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Episode
An Ethnopharmacologist on Hallucinogens, Sex-Crazed Cicadas, and More | Dennis McKenna
Views
108K
1.2× the show’s average
Episode108K
Show avg92K
Published
4y ago
May 5, 2022
Length
1h 56m
show avg 1h 53m
From the show
Chapters
Dennis McKenna — An Ethnopharmacologist on Hallucinogens, Sex-Crazed Cicadas, The Mushrooms of Language, BioGnosis, and Illuminating Obscure Corners | Brought to you by Athletic Greens all-in-one nutritional supplement (http://athleticgreens.com/tim), Eight Sleep’s Pod Pro Cover sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating (http://eightsleep.com/Tim), and Shopify global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business (http://shopify.com/tim). Show notes: https://tim.blog/2022/05/04/dennis-mckenna-2/ Connect with Tim Ferriss: Sign up for "5-Bullet Friday" (Tim's free weekly email newsletter): https://go.tim.blog/5-bullet-friday-yt/ Visit the Tim Ferriss PODCAST: https://tim.blog/podcast/ Visit the Tim Ferriss BLOG: https://tim.blog/ Follow Tim Ferriss on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/tferriss/ Follow Tim Ferriss on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/timferriss/ Like Tim Ferriss on FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/TimFerriss/
- 0:00Intro
- 2:34How Dennis and his brother Terence tuned in to “vegetable television” with the addition of an ayahuasca ingredient to their regular consumption of mushrooms and cannabis, and why even the components of tried-and-true ayahuasca are in constant flux depending on who’s making it.
- 9:15Why is it that psychoactive drugs don’t always work — even in people who usually feel their effects — and what keeps us from finding out through controlled studies?
- 18:06As much as Dennis has experimented with adding and subtracting ingredients to various psychoactive admixtures, he’s come to believe it’s best to avoid combinations if possible. There are often alternative ways to dial the effects of these substances up or down as desired.
- 25:20Why would we have cannabinoid, opiate, and other molecular receptors in our brains unless we’re designed to consume these substances from external sources?
- 32:54Tales of terror from the world of psilocybin cicadas, cordyceps zombies, and toxoplasmic rodents.
- 38:56Dennis shares his thoughts on psychedelics as a potential treatment for dyslexia and other language-based disorders.
- 46:49What happened to Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell after having his savikalpa samadhi experience — a mystic glimpse beyond the self into the true nature of things? Does Dennis believe current psychedelic pioneers are misguided in downplaying the mystical experiences certain compounds bring out in people?
- 51:17For anyone curious about Albert Hofmann’s discovery of LSD, Dennis recommends the graphic novel Bicycle Day by Brian Blomerth.
- 52:31My recommended resources for learning more about the perceptual phenomenon of synesthesia.
- 54:36What ESPD 55 entails: its history, its itinerary, and how you can participate even if you can’t physically make it to the conference in the UK from May 23rd to the 26th.
- 1:07:43How does Dennis relate to mortality and the inevitability of death?
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