The Psychedelic Podcast

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with computer scientist, climate investor, and Nexus author Ramez Naam about psychedelics, AI, neurotechnology, and cognitive liberty. Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-374/?ref=278 Ramez shares how psychedelic experiences sparked his interest in neuroscience, inspired his books, and helped redirect his work toward climate and clean energy. He and Paul explore what brain-computer interfaces can do today, the future of psychedelic mental healthcare, and how to protect freedom of thought as AI becomes a more personal tool. Ramez Naam is a computer scientist, mission-focused investor, climate activist, and award-winning author of science fiction and nonfiction. His Nexus trilogy explores the possibilities of mind-to-mind communication technology, while his nonfiction examines human augmentation, neuroscience, climate, and clean energy. He serves as Co-Chair for Energy and Environment at Singularity University and invests through Planetary VC in companies working on clean energy, climate technology, and beneficial uses of AI. Highlights: How psychedelics inspired Ramez's interest in neuroscience and his five books What today's brain-computer interfaces can and cannot do Psilocybin, 5-MeO-DMT, and the future of mental healthcare Medicalization, decriminalization, and psychedelic access The LSD experience that helped shape Ramez's climate work Clean energy progress and the challenges that remain AI privacy, cognitive liberty, and the freedom to think Episode Links: Ramez Naam's website: rameznaam.com Ramez Naam on X: x.com/ramez Ramez Naam on Instagram: instagram.com/rameznaam Episode Sponsors: SSRI Deprescribing & Psychedelic Readiness Training with Dr. Dave Rabin Disclaimer: This content is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. We do not promote or encourage the illegal use of any controlled substances. Nothing said here is medical or legal advice. Always consult a qualified medical or mental health professional before making decisions related to your health. The views expressed herein belong to the speaker alone, and do not reflect the views of any other person, company, or organization.

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with therapist and InnerEthics® founder Kylea Taylor about why responsible psychedelic therapy requires more than good intentions. Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-373/?ref=278 Kylea explains why non-ordinary states can amplify intimacy, vulnerability, countertransference, and practitioner blind spots. She presents ethics as an ongoing practice of self-inquiry, restraint, and right relationship rather than a set of rules consulted only after something goes wrong. Paul and Kylea also examine personal experience as preparation for facilitation, the complexities of touch and consent, the meaning of inner healing intelligence, and why compassionate peer consultation is essential for anyone holding space in psychedelic work. Kylea Taylor, M.S., LMFT, is a California licensed therapist and the founder of InnerEthics®, a self-reflective approach to relational ethics taught in breathwork and psychedelic practitioner trainings. A certified Holotropic Breathwork® facilitator, she served as a senior trainer with Dr. Stanislav Grof throughout the 1990s. Kylea is the author of The Ethics of Caring and Peer Consultation Groups & Ethical Awareness Tools for Psychedelic Practitioners. She also co-founded SoulCollage®, helping train more than 6,000 facilitators across 63 countries. Highlights: Why non-ordinary states amplify ethical challenges Self-awareness and the practitioner's blind spots Whether facilitators need personal experience with altered states Touch, consent, and client autonomy in psychedelic therapy Supporting inner healing intelligence without over-intervening Recognizing transference and countertransference Right relationship as a practical ethical compass Peer consultation and compassionate accountability Watch the full conversation on YouTube: https://youtu.be/CmLVfgTpgrc Connect with Kylea: InnerEthics®: https://innerethics.com KyleaTaylor.com: https://kyleataylor.com Kylea Taylor's books: https://hanfordmead.com/product-category/authors/kylea-taylor/ InnerEthics® on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/innerethics/ Kylea Taylor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyleataylor/ Episode Sponsors: SSRI Deprescribing & Psychedelic Readiness Training with Dr. Dave Rabin Disclaimer: This content is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. We do not promote or encourage the illegal use of any controlled substances. Nothing said here is medical or legal advice. Always consult a qualified medical or mental health professional before making decisions related to your health. The views expressed herein belong to the speaker alone and do not reflect the views of any other person, company, or organization.

