The Alchemist: Reflections on a Lifetime of Psychedelic Chemistry

02/14/24 • 68 min

Dr. David E.Nichols is one of the world’s foremost authorities on the chemistry and pharmacology of psychedelic substances.

In 1993, with the collaboration of colleagues, Dr. Nichols founded the Heffter Research Institute, realizing his vision of a privately funded Institute as the most effective mechanism for bringing research on psychedelic agents into the modern era of neuroscience. Since its founding it has emerged as a leading force advancing psychedelic research in numerous institutions.

Dr. David E.Nichols is one of the world’s foremost authorities on the chemistry and pharmacology of psychedelic substances.

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God on Psychedelics

Don Lattin is an American journalist who has been exploring the interface between psychedelics and religion in America since the end of the 90s. His books include "Shopping for Faith: American Religions in the new Millenium" (co-authored with Richard Cimino & Jose Basse, 1998); "Following our Bliss: How the Spiritual Ideals of the Sixities Influence Our Lives Today" (2003); "Jesus Freaks: A True Story of Murder and Madness on the Evangelical Edge" (2007); and "The Harvard Psychedelic Club: How Timogthy Leary, Ram Dass, Huston Smith, and Andy Weil Killed the 60s and Ushered in a New Age for America" (2010); "Changing our Minds: Psychedelic Sacraments and the New Psychotherapy" (2017). His most recent book is "God on Psychedelics: Tripping Across the Rubble of Old Time Religion" (2023) which explores the emerging integration of psychedelic mystical experiences into mainstream religious practices. He has been an adjunct faculty member in the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley, and for two decades was a staff writer covering religion, spirituality and psychology at the San Francisco Chronicle. In addition to his published books, his work has been widely published in many US magazines and newspapers. Don kindly took time from his busy schedule at the MAPS Psychedelic Science Conference in Denver last June 2023 to record this Interview for the Brainforest Café.

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The Tao of the Wisdom Warrior

Tom (Tomás) Pinkson has been walking the Warrior Wisdom path far longer than most of the readers of this book have been walking. In it, he shares the wisdom distilled from a lifetime of seeking to understand himself and his place in the realm of shamanic and indigenous practices. In the course of his long life, he has learned from the great medicine teachers, including LSD, ayahuasca, peyote and magic mushrooms, and those who have been the keepers and stewards of this psychedelic gnosis, ranging from indigenous elders to spiritual leaders in Eastern and Western spiritual traditions, psychotherapists, and fellow seekers such as Ralph Metzner, Huston Smith, Ram Dass and others. Tomás has been a beacon of hope and a compassionate guide for others seeking to follow the path of Warrior Wisdom, helping them to find their own way in their personal quests. While he has pointed the way for many to find their way, he shows up always as a humble learner; not a leader, but a fellow traveler, ever open to the marvelous mystery of being.
Brother Tomás has traveled far on the road to Warrior Wisdom. Here, he shares the experiences gleaned from that long journey. He has much to teach us, and we all have much to learn.