Welcome to the Psychedelic Conversations Podcast!

Episode 176:
In this episode, we speak with returning guest Matt Zemon about ordinary mysticism, psychedelic spirituality, and the healing power of human connection. Matt shares how his first guided psychedelic experience reshaped his worldview and inspired his studies in neuroscience, psychology, ministry, and spiritual practice. We discuss his book "Ordinary Mystics" and the idea that mystical experiences are available to everyone, not only saints, prophets, or spiritual authorities. Together, we explore community as a container for integration, the risks of spiritual grandiosity, religious harm, and the tension between medical and spiritual models of psychedelic use. We also consider how psychedelics may help us remember our interconnectedness, deepen family relationships, and rediscover childlike wonder. Finally, Matt explains his work supporting entheogenic communities and reducing risk across medical, recreational, and spiritual contexts.

Watch our previous conversation here:
https://youtu.be/4Jr3awHkvXg?si=rkLqF508QgJ4M1HQ

About Matt:
Matt Zemon is Executive Director of the Council on Spiritual Practices, an organization that for over three decades has been dedicated to making experiences of the Sacred more available to more people. He holds a Doctor of Ministry from Pacific School of Religion, specializing in psychedelics in religious practice, and a Master of Science in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health from King's College London. The author of six books on psychedelics, religion, and healing, he serves an entheogenic faith community and views direct spiritual experience as rooted in religious tradition and deserving of legal protection. Matt is grounded in the conviction that personal healing contributes to collective healing. He writes and speaks as a fellow traveler who does not promote psychedelics as shortcuts or cures. Matt speaks regularly at conferences, universities, and religious communities on the intersection of psychedelics, spirituality, science, and law.

Connect with Matt:

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattzemon/
- Website: https://www.mattzemon.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matt.zemon/?hl=en

Thank you so much for joining us!

Psychedelic Conversations Podcast is designed to educate, inform, and expand awareness.

For more information, please head over to https://www.psychedelicconversations.com

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This show is for information purposes only,
and is not intended to provide mental health or medical advice.

About Susan Guner:
Susan Guner is a holistic psychotherapist with a mindfulness-based approach grounded in Transpersonal Psychology, focusing on trauma-informed, community-centric processes that offer a broader understanding of human potential and well-being.

Connect with Susan:
Website: https://www.psychedelicconversations.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/susan.guner
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-guner/
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/susanguner
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/susanguner
Blog: https://susanguner.medium.com/
Podcast: https://anchor.fm/susan-guner

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