The Psymposia Podcast

Psymposia

Psymposia is a 501(c)(3) research non-profit with a mission to educate the public on psychedelic science and harm reduction. We offer critical perspectives on drugs, politics, and culture. The podcast is co-hosted by Psymposia co-founder Brian Normand, psychedelics researcher and ethicist Neşe Devenot, evolutionary ecologist Brian Pace, and journalist Russell Hausfeld.

  1. 2 days ago

    #74.5 The Fight Over Trans Healthcare Under Trump w/ Jane Migliara Brigham

    This is an excerpted interview from episode #74. Psymposia speaks with Jane Migliara Brigham of The Needle to discuss her recent article, "Ambetter Insurance, Centene denying hormones to trans patients across 19 states in push for MAHA Medicine."

    28 min

  2. 3 days ago

    #74 Psychedelic Billionaire Dystopia, Terence McKenna Archives, Trans Healthcare Under Trump 6.18.2026

    James, Russell, and Normie chat about the Best in Grass competition before diving into a discussion of a lawsuit against OpenAI over alleged bad drug advice and the preservation of the Terence McKenna archive. Russell conducts an in-depth interview with Jane Migliara Brigham on the state of trans healthcare under Trump, unpacking the policy landscape and its real-world implications. In the back half of the episode, the crew is joined by Mike and Neşe to discuss billionaire investor Christian Angermayer — breaking down his psychedelic origin story, his concept of "Societal Adjustment Disorder," and his broader vision for the future, including techno-feudalism, dosing the water, and even his thoughts on extraterrestrials. SUPPORT: https://www.patreon.com/psymposia FOLLOW: https://www.instagram.com/psymposia/ https://x.com/psymposia  https://bsky.app/profile/psymposia.bsky.social Chapters: 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:00 Best in Grass competition 00:09:47 Suboxone clarification 00:12:14 OpenAI sued for bad drug advice 00:20:53 Terence Mckenna archive 00:33:53 Patreon Updates 00:36:00 Interview with Jane Migliara Brigham on trans healthcare under Trump 01:03:03 Psymposia shop updates 01:04:16 Christian Angermayer's psychedelic origin story 01:27:45 Christian Angermayer on "Societal Adjustment Disorder" 01:40:55 Christian Angermayer's techno-feudalist vision for the future 01:58:25 Christian Angermayer wants to does the water  02:06:51 Christian Angermayer's views on aliens Footnotes: Parents say ChatGPT got their son killed with bad advice on party drugs (The Verge) https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/928691/openai-chatgpt-wrongful-death-overdose Terence McKenna's Daughter Is Quietly Building The Archive A Generation Of Psychonauts Has Been Waiting For (High Times) https://hightimes.com/culture/terence-mckennas-daughter-has-been-paying-for-a-storage-unit-in-hawaii-for-25-years-she-just-opened-it/ Ambetter Insurance, Centene denying hormones to trans patients across 19 states in push for MAHA Medicine (The Needle) https://www.theneedle.media/2026/06/ambetter-insurance-centene-denying-hormones-to-trans-patients-across-19-states-in-push-for-maha-medicine/ Better Sex, Better Hair, Better Sleep: 'Humanmaxxing' Is Here (New York Times) https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/opinion/biotech-maxxing-christian-angermayer.html Enhanced Games Was Just the Start... (Fifter Years) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iDHaPz6kek

    2h 16m

  3. 3 June

    #73 Enhanced Games Peptide Grift, MAHA Public Health Slop, Psychedelic Christian Nationalism 06.03.2026

    SUPPORT: https://www.patreon.com/psymposia FOLLOW: https://www.instagram.com/psymposia/ https://x.com/psymposia https://bsky.app/profile/psymposia.bsky.social Normie, Neşe, Russell, and James dive into the telehealth supplement play behind the Enhanced Games, dissect the Secretary of Homeland Security's significant stake in Botanic Tonics, unpack the dangerous rhetoric of the MAHA movement and its real-world impact on mental health policy and infant mortality, and examine the key figure pushing ibogaine from fringe psychedelic to centerpiece of a broader Christian nationalist movement. Footnotes: The Enhanced Games Explained: Inside the $1.2 Billion Bet on Doping in Sports (Huddle Up) https://huddleup.substack.com/p/the-enhanced-games-explained-inside How a kratom giant got what it wanted from RFK and new Homeland Security chief (Kansas City Star) https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/david-hudnall/article315593616.html RFK Jr. launches plan to address 'overuse' of psychiatric medications (CNN) https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/05/health/rfk-jr-overprescribing-psychiatric-drugs-wellness Babies Are Bleeding to Death as Parents Reject a Vitamin Shot Given at Birth (Propublica)  https://www.propublica.org/article/more-parents-decline-vitamin-k-shot-newborns The Man Behind the Trump Administration's Favorite Psychedelic (The Atlantic)  https://www.theatlantic.com/health/2026/05/psychedelics-ibogaine-bryan-hubbard-republican/687281/

