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

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Trigger Warning: discussions of suicidality

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

Presentation on Paul's recently published paper "Consciousness: local and non-local" on Youtube: https://youtu.be/NKt36A0bKV8?si=dY8tqcDR2E6QC9gN

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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:

- Crisis Services Canada: https://988.ca/
- Befrienders Worldwide (crisis lines serving 32 countries): https://befrienders.org/
- International Directory of Mental Health Helplines: https://www.helpguide.org/find-help.htm
- The Fireside Project (US-only psychedelic-specific support): https://firesideproject.org/
- Psychology Today (to find a therapist in North America): https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/therapists

Music credit: Music by Mass X Audio from Pixabay

#psychedelics #podcast #tripreport