1 hr 10 min
Listening to Ecstasy with Charles Wininger, LP, LMHC The Look Up! Podcast with Marc Weinstein
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- Education
The Most Important ThingCheck out Listening to Ecstasy to learn more about this powerful substance and the positive impact it had on Charley’s life.
About Charles WiningerCharles Wininger, LP, LMHC is a licensed psychoanalyst and mental health counselor specializing in relationships and communication skills. Recognized as the “Love Doctor” by the New York Times and Newsday, he’s been treating couples and individuals in his Manhattan and Brooklyn offices for 30 years. He sits o the board of advisors of the Psychedelic Education and Continuing Care Program at the Center for Optimal Living in New York. He lives with his wife, Shelley, in Brooklyn.
About Listening to EcstasyListening to Ecstasy serves as both Charley’s memoir and a guide to the safe and effective use of MDMA. In this book, Charley details the countless ways that Ecstasy has helped him become a better therapist and husband. He recounts his coming of age in the 1960s counterculture, his 50 years of responsible experimentation with mind-altering substances, and his immersion in the new psychedelic renaissance. He explains how he and his wife found Ecstasy to be the key to renewing and enriching their lives as they entered their senior years.
Countering the fearful propaganda that surrounds this drug, Winninger describes what the experience actually feels like and explores the value of Ecstasy and similar substances for potentially helping psychologically healthy individuals live a more fulfilling life. He provides guidelines for the responsible use of MDMA, including how to optimize the “roll” and hot it may not be for everyone. He reveals how MDMA has enhanced his marriage, both erotically and emotionally, and describes how pleasure, fun, and joy can lead to profound bonding and transformative experiences.
Episode Overview:In this episode, Charley and I discuss the role of Ecstasy in his life and marriage. We identify the benefits and risks, as well as the negative propaganda against Ecstasy / MDMA. Charley shares his experience coming of age in the 60s, his use of psychedelic substances, and his becoming a therapist. We discuss love, politics, and the crises humanity currently encounters. Finally, we hone on the power of men’s work and compassion in building a healthy life and relationships. While the book is about his experience with Ecstasy, we talk about so much more.
My Favorite Quotes:“I was tripping balls before you were even a twinkle in your father’s eye”
“The best way to do MDMA, especially the first time, is at home when you have control over your immediate surroundings… start out in the safest place you know, which is usually the home.”
“The Burner culture owes a lot to the original counter-culture of the 60s whether they know it or not, and I believe that they do.”
“The Summer of Love was one of the most magical times of my life; the other most magical time of my life is NOW”
“The 60s taught me that Utopia is possible - as funny as it might sound.”
“The best way to live is not as an I, but part of a WE. As part of something, bigger than yourself – that’s the most meaningful way to live.”
“It’s up to us, to fix all of the horrible problems that we face. To bring it back to MDMA, I believe these medicines can help to inform us and teach us. This is why I call the book Listening to Ecstasy.”
“My generation really blew it – we made the world a little better, but not as much as we should have or could have”
“Capitalism is an enormously powerful force with its own momentum and all the systems in place have their own momentum.”
“The only true method of change is non-violent and massive – in order to delegitimize mainstream culture”
“The way we feel on MDMA points to the way that we need to live – with an open heart and an open mind – seeing all the people on the planet as no different than us. That’s true revolution and it comes from these medicines and spiritual pract
The Most Important ThingCheck out Listening to Ecstasy to learn more about this powerful substance and the positive impact it had on Charley’s life.
About Charles WiningerCharles Wininger, LP, LMHC is a licensed psychoanalyst and mental health counselor specializing in relationships and communication skills. Recognized as the “Love Doctor” by the New York Times and Newsday, he’s been treating couples and individuals in his Manhattan and Brooklyn offices for 30 years. He sits o the board of advisors of the Psychedelic Education and Continuing Care Program at the Center for Optimal Living in New York. He lives with his wife, Shelley, in Brooklyn.
About Listening to EcstasyListening to Ecstasy serves as both Charley’s memoir and a guide to the safe and effective use of MDMA. In this book, Charley details the countless ways that Ecstasy has helped him become a better therapist and husband. He recounts his coming of age in the 1960s counterculture, his 50 years of responsible experimentation with mind-altering substances, and his immersion in the new psychedelic renaissance. He explains how he and his wife found Ecstasy to be the key to renewing and enriching their lives as they entered their senior years.
Countering the fearful propaganda that surrounds this drug, Winninger describes what the experience actually feels like and explores the value of Ecstasy and similar substances for potentially helping psychologically healthy individuals live a more fulfilling life. He provides guidelines for the responsible use of MDMA, including how to optimize the “roll” and hot it may not be for everyone. He reveals how MDMA has enhanced his marriage, both erotically and emotionally, and describes how pleasure, fun, and joy can lead to profound bonding and transformative experiences.
Episode Overview:In this episode, Charley and I discuss the role of Ecstasy in his life and marriage. We identify the benefits and risks, as well as the negative propaganda against Ecstasy / MDMA. Charley shares his experience coming of age in the 60s, his use of psychedelic substances, and his becoming a therapist. We discuss love, politics, and the crises humanity currently encounters. Finally, we hone on the power of men’s work and compassion in building a healthy life and relationships. While the book is about his experience with Ecstasy, we talk about so much more.
My Favorite Quotes:“I was tripping balls before you were even a twinkle in your father’s eye”
“The best way to do MDMA, especially the first time, is at home when you have control over your immediate surroundings… start out in the safest place you know, which is usually the home.”
“The Burner culture owes a lot to the original counter-culture of the 60s whether they know it or not, and I believe that they do.”
“The Summer of Love was one of the most magical times of my life; the other most magical time of my life is NOW”
“The 60s taught me that Utopia is possible - as funny as it might sound.”
“The best way to live is not as an I, but part of a WE. As part of something, bigger than yourself – that’s the most meaningful way to live.”
“It’s up to us, to fix all of the horrible problems that we face. To bring it back to MDMA, I believe these medicines can help to inform us and teach us. This is why I call the book Listening to Ecstasy.”
“My generation really blew it – we made the world a little better, but not as much as we should have or could have”
“Capitalism is an enormously powerful force with its own momentum and all the systems in place have their own momentum.”
“The only true method of change is non-violent and massive – in order to delegitimize mainstream culture”
“The way we feel on MDMA points to the way that we need to live – with an open heart and an open mind – seeing all the people on the planet as no different than us. That’s true revolution and it comes from these medicines and spiritual pract
1 hr 10 min