Furthure

The structure of clinical trials is generally not the most interesting thing in the world.But for psychedelic science, going through the “gold standard” double-blind placebo-controlled paradigm is all but impossible– and presents arguably one of the largest barriers to psychedelic treatments gaining approval.After all, how can one even pretend that seeing a bunch of fractals everywhere is even remotely similar to the effects of a niacin flush or being zonked out on diphenhydramine? Is it even possible these days to go through a psychedelic trial without all the media hype priming people to have “one of the top 10 most meaningful experiences in their life,” as Griffiths' study widely lauded?The field is advancing rapidly, and these questions are quickly catching up to us.To help figure out whether psychedelics could ever possibly pass the placebo test, Balázs Szigeti, PhD, came on the show to discuss his work examining blinding, placebo effects, and the power of expectancy.Although some people might not exactly be keen on the results of his work, they have the potential to reveal a lot about how psychedelics work, which in some ways may be even trippier than we imagined.Like the show? Please rate the podcast & subscribe ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️Lastly, I’d like to do a little shout-out for the Patreon! If you like the Furthure project, check out the Furthure page⚡️⚡️⚡️https://patreon.com/Furthure_HDourron⚡️⚡️⚡️

Rebekah Senānāyaka, PhD, is an anthropologist and a certified explorer, having spent a combined total of 27 months of fieldwork in the heart of the Amazon, often living in a house with no walls, protected from the jungle by only a mosquito net. She also shares a bit about her experience as an apprentice with a Kichwa maestro, a first for a woman in the community she lived in. We also go beyond psychoactive plants to the broader relationships the Peruvian people have with the natural world, from dietas to exploring the Amazon’s natural medicine cabinet. Aside from talking to plants, Rebekah also shares her love for broader extreme experiences, from float tanks to ultra-endurance sports.Learn more about Rebekah's work here: https://www.bekplants. Instagram @whereisriaxPhoto credit: Rebekah SenānāyakaLike the show? Please rate the podcast & subscribe ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️Lastly, I’d like to do a little shout-out for the Patreon! If you like the Furthure project, check out the Furthure page⚡️⚡️⚡️https://patreon.com/Furthure_HDourron⚡️⚡️⚡️

This is one of the most fun and wide-ranging conversations I’ve had on Furthure in a while — and one of the weirder ones. Dr. David Luke, author of Otherworlds: Psychedelics and Exceptional Human Experience, investigates everything from how psychedelics may increase the odds of ESP-like experiences and paranormal beliefs to how people cope with existential distress after challenging psychedelic experiences. He has also been his own “guinea pig” for science, let’s just say, and isn’t afraid to tell us the tale.Even though studying the ESP phenomenon with psychedelics might seem a bit out there — maybe unicorn-dimension-level weird — there’s no denying that there are strong roots in the history of the field for studying this, with everyone from serious scientists in the 1950s to indigenous traditions entwined with it.We also get into the Challenging Experiences Project, which studies what can go wrong after psychedelic use. I loved this part of the conversation — we get into the nuances of how little is really known about what can go wrong after challenging psychedelic experiences. A little hint: it’s a lot more diverse than just psychosis or even run-of-the-mill depression. Understanding what can go wrong with psychedelics, and what people can do to help themselves afterward, is essential to the future of psychedelics integrating well (whatever that means) into society.I would also consider this a companion episode to Dr. Willoughby Britton’s episode on meditation-related side effects. If you enjoy this, be sure to check that out as well.

Dan Grossman takes us on a tour of a very uncharted—but important—aspect of psychedelics’ effects: somatic experiences. We discuss the role that weird and wacky, “energy-like” experiences might play in the effects of psychedelics, and how, despite sounding a little out-there, these experiences are grounded in rich psychological and somatic traditions in both the East and West. If you’re wondering how The Body Keeps the Score might relate to psychedelics, this episode is for you.Like the show? Please rate the podcast & subscribe ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️Lastly, I’d like to do a little shout-out for the Patreon! If you like the Furthure project, check out the Furthure page⚡️⚡️⚡️https://patreon.com/Furthure_HDourron⚡️⚡️⚡️

