Episodi

  • MICRO: Why MDMA Feels Like Love (And When That Becomes a Problem), James W. Jesso

    MICRO: Why MDMA Feels Like Love (And When That Becomes a Problem), James W. Jesso
    Aug 14 2026

    In this Adventures Through The Mind micro, I explain what MDMA is and why it makes us feel love.

    I explain why MDMA is an entactogen rather than a classic psychedelic, and how it floods the brain with serotonin. I also discuss how it raises our sense of safety, lowers our sense of danger, and drops the emotional boundaries we normally hold, which is what made it work in couples therapy. Finally, I cover the PTSD research, and why MDMA with someone new can leave you holding an intimacy you have not earned.

    • (00:00) What MDMA is, and how it works in the brain
    • (06:25) Love with a capital L
    • (11:02) Safety, danger, and the boundaries that drop
    • (14:36) Why MDMA worked in couples therapy
    • (18:14) The intimacy trap, and MDMA for PTSD
    • (21:41) Outro

    This is a clip from 'Psychedelics in Research & Practice | James W. Jesso', Adventures Through The Mind 200.

    👀 Full episode here

    🙏 Support the podcast

    Related episodes

    • Entactogens, MDMA, and Bringing New Love Drugs To Market | Matthew Baggott ~ ATTMind 177
    • MDMA for Couples | The Love Doctor, Charley Wininger ~ ATTMind 138
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    22 min
  • Psilocybin Therapy, Start To Finish | Dr. JJ Pursell ~ ATTMind 210

    Psilocybin Therapy, Start To Finish | Dr. JJ Pursell ~ ATTMind 210
    Aug 7 2026
    This episode of the podcast is going to explore what actually happens inside psilocybin assisted therapy, from the first conversation to the last integration session. Specifically, we are going to be walking the entire arc of a legal psilocybin therapy engagement through the lens of naturopathic medicine: preparation, the session itself, integration, the risks, and how to tell whether any of it is right for you. Our guest is Dr. JJ Pursell. What You'll Learn About: 🌿 What naturopathic medicine actually is, and how its root-cause approach differs from the conventional model 🍄 What psilocybin is, and what "psilocybin therapy" legally means in Oregon (which is far less than you'd expect) 🛋️ Inside a session: the service centre, the eye shades, the music, the waves, and what a facilitator is and is not there to do 🔄 Why she requires every client to commit to integration work before she'll agree to work with them at all 💧 What "alleviating suffering" really means, why it isn't the same as feeling good, and why the hardest material is usually the most useful ⚠️ The real risks: the bolt response, prolonged psychosis, cardiac contraindications, HPPD, and coming out the other side feeling worse 🚩 How to find a facilitator you can trust, the red flags to walk away from, and how to know when it's the wrong time entirely 🌀 Episode Show Notes and other Relevant Links 📚 Check out JJ's book Psilocybin Therapy: Understanding How to Use Nature's Psychedelics for Mental Health USA: https://bookshop.org/p/books/psilocybin-therapy-understanding-how-to-use-nature-s-psychedelics-for-mental-health-dr-jj-pursell/7796363e51a70603 CAD: https://www.indiebookstores.ca/book/9781643262000/ 🩺 Dr. Pursell's website: https://drjjpursell.com 🤝 Follow JJ: Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook 🍄 This episode is sponsored by Amentara. Use promo code ATTM22 for 22% off your first order. FULL TOPICS BREAKDOWN BELOW ... SUPPORT THE PODCAST 🥰 Support ATTMind and join the community on Patreon 🎧 Sub and Review on Apple Podcasts 🎧 Sub and Review on Spotify 👁 Watch and Subscribe on Youtube *** Huge thanks to my patrons on Patreon! In particular, my $23+ patrons; [CONFIRM CURRENT LIST] Other options Toss me a tip on PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=383635S3BKJVSToss me a tip on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/jameswjessoBuy some merchandise: https://www.jameswjesso.com/shop/More Options: https://www.jameswjesso.com/support Connect with Me Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jameswjesso.bsky.socialTwitter/X: https://x.com/jameswjessoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-w-jesso-64361812b/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/attmindpodcast/Newsletter: https://www.jameswjesso.com/newsletterSubStack: https://substack.com/@jameswjessoTelegram Channel: https://t.me/jameswjessoIntegration Coaching: https://www.jameswjesso.com/jesso-private-skype-sessions/ ... Episode Breakdown (00:00) Opening(03:05) Ad Break (Amentara)(03:48) Interview Begins(06:47) What naturopathic medicine is(15:14) What is psilocybin(19:45) What psilocybin therapy actually looks like(30:53) Why integration matters(44:43) What alleviating suffering really means(51:07) Patreon Break(53:14) Decomposing the Shadow: why the hard stuff isn't a bad trip(1:02:19) Wow, mushrooms sound so good, where could it go wrong(1:09:49) Ad Break (Amentara)(1:10:53) Choosing a safe facilitator, and the red flags to watch for(1:23:17) How do you know it's the right time(1:35:30) One thing to leave you with(1:37:32) Follow up links(1:39:05) Outro
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    1 ora e 42 min
  • MiCRO:16 — The Attention War: How Screens Are Hijacking Your Consciousness | Carl Hayden Smith

