Luminous: A Podcast about Psychedelics from To The Best Of Our Knowledge

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? Check out more from the series at ttbook.org/luminous. Original Air Date: December 16, 2023 Interviews In This Hour: Does psychedelic therapy need the trip? — Will psychedelics replace antidepressants? — Spiritual warriors in the psychedelic underground Guests: David Olson, Charles Raison, Rachel Harris Never want to miss an episode? Subscribe to the podcast. Want to hear more from us, including extended interviews and favorites from the archive? Subscribe to our newsletter.

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?Original Air Date: October 21, 2023Interviews In This Hour:The Tragic Story of Maria Sabina's Sacred Mushrooms — Empowering Indigenous voices in the psychedelic industry — Bioprospecting for psychedelics: How Pharma hunted for Indigenous plant medicines — Spirit Medicine: Yuria Celidwen's vision for an ethical psychedelicsGuests:Michael Pollan, Dennis McKenna, Erika Dyck, Katherine MacLean, Sutton King, Rachel Fernandez, Lucas Richert, Yuria CelidwenFor more from this series, visit ttbook.org/luminous.

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. Original Air Date: July 15, 2023 Interviews In This Hour: Exploring consciousness on toad venom — The godmother of the European psychedelic revival — How therapeutic psilocybin could help heal long-buried trauma — Magic mushrooms and the 'entropic brain' Guests: Christof Koch, Amanda Feilding, David Nutt, Robin Carhart-Harris Never want to miss an episode? Subscribe to the podcast. Want to hear more from us, including extended interviews and favorites from the archive? Subscribe to our newsletter.

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. Original Air Date: May 17, 2023 Interviews In This Hour: The lab that could supply psilocybin to the world — Psilocybin, the 'God molecule,' and the quest to revolutionize mental health care Guests: Bill Linton, Alex Sherwood Check out the full series at ttbook.org/luminous

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.