Adventures Through The Mind

A central topic of this podcast is our capacity to change our minds. I don't mean superficially – "Oh, actually yeah let's go see that movie instead." I mean a more fundamental change, our faculty for shifting our very sense of self and perception of the world around us. This type of change is not just an ethereal alteration of mental processes, but an actual redesigning of neural architecture. Our capacity to create such fundamental changes is due to our brain's ability to redesign its structure, lay new synaptic connections, which is called neuroplasticity. [This episode was originally released as "The Neurobiology Of Altered Traits"] The guest for this episode of the podcast is here to tell us how we can change our brains to change our lives and why it works. Welcome to Adventures Through The Mind, world renown neuroplasticity expert, Dr Rick Hanson. Rick Hanson is a psychologist, Senior Fellow of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, and New York Times best-selling author. His books are availabl

Have you ever experienced a psychedelic encounter with a plant spirit or an entity? Have you ever experienced a spirit realm or being healed by a shaman? Have you ever felt as though you invoked some type of divination or noetic insight while on psychedelics? Have you ever wondered if any of that was real or just merely a hallucination? The increasing popularity of using psychedelic substances within so-called shamanic ceremonies has introduced ideas and beliefs into the modern world that push conceptual limits of the rational mind. The rise of plant shamanism is a cultural force to be reckoned with and that which we encounter with shamanism feels urgent and real. Yet, however real the experiences with a shamanic encounter may feel, the question still remains: how real is it, really? I asked Julian Plamer and James Kent to come on the show to debate  on this question: "What do you believe is the fundamental nature of that which arises within a psychedelic experiences, in particular regards to what is often

Dennis Jon McKenna is an American ethnopharmacologist, research pharmacognosist, lecturer and author. He is the brother of well-known psychedelics proponent Terence McKenna and is founding board member and the director of ethnopharmacology at the Heffter Research Institute, a non-profit organization concerned with the investigation of the potential therapeutic uses of psychedelic medicines. He is also one of the founding contributors to the modern wave of ayahuasca research in particular and psychedelic research in general. In fact, the book Magic Mushrooms grower’s guide, which he co-authored with his brother Terence in the 70s, presented the first reliable method for cultivating psilocybin mushrooms at home. Chances are if it wasn’t for Dennis and his brother, none of us would have ever tasted the magic at all. See below for full episode breakdown. *** Support Us On Patreon! Http://www.patreon.com/jameswjesso Leave A One-Time PayPal Donation: https://www.paypal.me/JWJesso   *** Head to http://www.bit.ly/ATT

Our guest is Elizabeth Bast! She is on the show to talk about her journey as a tantric practitioner and explore the potentials of a sexually empowered spiritual practice. We also talk about sexual consumerism; porn; toxic shame; #metoo; the historical use of entheogenic plants in yogic practice; and the (somewhat controversial) archetype of the sacred prostitute. *** See below for full episode breakdown. See full show notes here: http://www.jameswjesso.com/sex-yoga-and-entheogens-elizabeth-bast-ep-66/ Buy Bast's book: https://www.ebast.net/heart-medicine.html   ------------------------------------------------------ Support The Show Check out our first sponsor! TransZen - Mood Enhancer and Stress Support: https://entheozen.com/attm/ Use Promo code "ATTM" for free shipping inside USA *OR* Become a Patron On Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/jameswjesso Or Leave One-Time Donations: PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/JWJesso BTC/ETH/LTC: https://www.jameswjesso.com/bitcoin   -------------------------------------------

On today's episode, we feature the author of DMT: The Spirit Molecule, Rick Strassman MD. He is a medical doctor specialised in psychiatry with a fellowship in clinical psychopharmacology research. His foundational work with DMT in the 90s was the first human-trial psychedelic research to be done in the two decades following the Controlled Substances Act of 1971. It was the clinical observations and participant reports during those trails that formed his book mentioned above, and the hit documentary by the same name. ... Support My Work On Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/jameswjesso ... Rick continued his investigation into the significance of DMT over the years with a particular focus on endogenous DMT (made within the body) and its role in prophetic states, as well as the progression of psychedelic research in general since then. His second major book on the topic is called DMT and the Soul of Prophecy, in which he explores the relationship between endogenous DMT and prophetic states as they are reported in

