In 1962, Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert bridged the spiritual and psychedelic discourse, introducing the concept of reliable entheogens to the contemporary psychedelic research effort. Today’s guest, a former staunch atheist, tells us how he stumbled into God Consciousness via a mushroom journey and his passion for sharing that experience with others.
Join our survey of psilocybin through various historical, cultural, and religious lenses as we interview Josh Leonard, co-host of the Pursuit of Infinity podcast. Is the iconography we experience under the influence of psychedelics inspired by ancient cultures? How do western religions and eastern philosophies align with mystical experience? And how can we make use of psychedelics to heal and deepen our connection with our romantic partners?
Explore these questions and more in this week’s episode.
Mushrooms & Awakening
- Rachel recounts how psilocybin brought attention to her internal dialogue and negative self talk
- Aaron talks about using journeywork to process relationship breakups
- Josh starts his psychedelic research with Terrance McKenna, Rick Strassman and Alan Watts
- Josh shares his first mystical breakthrough experience on mushrooms blew the doors open on his understanding of reality, values and god
Mushrooms in History, Culture & Religion
- Are the visuals on mushrooms influenced by ancient cultures or did these cultures influence the mushroom experience?
- How Josh's awakening on mushrooms aligns with western religion and eastern philosophies
- Atheism and the conception of God as the acknowledgement something larger than yourself
- Approaching mysticism from a scientific perspective and how your religious and cultural background influences your psychedelic experience
Mushrooms Saved My Relationship
- Josh describes the mushroom that saved his relationship
- The importance of set and setting and how Josh approached his partnered mushroom journey
- The telepathic experience of love and how we can experience the connection to our partners more deeply with the assistance of psychedelics
Reflections on Mushroom Journeys
- Aaron describes his gentle introduction to mushrooms that gave him insights into how his senses worked
- Rachel’s impression of her psilocybin experiences being suffused with divine energy
- Bad trips, why they happen, and how to navigate them skillfully
The Pursuit of Infinity Podcast
