Psychedelics Today Podcast

In this episode of Psychedelics Today, hosts sit down with Jeff Breau from Harvard Divinity School's Center for the Study of World Religions. Key themes include the intersection of psychedelics and religion, harm reduction practices, and the burgeoning psychedelic church movement. Jeff brings insights from his ethnographic research on psychedelic churches and discusses the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration for advancing understanding in this field. He also delves into the role of music in psychedelic therapy, critiques of the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ), and the potential for psychedelic chaplaincy. Tune in for an enlightening conversation on the evolving landscape of psychedelics in society and spirituality.

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:18 Music in Psychedelic Therapy

02:13 Cultural Context of Music in Therapy

06:08 Personal Journey into Psychedelics and Religion

08:40 Living at an Ashram and Spiritual Practices

15:52 Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ)

33:01 Psychedelic Churches and Legal Challenges

46:11 The Intersection of Law and Religion

46:34 Emergence of Psychedelic Churches

48:41 The Democratization of Mystical Experiences

49:49 Technologies of Revelation

51:10 Novel Rituals and Spiritual Practices

53:49 Humor and Irreverence in Religion

56:44 Reevaluating the Term 'Cult'

01:10:11 Psychedelic Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care

01:18:44 Burning Man as a Model for Religiosity

01:22:43 The Rise of Iboga in American Christianity

01:25:56 Conclusion and Future Directions

Links

https://cswr.hds.harvard.edu/people/jeffrey-breau

In this episode, Joe Moore sits down with Paul Gillis-Smith from The Center for the Study of World Religions to discuss a range of fascinating topics. They begin by discussing the Harvard Divinity School and the CSWR’s mission and history. The conversation delves into the work and legacy of Lisa Bieberman, a pivotal figure in the 1960s psychedelic harm reduction movement. It explores her contributions to the field through her Psychedelic Information Center. They also touch on the Quaker traditions and their intersection with LSD use, showing how spirituality and psychedelics can coalesce. Paul also talks about upcoming psychedelic and chaplaincy workshops, emphasizing the importance of spiritual care in psychedelic experiences. This episode is rich with historical insights and contemporary applications, making it a must-listen for anyone interested in psychedelics and spirituality.

Paul Gillis-Smith @ CSWR

Center for the Study of World Religions

Psychometric brahman, psychedelic science: Walter Stace, transnational Vedanta, and the Mystical Experience Questionnaire

00:00 Introduction and Initial Setup

00:34 Meeting at Penn's Psychedelic Conference

01:14 Postdoctoral Presentations and Indigenous Plant Medicine

03:27 Understanding CSWR and Its Evolution

07:21 Harvard's Study of Psychedelics in Society and Culture

09:11 Personal Academic Journey and Interest in Psychedelics

11:58 Role at CSWR and Ongoing Projects

18:59 Lisa Bieberman: A Pioneer in Psychedelic Education

40:53 Quaker Theology of LSD

41:58 Meeting Structure and Frequency

42:46 Profound Simple Truths

45:41 Transition to Quakerism

48:45 The New Jerusalem Prophecy

53:02 Quakerism and Its Influence

01:11:25 Clinical Chaplaincy and Psychedelics

01:18:39 Conclusion and Future Projects

In this episode of Psychedelics Today, Joe Moore speaks with Dr. Simon Ruffell, a London-based psychiatrist, researcher, and curandero-in-training in the López Mahua lineage of the Shipibo tradition. Dr. Ruffell shares how his early fascination with psychiatry eventually led to a deep disillusionment with the limitations of conventional treatments—and a surprising pivot toward the Amazon.

Now working at the intersection of Indigenous healing and clinical research, Ruffell describes his journey from medical school to shamanic apprenticeship. He offers insight into the Shipibo understanding of illness across three planes—spiritual, psychological, and physical—and how these ideas challenge Western frameworks.

The conversation explores critical questions about the psychedelic renaissance: Are current clinical models missing the energetic and spiritual dimensions of healing? What are the risks of poorly held psychedelic sessions, and how can Indigenous knowledge guide safer practices? Dr. Ruffell advocates for deep training, cross-cultural respect, and collaborative models—such as pairing Indigenous healers with psychiatrists in clinical settings.

He also discusses his work with Onaya Science and Onaya.io, organizations that partner with Indigenous communities to study the effects of ayahuasca, particularly in treating PTSD among military veterans. Early findings from their five-year study show that 84% of participants no longer meet PTSD criteria six months after retreat—a promising signal for integrative approaches.

This episode offers a rare look at how science and spirituality can coexist. Whether you're a clinician, researcher, or someone seeking deeper healing, Dr. Ruffell’s story invites us to question our assumptions and expand our understanding of what true medicine can be.

Aspen Psychedelic Symposium 2024 – Hosted by Kevin Franciotti

This powerful panel explores the healing potential and complex responsibilities that come with working with Ibogaine, a potent plant-based psychedelic. Moderator Kevin Franciotti guides a heartfelt and informative conversation with Talia Eisenberg, Tom Feegel, and Dr. Lola "Dr. O" Hoba, highlighting personal transformation, medical protocols, and the importance of honoring traditional knowledge.

