Lectures

http://psychedelicscience.org Help us caption and translate this video on Amara.org:‪ ‬http://www.amara.org/en/videos/K8X00SfbZCAQ/info/ Brain Imaging Studies with Psilocybin and MDMA Robin Carhart-Harris, PhD Abstract: Highlighting the results of two fMRI studies and one MEG study with psilocybin and an fMRI study with MDMA, Carhart-Harris will report the effects of both drugs on regional brain activity and brain network organization. Additionally, he will report the effects of both drugs on brain and subjective responses to personal autobiographical memory cues. A general theory will be presented on how psychedelics alter brain activity to alter consciousness and the implications of these brain imaging results for therapeutic applications of psychedelics will be discussed. A general theory will be presented on how psychedelics alter brain activity to alter consciousness and the implications of these brain imaging results for therapeutic applications of psychedelics will be discussed. Robin Carhart-Harris completed his doctorate in psychopharmacology at the University of Bristol in 2009 after which he moved to Imperial College London to continue his fMRI research with the classic psychedelic drug psilocybin. In the last few years, Carhart-Harris & Professor David Nutt have built up a programme of research with psychedelics that includes fMRI and MEG imaging with psilocybin, fMRI with MDMA and soon an MRC-sponsored clinical trial to assess the efficacy of psilocybin as a treatment for major depression. Carhart-Harris has a review article published in Brain on the neurobiology of Freudian constructs and his work with psilocybin is now published in PNAS, the British Journal of Psychiatry, and Schizophrenia Bulletin. Carhart-Harris has been supported by the Beckley Foundation, the Neuropsychoanalysis Foundation, the Heffter Foundation, and MAPS. More videos available at http://psychedelicscience.org At Psychedelic Science 2013, over 100 of the world's leading researchers and more than 1,900 international attendees gathered to share recent findings on the benefits and risks of LSD, psilocybin, MDMA, ayahuasca, ibogaine, 2C-B, ketamine, DMT, marijuana, and more, over three days of conference presentations, and two days of pre- and post-conference workshops.

Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris, "Can Magic Mushrooms treat depression?" Psychedelic Speakers Series, recorded live in Toronto, October 30, 2017.

Robin Carhart-Harris presents to an audience at Imperial College London.

Leading psychopharmacologist Roland Griffiths discloses the ways that psychedelic drugs can be used to create spiritually meaningful, personally transformative experiences for all patients, especially the terminally ill.

Robin has been conducting pioneering brain imaging studies of psychedelic drugs. Most recently, he has completed the first phase of a clinical trial looking at the potential of psilocybin to treat depression, and his talk looks at how these drugs can be used in treatment. After completing his PhD at the University of Bristol in 2009, Robin moved to Imperial College London, where he has worked for the last few years on the brain effects of LSD, psilocybin (magic mushrooms) and MDMA, conducting some pioneering brain imaging studies of these drugs. Most recently he has completed the first phase of a clinical trial looking at the potential of psilocybin to treat major depression. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

