StephenGray Vision

G. William Barnard is a brilliant expositor of the Santo Daime path of awakening with the holy ayahuasca sacrament, or as they call it, the "Daime." Professor Barnard has had many deep spiritual journeys with the Daime, encountering powerful Spirit beings in the Astral, and working through his own shadow material. Not only is he wise and insightful, he's a beautiful and clear-eyed writer. And if that wasn't enough, he exudes the warmth, kindness, and joy that one would hope for from advanced spiritual warriors.

Please learn from, enjoy, and share this interview for the benefit of all beings at this unprecedented historical moment of great upheaval, great change, and great possibility for the birth of the new human and a mature planetary civilization.

NB: Professor Barnard will also be one of two dozen brilliant spokespeople on behalf of psychedelics and consciousness transformation at the iconic 12th Spirit Plant Medicine Conference, Nov. 3 to 5 in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Info and tickets at: https://spiritplantmedicine.com where tickets are still 20% off. You can also use my personal discount code "savetheworld" for an additional 10% off the regular price.

Seeing Through the Smoke by Peter Grinspoon MD is poised to be a game changer around cannabis. Dr. Grinspoon skillfully "untangles the truth about marijuana" with a balanced and thorough examination of the evidence around cannabis and psychosis, addiction, trauma, pregnancy, driving, cognition, adolescence, opioid withdrawal, cancer, sleep, autism, ADHD, PTSD, CBD, and more.

Cannabis has been badly mistreated and misunderstood for the past 90 years. Much of the public discourse and research is unfounded in reality or reliable evidence. This book sets the record straight.

Seeing Through the Smoke: A Cannabis Specialist Untangles the Truth About Marijuana is absolutely a must read for policy makers, researchers, health care providers (Get with the program doctors!), retailers, growers, and anyone who wants to know what this amazing plant can do - as well as those claims for which there's no reliable evidence (yet).

And in case that all sounds daunting, it ain't. The book is written in an accessible, user-friendly style often spiced with warmth and humor.

Dr. Dominique Morisano, clinical psychologist and professor, shares important insights on how psychedelics can help with trauma, addiction, depression, and other conditions. Dr. Morisano's experience is deep and wide. She is knowledgeable about several psychedelics and has much experience using ketamine in her therapy practice.

Other topics we covered were:

• How ketamine leans more toward the positive than some other psychedelics and can help with addictions, including cigarette addiction

• cannabis dependency and ketamine for that dependency

• pros and cons of MDMA in therapeutic work

• problems with long-term use of anti-depressant pharmaceuticals like SSRIs

• the necessity of follow-up care after medicine sessions (integration)

Flavio Santi is a rare wisdom carrier with essential messages for the world. He holds an ancient lineage of Ecuadorian healers working with plant medicines. In my experience, Flavio's knowledge of how to heal with plants is deeper than anyone else I've encountered or heard about.

Flavio works with several master plants, especially ayahuasca, wayusa, and tobacco (nothing like industrial cigarette tobacco).

In this interview he talks about the connection between the plants, the land, and the Spirits, or as he sometimes says, the ancestors. As Flavio says in the interview, his grandfather charged him with the responsibility of telling the people of the "North" about this deep knowledge for the benefit of all humanity.

A central aspect of Flavio's work is the reclamation of their ancestral land in Ecuador to be protected for the generations to come. They're raising money to buy back 5000 acres of forest and to build a school—the Wayusa School— for children from around the world to learn these powerful traditional ways of healing and of protecting Mother Earth.

Jessica Rochester is an incredible font of wisdom, insight, and knowledge on many aspects of healing and spiritual awakening. Her bona fides are impeccable. She is an ordained Inter-Faith Minister with a Doctorate in Divinity. She trained with the legendary Stanislav Grof and among her numerous responsibilities is the director and primary ceremony leader of Céu do Montréal, the ayahuasca-using Santo Daime church she founded in 1997. Dr. Rochester has written an all-but-exhaustive two-volume book that gathers her long decades of experience into a highly accessible and practical guidebook on just about everything anyone needs to know and consider on healing pathways. 

The book's title is: Ayahuasca Awakening: A Guide to Self-Discovery, Self-Mastery, and Self-Care. As implied by the subtitle and my comments above, the contents of the book extend far beyond discussions around ayahuasca. "Ayahuasca Awakening" actually refers mainly to the source of much of Dr. Rochesters's inspiration and understanding. She also has a delightfully positive and warm presence in this hour-long interview.

Salvia divinorum has great potential as a gentle and kind yet direct healing medicine when used in carefully protected low-dose settings, preferably with a guide or at least a sitter. Christopher Solomon is a clear and articulate advocate—as well as a guide—for this misunderstood healer. 

Most people who have encountered Salvia in unstructured contexts, such as with the "extracts" like the 5X, 10X, 20X etc, want nothing further to do with its often bizarre and sometimes frightening effects. But Christopher understands that in low doses, Salvia is almost like a different medicine altogether. It relaxes and nurtures. It works in a somatic fashion—directly with the felt body rather than through cerebral insights. 

