Podcast 456 – “Engineering Enlightenment”

Guest speaker: Mikey Siegel PROGRAM NOTES: “Technology is a manifestation of mind.” Mikey Siegel, Consciousness Hacker Have you ever given any thought to the proposition that perhaps human well-being, or enlightenment, may be approached through engineering? In today’s podcast, which is the 2014 Palenque Norte Lecture given by Mikey Siegel, you are going to learn […]

Podcast 455 – “Going Off the Psychedelic Rails”

Guest speakers: Annie Oak, Irina Alexander, and Bruce Damer PROGRAM NOTES: Today’s podcast features a panel discussion about some of the difficulties that can be encountered during a psychedelic experience. This panel discussion took place at the 2014 Palenque Norte Lectures at the Burning Man Festival and features Annie Oak, Irina Alexander and Bruce Damer. […]

Podcast 453 – “Palenque Norte Tribute to Sasha Shulgin”

Guest speakers: George Greer, John Gilmore, Rick Doblin, Annie Oak PROGRAM NOTES: Today’s podcast features the tributes to Sasha Shulgin that were made at the Palenque Norte lectures during the 2014 Burning Man Festival. In addition to comments from the audience, we hear from Dr. George Greer (MDMA Researcher and Co-founder of the Heffter Research […]

Podcast 451 – “Toad Venom & Other Things”

Guest speaker: Daniel Pinchbeck PROGRAM NOTES: Today’s podcast features the 2014 Palenque Norte Lecture delivered by Daniel Pinchbeck. Beginning with a discussion of his experimentation with toad venom (primary active ingredient 5MEO-DMT), his interaction with the audience leads down many of the different roads that Daniel has traveled as he was gathering information for his […]

Podcast 436 – “Behind the Scenes at Burning Man”

Guest speakers: Marian Goodell & John Gilmore PROGRAM NOTES: [NOTE: All quotations are by Marian Goodell.] “I don’t think Burning Man is the solution. I think that we are a really powerful gravitational force, and mixed with other cultures and other groups, that’s what’s powerful.” “The biggest problem I think Burning Man has is translating […]

Podcast 435 – “The Neuroscience of Music”

Guest speaker: Marina Korsakova PROGRAM NOTES: Today’s podcast features the 2014 Palenque Norte Lecture given by Dr. Marina Korsakova. Marina is a professional pianist and scholar in music cognition. Her research is focused on emotional responses to music and on the perception of melodic transformation. Currently, Marina teaches Music Cognition at Touro College. She performs […]

Podcast 433 – “Consciousness Browsers”

Guest speaker: Rak Razam PROGRAM NOTES: Today’s podcast features Rak Razam’s 2014 Palenque Norte Lecture, which was originally titled “Cosmic Consciousness To Convergence: Activating the Species.” As you can see, I have shortened it to a phrase that Rak used in his talk, “Consciousness Browsers,” which is an excellent way to describe the psychedelic experience. […]

Podcast 432 – “GAPS, MAPS, and PTSD”

Guest speakers: Katie Tomlinson & Rachel Hope PROGRAM NOTES: Today’s podcast features two of the Palenque Norte Lectures that were given at Burning Man in 2014. The first talk is by Katie Tomlinson, founder of GAPS, the psychedelic student organization at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. For anyone interested in establishing student groups on […]

Podcast 425 – “Drug Policy, Technology and Everything Else”

Guest speaker: John Gilmore PROGRAM NOTES: [NOTE: All quotations are by John Gilmore.] “I thank medical marijuana for breaking down social resistance to recreational marijuana.” “In medical marijuana states it was the gay community that developed political skills in working for their own liberation that then applied those skills to liberate marijuana in a medical […]

Podcast 422 – “Visualizing the Psychedelic Experience”

Guest speaker: Niles Heckman PROGRAM NOTES: [NOTE: All quotations are by Niles Heckman.] “The visual component of the psychedelic experience is for the most part the final frontier for what computer graphics still have yet to replicate faithfully.” “Art isn’t really important unless it helps you grow in creating it, or it helps others grow […]