Michael Hilliard began his 27-year policing career in 1975 as a patrolman in an economically depressed neighborhood in East Baltimore. He served as an internal affairs detective where he coordinated Baltimore youth programs and led an undercover squad that investigated violent crimes and low-to mid-level drug crimes. He is on the show as a representative of the Law Enforcement Action Partnership, or LEAP. They are a nonprofit organization "composed of police and other criminal justice professionals dedicated to educating the public about the harms of drug prohibition", advocating "for solutions across a broader range of drug policy and criminal justice issues"[source]. LEAP wants to end the war on drugs, and Maj. Michael Hilliard is on the show to talk about why. During the interview, we speak on more than just the issues around drug policy, prohibition, and what brought Maj. Hilliard to his current advocacy against the drug war. We also speak of the problematic image police represent as agents of said drug p

What does ayahuasca integration mean and how do we do it? This is a question our guest for this episode, Rachel Harris Ph.D., has been exploring intensely though research, clinical practice, and her own direct experiences. Rachel Harris, PhD, although retired now, was a practising psychotherapist for 35 years. She received a National Institutes of Health New Investigator’s Award, has published more than forty scientific studies in peer-reviewed journals, and has worked as a psychological consultant to Fortune 500 companies and the United Nations. She is also the author of the recent book Listening to Ayahuasca. She is on the show to talk about her research with ayahuasca and what integration means, however, a very interesting tangent-at-depth emerged during the conversation between her and I: hearing voices, in particular hearing the voice of ayahuasca in your head as though it were an entity of external agency and intelligence, during and after the ceremony. To say that this is an intellectually dicey topic

Joan Bello is the author of The Benefits of Marijuana: Physical, Psychological and Spiritual. She has been writing on cannabis since before the internet; since getting information meant driving from library to library hunting the stacks; since any mention of cannabis in public might have meant federal investigations and jail time. It was during the height of the Drug War that she published this book; when the knowledge was forbidden, and she has continued to advocate for it since. Her perspective on the benefits of marijuana was an outgrowth of her training at the Himalayan Institute under the tutelage of Swami Rama, who she describes as an advanced Tantric Master. Joan has been a Hospice Worker, an editor, a grower, an activist, a jail counselor, a fugitive from the law and even a prisoner. She was the director of the class action lawsuit that sued the U.S. government for its prohibition of therapeutic cannabis in 1998.  She also has a Master of Science Degree in eastern studies and holistic health. At 75 ye

There are drugs in the bible and the most high were getting really high on 'em. ... So what if I were to tell you that the ancient Israelites upon which these the religions are based were a cult of desert pagans following the wisdom of shamans who used plant-based concoctions in hallucinogenic rituals to induce altered states of consciousness; and that the very structure of those religions today are based on clandestine distortion of the original teachings in order to disconnect the populous from direct connection to the divine in order to establish and maintain sociopolitical control? That is what the guest for this episode of Adventures Through The Mind, Reverend Danny Nemu, is here present a case for. *** See bit.ly/ATTMind61 for full show notes and reference links   *** Episode Breakdown What drugs are in the bible and where you can find them. Aphrodisiacs and sexual promiscuity in the bible. The different names (and personalities) of God. The presence of DMT-containing Acacia across the folklore of anci

Many people struggle with addiction their whole lives. Their story one of (hu)man vs. addiction, their story often ending with addiction the victor. But what if that is not the way the story needs to be written? What if there is a way out that helps us suffering to reach into the root of our pain and find our love for life again? The guests for this episode of the podcast, Elizabeth Bast and Chor Boogie, believe true freedom from addiction is possible with an ancient African root bark called Iboga. They believe this not only because of the growing scientific research and the countless anecdotes about iboga's potential available on the internet but because it is also their lived experience. Elizebeth and Chor join us on the show to talk about heroin addiction, how it impacted their intimate relationship, the redemption they found in Iboga, and what iboga taught them about what it takes to heal the pain at the root of addiction in oneself and the hearts of those we love. ***** See Full Show Notes and all relate

