PT 626 - Kyle & Joe Catch-Up: Vital Cohort 4, Breathwork, Community & a Psychedelic News Roundup
Release Date: 09/26/2025
PT 626 - Kyle & Joe Catch-Up: Vital Cohort 4, Breathwork, Community & a Psychedelic News Roundup
Psychedelics Today
Joe and Kyle celebrate Vital Cohort 4 and reflect on why Vital is more than a 12-month psychedelic-informed training—it’s a living community (alumni webinars, discussion groups, cross-cohort meetups). Many grads aren’t rushing to facilitate; they’re choosing integration, harm reduction, education, and local community building. Next cohort dates are TBD —applications and email sign-ups are open. Breathwork in Breckenridge (this weekend) Dreamshadow Transpersonal Breathwork returns Fri–Sun. The last workshop reinforced how powerful the format is for bonding, somatic processing,...
info_outline
PT 625 Greg Shanken — Collaborence, Community Access & Ethical Growth in Psychedelics
Psychedelics Today
Joe Moore sits down with Greg Shanken (Colorado Psychedelic Society, Psychedelic Business Association; founder, ) for a wide-ranging conversation about building community infrastructure, navigating censorship, and creating accessible, ethical pathways into psychedelic healing. Greg shares his personal arc from lifelong depression to ayahuasca, ketamine, and Bufo; why he launched a vetted affiliate/partner network for our space; and how Oregon–Colorado collaboration can widen access while honoring reciprocity and conservation. Key themes : a two-day CO/OR event (online + in-person)...
info_outline
PT 624 - Dr. Cat Meyer - Sex, Love, Psychedelics
Psychedelics Today
In this episode of Psychedelics Today, Joe Moore sits down with Dr. Cat Meyer, licensed psychotherapist, sex therapist, and host of Sex, Love, Psychedelics. Together, they explore the deep intersections of sexuality, trauma healing, psychedelics, and the role of play in human connection. Dr. Meyer shares her journey from growing up in rural Missouri and navigating early trauma to becoming a leading voice in sex therapy and psychedelic integration. She opens up about her personal healing path, her work with ketamine-assisted therapy, and how tantra, BDSM, and art have shaped her approach to...
info_outline
PT 623 - Dee Dee Goldpaugh - Embracing Pleasure
Psychedelics Today
Joe Moore interviews Dee Dee Goldpaugh, LCSW about their new book Embrace Pleasure: How Psychedelics Can Heal Our Sexuality. The discussion covers the book’s reception, critiques of over-medicalization, personal healing experiences, definitions of erotic energy and pleasure, historical repression of substances, and contemporary ethical concerns. Key topics Conversion therapy: historical use of psychedelics in conversion practices, risks today, and need for professional consensus to ban psychedelic-assisted conversion therapy. Motivation: reaction to dominance of the clinical/medical model in...
info_outline
PT 622 - Matt Xavier - The Psychedelic DJ
Psychedelics Today
From the Rave Scene to Psychedelic Therapy In this episode, Kyle Buller speaks with Matt Xavier, DJ, therapist, and author. The conversation took place live at Psychedelic Science. Matt recalls his early years in the rave culture of 1990s New York. He ran record labels, hosted psychedelic trance events, and lived through the intensity of that scene. Why Music Is Medicine Matt believes music should be treated as medicine. He explains how playlists can align with the stages of a psychedelic journey—onset, climb, peak, and descent. He encourages people to listen with intention and to...
info_outline
PT 621 - Dr Case Newsom - Zendo Project
Psychedelics Today
In this episode, Joe Moore sits down with Dr. Case Newsom, an emergency room physician in Denver and Medical Director for both Zendo Project and Stadium Medical. They explore how psychedelic harm reduction is merging with event medicine at concerts, festivals, and large-scale gatherings. Dr. Newsom shares his path from osteopathic medical training to bridging emergency medicine with psychedelic peer support. He explains how the Zendo Project has expanded beyond Burning Man, and why collaboration with medical teams matters. The discussion highlights new triage protocols, cultural shifts in...