This unique member of the mint family has been badly misunderstood. When encountered with this knowledge in hand, Salvia divinorum has an important role to play in the healing and awakening journey.

Jeremy Narby​ is a cultural treasure with decades long experience as an anthropologist with plant medicines in their traditional settings in South America. He's the author of several important books, including the iconic The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge. In this interview, Jeremy shares eye-opening, and highly relevant, knowledge on ayahuasca that even the experienced among us often don't know, like concerns about commonly-used admixtures: the importance for us Westerners of seeking out yellow (sky)) ayahuasca over black ayahuasca; the dangers of sorcery and of power corruption among ayahuasqueros, how the common DMT-heavy brews emphasize tripping over healing; the Banisteriopsis vine itself without a DMT-containing plant as the master teacher, and much more.

William A. (Bill) Richards is a psychologist in the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research in Baltimore, USA. He's been at the forefront of psychedelic research for decades, for eg. implementing groundbreaking and headline-grabbing psilocybin studies at the iconic Johns Hopkins U. Bill is truly one of the great figures in this work, also author of the remarkable Sacred Knowledge: Psychedelics and Religious Experiences, and one of the kindest souls I've ever met. Bill truly walks the talk. In this 45 minute interview for StephenGray Vision, he talks about the roles and responsibilities of the guide/therapist; differences between psycholytic and psychedelic therapy; altered traits vs. altered states; how the medical and "Oregon" models (unregulated, ceremonial etc) need not exclude each other, and much more.

Marguerite Rigoglioso has gone deep on this subject through extensive, often primary-source research. Strange and implausible as it may seem, there is a wealth of historical (and some contemporary) evidence pointing toward the reality of divine, virgin birth. This is not your conventional (ultimately anti-women, anti-sex, and yes, anti-life) dominator-male concocted Christian fairy tale of the pure virgin unsullied by human sexuality. It's actually about advanced spiritual practices, perhaps with the assistance of entheogenic plant medicines; female empowerment; and the rise of the sacred feminine as an essential balancing component for the urgently needed global consciousness transformation. Regardless of the inevitable skepticism many of us feel about this, you can't fault Marguerite on her rigorous research and her talent for articulating the argument. Listen for yourself and decide.

Legendary anthropologist Wade Davis has an encyclopaedic knowledge of coca. The Inca called it The Divine Leaf of Immortality. It is central to life in tropical regions of South America. In this interview Wade makes an eloquent, passionate, and unimpeachable case that coca needs to be legalized and be welcomed into mainstream culture. As Wade says, "Of all these commonly used stimulants [coffee etc], without any doubt, the most benign, the most pleasant, the most effective, the most helpful, is coca." 

Wade says that comparing coca to cocaine is like comparing potatoes to vodka, and that is only illegal because it has been caught up in the ongoing, ineffective, absurdly expensive, and incredibly violent drug wars. Not only is coca the superior plant for daily use, there is huge potential benefit for farmers in tropical South America. We have to give the campesinos a legal market for their product.

Tom Lane is a treasure chest of little known, valuable—and applicable—knowledge about psilocybin mushrooms. He studied and trained with masters in Mexico and now after decades of experience is ready to share secrets of how to best benefit from their use. Here he talks about: the importance of the feeling body; how to prepare for and take the mushrooms; how to learn to see emanations of energy for healing and divining; how to move gracefully through difficulties with an open, loving attitude; and much more.

Chris Becker is a wonderful example of someone who did psychedelic therapy right and turned his life around. Chris had a traumatic childhood that led to alcohol addiction beginning in adolescence. Here he talks about the careful, extended process he undertook with a skilled guide; the dynamics of childhood trauma; essential qualities for psychedelic guides; the necessity of quality, ongoing integration, including regular spiritual practice like meditation and yoga; and how this kind of therapy could be more accessible and affordable.

Tyson Yunkaporta is a brilliant, visionary Australian aboriginal academic, researcher, author, and artist. In his remarkable—and essential for our times—book "Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World," he talks here with Stephen Gray about: the illusion that many repeated psychedelic journeys are necessary for healing and awakening; the unsustainability of the growth economy in large nations; the need for regional and local governance and small communities; the necessity of non-hierarchical, decentralized, ego-free relationships for innovation and problem-solving; the value of interactive story-making (yarning); how to enter timeless Ancestral Mind; listening to animate nature, even rocks; our crucial role as a custodial species; and much more.

Author/editor of "Cannabis and Spirituality" and ceremony leader Stephen Gray talks about how cannabis can deepen simple presence meditation; the Yogic principle of stopping the chatter of the mind;  a basic guide to meditating with cannabis; the central importance of breath; working with thoughts; dosage and strains; methods of intake; and more.

Chris Bache is one of our most important visionaries. He sees clearly where we have been as a species, where we are now, where we need to go, and where we can go if we bring our best to the work ahead. We are in an extraordinary new phase of collective transformation, a great unraveling as we engage our individual and collective shadows and submit ourselves to the transforming fire. This short message from our 2020 winter solstice event is essential for us to take to heart now if there is any hope of birthing the New Human and collectively manifesting a mature planetary civilization.