Mystical-type experiences are profound experiences primarily characterized by a sense of the interconnectedness of all beings and things, and often accompanied by a sense of sacredness, feelings of joy and peace, and a sense of encountering ultimate reality. Although such experiences have been described by mystics and religious figures throughout the ages, there are few meaningful prospective experimental studies because such experiences usually occur at low rates and often unpredictably. Psilocybin in the form the Psilocybe genus of mushrooms has been used for centuries within some cultures for religious and healing purposes. Recent studies at Johns Hopkins have investigated the effects of psilocybin administered to carefully screened and psychologically prepared volunteers who were encouraged to close their eyes and directed their attention inwards. Under such conditions, psilocybin occasioned profound personally and spiritually meaningful mystical-type experiences in the majority of healthy participants. Analysis showed that mystical-type experiences mediate sustained positive changes in behavior, in attitudes about Self (e.g., more authenticity, self-confidence, and inner authority), and in attitudes about Life (e.g., more meaning, enthusiasm, optimism), attitudes about Others (e.g., increased compassion, sensitivity to needs of others, positive relationships), mood (e.g., increased love, joy, inner peace; decreased sadness, anxiety, anger), personality (i.e., increased Openness), spirituality (e.g., increased sense that all of life is interconnected, increased spirituality, increased connection to the God of your understanding, decreased apprehension about death). Ongoing studies are exploring the effects of psilocybin in healthy volunteers including novice and long-term meditators. Therapeutic studies are currently investigating psilocybin-facilitated treatment of anxiety and depression in cancer patients and psilocybin-facilitated cigarette smoking cessation using a cognitive-behavioral approach. The finding that psilocybin can occasion, in most people studied, mystical-type experiences similar to those that occur naturally, suggests that such experiences are biologically normal, and that such experiences are now amenable to prospective scientific study. Further research with psilocybin can be expected to provide unique insights into the biology and psychology of mystical experience, and may hold promise as a paradigm-shifting treatment approach. Speculatively, a mediating mechanism (psychological or otherwise) for a transformative perceptual shift after an introvertive mystical experience is that the individual now “knows” (i.e., strongly holds a belief) that a portal to something of inestimable and ultimate value resides within -- an access point to a sense of the transcendent, which is variously described in religious traditions as Soul, Holy Spirit, God, Brahman, or Buddha Nature. Suggested readings: see http://csp.org/psilocybin/ , particularly the first two listed papers. Additional links: http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/TEDxMidAtlantic-Roland-Griffith [TEDx Talk] http://www.radiolab.org/2012/dec/17/mind-altering-bliss/?utm_source=/2012/dec/17/&utm_medium=treatment&utm_campaign=morelikethis [RadioLab Podcast Link] Roland Griffiths, Ph.D., is Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Neurosciences at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. His principal research focus has been on the behavioral and subjective effects of mood-altering drugs. He is author of about 350 journal articles and book chapters. In 1999 he initiated a research program with the classic hallucinogen psilocybin, including studies of psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experience in healthy volunteers and cancer patients, and a pilot study of psilocybin-facilitated smoking cessation. These studies show that under carefully controlled conditions, psilocybin can occasion profound personally and spiritually meaningful mystical- and insightful-type experiences in the majority of participants. These experiences, which mediate sustained positive changes in attitudes, moods, personality, and behavior, are characterized by a sense of the interconnectedness of all people and things, often accompanied by a sense of sacredness, feelings of joy and peace, and a sense of encountering ultimate reality. Ongoing studies in novice and long-term meditators are exploring whether psilocybin-occasioned experiences can enhance the positive persisting effects of meditation and related practices. Further research with psilocybin can be expected to provide unique insights into the biology and psychology of mystical and insightful experiences and their enduring consequences. See http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/psychiatry/expert_team/faculty/G/Griffiths.html

Dr. Rosalind Watts - https://twitter.com/ros_watts - is a clinical psychologist at the Psychedelic Research Group at Imperial College London - https://www.imperial.ac.uk/department-of-medicine/research/brain-sciences/psychiatry/psychedelics/ The Psychedelic Research Group focuses on two main areas: first, the action of psychedelic drugs in the brain and second, their clinical utility, e.g. as aides to psychotherapy, with a particular focus on depression. The YC podcast is hosted by Craig Cannon - https://twitter.com/craigcannon

Psilocybin in the Treatment of Mood and Substance Use Disorders Albert Garcia-Romeu, Ph.D. The Sleeping Octopus Assembly on Psychedelics (SOAP) is an intimate conference that explored the role of psychedelics in science, medicine, policy, and culture, which took place at a historic mansion in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from July 13-15, 2018. This conference featured presentations from key figures in the psychedelic research and policy community, a psychedelic-themed comedy show, live musical performances, and a benefit dinner for the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). We hope you enjoy the content from this unique opportunity that inspired and united local communities in a creative setting, the recently-remodeled historic mansion known as the "Sleeping Octopus." Learn more about this event: https://maps.org/pittsburgh Founded in 1986, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit research and educational organization that develops medical, legal, and cultural contexts for people to benefit from the careful uses of psychedelics and marijuana. Learn more about MAPS: https://maps.org