Ria Xi is taking running further than many people could even conceive of as possible. She is planning a 20,000-km (~12,427-mile) run from the edge of Russia to Portugal. She has already pushed running to its limits—setting the fastest known time on the Camino trail in Spain and becoming the first person to ultrarun the Sinai Trail in Egypt.In our conversation, we talk about what she is running toward, what endurance really means, and the power of focusing on your “why.” We also get into the practicalities of ultrarunning and who might be ready to take the first steps toward training.Still, this conversation is inspiring for more than just the athletes out there. Ria basically asks us to dream big, bolder, and to just go for things—and to remember, “It’s only delusional until it’s not.”Stick around to the end of the episode for a little surprise goal I will be pursuingFollow Ria's Journey here on instagram @whereisriaxPhoto credit: Jack Lawes @jack.lawesLike the show? Please rate the podcast & subscribe ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️Lastly, I’d like to do a little shout-out for the Patreon! If you like the Furthure project, check out the Furthure page⚡️⚡️⚡️https://patreon.com/Furthure_HDourron⚡️⚡️⚡️

How often do you feel amazed—or experience a sense of wonder? When was the last time you looked up at a tree, even in an ordinary park, and felt awe?Sean Goldy, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Psychedelics and Consciousness Research, takes us on a tour through his work on awe. We discuss the role it plays in psychedelic experiences—but also move beyond psychedelics to explore something even more fundamental to being human, and far more easily accessible.Like the show? Please rate the podcast & subscribe ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️Interested in the furthure book club? Join us for The Electric Acid Kool Aid Book will be meeting on November 23rd over Discord. Join us!Lastly, I’d like to do a little shout-out for the Patreon! If you like the Furthure project, check out the Furthure page ⚡️⚡️⚡️https://patreon.com/Furthure_HDourron⚡️⚡️⚡️

Psychedelics have long been a hot topic. But in the early days of psychedelics, back in the 1950s, even mainstream media outlets were enthusiastically covering research on a bizarre new drug that was active in minuscule doses.On this episode of Furthure, Dr. Steve Siff, a journalism professor at Miami University and author of Acid Hype, discusses media coverage surrounding psychedelics. We talk about the rise and fall of the psychedelic hype and whether today’s media is bound to make similar mistakes to those of the 1960s. I think this conversation is especially relevant, as in some circles there's mounting backlash against the hype.Also, I highly recommend checking out Steve’s book for more details on some of the media stories, which are just wild. The way people wrote about psychedelics in the 1950s is so campy and sensational that it’s a joy to read. Plus, there’s a lot in there about how psychosis and psychedelics were framed to the public in the ’50s that I haven’t heard discussed anywhere else.This was a far-ranging conversation, and we bounced back and forth between eras a bit. Because of that, there are a few small corrections to make. The pilot with the mental health episode had actually used psilocybin-containing mushrooms recently. Also, to clarify, the Good Friday adverse effects we discussed didn’t involve anyone running out of the church naked, but it did involve Thorazine being administered. Some early LSD therapy manuals did recommend that therapist use psychedelics with their patients, and some did develop sexual relationships and were charged with SA. ✨If you’re enjoying these episodes, consider joining the Furthure Patreon. These episodes take a while to craft, and your support shows that you find this work valuable and interesting. ✨🌀✨⚡️Check it out at patreon.com/Furthure_HDourron ⚡️✨🌀Relevant sources 👩‍🔬Rick Doblin’s 1991 Critique of the Good Friday Experiment:https://www.atpweb.org/jtparchive/trps-23-91-01-001.pdfNote: one person received Thorazine. This was not reported in Pahnke data. Pilot with Psilocybin-Related Mental Health Episode: https://www.opb.org/article/2023/10/24/alaska-airlines-pilot-psychedelic-mushrooms-psilocybin/#:~:text=Joseph%20Emerson%20faces%2083%20charges,%2C%E2%80%9D%20according%20to%20the%20affidavit.Experiential side of MDMA-therapy training: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hast.1602Therapist using psychedelics with patients & SA:Accessible link here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HPtFF-dM5efTooFTvfCA1tVNz8--juWd/view?usp=sharingCoverstory : https://open.spotify.com/show/7dj2XnCMxGpK8W3tGWjiqw?si=323ff8c7a7a5455ePsychedelic Syndrome: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/15563656908990915

