In this episode of Ayahuasca Podcast, host Sam Believ (founder of www.lawayra.com) has a conversation with Dave Hodges.
Dave is the founder of the Church of Ambrosia, a psychedelic church in Oakland, California, known for its use of mushrooms as sacraments. With over 125,000 members, Dave is one of the most outspoken advocates for entheogens as religious tools and has pioneered breakthrough dose work for spiritual insight, healing, and consciousness exploration.
We touch upon topics of:
- Founding a psychedelic church and early raids (01:24–03:29)
- Legal challenges and city pushback (04:01–06:04)
- Psychedelics as religious sacraments (06:24–07:34)
- Understanding the soul and afterlife (07:38–08:35)
- What is a breakthrough dose and how it’s calculated (09:15–12:37)
- Dangers of overdose and gradual dosing (12:46–13:52)
- Origins of religion through mushrooms (14:36–15:47)
- Aliens, dimensions, and God (17:04–20:38)
- What it’s like running a psychedelic church (21:04–22:05)
- Safe environments and the “God’s Sitters” project (22:12–24:40)
- Can the soul get lost? (25:34–26:40)
- Church leadership, books, and the Book of Ambrosia (26:46–29:25)
- Encounters with dark entities during ceremonies (30:09–32:31)
- The war on drugs and financial incentives (33:08–40:16)
- Legal battles and how the church fights back (40:29–41:24)
- Who comes to the church and why (42:05–43:18)
- Business model and sacrament contributions (44:03–44:39)
- Dave’s vision for humanity and the soul (45:02–46:01)
- Risks and special conditions (48:01–49:27)
- Integration practices and audio journaling (49:42–51:59)
If you would like to attend one of our Ayahuasca retreats go to www.lawayra.com
Find more about Dave Hodges at ambrosia.church, zydedoor.com, or follow him on Instagram at @davehemp420.
