The Third Wave

Western Philosophy on Drugs: Consciousness, Dreams, and Reality In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with Dr. Justin Smith-Ruiu about how psychedelic experiences challenge long-standing assumptions about consciousness, perception, and reality. Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-351/?ref=278  Justin explains how Western philosophy has historically privileged rational, sober, and waking states of mind, often dismissing dreams and altered states as unreliable. He explores how psychedelic experiences push against these assumptions, raising deeper questions about knowledge, language, and what counts as real. The conversation also examines the tension between therapeutic and existential uses of psychedelics, and how medicalization may shape the cultural role these substances play moving forward. Justin Smith-Ruiu is a professor of history and philosophy of science at the Université Paris Cité and author of On Drugs: Psychedelics, Philosophy, and

Can Ketamine Help Benzodiazepine Withdrawal? - Melissa Bond & Dr. Amy de la Garza In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with Melissa Bond and Dr. Amy de la Garza about the hidden risks of benzodiazepines, the reality of dependency, and what recovery can require. Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-350/?ref=278  Melissa shares her experience of becoming dependent on prescribed medication, and the physical and emotional challenges of withdrawal. Dr. de la Garza brings a clinical perspective, explaining how benzodiazepines affect the nervous system and why withdrawal can be prolonged and destabilizing. The conversation also looks at where conventional care often falls short, and how more integrative approaches are beginning to emerge. This includes the use of low-dose ketamine as a potential tool to support the nervous system during withdrawal, particularly in more complex or prolonged cases. Melissa Bond is a narrative journalist and poet.

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with a molecular geneticist exploring what it could look like to rethink how psychedelic medicines are sourced at a fundamental level. Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-349/?ref=278  Jeffrey Gerst explains how his work in RNA biology and gene expression has led him to explore bioengineering as a way to produce psychedelic compounds without relying on wild harvesting or traditional chemical synthesis. The conversation looks at how cells organize and communicate, and how those same biological principles could be used to create more sustainable and scalable systems for medicine production. Paul and Jeff also reflect on the broader implications of this shift, from environmental stewardship to the long-term integrity of the psychedelic ecosystem. Professor Jeffrey Gerst is a molecular geneticist and Full Professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science, where he studies how cells regulate gene expression thro

Herbal Ecstasy & The Billion Dollar Smart Drug Boom In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin sits down with entrepreneur Shaahin Cheyene, creator of the controversial 1990s supplement "Herbal Ecstasy," which helped launch the legal smart-drug movement. Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-348/?ref=278 Shaahin shares how he built a multimillion-dollar business at just fifteen by creating a legal herbal alternative to MDMA during a shortage in the rave scene. The conversation explores 1990s rave culture, the ethics of prohibition, and how natural supplements intersect with psychedelics, entrepreneurship, and personal freedom. They also discuss his later ventures in Amazon commerce, podcast media, and YouTube. Shaahin Cheyene is the creator of Herbal Ecstasy, a supplement that helped spark the legal smart-drug movement in the 1990s. He built the business as a teenager into a multimillion-dollar company. Over the past three decades, Shaahin has become

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with Jonathan Dickinson, CEO and Co-Founder of Ambio Life Sciences, about the evolving role of ibogaine in psychedelic medicine. Listen to the full episode: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-347/?ref=278 Jonathan shares his path from leading the Global Ibogaine Therapy Alliance to helping build one of the field's most prominent ibogaine treatment organizations. Together they explore ibogaine's expanding therapeutic potential for traumatic brain injury, addiction, and neurological conditions, along with the clinical realities of delivering this powerful medicine safely. They also discuss the challenges of scaling ibogaine treatment, the importance of preparation and integration, and how traditional Bwiti knowledge from Gabon continues to shape ethical and culturally grounded approaches to this work. Jonathan Dickinson is the CEO and Co-Founder of Ambio Life Sciences and a leading expert on ibogaine therapy. With more than 15 years of exper

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with Christopher Solomon, founder of Salvia Healings, about how Salvia divinorum can be approached as a therapeutic and introspective tool when used with preparation and somatic awareness. Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-346/?ref=278  They discuss dosage, harm reduction, and the importance of building a supportive container for working with intense altered states. The conversation explores how somatic awareness, breath, and pacing can help transform the Salvia experience into an opportunity for meditation, trauma processing, and self guided healing. Christopher Solomon is a somatic Salvia guide and educator focused on helping people approach Salvia with safety, structure, and intention. Drawing from his training in somatic psychotherapy, he teaches how to work with this powerful plant in ways that support introspection and personal growth. Highlights: Reframing Salvia's cultural reputation Set and s

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with Jodi Lomask, an artist, choreographer, and creative guide whose work bridges art, science, embodiment, and psychedelic experience. Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-345/?ref=278  They explore how psychedelic experiences can be approached as acts of creative design shaped by context and environment. Jodi shares insights from decades of immersive performance work and discusses flow, embodied intelligence, psychological safety in groups, and the differences between microdosing and vision quests. Jodi Lomask is an artist and founder of Capacitor, a performance company exploring the intersection of dance, science, and consciousness. Through Creative Journey, she supports individuals and teams in cultivating creative flow and embodied insight. Highlights: Designing psychedelic experiences intentionally Embodiment and integration Flow states and healing Psychological safety in group work Microdosing ver

