Psychedelic Symbiosis with Dennis McKenna
Listen now
Description
We are humbled to be speaking with psychedelic pioneer, Dennis McKenna. Dennis and his late brother Terrence are some of the most influential figures in western psychedelic culture. The brothers contributed to the introduction to psilocybin mushrooms in the United States, including but not limited to, cultivation techniques, ethnomycology, user guidance, and providing spores. Dennis was active in the psychedelic movement in the 60s and continues to shape the 21st century renaissance through education and organizations such as the McKenna Academy of Natural Philosophy. Prepare for some serious wisdom and untold stories from the McKenna family.  Topics Covered: The McKenna’s trip to La Chorrera in search of psychedelic Virola sap called oo-koo-hey, and the inadvertent encounter of Psilocybe cubensis in cow piesPsilocybin as an ideal oral form of DMTChemical composition of psychedelic mushrooms i.e beta-carboline content The McKenna family, from a small town in Colorado and the becoming of the most influential figures in western psychedelic use Psilocybin’s potential influence on hominid evolution including fossil records, ecological history, circumstantial evidence, epigenetics and moreProhibition and regulation of psilocybin and other entheogensOrganismic birthrights to form a relationship with the natural worldShow notes: McKenna Academy of Natural Philosophy: https://mckenna.academy/Heffter Research Institute: https://www.heffter.org/Erowin reports on Virola sap: https://erowid.org/library/books_online/golden_guide/g71-80.shtmlPsilocybin: A Magic Mushroom Grower’s Guide: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/415951.PsilocybinLife with Terrance McKenna: https://www.amazon.com/Brotherhood-Screaming-Abyss-Dennis-McKenna-ebook/dp/B00A8KWLYK Notable Quotes: “Part of the message from nature is, [psilocybin] is the perfect psychedelic, you don’t really need to improve on it.” “We were approaching this like engineers, we wanted to build a machine out of our own bodies that would enable us to visit other dimensions.” “People should have a fundamental right to form symbiosis. And because we’re talking about alliances with non-human organisms, it's not even a human right, it's an organismic right.” “When you choose to use a drug, you’re choosing a relationship.... call it a symbiotic relationship.”
More Episodes
Published 03/27/24
Today we travel to New Zealand with Liv Sisson to talk about the fungi of Aotearoa better known as New Zealand. We chat about the folklore and indigenous uses of various mushrooms and her newest book all about the topic. Sign up for our podcast giveaway here. Our next winner will be selected on...
Published 03/27/24
Today we sit down with the musician and biologist Tarun Nayar to dive into the mystical world of mushroom music. Did you know we can hook up sensors to mushrooms and turn their electrical signals into music? Learn how to make your own and sit back to listen to a track Tarun created himself with...
Published 03/14/24