Dr. Willoughby Britton tells her journey from a meditation evangelical to a meditation skeptic. She discusses how stumbling into cases of people getting worse from meditation catalyzed her research examining meditators in distress, and also led her to create the non-profit Cheetah House, which provides evidence-based support for meditators in distress. She talks about the Varieties of Contemplative Experience study, which crafted an extremely thorough catalogue of the kinds of negative effects people can have from meditation—ranging from altered self-experience to energy-like somatic experiences. Aside from research, we also discuss some more practical, action-based advice for both preventing meditation-related adverse effects and what is helpful (and not helpful) if you happen to be experiencing negative effects. We also get into the intersection between psychedelic-related adverse effects and meditation-related adverse effects, and how a lot of psychedelic enthusiasts end up on Cheetah House’s doorstep.Participate in psychedelic or meditation-related research:👉 https://www.meditationchallenges.org/👉 https://www.psychedelicchallenges.org/Lastly, I’d like to do a little shout-out for the Patreon! If you like the Furthure project, check out the Furthure page⚡️⚡️⚡️https://patreon.com/Furthure_HDourron⚡️⚡️⚡️If you find these shows at all valuable, that’s a great way to show your support—at as little as $3.00 a month (aka less than most cups of coffee). These shows take effort to put out, and if you wanna keep ‘em coming, that’s a great way to make that possible.

Manoj Doss, PhD, has been known as a force of skepticism in psychedelic science and a critic of psychedelic neuroimaging. But he is also an expert on one often overlooked—but potentially very important—aspect of how psychedelics and other drugs impact people: how they affect memory. We also learn how Manoj became interested in memory research through a rollerblading mishap.We talk about how psychedelics might increase our sense of familiarity, how this might play a role in people developing odd beliefs, but also how it could be part of their therapeutic mechanism. How might drugs create a sense of “downloads” from the universe, perhaps due to changes in memory processing? We also explore how other drugs impact various memory systems.For example, we discuss a common non-psychedelic substance that can help you remember what you recently learned better—maybe you can guess what this mysterious drug is.We also hear more about directions in psychedelic science that Manoj is more optimistic about.Little announcement: Book ClubFurthure is starting an online book club! The book club will meet every other month over Zoom. I realized I was basically going through withdrawals from not having an English-language book club around me, haha.We’ll meet at a time that works for both U.S. and European time zones. The first meeting will be on October 26th at 7:30 pm Central European Time / 1:30 pm Eastern / 10:30 am Pacific.For the first book, we’re going to learn a little bit about Furthure’s namesake by reading The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. This book tells the tale of Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters running around the U.S. from coast to coast on a bus called Furthur—which has the same intentional misspelling as the Furthure podcast, minus the extra “e”! The book is a bit of a time capsule, but it also reminds us how different psychedelic culture is today compared to the late 1960s. One event in the book, the Acid Graduation, even took place on Halloween in the 1960s, making it a fitting choice for October.Look for details on Furthure’s social media!Instagram: @furthure707X (Twitter): @Furthure707And as always, please subscribe and rate the podcast. This helps tremendously with getting the word out to more people about the show!Help support the show here: https://ko-fi.com/F1F21LPKRC

Lisa Gezon, an anthropologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, joins Furthure to share her experience investigating what many may consider an unlikely cultural group – a psychedelic integration group in America’s Deep South. We discuss how the religious landscape of the region intersects with the kinds of experiences people face during their journeys. Additionally, we explore how psychedelic research has influenced the way people make sense of their psychedelic experiences in the wild. Finally, we touch on some of the potential side effects of psychedelics – from adopting new belief systems to becoming a psychedelic evangelical.Relevant Papers: https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1111/anoc.70010 https://akjournals.com/view/journals/2054/9/1/article-p8.xml✨ Furthure now has a ko-fi page! Check it out if you’d like to help support the podcast ✨https://ko-fi.com/F1F21LPKRCLike the show?Please rate & subscribe ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️Instagram: furthure707 X: Furthure707

