Advertise on podcast: Luminous: A Podcast about the Science, Philosophy and Culture of Psychedelics
Rating
4.9from
This podcast has
19 episodes
Language
EnglishPublisher
Steve PaulsonExplicit
Yes
Date created
2023/04/05
Latest episode
2025/11/08
Average duration
49 min.
Release period
61 days
Description
Are you ready for the psychedelic revolution? Researchers are developing novel treatments for depression, PTSD and addiction, while biotech companies are racing to patent new psychedelic drugs. But for all the headlines, many questions still swirl around this psychedelic renaissance. Why do hallucinogens have such a remarkable capacity to transform lives? Is healing driven by the mind-bending experience itself — or by molecules rewiring the brain? Psychedelics also raise profound questions about the nature of consciousness and mystical experience. Are these simply hallucinations, or do they reveal something profound about the mind — or even about reality itself? "Luminous" explores these questions through in-depth, intimate conversations with leading scientists, philosophers, historians and healers. Some episodes examine groundbreaking research. What happens to an octopus on MDMA? Why do psychedelics ease our fear of death? Other episodes venture into the trippier reaches of psychedelic culture and history. One week we might uncover the hidden history of ancient sacred ceremonies. Another week we'll meet a psychonaut pushing his mind to the outer limits — or rediscover Timothy Leary's "acid queen." Originally, these interviews aired on "To The Best Of Our Knowledge," the Peabody Award-winning Wisconsin Public Radio show that Steve co-founded with Anne Strainchamps. They eventually grew into the spinoff podcast "Luminous." Today, "Luminous" has a new home at Wonder Cabinet Productions, produced in partnership with the University of Wisconsin–Madison's Center for Psychedelic Research and Education with support from Usona Institute, a nonprofit medical research organization. This partnership reflects Madison's emergence as one of the world's most innovative psychedelic centers and marks a new chapter for "Luminous" as we continue to explore the science, philosophy and lived experience of psychedelics.
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Podcast episodes
Check latest episodes from Luminous: A Podcast about the Science, Philosophy and Culture of Psychedelics podcast
Reclaiming the Acid Queen
2025/11/08
We all know Timothy Leary, the high priest of ‘60s psychedelia, but his partner, Rosemary Woodruff Leary, has largely been forgotten. She also had a remarkable life, even breaking Leary out of prison with the help of the Weather Underground. Now, biographer Susannah Cahalan tells her story — from the heady Sixties to a life on the run for decades.
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00:00:00 Introduction00:05:40 Before Timothy Leary00:10:40 Millbrook00:20:00 Prison Break and Exile00:36:00 Twenty Years as an Innkeeper
—
Bio: Susannah Cahalan
Thomas Metzinger on a 'Culture of Consciousness'
2025/08/02
Thomas Metzinger is a renowned German philosopher. He has a longtime fascination with psychedelics, stemming from his own experience and also from his work as an analytic philosopher. He says altered states of consciousness give us profound insights into the nature of the mind. And he believes modern society has an ethical imperative to foster a “culture of consciousness.”
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00:00:00 Introduction00:03:10 Is There Knowledge in These States00:06:55 Metzinger's Own Experiences00:19:45 When It Backfires00:28:15 A Concrete Proposal
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Bio: Thomas Metzinger
Marcelo and Kari Gleiser on tripping with your partner
2025/05/09
Most psychedelic stories are highly personal, but there’s a different dynamic when two people share the experience — especially a married couple. Steve talks with theoretical physicist Marcelo Gleiser and clinical psychologist Kari Gleiser about their transformative experiences.
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00:00:00 Introduction00:08:45 A Physicist's First Journey00:17:30 Reattaching Mind and Body00:26:15 Kari's Clinical Practice00:44:00 What a Shared Trip Opens Up
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Bio: Marcelo Gleiser
Bio: Kari Gleiser
Chris Timmerman on how DMT can deconstruct the mind
2025/03/01
Chris Timmerman is a neuroscientist with a deep interest in phenomenology—what’s actually happening in our minds during psychedelic experiences. He leads the DMT Research Group at Imperial College, where he’s found that a single psychedelic experience can transform a person’s belief system, often turning materialists into panpsychists. In this wide-ranging conversation, Steve talks with Chris about everything from fractals and ayahuasca ceremonies to whether scientists who study psychedelics should talk openly about their own experiences.
