By popular request, I recorded the short video above to cover what I consider “psychedelics 101.” There is a sea of misinformation out there, and the video covers resources I consider well vetted. All links are listed below. Please be sure to see the important disclaimer at the bottom of this post.
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: The plants and compounds mentioned in this post are illegal in many countries, and even possession can carry severe criminal penalties. None of this post constitutes medical advice or should be construed as a recommendation to use psychedelics. There are serious legal, psychological, and physical risks. Psychedelics are not for everyone—they can exacerbate certain emotional problems, and there have been, in very rare cases, fatalities.
BOOKS AND ARTICLES:
- The Microdose free newsletter, courtesy of the the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics.
- How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence by Michael Pollan
- “The Trip Treatment” by Michael Pollan, The New Yorker
- The Healing Journey: Pioneering Approaches to Psychedelic Therapy by Claudio Naranjo
- The Secret Chief Revealed by Myron J. Stolaroff
- Wizard of the Upper Amazon: The Story of Manuel Córdova-Rios by F. Bruce Lamb
- Singing to the Plants: A Guide to Mestizo Shamanism in the Upper Amazon by Stephan V. Beyer
DOCUMENTARIES/VIDEO SERIES:
- Trip of Compassion
- From Shock to Awe
- DOSED
- Horizons Video Series | Horizons Vimeo | Horizons Conference YouTube
PODCAST EPISODES:
- Overview of Psychedelic Fact vs. Fiction — Microdosing, Mind-Enhancing Methods, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #377
- Dr. Gabor Maté — New Paradigms, Ayahuasca, and Redefining Addiction | The Tim Ferriss Show #298
- Michael Pollan — Exploring The New Science of Psychedelics | The Tim Ferriss Show #313
- Michael Pollan — Exploring the Frontiers of Psychedelics | The Tim Ferriss Show #365
- Marcela Ot’alora — How to Become a Psychedelic Therapist | The Tim Ferriss Show #396
- Rick Doblin — The Psychedelic Domino That Tips All Others | The Tim Ferriss Show #440
- Are Psychedelic Drugs the Next Medical Breakthrough? #104 | The Tim Ferriss Show
RESEARCH CENTERS:
- The Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research | Johns Hopkins
- Centre for Psychedelic Research | Imperial College London
- Center for Psychedelic Medicine | NYU Langone Health
- Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics | UC Berkeley
PEOPLE:
Comment Rules: Remember what Fonzie was like? Cool. That's how we're gonna be — cool. Critical is fine, but if you're rude, we'll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation! (Thanks to Brian Oberkirch for the inspiration.)
Thank you for sharing, there's a few titles on here that are new to me!! Definitely going to check them out. I would say that Stanislav Grof's book "Realms of the Human Unconscious: Observations from LSD Research" deserves a spot up there in my opinion. I hold him and the Shulgins in super high regards as well so much good info out there hard to capture everything that's relevant
Hi Tim, I believe you recently mentioned training as a facilitator for psychedelics sessions. I have seen tremendous personal benefit from sessions myself, and am now interested in pursuing facilitating next, as a way of giving back and furthering this cause. I had looked to MAPS, but they seem only to certify mental health professionals currently. Are there any resources that you would recommend for pursuing this?
I agree and am working on demystifying mental health for consumers on my Podcast Therapy Show. I recently interviewed Dr. Ingmar Gorman on MDMA Assisted Psychotherapy for PTSD. Dr. Gorman mentioned your contribution to the field of psychedelics in my interview with him. [Moderator: link removed.]
Tim, This is very timely. My wife and I are mental health professionals in Canada and have just been presented the opportunity to do some work using Ketamine. I was looking for a centralized resource on psychedelic research in general and this is a fantastic start! Thanks so much!
Hi Tim, you briefly mentioned at the start of the video that you have been involved with research at the University of Auckland. Being based in Auckland myself and getting involved with the universities here. Are there any specific resources that you have of the research being done here at the University of Auckland? I am curious as to what research is being conducted on such a fascinating topic so close to home.
Icymi, my article in Nature on psychedelics research https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00187-9 Btw I edited the Men’s Journal profile of you in 2007/8 Cheers
Absolutely fantastic!! Thank you so much for providing these resources!
This is on the BBC iPlayer which I am not sure you will be able to get in the USA but it was very interesting.It is available for 11 months (from May). https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000w7bq/the-psychedelic-drug-trial. The Psychedelic Drug Trial has exclusive access to a ground-breaking new trial at Imperial College London. The trial sees, for the first time ever under controlled conditions, a psychedelic drug tested head-to-head against a standard antidepressant as a treatment for depression. The film follows a pioneering team of scientists and psychotherapists, led by Professor David Nutt, Dr Robin Carhart-Harris and Dr Rosalind Watts, as they compare the effects of psilocybin (the active ingredient of magic mushrooms) with an antidepressant (an SSRI called escitalopram) on a small group of participants with clinical depression. This is scientific research at its most cutting edge. With over seven million people being prescribed antidepressants each year in England alone, this drug trial is an important milestone in understanding a completely different treatment for depression. Filmed over 16 months, this film explores both the immediate and long-term impacts of the trial on the lives of participants. It investigates whether psychedelic drugs combined with psychological support could help tackle one of the biggest medical challenges faced today and what it takes to conduct research in uncharted scientific territory. How do psychedelic drugs measure up against the industry-standard antidepressants that have been popular since the 1990s? The empirical results of the trial are explored alongside the participants’ powerful lived experience.
Hi Tim, I thought you might be interested in this recent show in Australia about psychedelics. https://www.abc.net.au/4corners/psyched-up:-the-race-to-make-psychedelic-drugs/13988056 Cheers Ian
I just released a 2 hour documentary on Psychedelics with a sensibility and focus that I think Tim would appreciate called, "Contemplations: On The Psychedelic Experience".
Here are some news about this rapidly evolving field, where science is driving the discussion. https://www.tga.gov.au/news/media-releases/change-classification-psilocybin-and-mdma-enable-prescribing-authorised-psychiatrists
Thanks for linking this from 5-bullet Friday. I've been listening to the podcast for years and it's been instrumental in helping me with a midlife career shift from tech to the world of psychedelic healing. I'm being called to serve! Your devotion to this field and all the interviews have been an ongoing inspiration. I have deep gratitude for you, Tim. Thanks for all you're doing.
Tim, please look into Professor David Olson and his lab at UC Davis! They're the vanguard– their researchis how we know psychedelics promote neural nlasticity! https://neurotherapeutics.ucdavis.edu/