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To The Best Of Our Knowledge

TTBOOK Presents: Luminous

Are you ready for the psychedelic revolution? In the next few years, the FDA is likely to approve these mind-bending drugs for treating depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Some states have already decriminalized psilocybin, the active ingredient in “magic” mushrooms. But for all the headlines, many questions are swirling around this psychedelic renaissance. How do we make these drugs effective, safe and accessible to the people who need the most help? And how can they be used ethically, when much of the knowledge about plant medicines comes from Indigenous cultures? Psychedelics also raise profound questions about the nature of consciousness and mystical experience. People often describe their psychedelic experiences as “more real” than everyday life. Is this just an illusion, or do these experiences tap into some deeper reality? In “Luminous,” TTBOOK executive producer Steve Paulson explores the philosophical and cultural implications of psychedelics through conversations with scientists, healers and religious scholars. You can listen to each episode on the radio or find the series plus bonus extended conversations on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

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TTBOOK Presents Luminous
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Episodes

TTBOOK Presents Luminous episode 1. A door with magical colors coming out.

Luminous: What Can Psychedelics Teach Us About Dying?

In the first episode in our series about psychedelics, how can psilocybin ease our fears about dying and help us make peace with the end of our lives? More

To The Best of out Knowledge presents Luminous

Luminous: Building The Psychedelic Revolution

In this episode of “Luminous,” we go inside Usona Institute’s chemistry lab and go deep with co-founder Bill Linton about what brought him to this unique moment in the psychedelic revolution.  More

Luminous

Luminous: Melissa Etheridge on Ayahuasca

The rock icon explains why she’s fascinated by psychedelics as a promising treatment for addiction, a path for spiritual exploration, and a source of creativity. More

TTBOOK Presents Luminous

Luminous: Your Brain on Shrooms

Can neuroscience explain what happens to the brain on psychedelics? And even if we map the brain while it’s tripping, does that tell us why these experiences can be so transformative? More

TTBOOK Presents Luminous with Gul Dolen

Luminous: What happens to an octopus on MDMA?

Gul Dolen is a pioneering neuroscientist who’s investigating the “critical periods” of psychedelics, including studies where she’s given MDMA — also known as “Molly” — to octopuses. More

sunset

Luminous: Can psychedelics be decolonized?

The knowledge about many psychedelics comes from Indigenous cultures — which raises ethical questions for the Western scientists studying them. Can psychedelics be decolonized? More

can you have too much transcendance

Luminous: Can you have too much transcendence?

Over the course of 20 years, Chris Bache had 73 high-dose LSD experiences — doses so high that the human body couldn’t tolerate anything more. More

To the best of our knowledge presents luminous

Luminous: Is it the drug or is it the trip?

There’s a fascinating question at the heart of psychedelic science. Is it the mind-blowing experience that fundamentally changes a person’s outlook on life? Or is it the powerful molecules that rewire the brain? More

Mike Jay

Luminous: A brief history of getting high

British historian Mike Jay wants to challenge the narrative of psychedelic “exceptionalism.” He also believes more scientists should talk about their personal psychedelic experiences. More

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