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with Hunt Priest, founder of Ligare, about Christianity, mysticism, and the ethical integration of psychedelic experience within spiritual life. Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-344/?ref=278  They discuss Hunt's participation in a 2016 Johns Hopkins psilocybin study for clergy, Christianity's long history of mystical experience, and how non-ordinary states can be held within ethical and communal containers. The conversation also explores legality versus ethics, justice and institutional risk, and how psychedelics relate to prayer, meditation, and service within a broader spiritual life. Hunt Priest is a Christian minister and founder of Ligare, a nonprofit exploring the relationship between Christianity and psychedelics. Formerly an Episcopal priest, he works at the intersection of spiritual formation, ethics, and community-based integration of mystical experience. Highlights: Johns Hopkins clergy st

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with Justin Wolf, co-founder and CEO of New Brew, about plant-based alternatives to alcohol and how social drinking culture may be shifting. Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-343/?ref=278  Justin shares how exploring kava and kratom traditions in Mexico shaped New Brew's approach to formulation, emphasizing reliable dosing, transparency, and harm reduction. Together, they discuss why alcohol became the default social drug, the limits of most "functional beverages," and the nuance behind terms like "Cali sober." The conversation also explores dependency risk, intention, moderation, and why plant-based alternatives are not positioned for those pursuing full abstinence. At its core, this episode is about expanding optionality and building new social rituals responsibly. Justin Wolf is the co-founder and CEO of New Brew, a plant-powered social tonic designed as an alternative to alcohol. Prior to launching

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with Dr. Paul Ryder, founding minister of the Congregation for Sacred Practices, about an alternative framework for psychedelic work rooted in spirituality, ritual, and community rather than medicine alone. Paul Ryder shares how his own experiences led him to treat psychedelics as sacraments, and why he believes the medical model, while valuable, represents only an early phase of the psychedelic renaissance. Together, they explore how CSP operates as both a church and a seminary, training licensed ministers to hold ceremonies ethically, safely, and within a religious legal framework. The conversation also examines the role of community in long-term transformation, the distinction between therapists and ministers, and why practices like breathwork, meditation, and integration circles are central to spiritual development. Throughout, Ryder offers a grounded perspective on how psychedelics can support not just healing, but maturation, responsibil

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with Jhaimy Alvarez-Acosta, a traditional Andean curandero from Cusco, Peru, about lineage, ceremony, and responsibility within Indigenous wisdom traditions. Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-341/?ref=278  They explore Andean cosmology as a living worldview and reframe master plant work as a form of deep education rather than clinical healing. The conversation emphasizes mentorship, initiation through lived experience, and healing as a relational process rooted in land, ancestors, and community. Maestro Jhaimy Alvarez Acosta has walked the path of Andean wisdom for over thirty years, guiding ceremonies and pilgrimages throughout the Andes and internationally. His work emphasizes humility, relationship, and long-term commitment to lineage-based traditions. Highlights: Fear as a guide rather than an obstacle Initiation through lived experience Huachuma in Andean tradition Roles within Indigenous healing

Can Europe Legalize Psychedelic Therapy? In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with Théo Giubilei, founder of PsychedeliCare, about how psychedelic therapy could become a public health issue at the European Union level. Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-340/?ref=278  They discuss how EU policymaking works, why stigma and political risk continue to shape reform, and the challenges of coordinating psychedelic care across multiple healthcare systems. The conversation also explores why patient testimony and citizen-led advocacy may be essential to shifting public health policy in Europe. Théo Giubilei is a Brussels-based mental health advocate and founder of the PsychedeliCare European Citizens' Initiative. A graduate in European Politics and Public Affairs from Sciences Po Strasbourg, he previously worked in European public affairs before dedicating himself full-time to psychedelic policy reform. Since 2022, Théo has led a grassroots coalitio

African Psychoactive Plants: Dreams, Ancestors, and Healing In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with Jean-Francois Sobiecki, a South African ethnobotanist, clinical nutritionist, and healer whose work challenges the assumption that Africa lacks psychoactive plant traditions. Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-339/?ref=278  Drawing from over two decades of research and a 15-year apprenticeship with a Northern Sotho healer, Jean-Francois explores dream-enhancing medicines like Ubulawu, ancestral healing systems, and cross-cultural parallels with Amazonian plant traditions. The conversation also examines conservation, initiation, and the role of African psychoactive plants in global mental health. Jean-Francois Sobiecki is a South African ethnobotanist, clinical nutritionist, and healer with over two decades of experience researching African psychoactive plant traditions. A research associate at the University of Johannesburg and founder of