    1hr 46min

  4. 25 May

    Patreon Update: New Tiers and Offerings

    We have made some changes to our Patreon and wanted to let you know what to expect from your subscription moving forward! Simplified Tiers. We simplified our tiers so there will only be three offerings: a $5, $10, and $50 level  The $2 tier is going away July 1, but any current $2 members will be grandfathered in at that price.  Early Access. All of our paid members will receive early access to ad-free podcast episodes, generally released twice a month. Additionally, Patreon members will receive around 20-45 minutes of post-episode bonus content with each release! Group Chat. All paid members also now have access to a community group chat and a chat where you can suggest stories for us to cover in upcoming episodes.  Live Chat. Our $10 tier offers the chance to join us for live "Shitpostia" doomscroll sessions, where we will discuss our social feeds and answer audience questions.  Extra Offerings for Annual Subscribers. If you subscribe annually at either the $5 or $10 level, you will receive merchandise including buttons ($5+$10 tier), stickers  ($5+$10 tier), and blotter art ($10 tier).

    2 min

  5. 24 May

    #72 Patreon Exclusive: The Drug Culture of Looksmaxxing

    This clip from our Patreon bonus content breaks down the so-called "pentastack" behind looksmaxxer streams: a combinations of stimulants, dissociatives, performance drugs, and psychiatric medications. We also examine the disturbing response from the people around Clavicular during his livestreamed overdose.

    8 min

  6. 20 May

    #71 Hamilton Morris Sued, MAGA Weirdo on Shrooms, VA Mental Health Collapse Under Trump 05.20.2026

    Russell, Normie, Pace and James debut a new podcast format covering the latest developments in psychedelics, drug policy, and politics. Today, they review the latest Church of Sacred Synthesis lawsuit news, misperceptions of the "psychedelic Left", Purdue Pharma's collapse, the Trump administration's cuts to fentanyl test strip funding, vaccine and ivermectin discourse, and worsening conditions in veterans' mental healthcare.  Footnotes:  Michelle Lhooq — "We Have Entered the Era of Conservative Psychedelia" https://ravenewworld.substack.com/p/we-have-entered-the-era-of-conservative Associated Press — "OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma to dissolve in opioid settlement" https://apnews.com/article/oxycontin-purdue-pharma-criminal-sentence-settlement-b8aa94eaab3d9d8efed520f272f6d810 Vocal Politics — On Jake Lang being arrested for psychedelic mushrooms https://www.instagram.com/p/DYNljTRjdRI/?igsh=OXpkeGVxMDQ0OGo3 The New York Times — "Trump Administration Restricts Funding for Fentanyl Test Strips" https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/27/health/trump-fentanyl-test-strips.html The New York Times — "FDA Delays Publication of Vaccine Safety Research" https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/05/us/politics/fda-covid-vaccine-studies.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur ProPublica — "Veterans Who Depend on Mental Health Care Keep Losing Their Therapists Under Trump" https://www.propublica.org/article/veterans-affairs-mental-health-therapists-quit-trump Drug Policy Alliance — Harm Reduction Form Letter https://engage.drugpolicy.org/secure/take-action-protect-funding-treatment-overdose-prevention-lifesaving-services

    1hr 32min

  7. 10 May

    #70 Telepathy in Psychedelic Therapy

    Psymposia board member Dr. Neşe Devenot's presentation at the Ohio State University "Religion and Psychedelics" conference, recorded March 28, 2026. In this talk, Dr. Devenot presents their research on the reliance on unscientific telepathic attunement in many popular schools of psychedelic therapy.

    41 min

  8. 2 May

    #69 Why is Professor Dave Promoting Psychedelic Grifters?

    Professor Dave is a well-known science communicator and prolific debunker of pseudoscience. Despite building his platform on combatting misinformation, he continues joining conversations that promote false claims about the FDA's rejection of MDMA-assisted therapy — one of which he republished on his own channel. In this episode, Psymposia responds to the latest of these conversations on the Danny Jones Podcast. We encourage Professor Dave to do his homework on the psychedelic industry before aligning himself with the very pseudoscience promoters he's built his career opposing.

    24 min
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About

Psymposia is a 501(c)(3) research non-profit with a mission to educate the public on psychedelic science and harm reduction. We offer critical perspectives on drugs, politics, and culture. The podcast is co-hosted by Psymposia co-founder Brian Normand, psychedelics researcher and ethicist Neşe Devenot, evolutionary ecologist Brian Pace, and journalist Russell Hausfeld.

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