    MiCRO:16 — The Attention War: How Screens Are Hijacking Your Consciousness | Carl Hayden Smith
    Jul 24 2026

    Is your attention being trained the same way an algorithm is trained?

    In this micro, Carl Hayden Smith joins me to unpack what he calls the attention war: how algorithms and short-form media shape the brain toward ADHD-like patterns, whether you have ADHD or not. We also talk about what surfaces in the mind after a few phone-free days, and why Carl believes AI's real danger isn't sentience, but a mass hallucination of it: one that's already changing how we see ourselves.

    Watch this MICRO on YouTube

    This is a clip from 'Hyperhumanism: Reclaiming Our Humanity in the Age of AI | Carl Hayden Smith', Adventures Through The Mind Podcast, episode 198.

    FULL EPISODE

    • Listen on Apple Podcasts
    • Watch/Listen on Spotify
    • Listen on Overcast
    • Watch on YouTube
    • Read the show notes

    MORE AI & TECHNOLOGY EPISODES

    • The Future of Visionary Art in an Era of AI ~ Psychedelic Café 11
    • How Psychedelics Can Help Us Make Sense of the Meta-Crisis | Alexander Beiner ~ ATTMind 185

    Connect with Carl

    • Noonautics
    • The Museum of Consciousness
    • Cyberdelic Nexus

    Support the Podcast

    • Become a Patreon member
    • Donate via PayPal
    • All support options

    Stay in Touch

    • Newsletter
    • Instagram: @attmindpodcast

    EPISODE TIMESTAMPS

    • (00:00) Cold open: are screens training our brains toward ADHD?
    • (00:45) McLuhan's "the medium is the message"
    • (01:28) Is technology leading us, or are we leading it?
    • (02:54) Losing wifi in Egypt, and realizing how addicted we are to data
    • (03:37) "It is an attention war": algorithms harvesting consciousness
    • (03:53) Gen Alpha, dumbphones, and phone-free tree apps
    • (04:51) Will AI's fake-everything problem make us abandon screens?
    • (05:56) Outsourcing cognition to AI, reclaiming the felt experience
    • (06:31) Attention seeds consciousness: seeing the world through memes
    • (07:45) "Designed to be like gambling machines"
    • (08:10) A phone-free hike, and what surfaced in the mind that night
    • (08:56) TV as "the opium of the masses," and a life review
    • (10:50) Jaron Lanier: "AI won't destroy us, it will make us insane"
    • (11:34) Machine learning vs. sentience: AI's "mass hallucination"
    • (12:43) Should the machine be the artist, or should we keep that role?
    • (13:21) Outro: about this clip and the full episode with Carl Hayden Smith
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    15 min
  • Peyote Is Disappearing (and the Law Designed to Protect It Is Part of Why) | Leonardo Mercado, The Peyote Lorax ~ ATTMind 209

    Peyote Is Disappearing (and the Law Designed to Protect It Is Part of Why) | Leonardo Mercado, The Peyote Lorax ~ ATTMind 209
    Jul 7 2026

    Leonardo Mercado, known as The Peyote Lorax, joins me for Episode 209 to talk about the ecological and legal crisis threatening peyote, the sacred cactus at the center of Native American Church ceremonies.

    We get into peyote's collapse in its only natural range, the contradictions inside the federal exemption that governs who can legally possess and cultivate it, and the Seed to Ceremony conservation project Leo is building through Morningstar Conservancy in Arizona.

    🌀 Episode Show Notes and other Relevant Links

    • 🏜️The Morningstar Conservancy: https://morningstarconservancy.org/
    • The Peyote Lorax's website: https://thepeyotelorax.com/
    • Check Out Leo on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepeyotelorax/
    • Buy some art from Leo: https://morningstarconservancy.org/shop

    FULL TOPICS BREAKDOWN BELOW

    ...

