1 hr 27 min
Embrace ASD Podcast #03 – Aaron Orsini Embrace Autism Podcast
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- Self-Improvement
In our third episode, we talk with Aaron Orsini, co-founder of the Autistic Psychedelic Community, collaborator with neuroscientists, and author of the book Autism on Acid, about how LSD helped him understand, navigate, alter, and appreciate his autistic perceptions.
Follow Aaron:
Websites: AutisticPsychedelic.com & AutismOnAcid.com
Twitter: @AutisticPsyched & @AutismOnAcid
Aaron’s book: Autism on Acid
----more----
Psychedelic research websites:
MAPS website: MAPS.org
Heffter website: Heffter.org
Topics of discussion:
01:16 Aaron’s diagnosis04:20 Aaron coming out as autistic05:15 Wrestling with the pood, the bad, and the ugly of autism06:35 The stages of grief and autism diagnosis09:20 Dealing with depression and other blocks in personal development10:36 Neurological contact lens15:00 Autism, psychedelics, and neural rewiring17:50 Alexithymia and autism21:00 Autistic Roomba23:25 Martin’s tree experience26:26 Hypersensitivity and trauma31:35 Synesthesia33:40 Psychedelics aiding a person with overwhelming synesthesia35:00 Comparing and contrasting conscious experiences in NTs and autistics36:47 Serotonin is (seemingly) ubiquitous: the model neurotransmitter39:10 Parallels between infant brains and adult brains on psychedelics40:10 Aaron’s role as a bridge between autism and psychedelic neuroscience42:40 Other autistics’ positive experiences with psychedelics43:44 Meditation and then mushrooms help Matt with his alexithymia45:10 Martin embraces empathy on MDMA45:40 Aaron’s first LSD trip49:00 Dissolving the mask: LSD improves Aaron’s social intuition50:55 Attempting to explain the ineffable, such as falling in love for the first time52:48 Aaron takes control of his meta-programming54:10 Aaron’s struggle to manifest his goals55:55 PSA on doing and acquiring psychedelic substances57:15 Collabs & more collabs: Aaron’s goals for autism and psychedelic research59:45 Psychedelics’ medicinal uses1:00:00 Lessons learned1:04:00 LSD saves Aaron’s life1:05:00 Taking interest in others1:07:20 Research on psychedelics as disorder treatment1:08:45 Psychedelics easing defense mechanisms and facilitating trauma resolution1:09:56 Aaron embraces his autism post-LSD trip1:11:30 Founding Embrace ASD1:11:57 Love yourself1:12:30 Knowing an experience vs. knowing about an experience1:13:32 Insights don’t come for free1:16:00 Aaron makes binaural beats1:16:30 Set and setting1:17:55 Alicia Danforth’s study on MDMA to alleviate social anxiety in autistic subjects((Reduction in social anxiety after MDMA-assisted psychotherapy with autistic adults: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study (Danforth et al., 2018)))1:18:55 Aaron’s vision for psychedelic-assisted therapy for autistic people1:21:10 Aaron finds his calling in life1:22:40 Weekly autistic meetup group1:23:00 Tempering expectations1:23:30 Growing support and Aaron’s identity as a community-grower1:24:18 Aaron’s social media/wrapping up
In our third episode, we talk with Aaron Orsini, co-founder of the Autistic Psychedelic Community, collaborator with neuroscientists, and author of the book Autism on Acid, about how LSD helped him understand, navigate, alter, and appreciate his autistic perceptions.
Follow Aaron:
Websites: AutisticPsychedelic.com & AutismOnAcid.com
Twitter: @AutisticPsyched & @AutismOnAcid
Aaron’s book: Autism on Acid
----more----
Psychedelic research websites:
MAPS website: MAPS.org
Heffter website: Heffter.org
Topics of discussion:
01:16 Aaron’s diagnosis04:20 Aaron coming out as autistic05:15 Wrestling with the pood, the bad, and the ugly of autism06:35 The stages of grief and autism diagnosis09:20 Dealing with depression and other blocks in personal development10:36 Neurological contact lens15:00 Autism, psychedelics, and neural rewiring17:50 Alexithymia and autism21:00 Autistic Roomba23:25 Martin’s tree experience26:26 Hypersensitivity and trauma31:35 Synesthesia33:40 Psychedelics aiding a person with overwhelming synesthesia35:00 Comparing and contrasting conscious experiences in NTs and autistics36:47 Serotonin is (seemingly) ubiquitous: the model neurotransmitter39:10 Parallels between infant brains and adult brains on psychedelics40:10 Aaron’s role as a bridge between autism and psychedelic neuroscience42:40 Other autistics’ positive experiences with psychedelics43:44 Meditation and then mushrooms help Matt with his alexithymia45:10 Martin embraces empathy on MDMA45:40 Aaron’s first LSD trip49:00 Dissolving the mask: LSD improves Aaron’s social intuition50:55 Attempting to explain the ineffable, such as falling in love for the first time52:48 Aaron takes control of his meta-programming54:10 Aaron’s struggle to manifest his goals55:55 PSA on doing and acquiring psychedelic substances57:15 Collabs & more collabs: Aaron’s goals for autism and psychedelic research59:45 Psychedelics’ medicinal uses1:00:00 Lessons learned1:04:00 LSD saves Aaron’s life1:05:00 Taking interest in others1:07:20 Research on psychedelics as disorder treatment1:08:45 Psychedelics easing defense mechanisms and facilitating trauma resolution1:09:56 Aaron embraces his autism post-LSD trip1:11:30 Founding Embrace ASD1:11:57 Love yourself1:12:30 Knowing an experience vs. knowing about an experience1:13:32 Insights don’t come for free1:16:00 Aaron makes binaural beats1:16:30 Set and setting1:17:55 Alicia Danforth’s study on MDMA to alleviate social anxiety in autistic subjects((Reduction in social anxiety after MDMA-assisted psychotherapy with autistic adults: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study (Danforth et al., 2018)))1:18:55 Aaron’s vision for psychedelic-assisted therapy for autistic people1:21:10 Aaron finds his calling in life1:22:40 Weekly autistic meetup group1:23:00 Tempering expectations1:23:30 Growing support and Aaron’s identity as a community-grower1:24:18 Aaron’s social media/wrapping up
1 hr 27 min