Psilocybin mushrooms have been used for millennia, and likely for millions of years. That psilocybin enhances neurotransmission has attracted the interest of pharmacologists, evolutionary biologists, ethnomycologists, artists, writers and more recently addiction and trauma specialists, and computer language coders. The interest in the benefits of psilocybin mushroom use, particularly, for microdosing, ushers in a new era for potential societal benefits across many scientific disciplines. Paul will examine the Stoned Ape Theory, recap some significant historical milestones, and describe some of the more significant psilocybin active species, discussing the future beneficial impacts of psilocybin use in our continuing evolution as a species. Paul Stamets, D.Sc., is the author of 6 books, including Psilocybe Mushrooms and their Allies and Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World. He has discovered and named four new psilocybin mushrooms. He has received numerous awards, most notably as an Invention Ambassador (2014-2015) for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the National Award (2014) from the North American Mycological Association Award (NAMA) and Gordon & Tina Wasson Award (2015) from the Mycological Society of America (MSA). His influence has now flowed into popular sci-fi culture with his appointment as the senior science Starfleet officer, astromycologist Lt. Stamets (acted by Anthony Rapp), in the new Star Trek Discovery series. Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World by Paul Stamets: https://amzn.to/2PdPbZi The Mushroom Cultivator: A Practical Guide to Growing Mushrooms at Home by Paul Stamets: https://amzn.to/2MXNxNR Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World: An Identification Guide by Paul Stamets: https://amzn.to/2BSK3I3 Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms by Paul Stamets: https://amzn.to/2BPFZs6 MycoMedicinals: An Informational Treatise on Mushrooms by Paul Stamets: https://amzn.to/2Ns1bFU The Psilocybin Mushroom Bible: The Definitive Guide to Growing and Using Magic Mushrooms by Dr. K Mandrake: https://amzn.to/2wNPMKu The Road to Eleusis: Unveiling the Secret of the Mysteries by R. Gordon Wasson, Albert Hofmann, and Carl A. P. Ruck: https://amzn.to/2UWvbhg Paul Stamets has been a mycologist and mushroom enthusiast since the late 1970s. He is a pioneer in the cultivation of both Psilocybe and edible mushrooms and is credited with the discovery of four new mushroom species. He has written five books on mushroom cultivation, use and identification and speaks at mycological conferences around the world. His book "Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World" is the current definitive guide on the topic. Websites: https://fungi.com/ https://hostdefense.com/ https://fantasticfungi.com/ YoutTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR8Y7Ay6PJXndscDLpkLafg Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaulStamets Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulStamets/

Panel discussion following a screening of the trans-media documentary "A New Understanding: The Science of Psilocybin" in Austin, Texas on April 14, 2015. Panel Members: Anthony P. Bossis, Ph.D. Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry NYU School of Medicine Charles S. Grob, M.D. Director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Harbor-UCLA Medical Center Jeffrey Guss, M.D. Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry NYU School of Medicine David E. Nichols, Ph.D. Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Purdue University President and Founder, Hefter Research Institute William A. (Bill) Richards, Ph.D. Department of Psychiatry Johns Hopkins School of Medicine http://bayou-media.com

Psilocybin Grows New Brain Cells

Lecture from Robin Carhart-Harris, PhD (Imperial College London) on the effects of the psychedelic substance psilocybin on the human brain and mind. This lecture was part of a symposium in São Paulo, Brazil organized by CEBRID (Center of information on psychotropic substances) at UNIFESP (Federal UNiversity of São Paulo) november 5th 2013. Palestra de Robin Carhart-Harris, PhD (Imperial College London) sobre os efeitos da psilocibina, uma molécula psicodélica, no cérebro e na mente humana. Esta palestra aconteceu em São Paulo, Brasil, em evento organizado pelo CEBRID (Centro Brasileiro de Informações sobre drogas) na UNIFESP (Universidade Federal de São Paulo) dia 05 de novembro de 2013.

Learn more and donate: http://www.maps.org/ Milan Scheidegger, MD, PhD: Psilocybin Enhances Mindfulness-Related Capabilities in a Meditation Retreat Setting: A Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled fMRI Study 2017 Psychedelic Science Conference http://psychedelicscience.org/ A six-day global gathering of the international scientific community in Oakland, California to explore new research into the benefits and risks of MDMA, LSD, psilocybin, ayahuasca, ketamine, ibogaine, medical marijuana, and more.

Psilocybin Mushrooms and Salvia Divinorum Among the Mazatecs of Mexico Synopsis The Mazatec people of Oaxaca, in the mountains of southern Mexico, are renowned for their shamanism, which is inspired in part by various Psilocybe mushroom species, and by the unique mint species, Salvia divinorum. Kathleen Harrison describes their animist perceptions of these powerful species, and their inherent roles in this ancient, spiritual, healing tradition. She shares slides and stories of her personal experience from her two decades of fieldwork with a Mazatec healer's clan. She introduces some of the other beings, from plants to saints, whom they experience as active participants in this great drama. This ancient native culture has undergone another wave of great change since the late 20th century, while psilocybin and S. divinorum have been widely distributed and reinterpreted by other cultures. There are still things to be learned from those who have worked with these species for many centuries. Bio Kathleen Harrison, M.A., is an ethnobotanist who has worked in the field since the 1960s. She is informed by long relationships with indigenous healers, California subcultures, an array of expert naturalists, and her own decades of psychedelic curiosity. She co-founded the organisation Botanical Dimensions with Terence McKenna in 1985, and continues as its perennial Program Director, initiating ongoing projects in Mexico, Peru, California and Hawaii. Kat has taught globally for both universities and many conferences. She is currently based and teaching at the Botanical Dimensions Ethnobotany Library, in Northern California. She specialises in the study of nature-based worldviews, patterns of belief, ritual, healing, art and the plants that live where they evolved.

