Plants of the Gods: Hallucinogens, Healing, Culture and Conservation podcast

How can psylocibin be used to help patients work through traumas that once seemed untreatable? Dr. Pamela Kryskow, a self-described "fungi person" and a scientist, is helping to answer this question and others about the health potential of plant medicines. Dr. Kryskow is a founding board member of the Psychedelic Association of Canada and the medical chair of the Vancouver Island University Post Graduate Certificate in Psychedelic Medicine assisted Therapy.  She is also the medical lead for the Roots To Thrive Program.   
 
In this episode, Dr. Kryskow discusses her research on psychedelics and PTSD, differing patient experiences in synthetic versus whole mushrooms, and medical and therapeutic uses of ketamine. 
 
Show notes: 
Roots to Thrive is Canada's first multidisciplinary, non-profit healthcare practice offering evidence-informed, multi-week group therapy programs, including psychedelic-assisted therapy (if prescribed by licensed medical professional)
https://rootstothrive.com/

This is a special joint episode of Plants of the Gods and Brainforest Café. 

Host Dr. Mark Plotkin continues his conversation with ethnopharmacologist Dr. Dennis McKenna. They reflect on the origins and impact of the ESPD conferences, launched in 1967, and how these landmark gatherings helped shape the field of ethnopharmacology.  

The discussion also explores the enduring legacy of Richard Evans Schultes and his profound influence on ethnobotany. Dennis emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary research and the respectful integration of Indigenous knowledge into modern medicine—an approach that remains vital to the future of psychedelic science.  

Show notes:  

McKenna Academy https://mckenna.academy/mka-podcast/  

ESPD Books: https://mckenna.academy/mka-programs/espd55/#espdbooks

This is a special joint episode of Plants of the Gods and Brainforest Café. 

Plants are virtuoso chemists. Some create molecules that closely resemble the neurotransmitters shaping human consciousness — a mystery that fascinates ethnopharmacologist Dennis McKenna, PhD. 

In Part One of this episode, Dennis explains why psychoactive plants are powerful tools for understanding the relationship between the brain and the mind, and reflects on the legacy of his late brother, Terence McKenna, whose work pushed the boundaries of psychedelic thought. The brothers' experiences with the plant medicines of Indigenous peoples in the Colombian Amazon would go on to shape Dennis' scientific career in profound ways.

Season 8 kicks off February 23 with an interview featuring Dennis McKenna, PhD — a renowned ethnopharmacologist who has spent more than 40 years researching the therapeutic potential of Amazonian plant medicines. Stay tuned for the full interview!

Join Plants of the Gods as we explore the mysteries of ayahuasca with ethnobotanist Rebekah Senanayake. Through years of fieldwork with traditional indigenous masters in the northwest Amazon, Rebekah has learned how people connect with plants in profound and transformative ways. In this episode, she shares insights on ayahuasca healing, visions, and the subtle language of plants.