    🤩 EPISODE SPONSOR

    AMENTARA is a credible source of legal psychoactive plants and extracts, most notably, Amanita Muscaria mushrooms—the red mushroom with white spots that shows up in folklore, Christmas imagery, and old shamanic traditions.

    Check them out at: https://www.jameswjesso.com/amentara

    Use the promo code ATTM22 for 22% off your first order

    ...

    SUPPORT THE PODCAST

    🥰 Support ATTMind and join the community on Patreon

    *** Huge thanks to my patrons on Patreon!
    In particular, my $23+ patrons; Andreas D, Ian C, Dan G, and Eliz C

    With a special thanks to Paul S. for their generous one-time donation

    Other options

    • Toss me a tip on PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=383635S3BKJVS
    • Toss me a tip on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/jameswjesso
    • More Options: https://www.jameswjesso.com/support

    Connect with Me: https://linktr.ee/jameswjesso

    ...

    Episode Breakdown

    • (00:00) Opening
    • (03:45) Interview begins
    • (04:51) Peyote as a desert food, not a psychedelic
    • (11:02) The teepee ceremony and the fire chief
    • (15:08) Leo's early vision quest and the capsule story
    • (26:20) Where peyote grows and why that matters
    • (29:40) How peyote's wild population collapsed
    • (34:08) The Native American Church and the legal exemption
    • (38:34) Why peyote still isn't listed as endangered
    • (46:35) The peyote carve-out in decrim bills and why it backfires
    • (52:13) Ad Break: Amentara
    • (54:57) The federal exemption as an exertion of dominance
    • (1:02:51) The 25% Indian blood rule and who gets left out
    • (1:09:28) Patreon Thanks
    • (1:11:36) Would full decriminalization help or hurt wild populations?
    • (1:15:42) What realistic legislative change would look like
    • (1:23:39) The Peyote Lorax: how Morningstar Conservancy began
    • (1:29:49) The Seed to Ceremony program
    • (1:33:21) How you can support peyote conservation
    • (1:44:41) Outro
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    1 ora e 47 min
  • MICRO:15 — Ibogaine: the one drug that stops opioid addiction in a single session, and can also kill you ~ James W. Jesso

    MICRO:15 — Ibogaine: the one drug that stops opioid addiction in a single session, and can also kill you ~ James W. Jesso
    Jun 19 2026

    Ibogaine is regularly categorized as a psychedelic — but that label may be misleading in ways that matter. In this micro, James offers a crash course in what ibogaine actually is: where it comes from, how its unusual pharmacology works, what it does to the mind, and why it holds a position in addiction medicine that no other drug on earth can claim. The risk profile is part of the picture too.

    This is a clip from 'Psychedelics in Research & Practice | James W. Jesso', Adventures Through The Mind Podcast, episode 200

    FULL EPISODE

    • Listen on Apple Podcasts
    • Listen on Spotify
    • Watch on YouTube
    • Read the show notes

    MORE IBOGAINE EPISODES

    • Treating Traumatic Brain Injury with Ibogaine | Dr. Nolan Williams ~ ATTMind 188
    • Ibogaine Medical Subculture | Jonathan Dickinson ~ ATTMind 003

    SUPPORT THE PODCAST

    🥰 Support ATTMind and join the community on Patreon

    Other options

    • Toss me a tip on PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=383635S3BKJVS
    • Buy some merchandise: https://www.jameswjesso.com/shop/
    • More Options: https://www.jameswjesso.com/support

    Connect with Me

    • Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jameswjesso.bsky.social
    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-w-jesso-64361812b/
    • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/attmindpodcast/
    • Newsletter: https://www.jameswjesso.com/newsletter
    • Substack: https://substack.com/@jameswjesso
    • Telegram Channel: https://t.me/jameswjesso

    EPISODE BREAKDOWN AND TIMESTAMPS

    • (00:00) — What is ibogaine?
    • (00:43) — An oneirogen, not a psychedelic
    • (01:33) — Closed-eye visuals and the life review
    • (02:02) — Pharmacological complexity: the "14th century key" metaphor
    • (04:39) — Duration and physical challenges of the experience
    • (06:34) — Cardiac risk: the only psychedelic that can directly cause death
    • (09:01) — Encountering ancestors and the Bwiti tradition
    • (09:51) — A brief history: from West Africa to underground use
    • (10:58) — Stopping opioid addiction in a single session
    • (12:21) — The current treatment landscape
    • (14:44) — Reversing traumatic brain injury: the Stanford research
    • (18:47) — Brain de-aging and multiple sclerosis potential
    • (19:53) — Outro
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    22 min
  • The Food Mushroom That Makes You See Little People | Colin Domnauer ~ ATTMind 208

