Spirit Pharmacist Explains Dangers From Psychedelics: It Isn't The Drug

Описание: What happens when rigorous pharmacology meets spirituality, psychedelics, and lived experience?

In this episode of Tripping Over Love, we sit down with Ben Malcolm, a psychiatric pharmacist known as The Spirit Pharmacist, to explore the real-world questions people have about psychedelics—safety, medications, risk, set and setting, and why education matters more than hype.

Ben shares his personal journey from Australia to the U.S. to Costa Rica, how psychedelics shaped his professional path, and why he believes informed, ethical guidance is essential as interest in these substances continues to grow. We discuss ayahuasca, psilocybin, MDMA, ketamine, neuroplasticity, spirituality in psychiatry, and what the future of psychedelic medicine may look like.

This conversation is educational in nature and focused on helping people think more clearly, safely, and responsibly about altered states and mental health.

00:00 Why Psychedelics Trigger Fear, Fascination, and Hope
02:08 Meet Ben Malcolm: The Spirit Pharmacist
03:20 The Didgeridoo, Ancient Sound, and Altered States
06:52 How Psychedelics Shaped a Career in Pharmacology
09:30 The Psychedelic Renaissance and What Changed
10:57 Ayahuasca, Underground Access, and Legal Gray Areas
12:14 Psychedelic Safety: Education vs Medical Advice
15:45 Antidepressants, Ayahuasca, and Dangerous Interactions
16:15 Why People Experiment Without Professional Guidance
19:07 Set and Setting: The Biggest Risk No One Explains
22:01 Neuroplasticity: How Psychedelics Actually Change the Brain
24:20 Bias, Advocacy, and the Problem with Psychedelic Hype
25:19 Should Psychiatrists Experience Psychedelics Themselves?
30:01 Empathy, Lived Experience, and Better Mental Health Care
32:11 Spirituality, Psychiatry, and the Missing Conversation
36:01 Ketamine Without the Trip: Breakthrough or Mistake?
39:17 Non-Hallucinogenic Psychedelics and the Future of Treatment
41:11 Fear of Losing Control in Psychedelic Experiences
42:19 Ayahuasca Dosing, Titration, and Ceremony Reality
47:30 Continuous DMT and Mapping Consciousness
48:56 How to Work with Ben Malcolm
50:20 What This Means for the Future of Mental Health

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#psychiatry
#neuroplasticity
#psychedelictherapy