Life is a Festival

At Burning Man 2025 inside the Playa Alchemist Pyramid, I sat down with legendary mycologist Paul Stamets to explore mushrooms, mycelium, and the cosmos. Through scratchy playa dust voices, we connected fungal intelligence with Burning Man culture, random acts of kindness, and the future of psychedelic medicine.Our conversation ranged from Stamets’ new book Psilocybin Mushrooms in Their Natural Habitats,, to reflections on mycelium as a cosmic organizing principle and the healing power of biodiversity. We discussed the dangers of misidentification, the promise of clinical trials, and how Burning Man functions as a living ritual for transformation.Paul Stamets is a pioneering mycologist, author of eight books, and an Invention Ambassador for the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has discovered new species of mushrooms (including Psilocybe stametsii), collaborated on breakthrough fungal research, and is known widely as the guide of Fantastic Fungi. His work bridges ecology, medicine, and culture with a vision of mushrooms as allies in human and planetary evolution.Timestamps(04:00) – Stamets introduces his new book Psilocybin Mushrooms in Their Natural Habitats(06:00) – Trickster mushrooms: dangers of misidentification(10:00) – Random acts of kindness vs. AI’s transactional mindset(17:00) – Psychedelics as a creative leap (20:00) – Mycelium as metaphor and cosmic network(25:00) – Burning Man as default-mode reset and the importance of biodiversity and discomfort.(29:00) – Lightning, vibration, and music: how mycelium “listens” to thunder and drums.(34:00) – Clinical trials: comparing pure psilocybin vs. whole mushrooms, healing and neuroplasticity.(46:00) – Mushrooms vs. other psychedelics, democratization of psilocybin, and accessibility.(49:00) – Bees, immunity, and mycelium as planetary medicine: discoveries with pollinators and viral resistance.LinksPaul Stamets - MycologistPaul Stamets (@paulstamets)Psilocybin Mushrooms in Their Natural HabitatsFungi PerfectiGive Bees a ChancePlayAlchemistRoots to Thrive: Community-Based Psychedelic-Assisted TherapyClinicalTrials.gov

There’s no greater mythic mind in modern podcasting than Josh Schrei, the voice and vision behind The Emerald. If you, like me, are already a fan of his deeply poetic and perspective-shifting show, then you’ll understand why I’ve wanted to have him on Life is a Festival since the moment I heard his episode on festivals. In this conversation, Josh and I explore the revival of myth in our modern moment. We talk about the ancient power of festivals, structure and fluidity of gender, the soul’s longing for meaning, and the complex challenges facing young men. We also touch on the pitfalls of self-importance and how myth can humble and reorient us. Finally, we explore the necessity of daily ritual, and how embodiment through practice keeps the sacred alive.Josh Schrei is a mythteller, teacher, podcaster, and founder of The Emerald, a beloved show that brings together sweeping narratives, cinematic sound design, and interviews with renowned thinkers to reawaken the mythic imagination. A lifelong student of mythologies—particularly from the Indian subcontinent — Josh brings decades of study in yoga, meditation, wilderness rites, music, and the arts into his teaching. He also leads The Mythic Body, an immersive course designed to re-enliven the soul through story and practice.Timestamps(05:03 The Power of Myth in Modern Times(23:44) The Role of Festivals in Human Culture(39:18) The Mythic Relationship to Gender(42:34) The Need for Young Men's Rituals(57:33) The Healing Journey and Plant Medicine(01:05:36) Daily Practices for Healing and Connection(01:10:23) The Importance of Relational CoherenceLinksJoshua Michael Schrei | Creating The EmeraldThe Mythic Body: HomeThe Emerald | Podcast on SpotifyJosh Schrei (@the_emerald_podcast)Festivals! Initiation and the Brilliance of Eternity