We'll be hearing a lot more from Laurel Sugden in the years to come. She has been studying Huachuma, - aka, the San Pedro cactus, for years, both on the ground in Peru and in the academy. Laurel has now become a remarkable source of knowledge on most subjects related to the sacred cactus. In my interview with Laurel, she discusses such topics as: How Huachuma’s time has come as she “gathers the world under her wings” and helps humanity restore balance; the mysterious and sudden explosion of art and culture in northern Peru just as the cactus appears in the archeological record about 4,000 years ago; the many different species of Huachuma with diverse effects and Spirits; the vast difference between plants grown with love and those treated only as product; and much more.

We're experiencing a dramatic revolution of understanding and application of all things fungi/mushrooms. Alex Dorr is on the leading edge of this revolution and has an encyclopedic knowledge. Here he talks about: a "heroic" psilocybin journey at age 18 that changed his life and set him on a lifetime commitment in service of the fungi; the extensive historical use of psilocybin mushrooms; some of the most important medicinal mushrooms; cutting edge developments using mushrooms/fungi for everything from leather to environmental clean-up to delicious natural foods like fungus bacon; and much more.

The trajectory of the human enterprise has reached a nexus point. We are into the vortex of dramatic change. From here on it's transformation or disaster. Clear, awake visions and actions are essential.  Along with intelligent, compassionate activity, radical inner transformation has become increasingly important. We must make skilled use of all our available tools. That, I believe, is why the psychedelic medicines are beginning to take their place on the world stage.

The now legendary Tea Faerie has worked as a "trip sitter" about 25 times per year for 20 years at transformational festivals. She is compassionate, brilliant, and visionary. Here she talks about such illuminating subjects as: how she works with people in crisis in the psychedelic sanctuary to help them move from breakdown to breakthrough; what kinds of psychedelics are showing up at these events, PEBD (Post Ecstatic Bliss Disorder); quality post-event integration; the ego problem with self-declared "shamans"; how to discern reliable from problematic "advice" from the "spirits" of the medicines; and where the whole psychedelic and consciousness transformation process and movement could and probably should go in the years to come as we face threats to existence from climate change and spiritually disconnected human activity.

Julie Holland, MD is a leading spokesperson on behalf of psychedelics and healing altogether. Here she talks about: how we are collectively suffering from a spiritual crisis, at least in part from disconnection and isolation; how psychedelics can help remake the connection; the therapeutic benefits of MDMA; how psychedelics can prepare us for death and how they can heal national and ethnic divisions; and much more.

Paul Stamets is one of the world's leading experts on all things fungi (mushrooms). Here he talks about important issues like: our disconnection from nature; the tragic loss of bio-diversity in our soils affecting life-supporting fungi; factory farming threatening all existence; the innate intelligence of fungal networks; how communities thrive because of the generosity of surplus and how psilocybin mushrooms inspire that generosity; the explosion of solid research on psilocybin mushrooms;  . . . and much more

Wade Davis is one of the world's leading voices on behalf of cultural- and bio-diversity. Here he shares such penetrating insights as: how psychedelics have catalyzed major cultural shifts; psychedelics as subversive agents of liberation; the war on drugs as a deliberate lie for political gain; the South American indigenous recognition that plants and animals are just people in another dimension; the unexpected ascendancy of ayahuasca as the global "superstar" psychedelic; the true role of the shaman and the dangers of the shamanic path; the de-animation of the world and the necessity of reciprocity and connection.  

Note: Wade has a new book out (Sept. 15, 2020) called, Magdalena: Rivers of Dreams. Wade told me it's a love letter to Colombia in all its troubled glory.

Zoe Helene is a visionary and a pioneer. She coined the term "psychedelic feminism" and founded Cosmic Sister to support women of all ethnicities in the field of psychedelics. Here she talks about such timely topics as: the centrality of nature in spiritual awakening; the importance of ancestral healing; the confusing messages women still get about sexuality; cannabis as a powerful spiritual medicine and ally; what Psychedelic Feminism is and how lifting women lifts men; the necessity of suspending belief and surrendering to ayahuasca; why community is an essential component of integration after powerful medicine journeys; the value of humour in this work; and finally, some of the remarkable women she is supporting to speak at the 2020 Spirit Plant Medicine Conference on Oct. 23-25.

Padrinho Paulo Roberto Silva e Souza is a deeply spiritual man who has experienced the light of divine reality and has influenced thousands as an educator, activist, and minister/ceremony leader in the Brazilian ayahuasca-using Santo Daime religion. Here he talks about topics such as: meeting the spirit of ayahuasca before he had ever heard of it during a journey with "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" overlooking Machu Picchu; the origins of the Santo Daime religion; his apprenticeship to lineage founder Padrinho Sebastião; the necessity of saving the Amazon for the whole world and what we can do to help; developing skills of adaptability in a fast-changing world; and the sacred use of cannabis, or Santa Maria as he calls it.