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. 23h ago

    #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/

    1h 46m

  2. May 25

    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

  3. May 24

    #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

  4. May 20

    #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

    1h 32m

  5. May 10

    #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

  6. May 2

    #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

  7. Apr 24

    #68 UPDATE: A Leftist Primer to the Right-Wing Psychedelic Takeover

    Three psychedelic companies received vouchers for expedited FDA review: Usona, Compass Pathways, and Otsuka—NOT Resilient Pharmaceuticals. This voucher announcement is yet another vindication of our reporting on major problems and pseudoscience within Lykos'/Resilient's trials. Update to episode #68.

    2 min

  8. Apr 20

    #68 A Leftist Primer on the Right-Wing Psychedelic Takeover

    Psychedelics are the next front in Big Tech's dystopia. Psymposia developed this primer for leftists in response to Donald Trump's April 18 Executive Order, which accelerates review of psychedelic drugs deemed "Breakthrough Therapies" and makes Schedule 1 drugs more accessible under Right to Try laws. This announcement made a splash in psychedelic media, where praise for the Trump administration mixes with false claims about an "end to prohibition." In this discussion, we provide important context about this Executive Order and the people who engineered this moment behind the scenes. We highlight concerns about how this initiative will be rolled out by the Trump administration, which has been accused of pay-to-play tactics at the FDA and stacking the Department of Health and Human Services with psychedelic industry evangelists. This move represents a crystallization of far-right interest in the psychedelic industry and step towards oligarch monopolization of psychedelic medicine by figures including Peter Thiel and Musk lieutenant Antonio Gracias. We end by discussing the risks of elite control over drugs that have been developed to shift identity — especially when those elites are simultaneously devoted to killing the so-called "woke mind virus" and remaking the global order in Palantir's image. Foot Notes: Executive Order (White House): https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/04/accelerating-medical-treatments-for-serious-mental-illness/ President Trump Signs Executive Order to Accelerate Psychedelic Research and Access (Psychedelic Alpha): https://psychedelicalpha.com/news/president-trump-signs-executive-order-to-accelerate-psychedelic-research-and-access/ Over-the-top psychedelic promos could undermine the field's drug development efforts (STAT): https://www.statnews.com/2026/03/31/psychedelic-biotech-promotion-scrutinized-helus-atai-influencer-marketing/ Archived: https://archive.is/bv1oU Pharma lobbyists focus on a surprising new target: the FDA (STAT): https://www.statnews.com/2026/02/23/fda-lobbying-efforts-grow-under-trump-administration/ Archived: https://archive.is/wQav7 Wohin treibt die Renaissance von LSD & Co.? (WOZ) https://www.woz.ch/2609/psychedelika/wohin-treibt-die-renaissance-von-lsd-co/!NBCC4R4K3E06

    1h 3m
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4.6
out of 5
50 Ratings

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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