I recently revisited Iboga — the psychedelic root bark from Equatorial West Africa — six years after first experiencing it in a traditional Bwiti ceremony in Gabon. This time, I received Ibogaine treatment at Beond in Cancún. (Full disclosure: I produce their podcast, Ibogaine Uncovered.) To my surprise, my mentor Benjamin also spends time at Beond, quietly supporting others through their Ibogaine journeys. After my own treatment—complete with a flood dose and a booster dose—the best way to share my experience felt like a conversation with Benjamin himself. I also interviewed Tom, Beond’s CEO, for The Psychedelic Therapy Podcast — check that out for more details on the clinic and Ibogaine. As always, you’ll find links in the show notes. Now, please join me for my chat with my mentor, spiritual guide, and extraordinary role model, Benjamin. Links Ibogaine Treatment Center in Cancun, Mexico | Beond The Yang Container | Benjamin To Escape the Tyranny of the Self | Benjamin The Psychedelic Therapy Podcast Ibogaine Uncovered | Podcast on Spotify Timestamps 05:10 The Ibogaine Process and Its Benefits 09:18 Ibogaine and Traumatic Brain Injury 20:22 Reflections on Healing and Growth 29:57 The Beond Experience 30:43 My Ibogaine Journey 32:32 Post-Treatment Reflections 35:59 Connecting with Others 37:38 Understanding Addiction

In the aftermath of the 2024 election, as half the country celebrates and the other half mourns, Alex Ebert and I find ourselves doing what grown men often do to process complex emotions—we make a podcast about it. It's our fourth time using this particular hack for male friendship, but something feels different, more urgent this time. The exit polls reveal young men swinging dramatically rightward, and I can't help but see this through the lens of masculinity—specifically, the left's failure to provide an aspirational vision of what it means to be a man in these complicated times. On today's show, we dive deep into why progressive spaces have become increasingly inhospitable to young men, who are drifting toward figures like Andrew Tate and Jordan Peterson while the left seems to have lost its grip on the masculine imagination. Alex shares his personal journey of integrating the feminine through meditation and inner work, while we examine everything from RFK Jr.'s campaign to Bernie's legacy to the archetypal pull of Elon Musk. We're using this modern ritual—two microphones and a quiet room—to explore the very crisis of connection that makes such spaces necessary in the first place. Alexander Ebert makes his fourth appearance on Life is a Festival, bringing his unique perspective as an award-winning artist, composer, and philosophical troubadour. Known for fronting both Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and Ima Robot, Ebert has evolved into a penetrating cultural critic through his Bad Guru Substack. Having explored spiritual narcissism and psychedelic culture with us before, he's the perfect companion for examining these thorny questions of masculinity, power, and the possibility of healing our collective wounds. Timestamps (09:00) — Toxic vs. aspirational masculinity (18:30) — Why the object-acquiring man lacks an integrated feminine (28:30) — Are Bowie and Prince integrated? (33:00) — The unhelpful narrative of “Boohoo white man” (44:00) — RFK and Bernie Bros (54:00) — Barack Obama and cool security (59:00) — The power of myth (1:10:00) — The allure of the unconflicted man Links Bad Guru | Alex Ebert | Substack Bad Guru (@alex_ebert) • Instagram Life is a Festival: Dunking on the New Age is Boring Now Life is a Festival: A Love Letter to Earnestness Life is a Festival: Healing New Age Narcissism

On the eve of the U.S. presidential election, we’re exploring the theme of participation, a principle central to both Burning Man culture and our role as citizens. In this episode, I’m joined by Megan Miller, former Director of Communications for Burning Man, to talk about how civic responsibility and active engagement can help us navigate this complex cultural moment. I’ve also included a clip from a recent Substack article by one of my favorite thinkers, Jamie Wheal, to set the stage for our conversation. On the show, Megan and I discuss the importance of civic responsibility and the role of local government, especially in a time of political polarization. We delve into her 2020 article, Reaching Across Party Lines, and examine how festivals like Burning Man can foster unity. We also touch on gender and the dynamics in the 2024 election, as well as the way forward after November. Megan served as Burning Man’s Director of Communications from 2014 to 2021 and is a seasoned political strategist with experience in the U.S. Senate, political campaigns, environmental advocacy, and HIV/AIDS prevention. She brings her expertise in public engagement and strategic communications to today’s discussion, helping us think about participation beyond the election. Timestamps (05:00) “The Curse of the Clever” by Jamie Wheal (15:00) Burning Man and Civic Responsibility (20:00) Megan’s Early Political Career (26:00) Cities and the Importance of Local Government (33:00) Navigating Political Polarization (41:00) The RFK Question in the Burning Man community (48:00) Gender and the 2024 Election (58:00) The Way Forward After the Election Links Megan K. Miller (@millermegank) Megan K. Miller Reaching Across Party Lines with Participation and Civic Responsibility Jamie Wheal | Substack: Homegrown Humans Newsletter The Gender Election - The Daily