The Psychonaut Show

John Burton, MD and Tracy Sidesinger, PsyD
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Biweekly

The Psychonaut Show is a podcast exploring the interface of psychedelics and psychoanalysis, guiding curious minds on a journey deeper into the unconscious, self-discovery, and change. Join psychoanalysts Dr. John Burton and Dr. Tracy Sidesinger as we explore these different modalities and what they have to offer each other. We regularly host special guests who bring additional expertise as psychedelic researchers, clinicians, historians, and spiritual teachers. If you are a psychoanalyst or other mental health clinician, a psychedelic researcher or user, or just psychedelic-curious, this podcast is for you!

Episodes

  1. May 12

    Dr. Diana Moga on Ketamine, Neurodiversity, and the Transitional Space

    In this episode of The Psychonaut Show, we sit down with Dr. Diana Moga to explore the intersection of neurodiversity, psychoanalysis, and psychedelic-assisted healing. Dr. Diana holds an MD and a PhD in neuroscience and is also trained in psychiatry and psychoanalysis, and her work extends across the topics of gender and sexuality, psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, and neurodiversity. In this episode we focus on the clinical application of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, specifically highlighting its benefits for neurodiverse individuals. Dr. Diana discusses the higher incidence of social trauma that neurodiverse individuals are exposed to, and conversely, the ways in which KAP may be particularly suited to opening back up a field of play and relational trust. She also problematizes the idea that neurodiversity itself needs treated, and instead brings individual experience back to the center of treatment. Dr. Diana referenced several scholarly works that are linked here for further exploration: Reduction in Social Anxiety After MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy with Autistic Adults-- paper by Nick Walker, Alicia Danforth, et al. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30196397/ Hans Loewald's paper On the Therapeutic Action of Psycho-Analysis https://it.scribd.com/document/190181049/Hans-Loewald-On-the-Therapeutic-Action-of-Psycho-Analysis The Disintegrating Self: Psychotherapy of Adult ADHD, Autistic Spectrum, and Somato-psychic Disorders by Phil Mollon-- https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9780429481499/disintegrating-self-phil-mollon

    1h 1m

  2. Apr 7

    Dr. Larry Fischman on Inner Healing Intelligence as a Relational Process

    In this episode, we hear from Dr. Larry Fischman, a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst whose work has long bridged the gap between psychedelic states and the human unconscious. Dr. Fischman enters the journey with his own "arbitrary beginning" in 1973 when a high school road trip to see the Grateful Dead led to his first LSD experience—a profound departure from his known world that opened a lifelong inquiry into different states of consciousness. The conversation delves into Dr. Larry’s early writing where he compared the quality of consciousness in psychedelic states to dreams and psychotic episodes. He explains how these states are similar in the way they allow direct access to primary process. By depathologizing these experiences, he suggests that what we often view with fear in psychiatry is actually an accessible, albeit different, plane of reality. Dr. Larry argues that psychedelic-assisted therapy is not just an isolated interior journey, but an interpersonal field where the presence of the therapist is vital. This is particularly powerful for those healing from developmental trauma; by leaning into the concept of "inner healing intelligence," a therapist can help a patient regain trust by first encouraging them to trust their own internal resources. Drawing on the works of Aldous Huxley, Stan Grof, and D.W. Winnicott, Dr. Larry explores the "is-ness" of the psychedelic experience—the moment when one sees the world stripped of learned abstractions. He concludes with a vision for the future where psychedelics are embraced as "a royal road to the unconscious," serving as essential allies for analysts in helping people truly understand themselves.

  3. Mar 25

    Our Journey So Far

    In this reflection episode, Dr. Tracy and Dr. John pause to integrate the groundbreaking work and far-reaching associations generated in their conversations with their first three guests: Dr. Alexa Albert on using MDMA to treat pathological narcissism, Dr. Jeffrey Guss on the "lost sisters" of psychoanalysis and psychedelics and their current reunion, and Dr. Megan Rundel on reframing mystical states as profoundly connective rather than merely regressive. Moving beyond the interviews, Tracy and John dive into a candid discussion about the evolution of the analyst’s role. They challenge traditional Freudian neutrality and explore the value of clinical authenticity, the impact of an analyst’s own psychedelic experiences, and how a relational approach creates a unique play space for deep psychological healing.