There are some commonalities sewn into the foundation of the human experience: we are all subject changes we’d rather not be subject to, we all have the capacity to love and to hate, we all suffer and we all desire freedom from suffering, we are all born and we will all die and furthermore so will everyone we know and care for. Today’s guest is a man with a propensity to contemplate big questions around dying and a long history of being on the front lines of what he calls “the death trade”. Welcome, Stephen Jenkinson to Adventures Through The Mind. *** Check out the full show notes to this episode and links to Stephen's books at http://bit.ly/ATTMind59 Support The Show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jameswjesso Leave a One-Time PayPal donation: https://www.paypal.me/JWJesso *** Episode Breakdown A society gone wrong. A case for wisdom. What it means to die well. Designer dying, euthanasia, and choosing not to die at all. What your dying means beyond you. Our greatest fears around dying. Looking back t

James Kent has been studying psychedelics for over twenty-five years. He was the editor of Psychedelic Illuminations Magazine, publisher of Trip Magazine, and founder of DoseNation.com. His book, Psychedelic Information Theory, is an examination of the physical processes behind psychedelic hallucination. His latest project is the final ten episodes of the DoseNation podcast, where he explores the darker side of psychedelics and the psychedelic community. His 'Final Ten Episodes Of DoseNation' is an unapologetic and unbarred exploration of his questions criticisms, and exposures of the psychedelic culture from his 25 years of immersion and his first-hand experiences of psychosis, psychotic episodes, and even ketamine addiction. I am happy to have him on the show to explore some of the themes of psychosis, psychotic episodes and delusional mania in the psychedelic community. This is not only because I consider them essential for the ongoing psychedelic discourse but because they have been personally impactful a

Back in the summer of 2017, I was invited to go to Mexico by author and Toad (5-MeO-DMT) facilitator Dr. Gerry Sandoval. He wanted me to come with him to Oaxaca, Mexico up to eat the wild psilocybin mushrooms that grow there. It was already an amazing offer and it hit a new level when he told me both Julian Palmer and Kilindi Iyi would be there as well. For this episode, I release to you the recording of Julian, Kilindi, Gerry, and I talking about our mushroom experiences the day after the ceremony. I knew this was going to be an opportunity of a lifetime, not only for myself but for you as well! There was a unique dynamic between us that morning and I knew I wanted to catch it for you. Enjoy. Hear more about my trip and see some exclusive photos at bit.ly/ATTMind57   Episode Breakdown Introductions What is the "landslide mushroom"? The modern history of mushrooms in the Oaxaca region of Mexico. Each of our specific experiences with the landslides the night before. Exploring the differences between differen

Christopher Timmermann is the cognitive neuroscientist leading a project at Imperial College London focusing on the effects of DMT in the brain and human consciousness. He is interested in the use of methods bridging the relationship between the phenomenology evoked by the psychedelic experience and changes in brain activity using diverse neuroimaging tools. We have him on the show to ask him some nerdy questions about his research on DMT, psychedelic research in general, and the relationship between neural activity and Altered Consciousness. Please Support The Show One-time PayPal Donation: https://www.paypal.me/JWJesso Become a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jameswjesso   Episode Breakdown What is DMT and why Chris is researching it. The most common and baffling reports on the DMT experience. The value of psychedelic research for understanding consciousness and the brain The research that has been done on DMT in the brain. What do we know already and what's next? The relationship between ps

Julian Vayne is an occultist and the author of numerous books, essays, journals, and articles in both the academic and esoteric press. While his name is closely associated with chaos magic Julian is also an initiated Wiccan, member of the Kaula Nath lineage and Master Mason. We talk magical traditions, self-transformation with psychedelic, religious history, and the nuances around cultural appropriation in the neo-shamanic and nonaboriginal cultures of the modern world. We also talk about different activities or games we can play while tripping to endow a greater sense of meaning in not only our psychedelic adventures but in our daily lives as well. Full Show Notes at bit.ly/ATTMind55 Become My Patron On Patreon SUPPORT ONE-TIME (PayPal)   Episode Breakdown Disambiguating "magic", "self-transformation", and "spirituality". The legitimacy of the recreational use of psychedelics. The root of, and dissociation from, ectasis in religious history. The herding of the mind. Neoshamanism and cultural appropriation.

