Description

Harmony and Russell talk with researcher and author Matt Zemon about psychedelics as catalysts for change, not cures. They explore what current studies suggest about anxiety, PTSD, repetitive thinking, and addiction, then ground the conversation in practical guidance: source, set, and setting, medical intake, and the role of preparation and integration. The trio also contrasts medical and ceremonial lanes, the spiritual significance of entheogens, and how community transforms the healing arc—especially for veterans and for people navigating midlife transitions.

What You’ll Learn

• Catalyst vs. cure: why altered states create openness for change, and why integration is the practice that makes it stick

• Repetitive thinking patterns: how psychedelics may interrupt ruts that manifest as anxiety, depression, OCD, compulsions, or workaholism

• Source, set, and setting: a clear safety-first framework echoed by research institutions

• Preparation: clarifying intentions, tending physical space, and naming post-ceremony supports

• Integration: bringing insights into dishes, deadlines, and relationships, plus finding community that fits your path

• Medicine personalities: distinctions between ketamine, MDMA and MDA, psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca, iboga/ibogaine, wachuma and peyote

• Risk basics: why independent medical consults matter, medications that conflict, and when supervised care is non-negotiable

• Spiritual context: clinical findings alongside living spiritual traditions, and why collaboration between science and spirit is needed now

The information provided in this episode is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical, psychological, or legal advice, and should not be relied upon as such. Psychedelic substances remain illegal in many jurisdictions, and their use carries physical, psychological, and legal risks. 

If you are struggling with your mental health or substance use, please seek support from a licensed professional or contact your local mental health helpline.

About Our Guest — Matt Zemon

Matt holds a Master’s in Psychology and Neuroscience from King’s College London and is completing a Doctorate of Ministry at the Pacific School of Religion. He’s the author of Psychedelics for Everyone, Beyond the Trip, and The Veteran’s Guide to Psychedelics created with the Heroic Hearts Project. Matt works at the intersection of spirituality and mental health, helping communities and providers reduce risk and support meaningful, safe experiences.

Resources Mentioned (pulled from the convo)

• Guest site: mattzemon.com

• Books: Psychedelics for Everyone, Beyond the Trip, The Veteran’s Guide to Psychedelics

• Organizations and references mentioned:
  • King’s College London
  • Pacific School of Religion
  • Heroic Hearts Project
  • Johns Hopkins, NYU, UCSF psychedelic research programs
  • spiritpharmacist.com (Dr. Ben Malcolm), Dr. Emily Kopa

• On safety frameworks: source, set, and setting
• On community and faith-based contexts: Christian, Jewish, and Islamic psychedelic groups were referenced generally

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