Can you have too much transcendence?
Luminous: A Podcast about the Science, Philosophy and Culture of PsychedelicsShow Notes
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. — 00:00:00 Introduction 00:02:15 Twenty Years in Secret 00:08:45 Set, Setting and Ego Death 00:16:00 The Ocean of Suffering 00:31:20 Why He Stopped — Bio: Chris Bache
More from Luminous: A Podcast about the Science, Philosophy and Culture of Psychedelics
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. — 00:00:00 Introduction 00:05:40 Before Timothy Leary 00:10:40 Millbrook 00:20:00 Prison Break and Exile 00:36:00 Twenty Years as an Innkeeper —
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.” — 00:00:00 Introduction 00:03:10 Is There Knowledge in These States 00:06:55 Metzinger's Own Experiences 00:19:45 When It Backfires 00:28:15 A Concrete Proposal — Bio: Thomas Metzinger
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. — 00:00:00 Introduction 00:08:45 A Physicist's First Journey 00:17:30 Reattaching Mind and Body 00:26:15 Kari's Clinical Practice 00:44:00 What a Shared Trip Opens Up —
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. — 00:00:00 Introduction 00:06:40 Why Study Non-Ordinary States 00:16:05 What DMT Does to the Brain 00:29:15 Entities and Scientific Caution 00:49:40 The Questions Still Open — Bio: Chris Timmermann
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. — 00:00:00 Introduction 00:03:30 Finding Buddhism in Oakland 00:12:55 When the Boat Cracked 00:25:10 Two Traditions, Both True 00:42:05 A Church in Georgia — Bio: Spring Washam