info_outline
PT 620 - Kat Murti – Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Meta Censorship, and the Fight for Science
Psychedelics Today
In this episode, Joe Moore is joined by Kat Murti, Executive Director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), the largest youth-led network working to end the war on drugs. SSDP organizes at the campus, local, state, federal, and international levels, with more than 100 chapters across the U.S. and sister organizations worldwide. Kat shares her personal journey into drug policy reform, from witnessing DEA raids on AIDS patients in the 1990s to fighting for civil liberties as a student at UC Berkeley. She explains how SSDP empowers young people to challenge outdated laws and promote...
info_outline
PT 619 - Sphinx Gate with Mareesa Stertz and Tania Abdul
Psychedelics Today
In this episode, Joe Moore is joined by Mareesa Stertz and Tania Abdul, the visionaries behind Sphinx Gate, one of Burning Man 2025’s most ambitious and mythic art installations. Inspired by The NeverEnding Story, Sphinx Gate features two towering 34-foot sphinxes and a fully immersive, transformative art experience designed to help participants gain a deeper understanding of themselves. The trio explores how art and play can catalyze personal and collective transformation—without the need for psychedelics—by helping people reframe inner challenges as quests for growth. They discuss the...
info_outline
PT 618 - Chad Charles - Integrating 5-MeO-DMT: Therapy, Harm Reduction, and Best Practices
Psychedelics Today
In this episode of Psychedelics Today, Joe Moore sits down with Chad Charles — educator, mentor, and practitioner specializing in 5-MeO-DMT therapy. Chad shares his decade-long journey working with 5-MeO-DMT, emphasizing the importance of: Practitioner training and mentorship Personalized, therapeutic alliances The nuanced understanding of dissociative states Ethics in standardized clinical dosing A trauma-informed approach to psychedelic care He also introduces his upcoming research project, analyzing 500+ one-on-one sessions to illuminate best practices and ethical frameworks...
info_outline
PT 617 - Alan Davis - Psychedelic Research and Patient Safety at Ohio State & Exploring Ibogaine's Potential
Psychedelics Today
In this episode of Psychedelics Today, Joe Moore sits down with Alan Davis, Associate Professor at Ohio State University, to explore the evolving landscape of Ibogaine research and its therapeutic potential. Alan offers a deep dive into the Iboga Patient Survey, a groundbreaking initiative collecting real-world data on the safety and efficacy of Ibogaine—particularly for those struggling with substance use disorders and mental health challenges. The conversation sheds light on the need for rigorous, community-informed research that could pave the way toward FDA approval and increased access...
info_outlineJoe and Kyle celebrate Vital Cohort 4 and reflect on why Vital is more than a 12-month psychedelic-informed training—it’s a living community (alumni webinars, discussion groups, cross-cohort meetups). Many grads aren’t rushing to facilitate; they’re choosing integration, harm reduction, education, and local community building. Next cohort dates are TBD —applications and email sign-ups are open.
Breathwork in Breckenridge (this weekend)
Dreamshadow Transpersonal Breathwork returns Fri–Sun. The last workshop reinforced how powerful the format is for bonding, somatic processing, and ongoing peer support.
Music & tech: fail-safe playbook
- Keep redundant sources: primary laptop with WAV/FLAC (VLC/Mixxx), secondary device/phone, and a small Bluetooth speaker as last resort.
- Redundant mixers/interfaces, tested cables, simple signal flow.
- Pre-flight the exact rig; monitor for digital artifacts/grounding noise.
- Use offline playlists + Do Not Disturb (actually test it).
Why community matters now
With AI accelerating “dead-internet” dynamics, trusted human networks—book clubs, film clubs, local meetups—are essential. Skills for the moment: digital security hygiene and discernment (evaluating claims, sources, and inner signals).
News & trends
- Alaska: statewide psilocybin initiative begins signature gathering.
- New Mexico: momentum toward group psilocybin care (cost-cutting models; ~2-year horizon).
- TBI & psychedelics: expanding research interest (ibogaine/5-MeO imaging work; anti-inflammatory angles).
- Colorado & iboga: advisory board backs therapeutic use and encourages Nagoya Protocol reciprocity; federal import/legal nuances remain.
Harm-reduction notes
Beware gas-station/head-shop “psychedelic” edibles labeled as “proprietary blends.” Ask for COAs and clear ingredients; understand test-kit limits (chocolates are tricky). For injections (even “legal” clinics), ask about sterile technique, water, dosing, and sourcing.
Get involved