Psychedelic Stories

Martin Brentnall grew up in the UK with the mindset that he would never use drugs of any kind. That mindset changed when he moved to the Netherlands for a year as part of a work placement program while he was attending university. In Amsterdam, Martin saw a number of substances being sold in shops legally, while those same substances were illegal back in the UK. Martin began researching psychedelics online and eventually decided to try psilocybin mushrooms. His first experience was mild but helped him relax and countered what he had been taught about psychedelics in school growing up. Martin describes several subsequent psilocybin experiences at higher doses that were very powerful. In one experience, the music he was listening to came to life in the form of vivid colors and patterns. In another, he describes having what he considers his first spiritual experience, having previously considered himself atheist. Martin also talks about his experiences with lucid dreaming, sensory deprivation float tanks, and smoked salvia extract.

The purpose of the podcast is for entertainment and harm reduction. Please consult a physician and your local laws before considering the use of psychedelic substances. Please also understand that you may not hold us liable or responsible for relying on any information contained on the podcast or our website.

Links from this Episode:

Erowid | Informational site about psychoactive drugs

Shroomery | Informational site about psilocybin mushrooms

Terrence McKenna | Ethnobotanist

Dream Views | Lucid Dreaming Forum

Mariano Gru had his first experience with salvia at age 18. While he was with his friend he took a hit of salvia from a bong and reality began folding in on itself. Mariano’s salvia experience got him interested in psychedelics and he began staying up late at night listening to Terrence McKenna’s lectures. In his 20’s, Mariano tried other psychedelics like psilocybin mushrooms, ayahuasca, and MDMA but salvia remained his favorite. He discusses some of his experiences with this powerful plant medicine. Mariano describes the feeling he often gets of being in a void on salvia and seeing himself as a character. He talks about how salvia has helped him clear blockages in his body and release emotional pain. We also discussed his participation in a vipassana meditation retreat and his efforts to answer other people’s questions about salvia on reddit. Mariano even built a chamber in his house that muffles sound and protects him from physical injury while he’s under the influence of salvia. We’ve included a link to his reddit profile in the show notes where you can see pictures of his chamber.

The purpose of the podcast is for entertainment and harm reduction. Please consult a physician and your local laws before considering the use of psychedelic substances. Please also understand that you may not hold us liable or responsible for relying on any information contained on the podcast or our website.

Links from this episode:

Mariano's podcast

Mariano's Reddit profile

Terrence McKenna | Ethnobotanist

Martin Ball | Author

Lunaa Ethan loved her career as a nurse working with foster children in Canada. When the pandemic hit, Lunaa felt increased anxiety and depression due to changes made by the organization she worked for. Lunaa began researching both the history and the potential mental health benefits of psychedelics. She eventually tried psilocybin and found that it helped her work through her anxiety and depression. Psilocybin also helped Lunaa recognize the need for a new direction in life. She left healthcare and she and her husband sold their home and purchased an RV to travel across North and South America. Lunaa found a new career teaching English to children online and started blogging about her experience.

The purpose of the podcast is for entertainment and harm reduction. Please consult a physician and your local laws before considering the use of psychedelic substances. Please also understand that you may not hold us liable or responsible for relying on any information contained on the podcast or our website.

Links from this episode:

Lunaa's website

Lunaa's Instagram

Andrew Sharp began researching altered states of consciousness in high school after a friend introduced him to Erowid, a popular website with educational and harm reduction material about psychoactive substances. Despite his interest in drugs, Andrew had a hard time shaking the indoctrination he received from the D.A.R.E. program taught in public schools in the United States. He also grew up in a strict Christian household. One day, Andrew's friend was riding his bike and witnessed someone get out of their car and put a container in a tree. Andrew's friend intercepted the dead drop after the car left and found that the container had a huge stash of cannabis. This eventually led to Andrew's first experience getting high. 

Andrew smoked a lot of cannabis in college and eventually became interested in mescaline. He had a number of experiences with mescaline he brewed from San Pedro cacti from Home Depot. However, he didn't have the life changing experience many people report after trying psychedelics. Andrew usually tripped on mescaline at parties in a group setting. One day he decided to do it at home on his own. This trip served as an unlikely savior from the depression that ailed him and helped him change his outlook on life and his relationship with his girlfriend.

The purpose of the podcast is for entertainment and harm reduction. Please consult a physician and your local laws before trying anything mentioned in this podcast. Please also understand that you may not hold us liable or responsible for relying on any information contained on the podcast or our website.

Links from this episode:

Erowid

Fantastic Fungi

Noon Calvo's introduction to psychedelics came as a teenager when he had a scary experience on LSD. After his initial experience, he learned to work with the substance and sat with friends to make sure they were safe during their LSD experiences. Noon eventually wanted to try plant based psychedelics and turned to salvia. His experiences on salvia then led him to ayahuasca. Noon shares a number of interesting experiences on psychedelics, including a time where he switched places and saw a fist fight he got into from the perspective of his opponent. He had a memory of an alien abduction surface and recalled past life experiences on psychedelics and through hypnotic regressions. Noon is part of the ayahuasca scene in Portugal and has led many ayahuasca ceremonies.

