Curious to Serious Psychedelic Grad

In this episode, we talk with Ryan “Ghenigho” Rich. 
He is the Founder and Ceremony and Detox Lead at Root Healing Iboga Retreats and Detox.
In our conversation, we explore Ryan’s work at Root Healing. We talk about how Root Healing is unique by centering their Iboga retreats in Bwiti tradition while also exploring the scientific efficacy of Iboga.
We also discuss how Ryan’s life experiences motivated him to start Root Healing and how his background in business gave him the skills to get things started. Additionally, Ryan offers assistance and advice in finding connections within the plant medicine community.
Finally, we end the conversation with a discussion on the future of the psychedelic field and Ryan’s reflection on allowing traditional groups to control the procurement of sacred plant medicines.
Time Stamps:
3:02 What is Root Healing?
3:35 What is Iboga?
8:22 Differences between psychospiritual and detox retreats
13:34 How Bwiti tradition, reciprocity, and equitable access make Root Healing unique
22:04 Key research on Iboga and its alkaloids in addiction treatment
30:34 Treating intergenerational trauma with Iboga
36:12 Bridging Western science and traditional science
37:26 The legality of Iboga retreats
41:19 A timeline of Root Healing retreats
54:33 Ryan’s motivation and journey for starting Root Healing
1:07:38 Ryan’s formal education in business and training in Bwiti tradition
1:10:13 Finding traditional knowledge
1:18:42 Overcoming challenges
1:21:25 Ryan’s advice: Trust yourself
1:23:24 The future of psychedelics
Links:
Root Healing Website
Effects of Iboga Alkaloids
Iboga vs. Ibogaine
Iboga Science Resources
You can connect with Ryan through email at ghenigho@roothealing.com.
To learn more about Psychedelic Grad or to join our newsletter, go to https://www.psychedelicgrad.com/
To donate and support Psychedelic Grad: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/psygrad
Music by: https://www.alexkahnmusic.com/
Presented by Psychedelic Grad.

On this episode we talk to Christine Ziemer. 


Dr. Christine Ziemer is a professor of psychology at Missouri Western State University, faculty advisor to SSDP Chapter, and an excellent harm reductionist. Christine became interested in psychedelics and MAPS during her time in graduate school while working for her PhD in psychology. Since then it has been an interest of hers and overtime she grew braver and more confident in her serious dedication to the field of psychedelics and transpersonal psychology. The mainstream growth of psychedelics catapulted her interest and led her to propose new courses to cover the optics of Transpersonal Psych and Psychedelics. These are now regularly offered psychedelic elective courses and they have compounded interest over the years by the students at Missouri Western! 

Christine is a healer, educator, and mindfulness leader. She is incredible and I am so lucky to have had the chance to speak with her today. 
Christine is actively seeking community in the psychedelic field. She wants to connect with and help other educators become harm reductionists in their respective highschool, college, or community center. That being said, she wants to connect with them through this podcast–– if that educator is you or someone you know…. Please reach out to her directly! Her email is cziemer@missouriwestern.edu 


Hope you enjoy it! - Emma 


Time Description: 


0:10 Soundbite 
2:25 PG introduction 
4:53 Christine’s Introduction + her academic background 
15:18 Taking student interest and building the curriculum around it. How Christine academically align course topics and assignments to harm reduction skill-building
18:50 Identifying & overcoming stigma. Meeting students where they are at: creating the inclusive and exhaustive ‘psychedelic’ syllabus 
28:13 Christine calls them “The Systems of Miseducation''–– how to overcome the obstacles like drug-abstinence models and shaming people who use drugs, in order to undo the harms of The War on Drugs. 
30:27 How can all of this information (current and historic indigenous psychedelic use, The War on Drugs, neurobiology, chemistry, modern drug policy and related discrimination, medicalization, legalization, psychotherapy…etc), be fit into one, 15 week semester?
39:10  Making the academic composition of Harm Reduction filled with fun, collaborative, inclusive, skill-building opportunities.  
47:45 Introduction to Christine's transpersonal psychology course and the biopsychosocial-spiritual model and non psychedelic means of arrival like lucid dreaming, meditation, ecstatic dance, birth, and death. 
51:30 Why are psychedelics in the spotlight of scientific interest?  Discussing the  benefits of controlling variables like dose that are unmeasurable within other transpersonal experiences.
53:58 Next Steps = Spreading HR within and outside the conventional college education systems. Brainstorming how to overcome barriers to entry. 
1:01:10 Closing & Contact


Resources: 
Contact Christine:  cziemer@missouriwestern.edu 


To learn more about Psychedelic Grad or to join the newsletter, go to (https://www.psychedelicgrad.com/)

Music by Alex Hahn (https://www.alexkahnmusic.com/)

In this episode, we talk to Max C Wood.