Ouramazingworld.org - Health profession grad students & expat teacher who support mental health & well-being of our world via updates on psych drug research, anthropology, drug policy, & travel. See our social media links at the bottom of this description. Details about this August 30, 1998 presentation in Telluride, CO: "Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World" Paul Stamets, mycologist and Psilocybe mushroom expert You will definitely learn something interesting from this video. Downloaded from archive.org http://bit.ly/1EHVaxY See this same presentation given during a psychoactive drugs conference in Amsterdam: https://youtu.be/Wr35ynTvkPg Paul Stamets begins by explaining how fortunate he is to be able to study the genus Psilocybe, then uses humorous personal stories and expert accounts to describe psilocybin mushroom history, identification, and potential benefit to mental and societal well-being. Psilocybin "Magic" mushrooms helped Paul overcome stuttering and inspired Stamets to become one of the world's greatest mycologists. Stamets is on the editorial board of The International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms, and is an advisor to the Program for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona Medical School, Tucson, Arizona. He is active in researching the medicinal properties of mushrooms, and is involved in two NIH-funded clinical studies on cancer and HIV treatments using mushrooms as adjunct therapies. Having filed numerous patents on the antiviral, pesticidal, and remediative properties of mushroom mycelia, his work has been called pioneering and visionary. A strong advocate of preserving biodiversity, Stamets supports research into the role of mushrooms for ecological restoration. The author of numerous books and papers on the subject of mushroom identification and cultivation, Stamets has discovered four new species of mushrooms. He is an advocate of the permaculture system of growing, and considers fungiculture a valuable but underutilized aspect of permaculture. He is also a leading researcher into the use of mushrooms in bioremediation, processes he terms mycoremediation and mycofiltration. Other presentations and recordings: Same presentation https://www.facebook.com/PaulStamets https://twitter.com/paulstamets http://www.fungi.com/about-paul-stamets.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/paul-stamets/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Stamets https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1936787178/fantastic-fungi-a-film-directed-by-louie-schwartzb Website: http://www.ouramazingworld.org/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/OAWoww Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OAWoww Tsu: http://www.tsu.co/OurAmazingWorld

Psilocybin mushrooms have been used for millennia, and likely for millions of years. That psilocybin enhances neurotransmission has attracted the interest of pharmacologists, evolutionary biologists, ethnomycologists, artists, writers and more recently addiction and trauma specialists, and computer language coders. The interest in the benefits of psilocybin mushroom use, particularly, for microdosing, ushers in a new era for potential societal benefits across many scientific disciplines. Paul will examine the Stoned Ape Theory, recap some significant historical milestones, and describe some of the more significant psilocybin active species, discussing the future beneficial impacts of psilocybin use in our continuing evolution as a species. Paul Stamets, D.Sc., is the author of 6 books, including Psilocybe Mushrooms and their Allies and Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World. He has discovered and named four new psilocybin mushrooms. He has received numerous awards, most notably as an Invention Ambassador (2014-2015) for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the National Award (2014) from the North American Mycological Association Award (NAMA) and Gordon & Tina Wasson Award (2015) from the Mycological Society of America (MSA). His influence has now flowed into popular sci-fi culture with his appointment as the senior science Starfleet officer, astromycologist Lt. Stamets (acted by Anthony Rapp), in the new Star Trek Discovery series. Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World by Paul Stamets: https://amzn.to/2PdPbZi The Mushroom Cultivator: A Practical Guide to Growing Mushrooms at Home by Paul Stamets: https://amzn.to/2MXNxNR Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World: An Identification Guide by Paul Stamets: https://amzn.to/2BSK3I3 Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms by Paul Stamets: https://amzn.to/2BPFZs6 MycoMedicinals: An Informational Treatise on Mushrooms by Paul Stamets: https://amzn.to/2Ns1bFU The Psilocybin Mushroom Bible: The Definitive Guide to Growing and Using Magic Mushrooms by Dr. K Mandrake: https://amzn.to/2wNPMKu The Road to Eleusis: Unveiling the Secret of the Mysteries by R. Gordon Wasson, Albert Hofmann, and Carl A. P. Ruck: https://amzn.to/2UWvbhg Paul Stamets has been a mycologist and mushroom enthusiast since the late 1970s. He is a pioneer in the cultivation of both Psilocybe and edible mushrooms and is credited with the discovery of four new mushroom species. He has written five books on mushroom cultivation, use and identification and speaks at mycological conferences around the world. His book "Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World" is the current definitive guide on the topic. Websites: https://fungi.com/ https://hostdefense.com/ https://fantasticfungi.com/ YoutTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR8Y7Ay6PJXndscDLpkLafg Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaulStamets Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulStamets/

You will find this entire workshop under the title 'Distilling The Psychedelic Mind'. Terence McKenna playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVvR7-f81RSBFKNjtklhFRsxIrjnp6HQh