The Psychedelic Podcast

Healing Before Leading: Psychedelics and Political Integrity
In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with Laura Dunn, civil rights attorney and congressional candidate, about trauma, leadership, and the role of psychedelic healing.
Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-352/?ref=278 
Laura shares how her work advocating for survivors led her to confront the deeper limitations of legal and institutional systems. While policy change can create meaningful protections, it often fails to address the underlying trauma individuals carry.
They explore how psychedelic experiences became part of her personal healing journey, and how that informs her approach to leadership, public service, and political integrity.
Laura Dunn is an award-winning civil rights attorney, former public school teacher, and congressional candidate in New York's 12th District. She helped shape Title IX protections, contributed to the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization, and founded SurvJustice, a nonprofit supporting survivors of sexual violence. Her work bridges advocacy, policy, and trauma-informed leadership.
Highlights:
From survivor advocacy to policy reform
Limits of legal systems in trauma healing
Why leadership requires inner work
Psychedelics as tools for self-awareness
Breaking stigma in political leadership
Bipartisan support for reform
Veterans and policy momentum
Trauma and leadership integrity
A vision for conscious governance
Episode Links:
Laura Dunn (Congress campaign Instagram)
SurvJustice (founded by Laura Dunn)
Episode Sponsors:
The Microdosing Practitioner Certification at Psychedelic Coaching Institute.
The Practitioner Certification Program by Third Wave's Psychedelic Coaching Institute.
Golden Rule - Get a lifetime discount of 10% with code THIRDWAVE at checkout
Disclaimer: This content is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. We do not promote or encourage the illegal use of any controlled substances. Nothing said here is medical or legal advice. Always consult a qualified medical or mental health professional before making decisions related to your health. The views expressed herein belong to the speaker alone, and do not reflect the views of any other person, company, or organization.
Third Wave occasionally partners with or shares information about other people, companies, and/or providers. While we work hard to only share information about ethical and responsible third parties, we can't and don't control the behavior of, products and services offered by, or the statements made by people, companies, or providers other than Third Wave. Accordingly, we encourage you to research for yourself, and consult a medical, legal, or financial professional before making decisions in those areas. Third Wave isn't responsible for the statements, conduct, services, or products of third parties. If we share a coupon code, we may receive a commission from sales arising from customers who use our coupon code. No one is required to use our coupon codes.

Western Philosophy on Drugs: Consciousness, Dreams, and Reality
In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with Dr. Justin Smith-Ruiu about how psychedelic experiences challenge long-standing assumptions about consciousness, perception, and reality.
Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-351/?ref=278 
Justin explains how Western philosophy has historically privileged rational, sober, and waking states of mind, often dismissing dreams and altered states as unreliable. He explores how psychedelic experiences push against these assumptions, raising deeper questions about knowledge, language, and what counts as real.
The conversation also examines the tension between therapeutic and existential uses of psychedelics, and how medicalization may shape the cultural role these substances play moving forward.
Justin Smith-Ruiu is a professor of history and philosophy of science at the Université Paris Cité and author of On Drugs: Psychedelics, Philosophy, and the Nature of Reality. His work explores intellectual history, consciousness, and the limits of rational thought, and he writes regularly for Harper's, WIRED, and The New York Times.
Highlights:
How philosophy excludes altered states
Why dreams are dismissed as unreliable
Psychedelics and limits of rationality
Language and ineffability of experience
Therapeutic vs existential frameworks
Medicalization and cultural impact
Philosophy beyond sober cognition
Episode Links:
Justin Smith-Ruiu's website
Episode Sponsors:
The Microdosing Practitioner Certification at Psychedelic Coaching Institute.
The Practitioner Certification Program by Third Wave's Psychedelic Coaching Institute.
Golden Rule - Get a lifetime discount of 10% with code THIRDWAVE at checkout
Disclaimer: This content is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. We do not promote or encourage the illegal use of any controlled substances. Nothing said here is medical or legal advice. Always consult a qualified medical or mental health professional before making decisions related to your health. The views expressed herein belong to the speaker alone, and do not reflect the views of any other person, company, or organization.
Third Wave occasionally partners with or shares information about other people, companies, and/or providers. While we work hard to only share information about ethical and responsible third parties, we can't and don't control the behavior of, products and services offered by, or the statements made by people, companies, or providers other than Third Wave. Accordingly, we encourage you to research for yourself, and consult a medical, legal, or financial professional before making decisions in those areas. Third Wave isn't responsible for the statements, conduct, services, or products of third parties. If we share a coupon code, we may receive a commission from sales arising from customers who use our coupon code. No one is required to use our coupon codes.

