Psychedelics Then and Now: Culture, Capital, and Consciousness - Zach Leary
Release Date: 01/12/2026
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info_outlineIn this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin sits down with Zach Leary to explore how psychedelic culture has evolved from its countercultural roots into today’s rapidly commercializing landscape.
They discuss mysticism versus medicalization, the ethics of psychedelics in capitalist systems, the rise of psychedelic churches, and why integration and responsibility matter more than peak experience alone.
Find full show notes and links here:
https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-338/?ref=278
Zach Leary is a psychedelic educator, integration coach, and host of the Psychedelics Then and Now Podcast. He has spent over 30 years immersed in psychedelic culture and is the author of Your Extraordinary Mind, forthcoming from Sounds True.
Highlights:
- Countercultural roots of psychedelics
- Medicalization vs mysticism
- Psychedelics in capitalism
- Set and setting
- Psychedelic churches
- Integration and stewardship
Episode Links:
Episode Sponsors:
- The Practitioner Certification Program by Third Wave’s Psychedelic Coaching Institute.
- The Microdosing Practitioner Certification at Psychedelic Coaching Institute.
- Golden Rule Mushrooms - Get a lifetime discount of 10% with code THIRDWAVE at checkout