    The Food Mushroom That Makes You See Little People | Colin Domnauer ~ ATTMind 208
    May 28 2026
    You can buy Lanmaoa asiatica at a food market in Yunnan. Cook it thoroughly and it's just a bolete. Undercook it, and roughly 12 to 24 hours later you may spend the next three to seven days seeing hyper-realistic miniature people moving through your environment — documented across three independent cultures, mechanism completely unknown. Ethnobotanist Colin Domnauer (Dentinger Lab, Natural History Museum of Utah) is one of the few people actively trying to understand why. Colin and I get into what's actually documented about Lanmaoa asiatica — the three independent cultural accounts, the unusual onset and duration, and what the phenomenology of the hallucinations themselves suggests about mechanism. We talk about why this mushroom has received almost no formal scientific attention, what studying it would even look like, and what it might reveal about how psychedelic effects are produced in fungi more broadly. There's also a lot we just don't know — and we sit in that honestly. 🌀 Episode Show Notes and other Relevant Links 📚 Read Colin's Article on Lanmaoa asiatica - The mushroom making people hallucinate dozens of tiny humansFollow Colin on Instagram: @eating_gaia — where he posts research updates and mushroom photosThe Dentinger Lab at the Natural History Museum of Utah — for anyone interested in pursuing research in the field FULL TOPICS BREAKDOWN BELOW ... 🤩 EPISODE SPONSOR AMENTARA is a credible source of legal psychoactive plants and extracts, most notably, Amanita Muscaria mushrooms—the red mushroom with white spots that shows up in folklore, Christmas imagery, and old shamanic traditions. Check them out at: https://www.jameswjesso.com/amentara Use the promo code ATTM22 for 22% off your first order ... SUPPORT THE PODCAST 🥰 Support ATTMind and join the community on Patreon *** Huge thanks to my patrons on Patreon! In particular, my $23+ patrons; Andreas D, Ian C, Dan G, and Eliz C Other options Toss me a tip on PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=383635S3BKJVSToss me a tip on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/jameswjessoMore Options: https://www.jameswjesso.com/support Connect with Me: https://linktr.ee/jameswjesso ... Episode Breakdown (00:00) Opening(02:35) Ad Break(03:11) Interview Begins(03:19) From Astrophysics to Ethnomycology: An Unusual Path Into Psychedelic Research(07:44) Discovering Lanmaoa Asiatica: The Hallucinogenic Bolete of Southeast Asia(13:03) Lilliputian Hallucinations: The Psychiatric Phenomenon of Seeing Tiny People(16:37) Seeing Little People for Days: Cultural Attitudes & the Duration of Effects(20:26) Delirium or Psychedelic? What fMRI Data & Eyewitness Reports Reveal(23:53) More Real Than a Dream: The Uncanny Stability of These Hallucinations(30:12) Mushrooms, Fairies & Ancient Folklore: The Deep Connection to Little People(32:53) Patreon Thanks(35:23) Is This Mushroom Dangerous? Safety Data from ~1,000 Hospital Cases(45:00) Hunting for the Active Compound: Why It's Not Psilocybin or Ibotenic Acid(50:04) Ad Break(51:55) Are There More Hallucinogenic Bolete Species Around the World?(55:03) Why Psychoactive Compounds Evolve in Nature(1:00:36) Future Research, a 3rd-Century Taoist Text & How to Follow Colin's Work(1:08:03) Follow up links and socials(1:09:55) Outro
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    1 ora e 13 min
  • MICRO:14 - What Psychedelics Actually Do to Your Mind (And Why Nothing Else Compares), James W. Jesso

    MICRO:14 - What Psychedelics Actually Do to Your Mind (And Why Nothing Else Compares), James W. Jesso
    May 11 2026

    Psychedelics don't just "alter" your state — they can dissolve the self, surface the unconscious, and open the door to mystical experience. Your host, James, shares what's actually happening.

    ...

