Craig Salerno has seen too much senseless death. “Unfortunately, I can no longer count on my hands how many people I’ve witnessed overdose, die, suicide, and to me, it’s an absolute crisis. Addiction is a crisis and it appears to be on the rise.” As a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Addiction Counselor in Colorado, […]
“What in the world is going on here? How do we wrap our heads around this?” Dr. Roland Griffiths is asking the question on the minds of many psychiatrists and scientists. Dr. Griffiths is director of the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins University […]
I left my conversation with Lauren Taus thinking about Henry David Thoreau, the early American essayist, poet and philosopher. Which wasn’t exactly what I had expected. If you Google her name, you will see many images of Lauren in her role as a highly successful yoga practitioner and instructor. The strength and grace of her […]
On an improvised 70-mile marathon through the Andes Mountains of Peru, alone and severely dehydrated, it occurred to Jesse Gould that he might die. A former Army Ranger, Gould knew about pushing himself to the physical limit. Now his experience and training told him it was time to worry. He was out of water. His […]
James Fadiman begins by asking, “How many of you have never had any psychedelic experience?” He’s speaking to a Science And Nonduality (SAND) conference, a group that assembles scientists, philosophers, sages and mystics to explore the intersection of cutting-edge science and “nonduality” — the interconnectedness of life. Many members of this audience will not be […]
It’s a weekend in July and I’m sitting outside a Starbucks in Los Angeles to interview a magic mushroom cultivator for Psychedelic Spotlight. It’s been set up by a third party. I don’t know the name of the man I’m about to meet. I’ve offered to wear a red knit cap so he will know […]
Psychedelic advocacy is filled with all sorts of healers: therapists, PHDs, psychiatrists, shamans and scientists. Also this one guy who can easily choke you unconscious. Ian McCall is a mixed martial artist, a former professional fighter, now retired, who fought at the highest level of his sport. And he’s a passionate booster of psychedelic therapy. […]
The debut commercial featuring Nike’s famous slogan “Just Do It” starred Walt Stack, an 80-year-old marathon runner in San Francisco who ran 17 miles every morning. “People ask me how I keep my teeth from chattering in the wintertime,” Stack says, smirking as he trots shirtless across the Golden Gate Bridge. “I leave them in […]
“The Goop Lab,” is a new Netflix docuseries, inspired by Gwyneth Paltrow’s “modern lifestyle brand” website, Goop. And I’m reviewing it for Psychedelic Spotlight because the first episode is called “The healing Trip” and features members of the Goop team traveling to Jamaica to take magic mushrooms. Let me start by admitting that I am […]
The disease has dogged Steve since he was a teenager. It limited Steve’s ability to function in school and diminished his career opportunities. Over the years the illness torpedoed romances and friendships. Depression is a desolating mood disorder, widespread yet widely misunderstood. The World Health Organization reports that depression affects over 260 million people worldwide. […]