Personal Journeys with Ibogaine

Talia Eisenberg shares her recovery from opioid addiction and the founding of BEOND Ibogaine, a medical treatment center in Cancun, Mexico. Her story illustrates the plant’s unique power to interrupt addiction and awaken purpose. Tom Feegel, co-founder and CEO of BEOND, shares how his own trauma and long-term sobriety inspired a vision for a safe, respectful, and medically supervised environment for deep healing.

Clinical and Cultural Wisdom

Dr. Lola Hoba offers insights as a pharmacist and Yoruba herbalist, bridging traditional plant medicine knowledge with modern pharmacology. She describes how iboga works on multiple brain receptors and why it holds so much promise for treating addiction, depression, and trauma. She also cautions about its cardiac risks and calls for respectful, trained facilitation.

Safety, Access, and Sustainability

Panelists discuss the rigorous safety protocols at BEOND, including ICU-level care, psychiatric screening, and pre-treatment evaluations. They also explore broader questions: How can this medicine be offered responsibly? What does reciprocity mean in practice? BEOND supports Blessings of the Forest, a nonprofit in Gabon that works to stop poaching and protect Indigenous access to the sacred root.

A Call for Balance and Respect

This conversation highlights the importance of blending science, spirit, and social justice. From trauma healing to sustainable sourcing, each panelist emphasizes the need for compassion, caution, and connection. As laws change and access grows, the panel urges all involved to move forward with care—for the medicine, the people it serves, and the cultures that have stewarded it for generations.

A panel discussion with Jim Harris, Rachel Zoeller, DPT, David W. McMillan, Ph.D., and Manesh Girn, Ph.D.
Recorded live at the Aspen Psychedelic Symposium

In this riveting and deeply personal conversation, moderator Jim Harris is joined by three pioneers at the intersection of neuroscience, psychedelics, and disability: Dr. Rachel Zoeller (Doctor of Physical Therapy and spinal cord injury survivor), Dr. David McMillan (Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery at the University of Miami), and Dr. Manesh Girn (neuroscientist and postdoctoral researcher with Robin Carhart-Harris at UCSF). Together, they explore how psychedelics may do far more than treat depression or catalyze mystical experiences—they may also support healing and regeneration in the nervous system.

The discussion opens with an acknowledgment that our cultural understanding of psychedelics has mostly focused on their psychological and spiritual effects. But as these experts reveal, the somatic potential of psychedelics is vast and understudied. They delve into promising areas like central and peripheral neuroplasticity, the anti-inflammatory effects of psychedelics, and how these mechanisms might play a role in healing from spinal cord injuries or paralysis.

Dr. Girn breaks down the science behind psilocybin's interaction with 5-HT2A serotonin receptors, not only in the brain but also in the spinal cord. These receptors, when activated, may increase neuronal excitability and even help restore lost signaling in damaged motor pathways. He suggests that psychedelics could reopen “critical periods” for neuroplasticity—windows of opportunity for the nervous system to rewire and heal.

Rachel Zoeller shares her powerful lived experience as both a physical therapist and a spinal cord injury patient. Her story brings the science to life, particularly her observation that psychedelic experiences help her reconnect to parts of her body affected by paralysis. Psychedelics, she suggests, have allowed her to rebuild mind-body communication and foster compassion toward her own physical limitations. She also underscores the need for patients to cultivate body awareness, meditation, and breathwork as essential tools for safe and effective psychedelic use.

Dr. McMillan, who leads outreach at the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, provides a clinical and safety-oriented perspective. While optimistic about the potential, he urges caution—especially with individuals who have high-level spinal cord injuries and are vulnerable to serious complications like autonomic dysreflexia. He stresses that before we can bring these treatments into clinical settings, we must carefully assess physiological risk, develop precise pharmacological protocols, and prioritize patient safety.

The panel also addresses cultural and spiritual interpretations of spasticity. Drawing on both shamanic and somatic perspectives, they propose that these involuntary muscle contractions could be reinterpreted not as dysfunction, but as potential portals for healing, integration, or neurological feedback. The idea that such spasms might help the brain remap muscle groups is discussed as a provocative and hopeful reframe.

The conversation wraps with a call to action: to bring together indigenous wisdom, embodied knowledge, rigorous science, and community storytelling in order to chart a new frontier in psychedelic medicine—one that does not leave the disabled community behind. As McMillan puts it, "There’s a lesson to psychedelia from paralysis.” It’s a reminder that neuropharmacology must consider not just molecules and mechanisms, but people and possibilities.

Whether you're a clinician, researcher, patient, or curious explorer, this panel is a moving and illuminating look at how psychedelics could transform not only minds—but bodies.

Thanks to Aspen Public Radio, Aspen Psychedelic Resource Center, Healing Advocacy Fund and Aspen Psychedelic Symposium for allowing us to share this podcast.

A full agenda from the symposium can be found here.