Maria Bǎlǎeț, PhD is a cognitive neuroscientist who has explored how the use of psychedelics “in the wild” might impact both cognition and mental health.

She discusses her experiences with the Great British Intelligence Test and her research on the mental health resilience of psychedelic users during the COVID-19 pandemic, where she uncovered some unexpected results.

We also talk about the influence of public discourse on the effects of psychedelic experiences, particularly highlighting the nocebo effect. Additionally, we explore what effective science communication looks like, what the public can teach scientists about psychedelics, and the discrepancies between what is researched and what is actually relevant to people.

We also touch on a topic that many might find even more surprising than psychedelic-induced states—childbirth as a pleasant, mushroom-like altered state of consciousness. This idea is based on Maria’s recent case report, and she shares where she hopes this line of research will lead.

Interestingly, this conversation evolves into a broader discussion about how set and setting apply to all aspects of life, not just psychedelic use.

Maria’s social media account:

X: @emmsskyyy

Papers we discuss:

• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/371598104_Associations_between_the_use_of_psychedelics_and_other_recreational_drugs_with_mental_health_and_resilience_during_the_COVID-19_pandemic
• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/380509147_Considering_the_nocebo_effect_in_the_psychedelic_discourse
• https://akjournals.com/view/journals/2054/aop/article-10.1556-2054.2025.00362/article-10.1556-2054.2025.00362.xml
• https://osf.io/preprints/osf/g3xau_v1

Book I mention with aspects of a nocebo experience: The Varieties of Psychedelic Experience by Robert Masters and Jean Houston

Nocebo-like temporary effects are described on page 20 of the pdf - https://psychonautdocs.com/docs/thevarieties.pdf

Furthure now has a Patreon page! Check it out if you want to help support the podcast!

• patreon.com/Futhure_HDourron

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• Instagram: furthure707
• X: Furthure707

There are some unique occupational hazards to being a psychedelic facilitator. One you might not hear much about is getting stabbed by a client while extracting their astral parasites or demons.

This is what happened to Julio Rivera, who shares his story of a client attack during what he describes as a parasite extraction gone wrong.

We also learn more about Julio’s unique method of working with psychedelics, which includes demon extraction, ceremonial daggers, and ultra-high doses of psilocybin.

I also want to be clear about my intentions in sharing stories like this. I am not recommending that people seek out demon extraction or astral parasites; I am merely trying to capture some of the beliefs and frameworks that exist out there. I think it is important to catalog the belief structures and systems of use that emerge in naturalistic use contexts and retreat settings.

Finally, a few small warnings: this episode does get quite graphic. Trigger warnings can often be used in cringe-worthy ways, but if you don’t want to hear the details of someone being stabbed, please skip the first 20 minutes of this episode.

Lastly, I want to emphasize that the dosing parameters described in the later portion are extreme. These are roughly eight times the dosage used in a clinical trial.

Julio's website: https://www.shape-my.life/

Julie Holland, MD is launching a groundbreaking trial on the safety of MDMA in people with schizophrenia—something she has been working toward for nearly 40 years. She shares what first sparked her interest in studying psychedelics and psychosis and discusses her book, Good Chemistry, which explores the science of connection, both through psychedelics, and more everyday experiences.

Learn more about Dr. Julie Holland

https://drholland.com/

Instagram: juliehollandmd

X: BellevueDoc

Furthure now has a Patreon page! Check it out if you want to help support the podcast!

• patreon.com/Futhure_HDourron

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• Instagram: furthure707
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🎶 Music by Gaej - The Forest of Angels 🎶

In this episode, Sophie Jacobs, author of The Intuition Experiment, tells us about her time studying in a Theravada monastery to be a Buddhist nun. We discuss what catalyzed her desire to train in the monastery and her day-to-day life there. Ultimately, Sophie, compelled in part by her creative spark, decided to leave the monastery and wrote a book about her experience there.

Follow Sophie here:

• Instagram: @flowintuit
• Substack: https://flowintuit.substack.com/

Also, we met at a Dharma Gates retreat a while back. Be sure to check them out if you want a meditation retreat for young people (under 35).