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00:00:00 Introduction00:06:40 Why Study Non-Ordinary States00:16:05 What DMT Does to the Brain00:29:15 Entities and Scientific Caution00:49:40 The Questions Still Open
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Bio: Chris Timmermann
Spring Washam, the Buddhist Shaman
2025/01/25
Buddhist meditation and psychedelic journeys have a lot of shared DNA—both take you deep inside your mind and can change your life. But many Buddhists say psychedelics violate the prohibition against intoxicants. Do they? Spring Washam straddles this divide as both a Buddhist teacher and founder of an ayahuasca church. Her own story is fascinating—how she’s merged these two practices.
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00:00:00 Introduction00:03:30 Finding Buddhism in Oakland00:12:55 When the Boat Cracked00:25:10 Two Traditions, Both True00:42:05 A Church in Georgia
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Bio: Spring Washam
Do psychedelics reveal a deeper dimension of reality?
2024/11/30
There’s a huge question swirling around the really big psychedelic experiences. Are these mind-blowing trips just hallucinations – the brain shot full of chemicals, playing tricks on you - or do they crack open some transpersonal dimension of consciousness? Most scholars who study psychedelics won’t go anywhere near this question, and yet it’s central to how you interpret these experiences. If you’re in psychedelic-assisted therapy, you want to know if this glimpse of the divine was real or just some figment of your imagination. Philosopher Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes believes we need a metaphysics of psychedelics to explain these powerful experiences.
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00:00:00 Introduction00:04:05 A Metaphysics of Psychedelics00:19:55 The Comforting Delusion Objection00:29:15 Problems with the MEQ
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Bio: Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes
Katherine MacLean on the Limits of Consensus Reality
2024/08/31
Psychedelic people are practicing at the very edge of anyone else’s comfort zone,” says psychologist Katherine MacLean, author of the psychedelic memoir “Midnight Water.” MacLean was a pioneering psychedelic researcher at Johns Hopkins, who then left her job to pursue her own unconventional psychedelic journey. She talks with Steve Paulson about her work as a psychedelic guide, her personal history with psychoactive substances, and why she reveres the Mexican healer Maria Sabina.
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00:00:00 Introduction00:01:20 Recovering Maria Sabina00:14:05 Dartmouth to Johns Hopkins00:23:05 When the Trips Got Harder00:42:10 A Vigil for Her Father
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Bio: Katherine MacLean
Erik Davis on LSD and the Psychedelic Underground
2024/07/20
Erik Davis’ “Blotter” is really three books in one: It’s about the way LSD tabs were embedded in blotter paper so they wouldn’t be detected by the authorities; it’s also a deep dive into the psychedelic underground; and finally, it’s an art book — gorgeously illustrated, with lots of very trippy blotter art. Steve talks with Erik about the wildness of psychedelic experiences and whether they reveal a deeper dimension of consciousness.
—
00:00:00 Introduction00:03:05 What Blotter Actually Is00:12:25 Acid Art and Underground Media00:18:25 In Defense of Recreation00:30:30 High Weirdness and Reality
—
Bio: Erik Davis
Did the ancient Greeks use drugs to find God?
2024/05/04
Brian Muraresku makes the controversial argument that the famous Eleusinian Mysteries were fueled by a psychedelic wine. And he speculates that this secret ceremony, with its mind-altering drugs, became the Eucharist — the foundational event of early Christianity.
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00:00:00 Introduction00:06:35 A Catholic Who Won't Partake00:09:50 The Mysteries at Eleusis00:23:30 Kykeon, Ergot and the Evidence00:29:30 The Eucharist and the Vatican
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Bio: Brian Muraresku
A brief history of getting high
2024/01/27
It’s remarkable how fast psychedelics have gone mainstream. Just look at how so many major universities are racing to set up their own psychedelic institutes. Psilocybin and MDMA are now considered the most promising treatments for depression and PTSD that we’ve had in decades. But this is not the first time psychoactive drugs were hailed as miracle cures. Heroin and cocaine were also once considered wonder drugs. Today, what’s so striking is how the public conversation about psychedelics ignores this deeper history of intoxicants.
