My Psychedelic Roots

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Podcast by Amy Bartlett

My Psychedelic Roots

My Psychedelic Roots shares stories from people from a broad swath of lived experience to explore their psychedelic beginnings, or roots: what motivated them to start using psychedelics, what those early experiences were like, and how those roots have impacted their understanding of themselves and the world around them. My goal in these conversations is to give voice to the unique, transpersonal and human side of psychedelics and non-ordinary states of consciousness--- allowing guests to talk about their personal stories, not just their professional ones. I hope that listeners of the podcast will have an opportunity to gain insight into the lived reality of psychedelic experiencing (both the shadow and the light), hear about how people found their way into the psychedelic space, and to have an opportunity to get curious about the resonance, contrasts and connections between the podcast guests experience and their own psychedelic roots.

Latest episodes

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19 March 2026

Ep26: Connection and community in childhood, a complex first experience, and supporting end-of-life advocates

John Gilchrist is Director of Communications at TheraPsil, a Canadian not-for-profit working for psychedelic access for folks at end of life and other issues about accessibility, regulation and choice in the psychedelic space. In our conversation, we talk about his own personal psychedelic roots: his connection to community, family and lived experience, and a first experience that contained both the light and the shadow of psychedelic trips in a lot of ways. This conversation with John is being published as part of the Podcasthon movement, an annual global initiative that encourages podcasts to dedicate one episode of their show to a charity of their choice, and to release these episodes in a coordinated effort in mid-March to shine a light on some of the good work being done in communities around the world. And so, beyond John's personal psychedelic roots, we also talk a bit about the work of Therapsil, and he shares about some of the end-of-life patients who have been supported by Therapsil, and some of the ways he has been personally touched by his role working there.

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Music credit: Music by Mass X Audio from Pixabay

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06 March 2026

Ep25: Experiencing a ‘life quake’, finding relief with ketamine therapy, and rediscovering connection with the natural world

Trigger Warning: discussions of suicidality

Karen Pascal was born and raised in Ottawa, Canada, and spent much of her childhood outdoors, birdwatching and camping with her family—feeling playful, carefree, and deeply connected to the natural world. This was an anchoring Karen lost touch with as life unfolded, and as she grew older, she struggled with anxiety and depression. After exploring many different therapeutic approaches without lasting relief, it wasn’t until her marriage unexpectedly ended and she experienced what she calls her “life quake” that psychedelics entered her life and she began ketamine-assisted therapy. We talk about what the clinical experience was like for her, the benefits she received, and how that led her to deepen her work with an experienced facilitator. We also talk about her deep reconnection with nature and how she has worked to resource herself with the community and experiences that have helped to ground in her body and the world around her.

A reminder that this episode contains mentions of suicidality. This warning is meant to empower you with the knowledge you need to make healthy decisions about how and if you should consume this podcast content. We invite you to practice self-care and do what feels right for you. And if you need support, please connect with someone who can help: family and friends, professionals, or a crisis line. There are both Canadian and international recommendations in the show notes below. You are not alone-- not in your pain, nor in your healing.

Shownotes

Below are some Canadian and international mental health resources to access if you are in distress or need support:

Music credit: Music by Mass X Audio from Pixabay

#psychedelics #podcast #tripreport

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23 February 2026

EP24: A grounded childhood, connecting with the past as a meaningful experience of the present

Erika Dyck is a professor in the Department of History at the University of Saskatchewan. Her work focuses on 20th century medical history, including the history of psychedelics, psychiatry, eugenics and population control. Erika grew up not far from the Weyburn, Saskatchewan, the birthplace of the word ‘psychedelic’, and where a lot of psychedelic research was happening in Canada in the early days. And yet, Erika’s roots were very much outside of that world. In our conversation, we wend our way through her relatively secular upbringing, her desire to leave rural Saskatchewan and experience the world, and we talk about some of her early exposures that led her to become interested in the field of psychedelic studies. We also dive into one of her more recent and deeply meaningful psychedelic experiences which she had in communion with others and with the natural world-- allowing her to connect not just to the geography but also the history and communities that continue to shape both her research and her own lived experience.