We welcome French cultural anthropologist and philosopher Martin Fortier on the show for this episode to discuss his research into how culture influences cognition. His current PhD research project consists of exploring the interplay between neurobiological processes and culture in hallucinogenic experiences. His main fieldwork is located in Shipibo communities of the Middle Ucayali, in the Peruvian Amazon. Martin Fortier, Ph.D. Candidate, is currently a doctoral student at Institut Jean Nicod (a lab hosted by the Department of Cognitive Studies of ENS-Paris) and at the Department of Philosophy and Social Sciences of EHESS-Paris. He is also a visiting student researcher at the Department of Anthropology of Stanford University. *** If you are enjoying the show, I ask you to please contribute to the show by way of a one-time donation or by becoming a continuous supporter on Patreon. PLEASE SUPPORT (ME AND) THE SHOW ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/jameswjesso OR VIA A ONE-TIME PAYPAL DONATION: http://paypal

Simply put, Changa is a powerful psychedelic smoking blend. It is a combination of herbs infused with dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and containing some form of monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOi). However, describing the "simply put" physical parameters of a psychedelic compound is as gross an understatement as saying sex is, simply put, a penis penetrating a vagina.... there is SO MUCH MORE to it than "simply put", which is why we have Giorgia Gaia on the show. Giorgia Gaia---author of "Changa's Alchemy - Narratives of Transformation in Psychedelic Experiences"---is an independent researcher with a masters degree in Cultural and Social Anthropology and another MA degree in Theology, specifically Western Esotericism, at the University Van Amsterdam. Since her early twenties, she has been working as an electronic musician and event organizer, also in international festivals. *** If you are enjoying the show, I ask you to please contribute to the show by way of a one-time donation or by becoming a continuous support

Darcia Narvaez, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Notre Dame. Her prior careers include professional musician, classroom music teacher, business owner, seminarian and middle school Spanish teacher. Dr. Narvaez’s current research explores how early life experience influences societal culture and moral character in children and adults. She integrates neurobiological, clinical, developmental and education sciences in her theories and research about moral development. *** If you are enjoying the show, I ask you to please contribute to the show by way of a one-time donation or by becoming a continuous supporter on Patreon. PLEASE SUPPORT (ME AND) THE SHOW ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/jameswjesso OR VIA A ONE-TIME PAYPAL DONATION: http://paypal.me/JWJesso *** We are a traumatized people, a people silently bequeathed a heritage of toxic treatment, under-care, and various forms of violence. It is encoded into us during our early years, directing the development of our n

Tobias Ton is a Kambo facilitator based in Berlin, Germany. His work with the Amazonian 'frog medicine' takes a "more-therapeutic-than-traditional" approach as it is intended to specifically accommodate people living under the burdens of Western industrialized civilization. He specializes in intensive one-on-one sessions and on the synergetic integration of various other healing modalities, addressing the underlying energetic issues that manifest as physical and psychological disease.He advocates a holistic and deeply spiritual understanding of Kambô that goes both beyond traditional indigenous cosmology and beyond the mechanistic interpretations of a supposed "frog poison vaccination". Instead, he recognizes it as the highly intelligent and deeply benign spirit of an animal that can generously impart its own strength, serenity and extraordinary capabilities of transformation. Tobias is on the show for this episode to teach us all about Kambo, from the origins and biomedical science to the underlying spiritua

What is Consciousness? Is it unique to human cognition or is it universal and permeating all things? Is it an epiphenomenon of brain activity or a universal constant? Do all things 'have' consciousness or are they 'of', 'in', or 'by' consciousness? Who and what are we, humankind, in the grander process of Consciousness itself? What is the nature of this whole "Reality" game? For the 50th episode of Adventures Through The Mind podcast, we welcome philosopher Bernardo Kastrup onto the show to address these questions and more. For Full Show Notes & Links: bit.ly/ATTMind50 Bernardo Kastrup has a Ph.D. in computer engineering with specializations in artificial intelligence and reconfigurable computing. He has worked as a scientist in some of the world's foremost research laboratories, including the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and the Philips Research Laboratories (where the "Casimir Effect" of Quantum Field Theory was discovered). He has authored many academic papers and books on philoso