Maria Bǎlǎeț, PhD is a cognitive neuroscientist who has explored how the use of psychedelics “in the wild” might impact both cognition and mental health.She discusses her experiences with the Great British Intelligence Test and her research on the mental health resilience of psychedelic users during the COVID-19 pandemic, where she uncovered some unexpected results.We also talk about the influence of public discourse on the effects of psychedelic experiences, particularly highlighting the nocebo effect. Additionally, we explore what effective science communication looks like, what the public can teach scientists about psychedelics, and the discrepancies between what is researched and what is actually relevant to people.We also touch on a topic that many might find even more surprising than psychedelic-induced states—childbirth as a pleasant, mushroom-like altered state of consciousness. This idea is based on Maria’s recent case report, and she shares where she hopes this line of research will lead.Interestingly, this conversation evolves into a broader discussion about how set and setting apply to all aspects of life, not just psychedelic use.Maria’s social media account: X: @emmsskyyyPapers we discuss:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/371598104_Associations_between_the_use_of_psychedelics_and_other_recreational_drugs_with_mental_health_and_resilience_during_the_COVID-19_pandemichttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/380509147_Considering_the_nocebo_effect_in_the_psychedelic_discoursehttps://akjournals.com/view/journals/2054/aop/article-10.1556-2054.2025.00362/article-10.1556-2054.2025.00362.xmlhttps://osf.io/preprints/osf/g3xau_v1Book I mention with aspects of a nocebo experience: The Varieties of Psychedelic Experience by Robert Masters and Jean Houston Nocebo-like temporary effects are described on page 20 of the pdf - https://psychonautdocs.com/docs/thevarieties.pdfFurthure now has a Patreon page! Check it out if you want to help support the podcast!patreon.com/Futhure_HDourronLike the show? Please rate the podcast & subscribe ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️Instagram: furthure707X: Furthure707

There are some unique occupational hazards to being a psychedelic facilitator. One you might not hear much about is getting stabbed by a client while extracting their astral parasites or demons.This is what happened to Julio Rivera, who shares his story of a client attack during what he describes as a parasite extraction gone wrong.We also learn more about Julio’s unique method of working with psychedelics, which includes demon extraction, ceremonial daggers, and ultra-high doses of psilocybin.I also want to be clear about my intentions in sharing stories like this. I am not recommending that people seek out demon extraction or astral parasites; I am merely trying to capture some of the beliefs and frameworks that exist out there. I think it is important to catalog the belief structures and systems of use that emerge in naturalistic use contexts and retreat settings.Finally, a few small warnings: this episode does get quite graphic. Trigger warnings can often be used in cringe-worthy ways, but if you don’t want to hear the details of someone being stabbed, please skip the first 20 minutes of this episode.Lastly, I want to emphasize that the dosing parameters described in the later portion are extreme. These are roughly eight times the dosage used in a clinical trial.Julio's website: https://www.shape-my.life/

Julie Holland, MD is launching a groundbreaking trial on the safety of MDMA in people with schizophrenia—something she has been working toward for nearly 40 years. She shares what first sparked her interest in studying psychedelics and psychosis and discusses her book, Good Chemistry, which explores the science of connection, both through psychedelics, and more everyday experiences. Learn more about Dr. Julie Hollandhttps://drholland.com/Instagram: juliehollandmdX: BellevueDocFurthure now has a Patreon page! Check it out if you want to help support the podcast!patreon.com/Futhure_HDourronLike the show? Please rate the podcast & subscribe ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️Instagram: furthure707X: Furthure707🎶 Music by Gaej - The Forest of Angels 🎶

In this episode, Sophie Jacobs, author of The Intuition Experiment, tells us about her time studying in a Theravada monastery to be a Buddhist nun. We discuss what catalyzed her desire to train in the monastery and her day-to-day life there. Ultimately, Sophie, compelled in part by her creative spark, decided to leave the monastery and wrote a book about her experience there.Follow Sophie here:Instagram: @flowintuitSubstack: https://flowintuit.substack.com/Also, we met at a Dharma Gates retreat a while back. Be sure to check them out if you want a meditation retreat for young people (under 35).https://www.dharma-gates.org/Furthure now has a Patreon page! Check it out if you want to help support the podcast! patreon.com/Futhure_HDourronLike the show? Please rate the podcast & subscribe ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️Instagram: furthure707X: Furthure707🎶 Music by Gaej - The Forest of Angels 🎶

