Author Archive
Psychedelics and Witchcraft — The Truth About Hallucinogenic “Hexing Herbs” The Sordid History of Deadly Nightshade, Mandrake, and Henbane
Were “hexing herbs” really used by witches in medieval times? Are they for healing, cursing, or consorting with the Devil? Learn all about the sordid history of Deadly Nightshade, Mandrake, and Henbane in today’s post. This text appeared in the original manuscript of Magic Medicine, my new book about the most fascinating psychedelics on the planet, but was cut for length. So this a sneak peek into the finished book, which covers 23 different plants, fungi, fish, and synthetic substances, from ayahuasca and 2C-B to “mad honey” and hallucinogenic sea sponges. Origins and Background Throughout human history, few...
Welcome to NYC’s Psychedelic Film & Music Festival An Interview with Organizer Daniel Abella
One of the most intriguing film and music festivals is coming to New York City, and it’s all about tripping: The Psychedelic Film and Music Festival is billed as “an ode to the exploration of altered states of consciousness created by music, art, film and psychedelia.” Its mission is “to explore the outer limits of consciousness with respect for others and the planet. To create a new paradigm for the adventurous.” Highlights include a performance by psych-horror soundtrack musician Simon Boswell, a talk with ethnopharmacologist and botanist Dennis McKenna (brother of the late Terence McKenna), the world premiere of...
‘Magic Medicine’ Author Featured on Psychedelic Milk Cody Johnson Talks About Awe, Hallucinations, and Tripping in Narnia
Have you heard of Psychedelic Milk? You should definitely check it out. Psychedelic Milk is a podcast hosted by Ed Liu, all about alternative medicine for scientific healing purposes and spiritual growth. As you might have guessed, he often discusses psychedelics, but dives into all kinds of tangents from Taoist spirituality to flow states. Ed’s always searching for something fresh, and he’s produced over a hundred episodes of high-quality conversations with a range of sparkling personalities. Ed invited me on his show, and I’m happy to announce that I’m featured on Episode 109: Magic Medicine with Cody Johnson |...
Oklahoma Voters Just Legalized Medical Cannabis To celebrate, I'm sharing an excerpt of my new book, Magic Medicine
In a historic referendum, Oklahoma voters have just approved one of the most progressive medical cannabis laws in the country. With a doctor’s orders, Oklahomans will be able to possess eight ounces in their homes, carry three ounces in public, and cultivate 12 plants. Unlike many other states, there is no limit to which diseases may be treated by cannabis — a doctor may prescribe it for any condition. The measure passed with a 57% to 43% margin. These regulations are relatively lax, especially for a red state in the heart of Trump country. But perhaps it should come...
The Loop Trip How Two Kids on Acid Stumbled onto the Theory of Everything
When I was around twenty years old, I was living in a little apartment on Pearl Street, in Boulder, Colorado, with my good friend Jim. We were both guys who had an affectionate, on-again-off-again relationship with LSD, and during this time we were both on again. We were tripping all the time. Often, we would develop themes, inside references, ongoing philosophical explorations that would carry over from trip to trip. One day, we were sitting around waiting for our doses to kick in and decided to put on the Steely Dan album, Aja. (Steely Dan is hugely underrated...
Michael Pollan Opens Up About His Powerful Psilocybin Trip on Stephen Colbert’s Late Show Pollan tried LSD, Psilocybin, and 5-MeO-DMT for his New Book
It sure seems like psychedelics are finally going mainstream. Michael Pollan, the author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma and The Botany of Desire, turns his attention to psychedelic science and medicine in his latest book, How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence. Pollan went on The Late Show to talk about tripping and the ego with Stephen Colbert. As an “immersion journalist,” Pollan decided to try LSD, psilocybin, and 5-MeO-DMT — a compound from the venom of the Sonoran desert toad — as research for his book. About his psilocybin trip, Pollan says:...
Carl Jung on Why You Should Be Wary of Psychedelics A Short Video from Voiceclub About "The Darkness of the Void"
Voiceclub is a Melbourne-based podcast on psychedelics and philosophy that’s worth digging into. In addition to regular audio podcasts, Voiceclub is now producing excellent video snippets on its Youtube channel. The latest video discusses the danger of psychedelics through the lens of Carl Jung. From the video: You really best beware of what it is you don’t understand about yourself. Because what you don’t understand about yourself — well, it has you, for good or ill. And so, wisdom of the kind that Jung puts forward is really not to be brushed aside. This is to say little...
First Peek at My New Book ‘Magic Medicine’
It’s finally here! Two years ago I started researching and writing Magic Medicine: A Trip Through the Intoxicating History and Modern-Day Use of Psychedelic Plants & Substances. After much tweaking and editing, the first printed copy is here! (The public release date is June 5th.) From the very beginning, I wanted the book to more than just fascinating in its subject matter — I wanted it to be a beautiful object, something you would be proud to have on your nightstand or bookshelf. I wanted a book that would demand your attention and spark conversations, a book you could not help but...
Acid Drops: An Interview with Andy Roberts Author, Speaker, and Historian of British LSD Culture
Andy Roberts is an historian of Britain’s LSD psychedelic culture and author of Acid Drops: Adventures in Psychedelia, as well as Albion Dreaming: A Social History of LSD in Britain. He first fell down the rabbit hole in 1972 and has been exploring the labyrinth of passages ever since. His views on the psychedelic experience are (basically) – You take a psychedelic and you get high. What happens after that is largely the result of dosage, set and setting. Andy, thanks very much for joining me, I’m looking forward to hearing more about your book. Acid Drops is...
Zig Zag Zen: An Interview with Author Allan Badiner The Intersection of Psychedelic Spirituality and Buddhist Practice
This article by Jennifer Bleyer first appeared in the MAPS Winter Bulletin 2017. Buddhism and psychedelic use have been linked since at least the 1950s, when influential thinkers and writers such as Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, and Alan Watts experimented with both as avenues toward understanding the mind. The tacitly acknowledged connection took a leap forward in 2002 with the publication of Zig Zag Zen: Buddhism and Psychedelics, a collection of essays, interviews, articles edited by Allan Badiner, which examines the two realms and their similarities and differences. A new edition of Zig Zag Zen was published in...
The Sun is Always Shining A Harvard psychologist and Buddhist scholar discusses the nature of awareness and self
In this incredible, low-key little video (just shy of 3 minutes), Dr Dan Brown, discusses the nature of awareness and self. Dr. Brown is a Harvard clinical psychologist and Tibetan Buddhist scholar, and the video is made complete with ink and pencil animations by Claudia Biçen and music by Marcus Ostermiller. Fans of Alan Watts will definitely appreciate it. Liked this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed to get much more! Or enter your email address for weekly updates: Share this:
Coming Back to Life My Story of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for PTSD
This story by Rachel Kaplan first appeared in the MAPS Winter Bulletin 2017. As I sit in a field of tall green grasses, feeling the earth beneath me and listening to the songs of meadowlarks, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for not only being alive but for finally wanting to be alive. I am overwhelmed with gratitude for often feeling a sense of peace in my self and feeling connected with myself, with others and the world. These are all new experiences for me that I never believed where possible until now, after being a participant in the...