Can Ketamine Help Benzodiazepine Withdrawal? - Melissa Bond & Dr. Amy de la Garza
In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with Melissa Bond and Dr. Amy de la Garza about the hidden risks of benzodiazepines, the reality of dependency, and what recovery can require.
Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-350/?ref=278 
Melissa shares her experience of becoming dependent on prescribed medication, and the physical and emotional challenges of withdrawal. Dr. de la Garza brings a clinical perspective, explaining how benzodiazepines affect the nervous system and why withdrawal can be prolonged and destabilizing.
The conversation also looks at where conventional care often falls short, and how more integrative approaches are beginning to emerge. This includes the use of low-dose ketamine as a potential tool to support the nervous system during withdrawal, particularly in more complex or prolonged cases.
Melissa Bond is a narrative journalist and poet. Her memoir Blood Orange Night, which chronicles her experience with benzodiazepine dependency, was published by Simon & Schuster and recognized by The New York Times as one of the best audiobooks of 2022. Her work has appeared on PBS, The New York Times Podcast, RadioWest, and TEDx. Dr. Amy de la Garza is a board-certified physician in Family and Addiction Medicine, a certified Functional Medicine practitioner, and co-founder of Nosis Health, a virtual outpatient addiction medicine platform. Her work integrates functional, lifestyle, and emerging therapies, including ketamine-assisted treatment, to support recovery.
Highlights:
Melissa Bond's experience with benzodiazepine dependency and withdrawal
How prescribed use can gradually lead to physical dependence
Why benzodiazepine withdrawal can be prolonged and destabilizing
The neurological effects of benzodiazepines on the nervous system
Gaps in conventional approaches to anxiety and addiction treatment
The role of functional and lifestyle medicine in recovery
How low-dose ketamine is being explored to support withdrawal
What a more integrative, whole-person model of care can look like
Episode Links:
Melissa's memoir, "Blood Orange Night"
Dr. Amy de la Garza's Website
Nosis.health
Episode Sponsors:
The Microdosing Practitioner Certification at Psychedelic Coaching Institute.
The Practitioner Certification Program by Third Wave's Psychedelic Coaching Institute.
Golden Rule - Get a lifetime discount of 10% with code THIRDWAVE at checkout
Disclaimer: This content is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. We do not promote or encourage the illegal use of any controlled substances. Nothing said here is medical or legal advice. Always consult a qualified medical or mental health professional before making decisions related to your health. The views expressed herein belong to the speaker alone, and do not reflect the views of any other person, company, or organization.
Third Wave occasionally partners with or shares information about other people, companies, and/or providers. While we work hard to only share information about ethical and responsible third parties, we can't and don't control the behavior of, products and services offered by, or the statements made by people, companies, or providers other than Third Wave. Accordingly, we encourage you to research for yourself, and consult a medical, legal, or financial professional before making decisions in those areas. Third Wave isn't responsible for the statements, conduct, services, or products of third parties. If we share a coupon code, we may receive a commission from sales arising from customers who use our coupon code. No one is required to use our coupon codes.

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with a molecular geneticist exploring what it could look like to rethink how psychedelic medicines are sourced at a fundamental level.
Find full show notes and links here:
https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-349/?ref=278 
Jeffrey Gerst explains how his work in RNA biology and gene expression has led him to explore bioengineering as a way to produce psychedelic compounds without relying on wild harvesting or traditional chemical synthesis.
The conversation looks at how cells organize and communicate, and how those same biological principles could be used to create more sustainable and scalable systems for medicine production. Paul and Jeff also reflect on the broader implications of this shift, from environmental stewardship to the long-term integrity of the psychedelic ecosystem.
Professor Jeffrey Gerst is a molecular geneticist and Full Professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science, where he studies how cells regulate gene expression through RNA trafficking and localized protein synthesis.
His research has advanced understanding of how mRNA moves within and between cells, revealing new forms of cellular communication and potential applications in therapeutic delivery. More recently, his work has expanded into the bioengineering of psychedelic compounds, with a focus on developing sustainable, scalable, and ethical methods of production.