    This is a clip from 'Psychedelics in Research & Practice | James W. Jesso ~ ATTMind Podcast 200"

    FULL INTERVIEW

    • Listen on Apple Podcasts

    • Listen/Watch on Spotify

    • Watch on YouTube

    • Read the show notes

    SUPPORT THE PODCAST

    🥰 Support ATTMind and join the community on Patreon

    Other options

    • Support Once on PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=383635S3BKJVS
    • Toss Me a Tip on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/jameswjesso
    • Buy Some Merchandise: https://www.jameswjesso.com/shop/
    • More Options: https://www.jameswjesso.com/support

    Connect with Me

    • Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jameswjesso.bsky.social
    • LinkedIn: https://www.instagram.com/attmindpodcast/
    • X: https://x.com/jameswjesso
    • Newsletter: https://www.jameswjesso.com/newsletter
    • Substack: https://substack.com/@jameswjesso
    • Telegram Channel: https://t.me/jameswjesso
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    16 min
  • Spiritual Healing, IFS, and Emanuel Swedenborg | Falconer, Odhner, and Jonathan Rose ~ ATTMind 207

    Spiritual Healing, IFS, and Emanuel Swedenborg | Falconer, Odhner, and Jonathan Rose ~ ATTMind 207
    Apr 17 2026
    This episode of the podcast is going to explore an intersection of psychotherapy and spirituality. Specifically, we are going to be exploring the intersection between Internal Family Systems, spiritual healing, and the work of 16c Christian philosopher and mystic Emanuel Swedenborg. Our guests are Bob Falconer, Chelsea Odhner, and Jonathan Rose. What You'll Learn About: 📚 Introduction to Internal Family Systems (IFS) and the teachings of Emmanuel Swedenborg 🔗 The intersection and synthesis between these two systems of thinking 🧠 Fundamental metaphysical concepts: the nature of the mind and the nature of the self ✨ The relationship with the divine, including concepts of heaven, hell, freedom, and salvation 🔓 The structure and porosity of the mind, including the mind being populated by a multiplicity of beings, both internal and external 🩹 Practical application: working with these beings to heal trauma and cultivate a better life 🌀 Episode Show Notes and other Relevant Links 📚 BUY THEIR BOOK: Opening the Inner World: Spiritual Healing, Internal Family Systems, and Emanuel Swedenborg. FULL TOPICS BREAKDOWN BELOW ... SUPPORT THE PODCAST 🥰 Support ATTMind and join the community on Patreon 🎧 Sub and Review on Apple Podcasts 🎧 Sub and Review on Spotify 👁 Watch and Subscribe on Youtube *** Huge thanks to my patrons on Patreon! In particular, my $23+ patrons; Andreas D, Ian C, Dan G, and Eliz C Other options Toss me a tip on PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=383635S3BKJVSToss me a tip on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/jameswjessoBuy some merchandise: https://www.jameswjesso.com/shop/More Options: https://www.jameswjesso.com/support Connect with Me Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jameswjesso.bsky.socialTwitter/X: https://x.com/jameswjessoLinkedIn: https://www.instagram.com/attmindpodcast/Newsletter: https://www.jameswjesso.com/newsletterSubStack: https://substack.com/@jameswjessoTelegram Channel: https://t.me/jameswjessoIntegration Coaching: https://www.jameswjesso.com/jesso-private-skype-sessions/ ... Episode Breakdown (00:00) Opening(06:10) Interview Begins: introducing our guests, James' Swedenborg connection(08:14) Who Swedenborg was: scientist turned mystic(10:43) What IFS is: mind as many parts, not one(12:46) Chelsea bridges both worlds via healing path(17:10) Understanding healing as a spiritual journey(22:20) IFS is secretly spiritual: Self as divine link(25:42) Salvation etymologically means health and healing(26:55) Mind as multi-levelled household with a head(33:21) Self can never be damaged, even by deep trauma(34:37) Divine inflow and the protection of our freedom(43:15) Porosity of mind: What if the voices in your head aren't yours?(49:06) Heaven hell as states chosen by what we love(52:25) Levels of mind correspond to levels of heaven and the different spirits we are in contact with(59:50) The Citadel Of The Mind model underlying mental illness(1:05:50) Distinguishing inner parts from dark entities(1:10:25) Angels respect freedom; demons seek control(1:19:59) Hidden demons gain power only through our fear(1:31:42) Psychedelics as portal to spiritual porosity(1:43:42) Learning to sober navigate the psychedelic nature of spiritual reality(1:47:55) Closing: what one thing should listeners take home?(1:48:55) Practice self-witnessing in difficult interactions(1:51:33) Act as if loved and supported by angelic forces(1:56:51) Follow Up Links and Goodbyes(1:59:27) Outro
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    2 ore e 1 min