190. Terrence McKenna & The Psychedelic Boom: John O'Connor on Sacred Herbalism

In this episode, I speak with journalist John O’Connor about his book A Short Strange Trip and Terence McKenna’s influence on the psychedelic movement. We explore McKenna’s ideas, the “stoned ape” theory, and the tension between psychedelic mysticism and modern medicalized use.John also shares a deeply personal perspective on psychedelic therapy through his father’s experience with ketamine and psilocybin, opening up a thoughtful conversation about expectation, complexity, and harm reduction. We discuss the cultural meaning of psychedelics, their connection to grief and death, and why nuanced public debate matters now more than ever.It’s a wide-ranging conversation about psychedelics, journalism, history, and the stories we tell about healing.SHOWNOTESWebsite: https://www.johnmoconnor.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/centerforhighenergymetaphysics/