Shownotes

Music credit: Music by Mass X Audio from Pixabay

#psychedelics #podcast #tripreport

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04 February 2026

Ep23: Fear and bravery, discovering the sacred and honoring wisdom

Anthony di Virgilio is a father, a registered psychotherapist and a student of sacred plant teachers. He is deeply interested in the connection between mental and emotional health, relational dynamics, and spirituality - and he integrates these perspectives into his therapeutic work, and we hear in our conversation together, he also integrates these into his own work with psychedelic medicines. Anthony also studies vitalist herbalism, Indigenous healing modalities, and principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and is a Fire Keeper and Song Carrier for Anishinaabe Elder Douglas Cardinal, and a humble student of North and South American Indigenous teachings and ceremonies. In our conversation together, Anthony and I talk about the fear, confusion and isolation he experienced as a child— and the bravery he worked to cultivate as he tried to make sense of a world that felt very unsafe in both the physical and spiritual realms. We talk about some of his first experiences with cannabis before eventually making his way towards his first psychedelic experience with ayahuasca 14 years ago--- a foundational relationship that continues to shape his life and practice today.

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Music credit: Music by Mass X Audio from Pixabay

#psychedelics #podcast #tripreport

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21 January 2026

Ep22: A gregarious childhood, a dark night of the soul, and explorations with set and setting to find safety and love

Trigger Warning: discussions of suicidality

Robert Décarie is a local certified Holotropic Breathwork facilitator, a former counselor and wildlife management specialist, and a delightful human being. As we explore in our conversation together, after having a gregarious but dissociated childhood in Montreal and experiencing a dark night of the soul in his early twenties, he pivoted to study environmental sciences (M.Sc.) and had a 25-year career in wildlife management. In the mid-2000s, he readjusted the course of his life to deepen its meaning and chose to study to become a counselor, and in 2008, he started practicing Holotropic Breathwork, eventually completing his training to become a certified facilitator which he has been offering to the Ottawa community since 2015. In our conversation together, we walk through several decades of psychedelic roots, from visiting Mexico in the 1970s, to experimenting with ayahuasca in a couple of different settings, to finally experiencing what he considers to be his first true psychedelic experience in a well-supported set and setting that allowed him to connect deeply with himself and to love. It was a pleasure to wend our way through Robert’s psychedelic roots, or what he calls his holotropic life!

A reminder that this episode contains mentions of suicidality. This warning is meant to empower you with the knowledge you need to make healthy decisions about how and if you should consume this podcast content. We invite you to practice self-care and do what feels right for you. And if you need support, please connect with someone who can help: family and friends, professionals, or a crisis line. There are both Canadian and international recommendations in the show notes below. You are not alone-- not in your pain, nor in your healing.

Shownotes

Below are some Canadian and international mental health resources to access if you are in distress or need support:

Music credit: Music by Mass X Audio from Pixabay

#psychedelics #podcast #tripreport

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01 January 2026

Ep21: Experiencing the beginnings of Western psychedelic research, and bridging the material and spiritual

Trigger Warning: discussions of suicidal thoughts

Dr. Paul Grof is a Canadian research psychiatrist and clinician who has been involved in psychedelic and transpersonal work for over six decades. He was a professor at several Canadian and European universities until recently retiring from the University of Toronto in 2022, and served as an Expert at the World Health Organization from 1985 to 2000, where he chaired the Committee on Psychotropic Substances. It was a pleasure to get to sit down with Paul to explore his roots: from growing up in the Czech Republic, to being part of the initial wave of people in Western society experimenting with LSD in research labs. In our conversation together, he takes us back to the 1950s and 60s and generously shares some of his experiences during those early days of Western psychedelic research--- and perhaps most importantly, about how he was so personally and professionally impacted by this unfolding.

Shownotes

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A reminder that this episode contains mentions of suicidal thoughts. This warning is meant to empower you with the knowledge you need to make healthy decisions about how and if you should consume this podcast content. We invite you to practice self-care and do what feels right for you. And if you need support, please connect with someone who can help: family and friends, professionals, or a crisis line. There are both Canadian and international recommendations in the show notes below. You are not alone-- not in your pain, nor in your healing.

Below are some Canadian and international mental health resources to access if you are in distress or need support:

Music credit: Music by Mass X Audio from Pixabay

#psychedelics #podcast #tripreport

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