• https://www.dharma-gates.org/

Furthure now has a Patreon page! Check it out if you want to help support the podcast!

• patreon.com/Futhure_HDourron

Like the show? Please rate the podcast & subscribe ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

• Instagram: furthure707
• X: Furthure707

🎶 Music by Gaej - The Forest of Angels 🎶

Danny Goler is in the process of making a documentary about his discoveries involving DMT and lasers and what this might mean for simulation theory. His work is rapidly gaining interest within the psychedelic community, with figures such as Andrew Gallimore, PhD discussing and critiquing his theories.

At first glance, many might assume these ideas are “crazy.” However, I believe it’s important to understand people’s experiences, especially when they find them deeply meaningful. Dismissing an idea outright without giving it any thought leans towards authoritarian scientism. I’ll be honest—when I first saw the documentary trailer, I actually started laughing. It seemed so outlandish. But then a colleague of mine, also a researcher, said, “What if he’s right? You don’t know.” And you know what? I don’t.

Many people believe in things that don’t entirely make sense. Religion is unverifiable, yet it shapes countless lives. For more secular people, some search for meaning by believing in aliens. This doesn’t make them psychotic. There are functional members of society who also believe in complex, far fetched new religious movements (cough cough, Tom Cruise - scientology).

With that in mind, I’m here with Danny to learn more about his projects, what led him to his beliefs, and how, if at all, these beliefs bring meaning to his life.

I will not be assessing the validity of what he claims, but rather I am trying to understand what he believes and why and what it says about broader psychedelic culture and beliefs.

Danny’s website: https://www.codeofreality.com/

Danny's Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dangothoughts

Related Interviews:

Danny Jones Podcast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJp2rASRKMc&t=2899s

Andrew Gallimore Reaction to Danny Jones Podcast:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Hz6fab5NiE

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🎶 Music by Gaej - The Forest of Angels 🎶

In this episode, Alex Sieleff, PhD, delves into how we live with death and how psychedelics, along with other altered states of consciousness such as breathwork, can help us make sense of our lives. Alex has conducted fieldwork on the effects of naturalistic psychedelic use on intrinsic motivation and has studied how breathwork can induce mystical experiences.

Follow Alex Sieleff, PhD at curious.existentialist on Instagram

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Want to suggest a guest? Email me at haley.furthure@gmail.com

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X: Furthure707

🎶 Music by Gaej - The Forest of Angels 🎶

MDMA-assisted psychotherapy did not get approved by the FDA. This shocked many, and the critiques surrounding the trial varied substantially in their constructiveness.

Still, it is essential to remember that there are real people out there who benefited from their participation in the trial. So, I decided to let Becca Kaccanda, a MAPS MDMA-assisted psychotherapy trial participant, tell us about her experience in the study, the good and the bad, and what she hopes future MDMA therapists, critics, and journalists can learn from the trial.

If you enjoy the show, please subscribe! Follow Furthure @furthure707 on instagram and X.

Bluesky: beccakacanda@bsky.social

X: @becca_kacanda

NOTE: Becca stated she phased out of the trial two years ago in the audio, but it was actually three years ago.

Caitlin Thompson discusses her experiences as a kambo practitioner who has both published scientific research on kambo and learned from Matsés practitioners. We discuss how psychedelic wellness culture has intersected with kambo to create highly structured, often spiritual experiences, despite this being quite different than how many matsés people use kambo. Caitlin is also quite open about the numerous potential issues with Kambo, including environmental sustainability and its lack of ability to fit into a typical drug development framework. We also discuss various potential risks associated with Kambo use and why contextual factors likely play an essential role.

Caitlin's Research:

"Use of Phyllomedusa bicolour poison during kambô ritual: Observational responses, dosage and risk of adverse events."

"The physiological effects of Kambo: A comprehensive review of the peptides found in Phyllomedusa bicolor skin secretion"

Her website: https://medicinefrogkambo.com/