Highlights:
Why sourcing is becoming a central challenge in psychedelics
Bioengineering as a scalable alternative to wild harvesting
How RNA biology informs new approaches to medicine production
The limits of "natural" when demand increases
Environmental risks of large-scale psychedelic use
How yeast and cells can produce psychedelic compounds
Balancing biotechnology with traditional practices
What sustainable access could look like in the future
The evolving relationship between science and psychedelics
Episode Links:
Prof. Jeffrey Gerst - Academic Profile (Weizmann Institute)
Prof. Jeffrey Gerst - Metaformity (Project / Initiative)
Episode Sponsors:
Psychedelic Coacing Institute's Intensive for Psychedelic Professionals in Costa Rica - a transformative retreat for personal and professional growth.
The Microdosing Practitioner Certification at Psychedelic Coaching Institute.
The Practitioner Certification Program by Third Wave's Psychedelic Coaching Institute.
Golden Rule - Get a lifetime discount of 10% with code THIRDWAVE at checkout Disclaimer: This content is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. We do not promote or encourage the illegal use of any controlled substances. Nothing said here is medical or legal advice. Always consult a qualified medical or mental health professional before making decisions related to your health. The views expressed herein belong to the speaker alone, and do not reflect the views of any other person, company, or organization.
Third Wave occasionally partners with or shares information about other people, companies, and/or providers. While we work hard to only share information about ethical and responsible third parties, we can't and don't control the behavior of, products and services offered by, or the statements made by people, companies, or providers other than Third Wave. Accordingly, we encourage you to research for yourself, and consult a medical, legal, or financial professional before making decisions in those areas. Third Wave isn't responsible for the statements, conduct, services, or products of third parties. If we share a coupon code, we may receive a commission from sales arising from customers who use our coupon code. No one is required to use our coupon codes.

Herbal Ecstasy & The Billion Dollar Smart Drug Boom
In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin sits down with entrepreneur Shaahin Cheyene, creator of the controversial 1990s supplement "Herbal Ecstasy," which helped launch the legal smart-drug movement.
Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-348/?ref=278
Shaahin shares how he built a multimillion-dollar business at just fifteen by creating a legal herbal alternative to MDMA during a shortage in the rave scene.
The conversation explores 1990s rave culture, the ethics of prohibition, and how natural supplements intersect with psychedelics, entrepreneurship, and personal freedom. They also discuss his later ventures in Amazon commerce, podcast media, and YouTube.
Shaahin Cheyene is the creator of Herbal Ecstasy, a supplement that helped spark the legal smart-drug movement in the 1990s. He built the business as a teenager into a multimillion-dollar company.
Over the past three decades, Shaahin has become an award-winning entrepreneur, Amazon expert, inventor, author, and filmmaker whose ventures have generated over a billion dollars in revenue. He is the founder of PodcastCola and Viral Mirage.
Through his businesses, Shaahin continues to mentor entrepreneurs and develop health and wellness products focused on optimizing human performance.
Highlights:
Creating Herbal Ecstasy at age fifteen
The MDMA shortage that created opportunity
Rave culture and the 1990s club scene
Natural supplements as legal alternatives
Freedom, regulation, and drug policy debates
Health and wellness entrepreneurship
Building product brands in emerging markets
Podcasting and YouTube as influence platforms
Episode Links:
Shaahin's website
PodcastCola
Billion: How I Became King of the Thrill Pill Cult – Shaahin Cheyene


Episode Sponsors:
The Microdosing Practitioner Certification at Psychedelic Coaching Institute.
The Practitioner Certification Program by Third Wave's Psychedelic Coaching Institute.
Golden Rule - Get a lifetime discount of 10% with code THIRDWAVE at checkout Disclaimer: This content is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. We do not promote or encourage the illegal use of any controlled substances. Nothing said here is medical or legal advice. Always consult a qualified medical or mental health professional before making decisions related to your health. The views expressed herein belong to the speaker alone, and do not reflect the views of any other person, company, or organization.
Third Wave occasionally partners with or shares information about other people, companies, and/or providers. While we work hard to only share information about ethical and responsible third parties, we can't and don't control the behavior of, products and services offered by, or the statements made by people, companies, or providers other than Third Wave. Accordingly, we encourage you to research for yourself, and consult a medical, legal, or financial professional before making decisions in those areas. Third Wave isn't responsible for the statements, conduct, services, or products of third parties. If we share a coupon code, we may receive a commission from sales arising from customers who use our coupon code. No one is required to use our coupon codes.