    46 min

  4. Mar 10

    Dr. Megan Rundel on Expanded States of Consciousness

    In this episode, we speak with clinical psychologist, psychoanalyst, and Zen teacher Dr. Megan Rundel about her work at the intersection of psychoanalysis, psychedelics, and spirituality. Drawing on her recent paper “Expansion and Regression in Oceanic Experience: A Model of Psychedelic Consciousness for Psychoanalysis,” Dr. Megan explores how psychedelic states and psychoanalytic treatment approach psychological terrain in ways that are both contrasting and complementary. The conversation examines how psychedelic experiences can disrupt entrenched psychological patterns—often linked to the brain’s default mode network—while psychoanalysis provides the slower, relational framework needed to understand and integrate those experiences. Dr. Megan also discusses the role of the unconscious, transference, and ethical “frame” in psychedelic work, and argues that psychoanalytic thinking can deepen the field beyond its current short-term clinical models. Finally, the discussion turns toward expansive states of consciousness often described as mystical or oceanic—experiences of interconnectedness, ego expansion, and love—and how psychoanalysis might develop a richer language for understanding them. Episode Links: - Dr. Megan Rundel's article Expansion and Regression in Oceanic Experience https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10481885.2025.2574581 - Learn more about Dr. Megan Rundel on her website: https://www.drmeganrundel.com/

    1h 2m

  5. Feb 25

    Dr. Jeffrey Guss on the Lost History of Psychedelics in Psychoanalysis

    In this episode, Dr. Jeffrey Guss shares his journey in psychedelics starting as a curious 14-year-old during the Summer of Love, to becoming a leading researcher and trainer in psychedelic therapy. We break down the historical relationship between psychoanalysis and psychedelics -- from the 1950's psycholytic therapy with LSD to criminalization in the 1970's through the Controlled Substances Act -- and explore how psychedelic substances can address a myriad of things from mystical spiritual experiences to existential anxiety in cancer patients. The forgotten history of psychedelics in psychoanalysis comes to light through Dr. Jeff's careful attention to the historical record. Episode links: - Dr. Jeffrey Guss, Lead Trainer at Fluence https://www.fluencetraining.com/about/team/dr-jeffrey-guss - Dr. Jeffrey Guss's publications on psycholytic and psychedelic-assisted therapy https://med.nyu.edu/faculty/jeffrey-r-guss

  6. Feb 10

    Dr. Alexa Albert on Treating Narcissism with MDMA

    In the first interview episode of The Psychonaut Show, hosts Dr. John and Dr. Tracy welcome Dr. Alexa Albert. Dr. Alexa’s clinical work focuses on the enduring psychological patterns shaped by early relational trauma, particularly pathological narcissism. This episode centers on Dr. Alexa’s groundbreaking work leading the first clinical trial to investigate MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for pathological narcissism. Dr. Alexa discusses the importance of integrating psychedelic treatment with psychotherapy, and how psychoanalytic therapy is particularly suited to this work. She explains why models that separate medicine from sustained therapeutic relationships risk leaving patients emotionally exposed without adequate support. For individuals with narcissistic defenses, she argues, the therapeutic alliance itself is central. MDMA, in her view, does not replace the work of therapy but enhances it. Dr. Alexa addresses common misconceptions about narcissism, reframing it not as excessive self-love but as a condition rooted in profound feelings of unworthiness, invisibility, and unmet relational needs. She describes how narcissistic defenses develop as adaptive responses to unsafe early environments and how MDMA-assisted therapy may help patients access buried vulnerability and foster profound relational openness, experiences that would otherwise take years to reach in conventional psychoanalysis. She weaves together psychoanalysis, trauma theory, and psychedelic science, offering a thoughtful and humane vision for how these medicines might expand the possibilities of deep psychological healing. Episode Links: - Alexa Albert's website https://www.alexaalbert.com/ - Information on Dr. Alexa's current pilot study for treating pathological narcissism with MDMA-assisted therapy https://depts.washington.edu/mdma-narcissism/ - Dr. Alexa's co-authored paper providing the rationale for MDMA-assisted therapy as an appropriate, targeted treatment for pathological narcissism https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1529427/full

  7. Jan 26

    Introducing The Psychonaut Show

    In this inaugural episode, psychoanalysts Dr. Tracy and Dr. John introduce The Psychonaut Show and explore the growing convergence between psychoanalysis and psychedelics. Reflecting on their personal and professional journeys, they trace how curiosity about the unconscious, skepticism shaped by the war on drugs, and evolving research in trauma and mental health led them to this shared space. Through discussion of concepts like the psychonaut as an explorer of mind and soul, the default mode network, mystical experience, safety, “set and setting,” and the role of transference and integration, they highlight how psychedelics and psychoanalysis can deepen one another.

  • 7 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

The Psychonaut Show is a podcast exploring the interface of psychedelics and psychoanalysis, guiding curious minds on a journey deeper into the unconscious, self-discovery, and change. Join psychoanalysts Dr. John Burton and Dr. Tracy Sidesinger as we explore these different modalities and what they have to offer each other. We regularly host special guests who bring additional expertise as psychedelic researchers, clinicians, historians, and spiritual teachers. If you are a psychoanalyst or other mental health clinician, a psychedelic researcher or user, or just psychedelic-curious, this podcast is for you!

Information

  • Creator
    John Burton, MD and Tracy Sidesinger, PsyD
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    7
  • Rating
    Clean

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