British historian Mike Jay wants to challenge this narrative of psychedelic “exceptionalism.” In his book “Psychonauts: Drugs and the Making of the Modern Mind,” he digs into the 19th century’s rich history of psychoactive experiences — and tells the story of seminal figures like Humphry Davy, Sigmund Freud and William James – and lots of other people I’d never heard of.
Jay is also upfront about his own psychedelic experiences. He’s had plenty of them. And he believes the scientists and doctors who study psychedelics should talk more openly about their own mind-altering experiences — which is definitely not the case for most of them.
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00:00:00 Introduction00:08:05 The First Psychonauts00:20:25 Freud, Cocaine and Ambition00:28:35 William James on Nitrous Oxide00:38:45 What You Bring Back
—
Bio: Mike Jay
Book: Psychonauts: Drugs and the Making of the Modern Mind
Nautilus: Why Scientists Need to Get High
Is it the drug or is it the trip?
2023/12/16
For all the talk about how psychedelics might transform psychiatric care, there's still a fascinating question at the heart of psychedelic science. Is it the mind-blowing experience that fundamentally changes a person’s outlook on life? Or is it the powerful molecules that rewire the brain?
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00:00:00 Introduction00:04:35 David Olson's Psychoplastogens00:18:15 Chuck Raison on Psilocybin While Asleep00:36:35 Rachel Harris and the Underground00:48:45 Who Gets to Be a Guide
—
Bio: David Olson
Bio: Charles Raison
Bio: Rachel Harris
WPR: "Does psychedelic therapy need the trip?"
WPR: "Will psychedelics replace antidepressants?"
WPR: "Spiritual warriors in the psychedelic underground"
This episode also aired as an episode of "To The Best Of Our Knowledge" on Wisconsin Public Radio
Can you have too much transcendence?
2023/11/18
Some people dabble in psychedelics, others are more serious psychonauts. And then there’s Chris Bache. Over the course of 20 years, he had 73 high-dose LSD experiences — doses so high that the human body couldn’t tolerate anything more. For Bache, who was a religion professor, these were journeys into deeper dimensions of reality. These were grueling experiences — at times terrifying and other times ecstatic. He believes he transcended every aspect of personal identity and ultimately encountered the Divine – what he calls “the infinite creative intelligence of the universe.” And he ended up in a really interesting place, wondering if it’s possible to have too much transcendence.
It’s an extraordinary story – one that Bache later wrote about in his book “LSD and the Mind of the Universe." In this conversation, he reflects on the years when he was going on these intense LSD journeys, which he did in secret, on weekends, while carrying on his work as a college professor during the week.
Just to be clear, what Chris Bache did was extremely risky. His story is fascinating, but it’s not something anyone else should do.
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00:00:00 Introduction00:02:15 Twenty Years in Secret00:08:45 Set, Setting and Ego Death00:16:00 The Ocean of Suffering00:31:20 Why He Stopped
—
Bio: Chris Bache
Can psychedelics be decolonized?
2023/10/21
It’s easy to get caught up in the hype about how psychedelics might revolutionize the treatment of mental illness. But there are also lots of ethical concerns. And probably none are so troubling as the charges of exploitation and cultural appropriation. The fact is, the knowledge about many psychedelics — like magic mushrooms and ayahuasca — comes from the sacred ceremonies of Indigenous cultures. But over the past century, Western scientists and pharmaceutical companies have been going into these cultures, collecting plants and synthesizing their chemical compounds.
Even if science is all about building on the knowledge of earlier discoveries, what is the psychedelic industry's ethical responsibility? Can psychedelics be decolonized?
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00:00:00 Introduction00:04:35 Gordon Wasson and Maria Sabina00:24:20 Sutton King on Reciprocity00:38:50 Parke-Davis Goes Bioprospecting00:44:50 Yuria Celidwen on Spirit Medicine
—
Bio: Erika Dyck
Bio: Katherine MacLean
Bio: Sutton King
Bio: Lucas Richert
Bio: Yuria Celidwen
WPR: "The Tragic Story of Maria Sabina's Sacred Mushrooms"
WPR: "Empowering Indigenous voices in the psychedelic industry"
WPR: "Spirit Medicine: Yuria Celidwen's vision for an ethical psychedelics"
This episode also aired as an episode of "To The Best Of Our Knowledge" on Wisconsin Public Radio
What happens to an octopus on MDMA?