Max is a graduate student studying developmental neuroscience and psychopathology. Max spent last year studying at the Anna Freud Center in London, and is now currently at Yale - researching into the impact attachment styles have on a psychedelic treatment design.

Broadly speaking, his passions lie in the integration of experiential and reductionist approaches - to help alleviate human suffering. He aspires to be a psychotherapist, and set up a holistic healing centre, drawing from multiple perspectives to personalize treatment - with a particular focus on psychedelic healing.

This podcast interview focuses on pharmaceutical studies (including psychedelics) and highlights interpersonal factors within clinical trial design, from the perspective of a clinical researcher.

Max’s fluency in this topic is evident, and he strongly encourages listeners to reach out to him directly.  (Contact: Max.c.woody@gmail.com)!

Time Description:

0:00 History of Anna Freud Research Center, From children’s orphanage to University Central London Center

5:26 Developmental Neuroscience and Psychopathology Program and
the history of Psychopathology and Psychoanalysis

10:46 1 year at UCL in academia and 1 year at Yale doing research. How UCL pairs students with mentor in a field of common interest. How Max found himself at Yale doing Ketamine research on patients suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder.

12:47 His responsibilities as a masters student on a double blind clinical trial with psychedelics, an active placebo, and psychotherapy.

16:19 Max describes what elements of his current clinical research has inspired his potential thesis that focuses on the symptom-relief in the placebo group. (Bonus: A great conversation with a placebo group participant).

29:48 Why did Max choose the Developmental Neuroscience and Psychopathology at UCL Masters of Research Program? Why understanding develop is foundational to understanding psychedelics and crucial to properly help treat adults.

37:38 How has the Masters of Research program so far informed Max’s outlook on the future of the psychedelic field, and how neuroscience or psychodynamics may play key roles. How healing goes beyond the patient and to the systems that they operate within, understanding the healing potential of systemic therapy.

54:49 What’s next for Max’s clinical psychedelic research future?

57:42 Advice to the Audience!

Resources:

Developmental Neuroscience and Psychopathology Masters of Research Program at University of Central London

(https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/taught-degrees/developmental-neuroscience-and-psychopathology-mres)

Anna Freud Biography & Center

(https://psychoanalysis.org.uk/our-authors-and-theorists/anna-freud)

(https://www.annafreud.org/ucl-postgraduate-study/ucl-postgraduate-programmes/)

Internal Family Systems Institute

(https://ifs-institute.com/)

Peter Fonagy Biography

(https://www.ucl.ac.uk/psychoanalysis/people/peter-fonagy)

To learn more about Psychedelic Grad or to join our newsletter, go to https://www.psychedelicgrad.com/

Music by: https://www.alexkahnmusic.com/

Presented by Psychedelic Grad.

In this episode, we talk with David Drapkin.

He is the Director of Operations and Strategic Growth at Psychedelics Today.

In our conversation, we explore David’s work at Psychedelics Today, including his role in creating Psychedelic Today’s newest course, Vital.

We discuss David’s history in economics and how a near-death experience changed his path to psychotherapy and social work. Additionally, we talk about bridging the personal sphere with the professional sphere and what that can look like in practice. Further, we discuss how psychedelics influence our religious paths and what that means for our professional careers.

David provides advice on skill-building, networking, and job hunting throughout our conversation.

Finally, we end our conversation with a reflection on the future of the psychedelic field and David’s desire to change the narrative around the War on Drugs.

Time Stamps:

3:09 David’s role at Psychedelics Today

5:23 Psychedelics Today’s new program, Vial

19:08 Additional resources offered by Psychedelics Today

20:43 The journey from economics to social work

31:23 Merging the personal and professional sphere with psychedelics by doing our shadow work

43:19 Finding a job at Psychedelics Today and the role of networking

52:59 How working on our individual shadows allows us to address socially collective shadows

1:00:27 The role of music and the senses in the psychedelic experience

1:02:38 Psychedelics influence on spirituality

1:06:49 Changing the narrative on the War on Drugs

1:17:53 Advice on building skills

1:26:02 Future development of the psychedelic field

1:33:42 How to connect with David

Links:

Vital Psychedelic Training -
https://www.psychedeliceducationcenter.com/a/aff_9p71gl26/external?affcode=80460_0s5vb-xp

Psychedelics Today Website -
https://psychedelicstoday.com/

You can connect with David through LinkedIn or email at info@psychedelicstoday.com

To learn more about Psychedelic Grad or to join our newsletter, go to https://www.psychedelicgrad.com/

Music by: https://www.alexkahnmusic.com/

Presented by Psychedelic Grad.

