Perspectives on Psilocybin: The Science and Mysticism of Magic Mushrooms Liam Hart
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- Education
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Promising preliminary research on psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, has led to mainstream attention and acceptance. Through discussions with experts in relevant areas such as neuroscience, clinical psychology, pharmacology, and mycology, this podcast takes the listener on a journey of becoming well-informed about the research, culture, and history surrounding psilocybin.
Art by Holly Heathfield
Song : M87 - Backing Track [Creative Commons]
Music provided and produced by LonePeakMusic
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Mycologist:
In this episode, I talk with a mycologist that is a part of the "underground" psilocybin community, and the general mushroom community. As an amateur scientist, she provides a different perspective on psilocybin and it's potential uses than academics.
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Pharmacist: Dr. Chris Kotsones
Dr. Chris Kotsones presented a review of studies showing potential for psilocybin as a treatment for cancer patients with anxiety from a life-threatening diagnosis in a doctoral presentation while he was still in pharmacy school. We talk about current directions in the research, aspects of the experience, how it may be used in the future, and integration into the medical model.
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Neuroscientist: Professor Glenn Valdez
Professor Valdez was the instructor for my behavioral neuroscience course while I made this podcast. During office hours, I met with him to discuss his understanding of how psilocybin works in the brain and interpretations of the preliminary studies. We also look at the comparison of psilocybin and SSRIs as treatments for anxiety and depression, and what future use of this substance in therapy may look like.
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Clinical Psychologist: Dr. Robin Billings
In this episode, Dr. Robin Billings gives an overview of the historical use and regulations of psilocybin, both in the US and indigenous cultures. He also provides his perspective on how psilocybin can be used in the future.
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Introduction
In this introductory episode, I talk about how I came to do this project and give an overview of the "mystical" experiences that people have using psilocybin, the active ingredient found in magic mushrooms. At the end, I outline the structure of the podcast: each following episode is an interview with an expert in a field that is related to psilocybin, and they each give their perspective on psilocybin as a treatment for mental disorders such as depression and anxiety.
Customer Reviews
“Underground” community.
This lady blew me away & brought tears to my eyes listening to her stories. I was just overwhelmed with her knowledge & confidence. I know a little about the mysteries of mushrooms after taking a Mycology course. But I lack the confidence because of a vast variety. But she gave the courage to keep going. At 71 years old I’m so excited to more because of her. “Thank you mystery mycologist woman you are awesome”
Gee
Interesting!
Love the research and topics they’re discussing! Learning a lot!