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin sits down with Zach Leary to explore how psychedelic culture has evolved from its countercultural roots into today's rapidly commercializing landscape. They discuss mysticism versus medicalization, the ethics of psychedelics in capitalist systems, the rise of psychedelic churches, and why integration and responsibility matter more than peak experience alone. Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-338/?ref=278 Zach Leary is a psychedelic educator, integration coach, and host of the Psychedelics Then and Now Podcast. He has spent over 30 years immersed in psychedelic culture and is the author of Your Extraordinary Mind, forthcoming from Sounds True. Highlights: Countercultural roots of psychedelics Medicalization vs mysticism Psychedelics in capitalism Set and setting Psychedelic churches Integration and stewardship Episode Links: Zach Leary Website Zach Leary Instagram Psychedelics Then and Now Podcast Episode

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin reconnects with computational neurobiologist and author Dr. Andrew Gallimore to explore the mysteries of DMT, intelligence, and extended-state psychedelic technologies. Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-337/?ref=278  They revisit themes from their earlier conversation and dive deeper into Andrew's latest book, Death by Astonishment, examining DMT as an information-gating technology, its relationship to non-human intelligences, and its emerging therapeutic and neuroprotective applications. Andrew also shares updates on DMTx infusion research and reflects on what extended-state experiences could mean for the future of consciousness science and human evolution. Dr. Andrew Gallimore is a computational neurobiologist, chemical pharmacologist, and writer based in Tokyo. He holds a master's degree in chemical pharmacology and a PhD in biological chemistry from the University of Cambridge, and has completed postdocto

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with Giovanni Bartolomeo, founder of Elemental Rhythm Breathwork, about how breathwork can support meaningful personal change and deepen integration after psychedelic experiences. Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-336/?ref=278  Gio shares his journey from high-pressure entrepreneurship into a more grounded, heart-led approach to life and business. He reflects on how Elemental Rhythm emerged through years of breathwork practice, somatic exploration, and deep work with plant medicine, eventually evolving into a system that blends breath, music, movement, meditation, and guided inquiry. Together, Paul and Gio explore why accessible practices like breathwork can cultivate real agency rather than dependency, how preparation and integration shape long-term change, and what it means to take responsibility for one's own growth in both spiritual and entrepreneurial contexts. Giovanni Bartolomeo is the founder o

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with human connection specialist and Create The Love founder Mark Groves about how psychedelics reveal the hidden patterns shaping our relationships. Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-335/?ref=278  Mark shares how heartbreak, honesty, and plant medicine helped him move from external validation to inner truth. Together, they explore emotional safety, attachment wounds, technology's influence on agency, and the growing overlap between relational healing and psychedelic integration. Mark Groves is a human connection specialist, author, speaker, coach, podcast host, and founder of Create The Love. For over a decade, he has helped individuals and organizations transform relationships through emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and radical honesty. Highlights: Psychedelics and relationship patterns Attachment wounds and emotional safety Honesty as integration practice Technology, agency, and attention P

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with Ashley Carmen, LMFT, psychotherapist and founder of the Psychedelic Guide Network (PGN). Ashley offers insight into Austin's rapidly growing psychedelic landscape and the ethical foundations needed to support safe, grounded facilitation. Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-334/?ref=278 Paul and Ashley explore sovereignty, accountability, dual relationships, and the subtle dynamics that arise in non-ordinary states. They also discuss how PGN's Wisdom Circles help facilitators deepen their practice through honest reflection and community-based support. Together they consider how ethics can function as medicine—clarifying power, strengthening boundaries, and honoring the integrity of the work. Ashley Carmen, M.S., LMFT is a psychotherapist and founder of the Psychedelic Guide Network. She supports both licensed clinicians and community facilitators as they incorporate psychedelic modalities into ethica

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin reconnects with longtime Buddhist practitioner and former Synthesis co-founder Martijn Schirp, founder of Upāyosis. They explore his journey from pioneering modern psilocybin retreats to creating A Path Between Worlds, a year-long contemplative training that integrates Buddhist practice, ecological ethics, and psychedelic skillful means. Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-333/?ref=278  Martijn shares lessons from Synthesis's rise and collapse, how time in the Himalayas reshaped his contemplative path, and why "ego porousness" may offer a healthier frame than "ego death." He and Paul discuss how Buddhist principles like interdependence and skillful means can guide responsible psychedelic work — and why awakening today must include service to a planet in crisis. Martijn Schirp is a longtime Buddhist practitioner and founder of Upāyosis, where he leads A Path Between Worlds, a yearlong contemplative training blen

In this special AMA episode, Paul F. Austin answers the most common, and most nuanced questions emerging from recent trainings, webinars, and community sessions. Drawing from a decade of experience in microdosing, facilitation, and practitioner training, Paul explores how to choose the right microdosing protocol, the relationship between nervous system health and performance, the role of psychedelics in coaching, and the ethical boundaries practitioners must uphold. He also discusses SSRI tapering, creativity, leadership, and how to guide clients through integration with clarity and skill. Highlights How to choose a microdosing protocol Why nervous system health comes first Microdosing vs. macrodosing for integration SSRIs, tapering, and safe sequencing Creativity and leadership with microdosing Embodiment as the key to integration Coaching vs. therapy in psychedelic work Ethical boundaries for practitioners Episode Links Free Webinar on Dec 11, 2025: Social Media, Psychedelics, and the Law: What Practiti