In this episode of Ayahuasca Podcast host Sam Believ (founder of www.lawayra.com) has a conversation with Paul F. Austin. Paul is a leading pioneer in the modern psychedelic movement, founder of Third Wave, author of Mastering Microdosing, host of The Psychedelic Podcast, and head of the Psychedelic Coaching Institute. He focuses on psychedelic education, microdosing protocols, and training practitioners to help scale the responsible use of these medicines in the modern world.

We touch upon topics of

00:01–00:44 Introduction to Paul F. Austin and his work

00:44–03:14 Paul’s early LSD experiences and conservative upbringing

03:14–04:17 First microdosing protocol and founding Third Wave

04:18–07:08 Convincing his parents and guiding his dad through a mushroom journey

07:09–10:01 Parent–child healing and psychedelic experiences together

10:02–13:29 The “third wave” of psychedelics explained (indigenous → LSD era → today)

13:30–15:45 Microdosing as the safest path to legalization and cultural acceptance

15:46–17:29 Stepwise dosing and retreat philosophies

17:30–20:16 Why different psychedelics require different approaches

20:17–22:09 Psilocybin tolerance and retreat spacing strategies

22:10–27:29 Microdosing LSD vs psilocybin vs wachuma

27:30–30:48 Vine-only microdosing and adaptogenic effects

30:49–35:34 Psychedelics vs SSRIs and the “crutch” metaphor

35:35–41:39 Importance of psychedelic education and practitioner training

41:40–45:38 Addiction, cannabis dependence, and integration

45:39–49:15 “CEO medicine” and psychedelics for conscious leadership

49:16–52:27 What Paul is excited about in 2026 and the future of psychedelics

If you would like to attend one of our Ayahuasca retreats go to www.lawayra.com

Find more about Paul F. Austin at thethirdwave.co and follow him on social media at @PaulAustin3W