2023/08/12
Psychedelics have a unique capacity to open up the mind so that everything feels fresh and full of possibilities. Especially as you get older, it can be easy to get stuck in a rut — but under a psychedelic, the brain can become more plastic. This time period, though, is limited - it might last just a few days, or a few weeks. So it’s really important to understand this “critical period” when our minds are so open — and also so vulnerable.
These “critical periods” are what Gül Dölen has been studying for years. She’s a neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins that has done some groundbreaking investigation of the “critical periods” of psychedelics, including studies that involve giving MDMA — also known as “Molly” in some circles — to octopuses.
She’s also challenging a lot of the scientific work that’s been done on psychedelics — she has serious doubts about the value of neuroimaging, or even a concept like the “default mode network.” If you heard our last Luminous episode on the neuroscience of psychedelics, you’ll want to listen to this interview.
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00:00:00 Introduction00:02:00 MDMA and Social Reward00:05:40 Reopening Critical Periods00:25:25 Octopuses on MDMA00:43:40 Cults and the Risk of Reopening
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Bio: Gül Dölen
WPR: "Your Brain on Shrooms"
Your Brain on Shrooms
2023/07/15
Can neuroscience explain what happens to the brain on psychedelics? And even if we map the brain while it’s tripping, does that tell us why these experiences can be so transformative?
We’ll talk with some of the pioneers in psychedelic research — from Amanda Feilding’s boundary-busting work to Robin Carhart-Harris’ theory of the "entropic brain." Also, renowned neuroscientist Christof Koch goes down the rabbit hole on 5-MeO-DMT, also known as toad venom.
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00:00:00 Introduction00:02:25 Christof Koch on Toad Venom00:24:00 Amanda Feilding's Beckley Foundation00:32:20 David Nutt on Drug Policy00:40:00 Robin Carhart-Harris and Entropy
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Bio: Christof Koch
Bio: Amanda Feilding
Bio: David Nutt
Bio: Robin Carhart-Harris
Bio: Gül Dölen
WPR: "Exploring consciousness on toad venom"
WPR: "The godmother of the European psychedelic revival"
WPR: "How therapeutic psilocybin could help heal long-buried trauma"
WPR: "Magic mushrooms and the 'entropic brain'"
This episode also aired as an episode of "To The Best Of Our Knowledge" on Wisconsin Public Radio
Podcast reviews
Read Luminous: A Podcast about the Science, Philosophy and Culture of Psychedelics podcast reviews
AJK0902 2025/07/26
Profound & Deeply Insightful
Brilliantly discussed and researched. Bringing such a wide range of perspectives and insights on Psychedelics.
The Aggie 2024/03/31
Great Content & Extremely Well Done
This is fantastic. Insightful content and excellent production. Love it! What else would you expect from Wisconsin Public Radio? Keep the episodes com...
Plaid bj 2024/01/04
So deep and enlightening!
If not the best than in the top 3 podcasts on plant medicine! Make more episodes, I flew through all in one day!!!!!!!
buttmunch86 2023/12/06
Amazing
Best psychedelic podcast ive found! More episodes please!
Burned By Adobe 2023/10/08
One-sided and credulous
There is a rather slanted approach in this podcast, which is to take the words of people who are self appointed experts in psychedelic therapy at thei...
Neanie519 2023/07/29
Background music almost ruins it
Fascinating content, interesting interviews, but irritable episodes of electronic background music makes it very difficult to listen to. Just when I’m...
Gr2323 2023/07/16
Mind blowing!
Pun intended, but it is indeed, a fantastic podcast! High-quality, deep, thinking about everything that you want to be thinking about-consciousness, s...
MichelleInMadison 2023/05/01
Can’t wait for more episodes!
I’m so proud to be a Wisconsinite right now, what an incredible and groundbreaking show. Thank you TTBOOK!
drbakersb 2023/04/15
Very Impressive!
So many incredible pertinent ideas in one episode. Can’t wait for more. Thank you!
kubb farmer 2023/04/14
Critical information
Thank you for putting together this podcast! TTBOOK is always one step ahead, pushing boundaries. This is no exception. Everyone should listen.
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