Danny Goler is in the process of making a documentary about his discoveries involving DMT and lasers and what this might mean for simulation theory. His work is rapidly gaining interest within the psychedelic community, with figures such as Andrew Gallimore, PhD discussing and critiquing his theories.At first glance, many might assume these ideas are “crazy.” However, I believe it’s important to understand people’s experiences, especially when they find them deeply meaningful. Dismissing an idea outright without giving it any thought leans towards authoritarian scientism. I’ll be honest—when I first saw the documentary trailer, I actually started laughing. It seemed so outlandish. But then a colleague of mine, also a researcher, said, “What if he’s right? You don’t know.” And you know what? I don’t.Many people believe in things that don’t entirely make sense. Religion is unverifiable, yet it shapes countless lives. For more secular people, some search for meaning by believing in aliens. This doesn’t make them psychotic. There are functional members of society who also believe in complex, far fetched new religious movements (cough cough, Tom Cruise - scientology).With that in mind, I’m here with Danny to learn more about his projects, what led him to his beliefs, and how, if at all, these beliefs bring meaning to his life.I will not be assessing the validity of what he claims, but rather I am trying to understand what he believes and why and what it says about broader psychedelic culture and beliefs.Danny’s website: https://www.codeofreality.com/Danny's Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dangothoughtsRelated Interviews: Danny Jones Podcasthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJp2rASRKMc&t=2899sAndrew Gallimore Reaction to Danny Jones Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Hz6fab5NiELike the show? Please rate the podcast & subscribe ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️Instagram: furthure707X: Furthure707🎶 Music by Gaej - The Forest of Angels 🎶

In this episode, Alex Sieleff, PhD, delves into how we live with death and how psychedelics, along with other altered states of consciousness such as breathwork, can help us make sense of our lives. Alex has conducted fieldwork on the effects of naturalistic psychedelic use on intrinsic motivation and has studied how breathwork can induce mystical experiences.Follow Alex Sieleff, PhD at curious.existentialist on Instagram Like the show? Please rate the podcast & subscribe ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️Want to suggest a guest? Email me at [email protected]: furthure707X: Furthure707🎶 Music by Gaej - The Forest of Angels 🎶

MDMA-assisted psychotherapy did not get approved by the FDA. This shocked many, and the critiques surrounding the trial varied substantially in their constructiveness.Still, it is essential to remember that there are real people out there who benefited from their participation in the trial. So, I decided to let Becca Kacanda, a MAPS MDMA-assisted psychotherapy trial participant, tell us about her experience in the study, the good and the bad, and what she hopes future MDMA therapists, critics, and journalists can learn from the trial.If you enjoy the show, please subscribe! Follow Furthure @furthure707 on instagram and X.Bluesky: [email protected]: @becca_kacandaNOTE: Becca stated she phased out of the trial two years ago in the audio, but it was actually three years ago.

Caitlin Thompson discusses her experiences as a kambo practitioner who has both published scientific research on kambo and learned from Matsés practitioners. We discuss how psychedelic wellness culture has intersected with kambo to create highly structured, often spiritual experiences, despite this being quite different than how many matsés people use kambo. Caitlin is also quite open about the numerous potential issues with Kambo, including environmental sustainability and its lack of ability to fit into a typical drug development framework. We also discuss various potential risks associated with Kambo use and why contextual factors likely play an essential role. Caitlin's Research:"Use of Phyllomedusa bicolour poison during kambô ritual: Observational responses, dosage and risk of adverse events." "The physiological effects of Kambo: A comprehensive review of the peptides found in Phyllomedusa bicolor skin secretion"Her website: https://medicinefrogkambo.com/

Ever wonder what it would be like to go on a mission to Mars? 🚀 In this episode, Dr. Carli Domenico tells us about her experience as a participant in NASA's Human Exploration Research Analog study, which simulates a 45 day flight to Mars. We discuss everything from how NASA selects a team of people to stay in a small box for 45 days to the best space snacks and what pseudo-astronauts listen to. Carli also explains the unexpected parallels between mediation retreats and simulated missions to Mars.Learn more about Dr. Domenico: https://www.carlifrequency.com/HERA: https://www.nasa.gov/mission/hera/Like the show? Please rate the podcast & subscribe ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️This will help the show reach more people⚡️X: Furthure707Instagram: furthure707🎶 Music by Gaej - The Forest of Angels 🎶

Dr. Malin Uthaug, a pioneer in 5-MeO-DMT research, tells us about her work studying 5-MeO-DMT in the field and the importance of somatic experiences. Aside from psychedelics, we also discuss her experience of freediving and whether extreme sports can also produce altered states of consciousness.More about Malin Uthaug: https://www.drmalinvedoyuthaug.com/Instagram: @drmalinuthaugGive the show a follow at furthure707 on X and Instagram