#52 - Right-Wing Psychedelia at University of Madison-Wisconsin
Release Date: 06/27/2022
#79 Psychedelic Conversion Therapy, Part 3: A Handshake Away From Trump (w/ Kaleb Graves)
The Psymposia Podcast
Neşe and Russell speak with Kaleb Graves about his reporting on the growing links between psychedelic therapy and conversion therapy movements. Drawing from his article — "Psychedelic Conversion Therapy: How Christian Nationalism Is Co-Opting a Movement Once Reserved for Hippies" — they discuss how right-wing religious and political ideologies are increasingly intersecting with the psychedelic space. They discuss figures like Wendi Rees, who is a strong advocate of both transphobic ideologies and psychedelic therapies, and what it means for a movement that claims to center healing. They...
info_outline
#78 Psychedelic Conversion Therapy, Part 2: From Counterculture to Culture War
The Psymposia Podcast
Neşe and Russell examine the rise of modern right-wing influencers who simultaneously advocate for the dismantling of “woke” ideologies, express support for conversion therapy frameworks, and promote the use of psychedelic therapy. Focusing on figures like Elon Musk and Jordan Peterson, they explore how these seemingly contradictory positions intersect. Both Musk and Peterson have had a notable influence within psychedelic culture, shaping conversations around mental health, identity, and the future of therapy. This video unpacks their broader ideologies, particularly how they approach...
info_outline
#77 Psychedelic Conversion Therapy, Part 1: The First Wave
The Psymposia Podcast
Neşe and Russell review the history and harms of conversion therapy practices in the broader medical landscape, as well as their persistence throughout the history of psychedelic research. In the first wave of psychedelic science, influential figures helped legitimize deeply harmful ideas about pharmaceutical assistance in shifting identity. Timothy Leary publicly suggested psychedelics could “cure” homosexuality. Richard Alpert (later Ram Dass) engaged in psychedelic-assisted conversion efforts with individuals who wrote to him seeking change. Stanislav Grof framed homosexuality as a...
info_outline
#76 Psychedelics are Big Pharma Now, 5-MeO Propaganda, Spiritual Grifter's Manslaughter Charge
The Psymposia Podcast
The crew discusses AtaiBeckley's acquisition by Eli Lilly, The Wall Street Journal's mini-documentary on 5-MeO-DMT, and a recent death that occurred during a psychedelic retreat.
info_outline
#75 "Psychedelic Zealots" w/ Dr. Tyler Black
The Psymposia Podcast
Psymposia sits down with Dr. Tyler Black to discuss debunking pseudoscience, a recent case study involving giving a woman with Alzheimer's psilocybin, psychedelic zealot mindsets, and his ketamine research.
info_outline
#74.5 The Fight Over Trans Healthcare Under Trump w/ Jane Migliara Brigham
The Psymposia Podcast
This is an excerpted interview from episode #74. Psymposia speaks with Jane Migliara Brigham of The Needle to discuss her recent article, "Ambetter Insurance, Centene denying hormones to trans patients across 19 states in push for MAHA Medicine."
info_outline
#74 Psychedelic Billionaire Dystopia, Terence McKenna Archives, Trans Healthcare Under Trump 6.18.2026
The Psymposia Podcast
James, Russell, and Normie chat about the Best in Grass competition before diving into a discussion of a lawsuit against OpenAI over alleged bad drug advice and the preservation of the Terence McKenna archive. Russell conducts an in-depth interview with Jane Migliara Brigham on the state of trans healthcare under Trump, unpacking the policy landscape and its real-world implications. In the back half of the episode, the crew is joined by Mike and Neşe to discuss billionaire investor Christian Angermayer — breaking down his psychedelic origin story, his concept of “Societal Adjustment...
info_outline
#73 Enhanced Games Peptide Grift, MAHA Public Health Slop, Psychedelic Christian Nationalism 06.03.2026
The Psymposia Podcast
SUPPORT: FOLLOW: Normie, Neşe, Russell, and James dive into the telehealth supplement play behind the Enhanced Games, dissect the Secretary of Homeland Security's significant stake in Botanic Tonics, unpack the dangerous rhetoric of the MAHA movement and its real-world impact on mental health policy and infant mortality, and examine the key figure pushing ibogaine from fringe psychedelic to centerpiece of a broader Christian nationalist movement. Footnotes: The Enhanced Games Explained: Inside the $1.2 Billion Bet on Doping in Sports (Huddle Up) How a kratom giant got what it wanted from...
info_outline
Patreon Update: New Tiers and Offerings
The Psymposia Podcast
We have made some changes to our Patreon and wanted to let you know what to expect from your subscription moving forward! Simplified Tiers. We simplified our tiers so there will only be three offerings: a $5, $10, and $50 level The $2 tier is going away July 1, but any current $2 members will be grandfathered in at that price. Early Access. All of our paid members will receive early access to ad-free podcast episodes, generally released twice a month. Additionally, Patreon members will receive around 20-45 minutes of post-episode bonus content with each release! Group...
info_outline
#72 Patreon Exclusive: The Drug Culture of Looksmaxxing
The Psymposia Podcast
This clip from our Patreon bonus content breaks down the so-called “pentastack” behind looksmaxxer streams: a combinations of stimulants, dissociatives, performance drugs, and psychiatric medications. We also examine the disturbing response from the people around Clavicular during his livestreamed overdose.
info_outlineThis talk was presented live by Dr. Brian Pace and Dr. Neşe Devenot at the UW–Madison Transdisciplinary Center for Research in Psychoactive Substances. This talk was presented on April 28 as part of the "Psychedelic Humanities" speaker series, organized by Dr. Lucas Richert.
Public discourse concerning psychedelics and the emerging industry in psychedelic-assisted therapy has extended beyond the potential benefits of novel treatments for specific mental health disorders to claims that widespread psychedelic use may tilt social relations towards more egalitarian norms. Researchers and media outlets have pointed to several recent studies which present data asserting that classical psychedelics can reduce authoritarianism, increase liberal views, and deepen nature-relatedness.
Taken together, these studies are cited to promote a vision of drug-assisted social progress. Yet counter examples abound of psychedelic-experienced individuals expressing views explicitly opposed to egalitarianism and liberal politics. Moreover, acceptance of psychedelics by institutions and aspirational business and celebrity figures has only increased right-wing psychedelic interest in recent years.
This presentation highlights the numerous contemporary and historical cases where the use of psychedelics failed to reduce authoritarian tendencies in users, or even facilitated adoption of authoritarian views. We demonstrate that psychedelics can catalyze change in political or religious belief, but not in a consistent direction. Instead, we propose that many transformative experiences—including those induced by psychedelics—can challenge and radically shift a person’s worldview, and that extra-pharmacological factors influence the character of change in ideology or political belief.
Support:
☼Patreon: http://patreon.com/psymposia
☼Donate: https://www.psymposia.com/donate/
Follow:
☼Twitter: https://twitter.com/psymposia
☼Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/psymposia/
☼Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/psymposia
☼Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/psymposia
☼Website: https://www.psymposia.com
☼Podcast: https://www.psymposia.com/plusthree
☼Newsletter: https://www.psymposia.com/subscribe/