Psychedelic Preparation: Why Safety Starts in the Body - Dave M. Rabin, M.D., Ph.D.

In this conversation, Paul F. Austin speaks with Dr. Dave Rabin, neuroscientist, board-certified psychiatrist, and co-founder of Apollo Neuroscience, about one of the most important questions in psychedelic work: why do some journeys become overwhelming, destabilizing, or difficult to integrate?

Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-362/?ref=278 

Dave explains why safety is not just a matter of set, setting, or a strong screening form. It is a physiological state in the nervous system. Together, Paul and Dave explore how fear, trauma, and dysregulation can shape a person’s ability to receive and process a psychedelic experience, and why preparation must include a deeper understanding of the body.

The conversation also covers pre-session nervous system assessment, vagus nerve activity, HRV, haptic vibration, breathwork, therapeutic touch, consent, and the role of tools like Apollo Neuro in helping clients feel safe enough to surrender, process, and integrate.

Dr. David Rabin, MD, PhD, is a neuroscientist, board-certified psychiatrist, health-tech entrepreneur, and inventor who has studied the impact of chronic stress in humans for more than a decade. He is the co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer at Apollo Neuroscience, and co-founder and executive director of the Board of Medicine, a nonprofit organization establishing evidence-based clinical guidelines for the safe use of unregulated alternative medicines, including plant medicines. His research focuses on non-invasive therapies for treatment-resistant conditions, trauma recovery, psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, and the neurobiology of belief.

Highlights:

• Why safety is physiological
• Beyond set and setting
• How fear interrupts healing
• Pre-session nervous system assessment
• MDMA and the safety cascade
• Haptic vibration and soothing touch
• HRV as a preparation signal
• Breathwork for embodied regulation
• Consent and therapeutic touch
• Scaling safe psychedelic care

Episode Links:

• Apollo Neuro
• Dr. Dave Rabin on Instagram
• Dr. Dave’s Book, “A Simple Guide to Being Alive”

Episode Sponsors:

• The Practitioner Certification Program by Third Wave’s Psychedelic Coaching Institute.
• The Microdosing Practitioner Certification at Psychedelic Coaching Institute.
• Golden Rule - Get a lifetime discount of 10% with code THIRDWAVE at checkout

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