In this episode, we talk with Sasha Cuff.

He is a Somatic Relational Practitioner with Nectara.

For the past 25 years, he has been sitting therapeutically with people with all types of trauma, tirelessly seeking to understand the roots of suffering and disease. He observed that while some people got better, many of them were not improving at all. This led him on a path to explore and study a multitude of healing modalities.

In our conversation, we explore Sasha’s work including coaching and therapy, facilitating retreats, and running his own practice. We also discuss the Masterclass Sasha created for 
Nectara on the Physiology of Trauma.

We talk about Sasha’s journey of leaving academia to pursue alternative modes of therapy and healing in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, energy healing, muscle testing, talk therapy, vibrational medicine, channeling, martial arts, shamanism, and psychedelic therapy. 

Additionally, Sasha explains how his role of being a loving father of 3 boys taught him more about therapy than any psychology class.

Sasha also offers advice for those interested in following a similar career path including exploring different modes of healing and finding “what lights you up.”

Finally, we end our conversation with a reflection on the future of the psychedelic field and 
Sasha’s interest in the creation of psychedelic centers to support people through all phases of the psychedelic journey.

Timestamps:

2:36 What is Nectara?

4:02 Sasha’s role as a guide

5:57 Sasha’s Masterclass: The Physiology of Trauma

24:38 Navigating somatic touch in therapeutic work

36:17 Leaving academia to pursue alternative modes of therapy and healing

47:27 Networking and apprenticeships: learning alternative modes of therapy and healing and finding “what lights you up”

1:01:16 Integrating psychedelics into alternative therapies

1:08:18 Advice for others interested in a similar career path

1:12:59 Psychedelic centers as the future of psychedelics

1:20:33 How to connect with Sasha

1:22:04 Final thoughts

Links:

Nectara Masterclass - https://www.nectara.co/masterclasses/physiology-of-trauma?via=mitchell

Nectara Website – https://www.nectara.co

You can connect with Sasha through email at sasha@sashacuff.com

To learn more about Psychedelic Grad or to join our newsletter, go to https://www.psychedelicgrad.com/

Music by: https://www.alexkahnmusic.com/

Presented by Psychedelic Grad.

In this episode, we talk with Jon Dean.

He is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Brain Mechanisms of Pain & Health Laboratory at the University of California, San Diego.

Jon obtained his Bachelor’s in Chemistry at Youngstown State University, and his Master’s and Ph.D. in Molecular & Integrative Physiology from the University of Michigan, where he studied the role of the prefrontal cortex in anesthesia and biosynthesis and secretion of endogenous N,N,-dimethyltryptamine in rodent models.

To translate his basic science skillset to human and clinical populations, Jon is now conducting neural imaging studies on the neuropsychological effects of meditation, cannabis, and psilocybin on acute and chronic pain and stress as well as for the promotion of empathy and compassion.


Time Stamps:

1:54 Welcome Jon Dean! An overview of his past and current research

5:47 Co-founding the Psychedelic Neuroscience and Therapy Group at University of Michigan

9:10 From musician to neuroscience researcher

11:30 Embodying Curious to Serious, the curiosity of neurochemistry and neuropsychology. “Brain as a receptor and receiver for chemicals and altering consciousness.”

15:46 Meat and Potatoes: How did Jon get here (and was getting a master's and Ph.D. worth it)? 

26:50 Slight digression about Wim Hoff. And self-identifying bias as a mindfulness or meditation researcher. Advice on limiting bias in research from Jon’s PI, “let’s find out the truth, if we find out it’s not true, great, we did our job.” 

30:00 Getting along with the person you work with, philosophical alignment with your advisor, and finding “your fit.”

34:46 DMT clinical research for the future. Translating Jon’s prior rodent research to investigate clinical and therapeutic outcomes related to DMT and the human brain.

39:45 Rodent research, the invasive and ethical conservation of all life.

42:32 You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Slightly altering existing techniques (like fMRI) to answer new research questions. And Jon’s long term goals as a clinical neuroscientist 

47:10 Reaching out to people whose work you are interested in, clinical neuroscientists [generally] are interested in helping new researchers navigate the field.

49:00 [Brief Redbull tangent] and summarizing how we can stay ethical in research with humans and all life forms

53:37 Closing thoughts, and some info about Jon’s new hobby: surfing. “Take care of yourself and each other.”


Contact information Jon Dean:  j1dean@health.ucsd.edu


To learn more about Psychedelic Grad or to join our newsletter, go to https://www.psychedelicgrad.com/

Music by: https://www.alexkahnmusic.com/

Presented by Psychedelic Grad.