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with Paije Alexandra West, founder of ETÉREO, about iboga, ibogaine, and Bwiti initiation. Drawing on Paul's recent retreat experience at ETÉREO in Baja, they examine what can be lost when iboga is reduced to a clinical alkaloid and how traditional ceremony can coexist with rigorous medical screening. Paije explains the differences between iboga root bark and total alkaloid extract, the role of Bwiti music, and why discomfort, community, and long-term integration are central to working responsibly with this demanding medicine. Paije Alexandra West is the founder and lead iboga provider at ETÉREO | Center for Truth, an iboga retreat center outside Todos Santos, Baja California Sur. A twice-initiated Bwiti practitioner, she began on the clinical side, supporting guests through detox and aftercare at ibogaine clinics. Her commitment deepened after losing her brother to a fentanyl overdose. Paije trained in Gabon with the Missoko Bwiti, completed the Nyembe rites in 2022, and was initiated with the Fong in 2025. Her work combines traditional Bwiti ceremony with EKGs, pharmacist reviews, licensed therapists, and IFS-informed integration. She runs ETÉREO with her husband and co-founder, Fletcher Burdick, and co-founded the Stone West Foundation. Highlights: How iboga differs from isolated ibogaine treatment What medicalized approaches can lose when culture and ceremony are removed Combining Bwiti tradition with clinical screening and emergency preparation Why responsible providers must be willing to say no Iboga root bark versus total alkaloid extract How Bwiti music shapes the ceremonial experience Discomfort, community, and the limits of modern convenience Why iboga requires long-term integration rather than a quick-fix mindset Episode Links: ETÉREO Stone West Foundation ETÉREO on Instagram @etereo__baja Paije on Instagram: @paijealexandrawest Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-372/?ref=278 Episode Sponsors: SSRI Deprescribing & Psychedelic Readiness Training with Dr. Dave Rabin Disclaimer: This content is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. We do not promote or encourage the illegal use of any controlled substances. Nothing said here is medical or legal advice. Always consult a qualified medical or mental health professional before making decisions related to your health. The views expressed herein belong to the speaker alone, and do not reflect the views of any other person, company, or organization.

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with psychiatrist and TaperClinic founder Dr. Josef Witt-Doerring about antidepressant withdrawal, psychiatric deprescribing, and psychedelic readiness. Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-371/?ref=278 Josef explains what he learned reviewing drug safety at the FDA, why withdrawal can be mistaken for relapse, and how tapering often becomes more difficult at lower doses. They also explore the lifestyle foundations of mental health, benzodiazepine withdrawal, and why psychedelic clinics may need far more sophisticated support as increasingly medicated patients seek psilocybin, MDMA, LSD, and ketamine. Dr. Josef Witt-Doerring, MD, is a psychiatrist renowned for his expertise in drug tapering and withdrawal management. With years of experience in clinical psychiatry, he has developed a particular interest and specialization in assisting patients with the safe and effective tapering of psychiatric medications. His approach is patient-centered, focusing on individualized plans that prioritize patient well-being and functioning. He is the founder and medical director of TaperClinic. Highlights: What antidepressant research leaves unanswered Why withdrawal can resemble relapse How lower doses change tapering Five foundations before optimization hacks Benzodiazepines in psychiatric deprescribing Psychedelics versus conventional drug models Insurance pressure on psychedelic clinics Preparing for heavily medicated patients TaperClinic: https://taperclinic.com/ TaperClinic Free Guide: https://taperclinic.com/free-guide/ SSRI Deprescribing & Psychedelic Readiness Training with Dr. Dave Rabin: https://edu.psychedeliccoaching.institute/ssri-deprescribing-and-psychedelic-readiness-certification/?ref=12 Disclaimer: This content is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. We do not promote or encourage the illegal use of any controlled substances. Nothing said here is medical or legal advice. Always consult a qualified medical or mental health professional before making decisions related to your health. The views expressed herein belong to the speaker alone, and do not reflect the views of any other person, company, or organization.

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with investigative journalist Robert Whitaker about the evidence behind psychiatric prescribing, SSRI withdrawal, and what psychedelic medicine can learn from that history. Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-370/?ref=278 Whitaker revisits the chemical imbalance theory, long-term antidepressant outcomes, and how psychiatric drugs evolved from short-term interventions toward chronic use. He also explores the social and environmental dimensions of mental health before turning to psychedelic medicine and the risks of recreating a drug-centered model of care. Robert Whitaker is the author of five books, three examining the history of psychiatry. His 2010 book, Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness, won the U.S. Investigative Reporters and Editors award for best investigative journalism. He is president of the Mad in America Foundation and founder of MadinAmerica.com, which features research news and perspectives from an international group of writers interested in rethinking psychiatry. Highlights: How the chemical imbalance story took hold What long-term psychiatric outcomes reveal How antidepressants became long-term treatment SSRI withdrawal versus recurring depression When SSRIs help, and at what cost Mental health beyond individual brain chemistry Psychedelic medicalization and personal agency Community, ritual, and psychedelic experience Episode Links: Mad in America Robert Whitaker Books SSRI Deprescribing & Psychedelic Readiness Training with Dr. Dave Rabin Disclaimer: This content is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. We do not promote or encourage the illegal use of any controlled substances. Nothing said here is medical or legal advice. Always consult a qualified medical or mental health professional before making decisions related to your health. The views expressed herein belong to the speaker alone, and do not reflect the views of any other person, company, or organization.