Kile Ortigo PHD - PSYCHEDELIC INTEGRATION via JUNG AND JOSPEH CAMPBELL

How do we integrate the intense experiences of psychedelic therapy for long term benefits? Can we apply those learnings to existential exploration in general? In this episode we have the fascinating topic of ‘psychedelic integration’ to get our head around. Integration is a crucial part of any psychotherapy process, but perhaps even more so when those suffering experience psychedelic compounds in their treatment program. Many subjects of the new psychedelic treatments for depression and ADHD, have life changing experiences that often go against everything they have come to believe about themselves and the world. So regardless of how positive that can be to the meaning of their lives, it’s clear that some pretty sensitive guidance and processing needs to take place for the therapy to shift their day to day life long-term. And interestingly the same tools we’ll discuss can be used for all of us to navigate our own existential exploration. So who better to help us explain this and offer some tools for navigating these tricky experiences than clinical psychologist and author Dr. Kile Ortigo. Kile is the founder of the Center for Existential Exploration in Palo Alto California; he’s hugely influenced by psychologist Carl Jung and Jospeh Campbell and specialises in treating trauma, PTSD, depression, anxiety, and addiction, with a particular sensitivity to gender identity issues. He’s just written a book about the topic Beyond the Narrow Life: A Guide for Psychedelic Integration and Existential Exploration What we discuss in this episode: 00:00 Intro 06:00 Integration in therapy 09:44 Integration of psychedelic experiences 12:13 Preparation for the unknown - Kile’s new book ‘Psychedelic integration’ 17:00 Re-finding initiation; analogy with preparation 21:00 The risks of self-initiation 23:25 Is meaning built into existence? 28:00 Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey 31:30 The symbolism of the battles in the myths 34:00 The shadow - ‘a moral problem’ Jung 35:00 Monomyth is a misnoma 38:00 The Heroine’s journey - Maureen Murdoch 41:30 MDMA therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder 43:45 Preparation - medicine journey - integration; 3 Arcs 46:00 The risk of re-trauma if the patient is not prepared 49:45 The rewards from existential exploration and integration 54:00 The exciting mystery of the unknown - making friends with the unknown References: Kile’s new Book Beyond the Narrow Life: A Guide for Psychedelic Integration and Existential Exploration, 'The Shadow' according to Jung Collective Unconscious episode #6 Individuation according to C.G.Jung Jospeh Campbell’s Hero’s Journey episode