca in a Graham Hancock book to hosting more people for mushroom ceremonies than anyone else in South Africa. 

Topics covered include:

A true hero of the modern times, we are so honoured to present you with Monica Cromhout as our first guest. Please sit back, relax and enjoy!

If you want to find us, you can check out www.psychedelicsociety.co.za or find us on facebook and instagram.

If you think that psilocybin should be rescheduled , PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION: http://www.psychedelicsociety.co.za/petitions/ 

If you want to contact or find out more about Monica and her work, checkout https://somaland.org/monica-cromhout

Intro/outro song: Somewhere Really Fun by Dom Benigno and LEEU, featuring MeToo https://leeu-sa.bandcamp.com/track/somewhere-really-fun-ft-metoo-dom-benigno-and-leeu