Paul Karasik - From Commune to Corporate: A Psychedelic Leadership Journey
Release Date: 11/06/2024
Sam Mandel - 30,000 Infusions Later: Clinical Insights from a Ketamine Pioneer
The Psychedelic Podcast
In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin welcomes Sam Mandel, co-founder and CEO of Ketamine Clinics Los Angeles (KCLA). Find full show notes and links here: Sam shares his journey co-founding KCLA with his father in 2014, pioneering ketamine infusion therapy when few were exploring its potential for mental health. From humble beginnings in a storage closet to becoming a leading mental health center with over 30,000 infusions administered, Sam discusses the challenges and triumphs of building a patient-centric practice. He explains the science behind ketamine's...
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Simon Ruffell, M.D., Ph.D. - From Skeptic to Student: A Psychiatrist's Path to Becoming a Curandero
The Psychedelic Podcast
In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin welcomes Dr. Simon Ruffell, a psychiatrist, ayahuasca researcher, and student of curanderismo. Find full show notes and links here: Simon shares his transformative journey from being a skeptical Western psychiatrist to embracing the spiritual dimensions of plant medicine after experiencing what he describes as an "ontological shock" during an ayahuasca ceremony. He discusses his ongoing apprenticeship with Shipibo curanderos in the Amazon, his research into ayahuasca's effects on mental health and epigenetics, and his work bridging...
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Raymond C Turpin, Psy.D. - From Underground to FDA: Four Decades in Psychedelic Medicine
The Psychedelic Podcast
In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with Dr. Raymond Turpin, a psychologist and psychedelic researcher who has been studying these medicines since 1984. Find full show notes and links here: Dr. Turpin shares his journey from discovering Timothy Leary's writings as a college student to founding the Pearl Psychedelic Institute in North Carolina. He discusses his experience as one of only two sites nationwide to provide MDMA-assisted therapy through the FDA's expanded access program, the profound healing he witnessed in patients with treatment-resistant PTSD, and...
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Katelyn Kalstein, ND - Treating the Root: A Naturopathic Approach to Psychedelic Therapy
The Psychedelic Podcast
In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin welcomes Dr. Katelyn Kalstein, a licensed naturopathic doctor, acupuncturist, and psychotherapist specializing in integrative mental health and psychedelic medicine. Find full show notes and links here: Dr. Kalstein shares her journey from growing up with natural remedies to her transformative experiences in India and Brazil, where she first encountered ayahuasca and joined the Santo Daime church. She discusses her unconventional career path through naturopathic medicine, neurofeedback at 40 Years of Zen, and as Clinical...
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Norman Ohler - LSD's Secret History: From Swiss Labs to Government Control
The Psychedelic Podcast
In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin welcomes New York Times bestselling author Norman Ohler. Find full show notes and links here: Norman shares his deep research into the hidden history of LSD, revealing the untold connections between Arthur Stoll (CEO of Sandoz), Nazi Germany, and the CIA's MKUltra program. He explains how LSD's development as a mental health medicine was derailed by intelligence agencies seeking a "truth drug" for interrogations, and how the substance traveled from Swiss laboratories to Nazi concentration camps and eventually to American universities....
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Tracy Townsend, M.D. - Legal Psilocybin Frontlines: A Physician's Perspective
The Psychedelic Podcast
In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin welcomes Dr. Tracy Townsend, a Harvard-trained physician who left orthopedic surgery to become a licensed psilocybin facilitator in Oregon. Find full show notes and links here: Dr. Townsend shares her journey from conventional medicine to psychedelic facilitation, describing how her own transformative experiences with plant medicines led her to question the limitations of Western healthcare. She discusses the Oregon psilocybin model, challenges within the current regulatory framework, and draws fascinating parallels between physical...
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Ava Johanna - Breathwork as Medicine: Building a Purpose-Driven Coaching Business
The Psychedelic Podcast
In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin welcomes Ava Johanna, founder and CEO of The Academy of Breath. Find full show notes and links here: Ava shares her journey from corporate burnout and weekend escapism to discovering breathwork as a powerful, accessible tool for transformation. She discusses how breathwork provided the same ecstatic states she once sought through substances, but in a healing, sustainable way. Beyond the practice itself, Ava offers valuable insights for coaches and practitioners looking to build successful businesses in the wellness space,...
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Austin Perlmutter, M.D. - Unsticking the Brain: Psychedelics, Inflammation, and Mental Health
The Psychedelic Podcast
In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul welcomes Dr. Austin Perlmutter, a board-certified internal medicine physician, New York Times bestselling author, and researcher. Find full show notes and links here: Dr. Perlmutter shares his perspective on how psychedelics can help "unstick" the brain from harmful patterns, explores the relationship between inflammation and mental health, and discusses his current research on ayahuasca's effects on epigenetics and the microbiome. From understanding the biological basis of our mental states to finding balance in a modern world that often works...
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Nick Musica - SEO to ESP: Psychedelics, Pattern Recognition & Animal Telepathy
The Psychedelic Podcast
In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin welcomes Nick Musica, founder and CEO of Optics In and psychic animal communicator. Find full show notes and links here: Nick shares his fascinating journey from SEO expert to animal communicator, bridging the worlds of technical analysis and spiritual connection. He discusses how plant medicine experiences and meditation opened channels of communication with animals, particularly through his relationship with his cat Chucky. The conversation explores the intersection of consciousness, communication, and how animals can serve as...
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Robert Edward Grant - Psilocybin Intelligence: A Polymath's Quantum Leap
The Psychedelic Podcast
In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin welcomes Robert Edward Grant, a polymath inventor, entrepreneur, mathematician, and philosopher. Grant shares his transformative journey from successful businessman to consciousness explorer, discussing how psychedelics enhanced his understanding of mathematics, sacred geometry, and universal truth. He explores the relationship between science and spirituality, the nature of reality, and his groundbreaking discoveries in ancient Egyptian archaeology. Grant offers profound insights into the role of unconditional love in personal...
info_outlineIn this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin welcomes Paul Karasik, a pioneering figure in both corporate leadership and psychedelic spaces.
Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-275-paul-karasik/?ref=278
Karasik shares his remarkable journey from co-founding Thompson's Ranch commune in Joshua Tree to becoming one of America's leading sales consultants. He discusses his recent book "Getting High on Leadership" and explores how psychedelics can transform leadership through heart-centered approaches. The conversation weaves through themes of community building, conscious business practices, and the vital intersection of higher consciousness with modern leadership principles.
Paul Karasik brings decades of experience in the world of psychedelics. He was a member of the early psychedelic community in New York and California, which included such luminaries as Timothy Leary and Ram Dass.
Paul co-founded Thompson's Ranch, one of the first alternative communities in Joshua Tree, CA. His ninth and most recent book, published in 2024 is "Getting High on Leadership: The Leader’s Guide to Higher Consciousness". Paul and the Psychedelic Institute of Los Angeles are dedicated to making information and safe access available to anyone and everyone who is seeking to awaken their consciousness.
Highlights:
- Founding Thompson's Ranch: From Haight-Ashbury to Joshua Tree
- Why the 60s missed the healing potential of psychedelics
- Health crisis catalyzes spiritual transformation in Brazil
- Creating with intention
- How compassionate leadership drives business success
- Building psychedelic community
- Collaborating with Cypress Hill's B-Real for Awakening 2024
Episode Sponsor:
- The Practitioner Certification Program by Third Wave’s Psychedelic Coaching Institute.