Isn’t it time for a little good news? Today’s guest post by Lucia Huang is about Osmind, an organization offering a ray of sunshine in a time of cloudy uncertainty. This month, calls to the U.S. crisis hotline jumped 891%. Almost half of adults sheltering in place say that coronavirus has had a negative impact on their mental health. COVID-19 has also halted or slowed U.S. clinical trials advancing new medicines, many in behavioral health and psychedelic medicine including trials on MDMA and psilocybin. The pandemic has both short- and long-term implications on our mental health and is at lea ..read more

A very trippy new short film comes out today, and you can watch it for free! Here’s how the filmmakers describe it on the film’s website: Debbie and Doug (Angela Gulner and Zack Gold) are desperate to re-ignite the fire of their once passionate marriage, but their future is uncertain. About to hit rock bottom, they enlist the help of an alternative therapist (Maria Bamford) who claims that the only way to save their relationship from impending death is to take acid in Joshua Tree. When they accidentally take ‘ way, way, way too much’ of this prescribed antidote, Debbie and Doug are transporte ..read more

This story of unexpected samadhi is excerpted from Mike Millard’s new book, Love in the Time of Trump: A jagged memoir of the psychedelic ‘60s, today’s politics and religion. School was out on that beautiful San Francisco spring day with protest in the air. Sagittarius dropped by to see if I wanted to go tripping around. His battered blue Monza convertible was running again and he had the top down. Sagittarius was a bit of a head case, but he was an old friend of Vernon’s and I knew him well enough to be fairly comfortable around him. “Cool,” I said. “This weather’s incredible, eh?” “Yeah, it ..read more

Millions of dollars are being poured into microdosing research. The latest video of Dope Science, brought to you by FreeThink, explains why ..read more

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 f ..read more

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 pick ..read more

This article is by Shannon Clare, M.A., the Associate Director of Training & Supervision at the MAPS Public Benefit Corporation. It first appeared in the MAPS Bulletin Winter 2018: Vol. 28, No. 3 and is reprinted here with permission. Please consider donating monthly (or even just once) to support the incredible work that MAPS does to advance psychedelic science and profound healing. Just as a seed has within it the knowledge to grow, humans have an innate capacity to heal, when given the right environment to do so. When help is needed to create that environment, psychotherapy, like a gre ..read more

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 h ..read more

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 ..read more

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 Medici ..read more