72. Tommaso Barba on Psychoanalysis, Expanded States, and Psychedelics' Impact on Romantic Intimacy

We are excited to host Tommaso Barba for this episode on the Mangu.tv podcast series. Tommaso Barba is a PhD candidate at the Centre for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London, exploring the brain effects of short-acting psychedelics such as DMT and 5-MeO-DMT. Under the supervision of Dr. David Erritzoe, Prof. David Nutt and Dr. Chris Timmermann, his work focuses on the potential to treat depression and enhance well-being. He authored the first scientific paper on psychedelics on sexual functioning, published in Nature Scientific Reports and compared psilocybin to antidepressants. With a background in neuroscience and psychoanalysis from Maastricht University, Tommaso also investigates psychedelics' impact on romantic intimacy. A passionate science communicator, he engages audiences via LinkedIn and X.Tommaso shares the story of his upbringing in Bologna, Italy.  He speaks about his fascination with psychoanalysis from a young age, his early confusion with sexuality, and rise in popularity due to his social media presence. He speaks about his disenchantment with the world he was in, and the superficiality of some of his relationships, as well as the cathartic moment, and subsequent fascination in mind and altered states. Giancarlo and Tommaso discuss expanded states and the mind's capacity to go beyond the subconscious. They speak about holotropic breathwork, the internal family system, and the varying acceptance of wisdom and madness depending on perspective and place. Tommaso shares upcoming and current projects, and speaks about his various trials with psychedelics, relationships and the mind, at Imperial College London.