What can we learn from the mystical roots of psychedelics? And what can we learn from dreams?
In this episode, Joe interviews Shauheen Etminan, Ph.D.: co-founder of VCENNA, a drug discovery and development company, and Magi Ancestral Supplements, which sells nootropics inspired by ancient Eastern traditions.
He discusses his journey into the world of plant extraction, how he first discovered compounds like Haoma and Harmaline, and why he decided to bring Iranian tradition to the psychedelic renaissance. He explores the similarities between psychedelics and experiences found in mystical traditions, and how that historical context can inform modern psychedelic practice. He sees this exemplified most with dream recollection, attending to the emotions found within dreams, and the concept of wakeful dreaming, where one can access unconscious insights consciously, through the liminal (or hypnagogic) state between dreaming and wakefulness.Â
He discusses:
- Zoroastrianism and how the teachings of Zarathustra on understanding morality have inspired him
- Syrian Rue in Iranian culture, and how it compares to the Banisteriopsis Caapi vine: Is it actually stronger than ayahuasca?
- Henry Corbin’s practice of embodied imagination and Jung’s concept of active imagination
- Other less-discussed compounds he’s interested in, like Ephedra and Saffron
and more!
Links
Gettherapybirmingham.com: Henry Corbin: Visionary of the Imaginal Realm
Let Your Body Interpret Your Dreams, by Eugene T. Gendlin, Ph.D.
Jungiancenter.org: Jung on Active Imagination: Features, Methods and Warnings
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