#592: Dennis McKenna — An Ethnopharmacologist on Hallucinogens, Sex-Crazed Cicadas, The Mushrooms of Language, BioGnosis, and Illuminating Obscure Corners

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Dennis McKenna (@DennisMcKenna4) has spent
more than 40 years researching the interdisciplinary study of
Amazonian ethnopharmacology and plant hallucinogens. He has
conducted extensive ethnobotanical fieldwork in the Peruvian,
Colombian, and Brazilian Amazon.


His doctoral research at the University of British Columbia
focused on the ethnopharmacology of ayahuasca and oo-koo-he, two
tryptamine-based hallucinogens used by indigenous peoples in the
Northwest Amazon.


He is a founding board member of the Heffter Research
Institute and was a key organizer and participant in the
Hoasca Project, the first biomedical investigation of ayahuasca
used by the UDV, a Brazilian religious group. He is the younger
brother of Terence McKenna.


From 2000 to 2017, he taught courses on ethnopharmacology as well
as Plants in Human Affairs at the Center for Spirituality and
Healing at the University of Minnesota. In 2019, in collaboration
with colleagues, he incorporated a nonprofit, the McKenna
Academy of Natural Philosophy. Currently, the Academy has several
projects underway, with the most immediate being preparations for
an upcoming conference in the UK May
23rd–26th, ESPD55, which will cover a wide
range of topics related to psycho-ethnopharmacology and feature
an exclusive, pre-release screening of the McKenna Academy’s
first short documentary, BioGnosis, Bridges to Ancestral
Wisdom.


Dennis emigrated to Canada in the spring of 2019 with his wife
Sheila and now resides in Abbotsford, British Columbia.


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How Dennis and his brother Terence tuned in to “vegetable
television” with the addition of an ayahuasca ingredient to their
regular consumption of mushrooms and cannabis, and why even the
components of tried-and-true ayahuasca are in constant flux
depending on who’s making it. [07:39]


Why is it that psychoactive drugs don’t always work — even in
people who usually feel their effects — and what keeps us from
finding out through controlled studies? [13:51]


As much as Dennis has experimented with adding and subtracting
ingredients to various psychoactive admixtures, he’s come to
believe it’s best to avoid combinations if possible. There are
often alternative ways to dial the effects of these substances up
or down as desired. [21:43]


Why would we have cannabinoid, opiate, and other molecular
receptors in our brains unless we’re designed to consume these
substances from external sources? [29:45]


Tales of terror from the world of psilocybin cicadas, cordyceps
zombies, and toxoplasmic rodents. [36:34]


Dennis shares his thoughts on psychedelics as a potential
treatment for dyslexia and other language-based disorders.
[42:20]


What happened to Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell after having
his savikalpa samadhi experience — a mystic glimpse beyond the
self into the true nature of things? Does Dennis believe current
psychedelic pioneers are misguided in downplaying the mystical
experiences certain compounds bring out in people? [50:18]


For anyone curious about Albert Hofmann’s discovery of LSD,
Dennis recommends the graphic novel Bicycle Day by Brian
Blomerth. [53:48]


My recommended resources for learning more about the perceptual
phenomenon of synesthesia. [54:58]


What ESPD 55 entails: its history, its itinerary, and how you can
participate even if you can’t physically make it to the
conference in the UK from May 23rd to the 26th. [56:51]


How does Dennis relate to mortality and the inevitability of
death? [1:08:54]


What is BioGnosis? [1:11:56]


How does Dennis feel about synthetic substitutes for psychedelic
compounds that have been traditionally harvested from natural —
and often endangered — sources? What adaptations might groups who
see these plants as sacred have to make to ensure that some of
them don’t go extinct? [1:14:16]


Most communities of any size eventually have to deal with
in-fighting and power grabs from a certain element, and the
psychedelic community is no exception. Can Dennis imagine any
solutions to this unfortunate reality? [1:25:31]


What would Dennis choose if he could only partake of three
psychoactive substances for the rest of his life? [1:35:02]


The pros and cons of cannabis consumption and its methods of
delivery, and how modern strains can induce experiences akin to
psychedelics. [1:36:38]


What we can expect from an upcoming second edition of The
Brotherhood of the Screaming Abyss, The BioGnosis Project (and
its first associated documentary (to be screened at ESPD 55),
virtualizing the Herbarium in Iquitos, and other parting
thoughts. [1:42:46]


*


IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER:


The plants and compounds mentioned in this episode are illegal in
many countries, and even possession can carry severe criminal
penalties. This episode does not constitute medical advice and
should not be construed as a recommendation to use psychedelics.
There are serious legal, psychological, and physical risks.
Psychedelics are not for everyone—they can exacerbate certain
emotional problems, and there have been, in very rare cases,
fatalities.


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