Melissa Etheridge on Ayahuasca

Just a few years ago, it was pretty unusual to hear big-time celebrities talk about their own psychedelic experiences. But that stigma is starting to fade thanks to people like the rock star and music icon Melissa Etheridge.  For her, this psychedelic renaissance has gotten very personal. Three years ago, her son Beckett died at the age of 21 from an opioid drug overdose. When Etheridge heard that clinical trials with psilocybin were showing real promise for treating addiction, she became an outspoken advocate for psychedelic therapy. And she started her own nonprofit organization, the Etheridge Foundation, to support scientific research into the causes and treatments for opioid addiction.  Melissa Etheridge recently came through Madison, Wisconsin for an evening concert. Earlier that day, she stopped by the Usona Institute — which is running its own clinical trials on psilocybin and 5-MeO-DMT — where she sat down with Steve for a short interview. She talked about the death of her son, and her own life-changing experiences with ayahuasca. She explains why she’s fascinated by psychedelics as both a path for spiritual exploration and a source of creativity. Original Air Date: July 08, 2023 For more from Luminous, check out ttbook.org/luminous.

Om Podcasten

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. "Luminous” is a series from "To The Best Of Our Knowledge" featuring conversations about psychedelics 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.