The purpose of the podcast is for entertainment and harm reduction. Please consult a physician and your local laws before trying anything mentioned in this podcast. Please also understand that you may not hold us liable or responsible for relying on any information contained on the podcast or our website.

Links from this episode:

Radical Protagonista | Noon's YouTube channel

The Christos Technique | Past life regression technique

Santo Daime Church | A church that holds ayahuasca ceremonies

Communion | A 1989 alien abduction movie

Andrea Hill dealt with depression and complex PTSD for over a decade. She used SSRI medication but still felt depressed. She started researching psychedelics and had her first experience with LSD after tapering off her medication. On LSD, Andrea felt like she had received a hug from the universe. From there, Andrea did a number of intravenous ketamine infusions. She experienced ego death and felt as though she was a cloud floating through the universe. In one session, her deceased uncle visited her and offered her comfort. After researching ayahuasca, Andrea participated in two sessions at a retreat center in Florida. In the first session, she relived her uncle's funeral and some of her childhood traumas. In her second session, Andrea felt as though she had been reborn as a divine goddess. Andrea talks about how her life has changed since these experiences and describes some of the mindfulness practices she's adopted, including the use of float tanks, meditation, breathwork, and yoga.

The purpose of the podcast is for entertainment and harm reduction. Please consult a physician and your local laws before trying anything mentioned in this podcast. Please also understand that you may not hold us liable or responsible for relying on any information contained on the podcast or our website.

Links from this episode:

Unwell | Netflix Docuseries

Soul Quest Ayahuasca Church

Mark Parrillo became friends with a classmate in high school who had recently immigrated to the United States from China. Mark’s friend got him interested in concepts he hadn’t heard about in western culture, including Chi, which is defined in English as “air”, “material energy”, “life force”, or “energy flow.” Mark began practicing Qigong and Chi Kung, which typically include systems of coordinated body-posture, movement, breathing, and meditation. Mark’s practice developed to the point where he began experiencing visual and auditory sensations similar to what someone would experience on a powerful psychedelic substance. Mark discusses the benefits these experiences have had in his day to day life as he and his wife raise their young children.

The purpose of the podcast is for entertainment and harm reduction. Please consult a physician and your local laws before trying anything mentioned in this podcast. Please also understand that you may not hold us liable or responsible for relying on any information contained on the podcast or our website.

Links from this episode:

The Root of Chinese Chi Kung | Amazon

Qigong, The Secret of Youth | Amazon

Zack Stark had never heard about ayahuasca until he was offered some by a friend. The next evening he and two other friends drank the ayahuasca. Zack thought this would be a nice way to get a natural high, but instead he had a life-changing experience. The ayahuasca he consumed acted as the root and foundation of a process of detoxifying himself from emotional pain and heartache he had buried for years. Since his ayahuasca experience, Zack has continued to find new ways to release emotional pain and develop spiritually.

The purpose of the podcast is for entertainment and harm reduction. Please consult a physician and your local laws before trying anything mentioned in this podcast. Please also understand that you may not hold us liable or responsible for relying on any information contained on the podcast or our website.

Links from this episode:

Shamanic Journey Lower World Meditation | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

The Body Keeps the Score | Amazon

Hudsy Brooke has spent her career in entertainment and her work experience has spanned everything from Disneyland singer to Hollywood dominatrix. In our interview she discusses her experiences with a number of psychedelic substances including MDMA, psilocybin, cannabis, and ayahuasca. During these experiences she's had insights about her self image, received guidance about her romantic relationships, connected with nature, and interacted with her deceased father.

The purpose of the podcast is for entertainment and harm reduction. Please consult a physician and your local laws before trying anything mentioned in this podcast. Please also understand that you may not hold us liable or responsible for relying on any information contained on the podcast or our website.

Links from this episode:

Hudsy's website | HudsyBrooke.com

Samuel Hale is an educator, writer and podcaster. We start off talking about Sam's experience with depression in childhood and then get into some of his early experiences with psychedelic substances, including psilocybin and salvia during high school and college. In Sam's smoked salvia experiences, time dissolved and he took on new identities where he felt intense emotions in alternate realities. Sam's experience with LSD is a warning for anyone interested in psychedelics. He didn't have a sitter and consumed an unknown quantity of LSD, resulting in intense anxiety and discomfort. Fortunately, Sam was able to connect with friends and mental health professionals after his LSD experience to work on improving his mental health and wellbeing. We discuss where Sam is at now with his writing career, mental health and a consistent mindfulness practice he has developed. Check out Sam's personal and podcast Twitter handles below to find out more about what he's working on. His podcast is called Pod in the Machine and is dedicated to nerd culture across anime, film, gaming, and more.

The purpose of the podcast is for entertainment and harm reduction. Please consult a physician and your local laws before trying anything mentioned in this podcast. Please also understand that you may not hold us liable or responsible for relying on any information contained on the podcast or our website.

Links from this episode:

@SamHaleYeah | Sam's Twitter Profile

@PodInTheMachine | Pod in the Machine Twitter Profile