Episode 89

Written By Michaela Carlin
 
 
 
 

Exploring the cultural, legal, and spiritual implications of psychedelics and the path forward for their use in modern society, this episode features Charles Eisenstein and Robert Forte in a conversation about freedom, the scared, and the potential dangers of commercializing these powerful tools.

They discuss the historical and cultural significance of psychedelics; challenges posed by their current legal status and the push to medicalize them; and what it might look like to move towards a system where psychedelics are recognized as sacraments with everyone possessing the right to carry their own “medicine bundle’.

Charles Eisenstein is a writer, speaker, and the author of several books including The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know is Possible.

Robert Forte has traveled the psychedelic path over the past 45 and has been a student, a researcher, a producer and a distributor of forbidden drugs, taught at university and graduate level. Robert has done field work in South America and had close personal relationships with many of the most significant instigators of the various psychedelic movements of our time.

Episode Highlights

  • The impact and history of psychedelics

  • Discussion on the historical legal status of psychedelics and earth medicines

  • The current state and suppression of psychedelics

  • Robert discusses the FDA rejection of MDMA therapy application

  • Criticism of regulatory and legal systems suppressing the therapeutic use of psychedelics

  • Charles shares a deeply personal transformative experience with LSD

  • Commentary on the revolutionary impact of psychedelics on culture

  • Personal sovereignty and the right to use psychedelics

  • The Controlled Substance Act and its implications

  • Classifying psychedelics as sacraments

  • Constitutional rights and the historical significance of spiritual experiences induced by psychedelics

  • Practical and ethical considerations

  • Potential business models for psychedelic centers, including a gift economy

  • Risks and benefits of mass marketing psychedelics

  • Ethical concerns about commercializing sacred experiences

  • Broader cultural and political implications

  • Whether general legalization or specific decriminalization models are preferable

  • The potential positive and negative impacts of widespread psychedelic use

  • Charles on the current political landscape and policy change

  • Obstacles in changing government policy and translating awareness into practical regulation

Charles Eisenstein

Robert Forte’s Links

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

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Special thanks to Jeremy Colbert (Taragápe) for the original podcast theme music.

You can find out more about Jeremey’s work here:
taragape.com and @taragape

Michaela Carlin
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