#50 – Part Two: Jordan Peterson’s Psychedelic Hierarchy, ft. Thought Slime

May 26, 2022

In part 2 of this deep dive, Psymposia and Thought Slime analyze Jordan Peterson’s fascination with psychedelics as an example of the reactionary, right-wing ideologies that have been developing within psychedelia in recent decades.

#50 – Part Two: Jordan Peterson’s Psychedelic Hierarchy, ft. Thought Slime

In part 2 of this deep dive, Psymposia and Thought Slime analyze Jordan Peterson’s fascination with psychedelics as an example of the reactionary, right-wing ideologies that have been developing within psychedelia in recent decades. Reacting to a 2021 podcast of Peterson’s, we discuss the significance of Peterson’s popularity among some prominent psychedelic researchers.

Plus Three|May 26, 2022

As figures like Jordan Peterson and Ben Shapiro continue to advocate for harmful “conversion therapies” for minority sexual orientations and gender identities, we discuss the dangers of reactionary interest in psychedelic-assisted therapies, given that psychedelics are already associated with increased suggestibility and shifts in identity. Considering the fact that many scientists and CEOs in the psychedelic renaissance are lobbying right-wing donors and politicians, we highlight the risks inherent to reactionary forces developing frameworks for accessing psychedelics.

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Previous episodes


#10 – This Is What Psychedelic Mainstreaming Looks Like

It's not the Hokey Pokey, but psychedelic mainstreaming seems to be what it's all about. We explore some of the realities and questions of what it means to take psychedelics "mainstream.”

#9 – Lucy In the Sky with Nazis

We discuss our recent article, Lucy in the Sky with Nazis: Psychedelics and the Right Wing, which stirred up quite a bit of controversy. So to stir things up a little more, we’ve unpacked some of our perspectives while exploring questions of psychedelics as non-specific amplifiers of consciousness, the far right, the so-called “Intellectual Dark Web,” white supremacy, and psychedelics and social change.

#8 – Manufacturing Authority

Well, it’s official, psychedelics have entered the corporate-wellness mainstream. If you have any doubts, check out Gwyneth Paltrow’s new Netflix series, The Goop Lab. Or maybe don’t.

#7 – Why We Do What We Do

The team shares their personal stories and talk about how and why they became involved in psychedelic advocacy and drug policy reform. Happy New Year y’alls.

#6 – Abusing Power: Taking Predatory Daniel Pinchbeck At His Word

Pinchbeck has made it exhaustingly clear in his own words that as soon as he gained a modicum of power and status, he used it to exploit women. Why are some members of the psychedelic community so insistent that he get it back?

#5 – Psychedelics X Climate Crisis

The team explores the Psychedelic/Climate-Change connection, and tools for addressing existential crisis. Climate change is the challenge of our era, but the media still distracts us with comparatively trivial matters.

#4 – Psilocybin Incorporated

The crew recaps the Economic Models for the Expansion of Psychedelics panel at the Horizons Perspectives on Psychedelics conference in New York. They also discuss the corrosive effects that Compass Pathways, a for-profit psilocybin startup has had in psychedelic science and research.

#3 – Live From Brooklyn: The Set and Setting of the Psychedelic Renaissance is Capitalism

Live from Brooklyn, New York, the team discusses psychedelic science unfolding in a capitalist culture and deconstructs the 'Standard Story' of psychedelic medicalization. They also talk about incoming corporations seeking to capitalize on psychedelic medicines, and ongoing decriminalization efforts across the country.

#2 – Decriminalization Now!

The historical record is clear - drug prohibition is directly connected to the prosecution of minorities: ethnic or political. Not only do we see a complete lack of scientific or evidentiary basis for prohibition and criminalization, we can see it has been a product of white supremacy, xenophobia, misogyny, and imperialism. 

#1 – We Hope Michael Pollan Changes His Mind

Michael Pollan thinks we’re not ready to decriminalize psilocybin, despite his media tour where he capitalized on the rising wave of psychedelic normalization. The team critically examines his New York Times op-ed where he urges caution, and why we think he's wrong.

Previous episodes


#10 – This Is What Psychedelic Mainstreaming Looks Like

It's not the Hokey Pokey, but psychedelic mainstreaming seems to be what it's all about. We explore some of the realities and questions of what it means to take psychedelics "mainstream.”

#9 – Lucy In the Sky with Nazis

We discuss our recent article, Lucy in the Sky with Nazis: Psychedelics and the Right Wing, which stirred up quite a bit of controversy. So to stir things up a little more, we’ve unpacked some of our perspectives while exploring questions of psychedelics as non-specific amplifiers of consciousness, the far right, the so-called “Intellectual Dark Web,” white supremacy, and psychedelics and social change.

#8 – Manufacturing Authority

Well, it’s official, psychedelics have entered the corporate-wellness mainstream. If you have any doubts, check out Gwyneth Paltrow’s new Netflix series, The Goop Lab. Or maybe don’t.

#7 – Why We Do What We Do

The team shares their personal stories and talk about how and why they became involved in psychedelic advocacy and drug policy reform. Happy New Year y’alls.

#6 – Abusing Power: Taking Predatory Daniel Pinchbeck At His Word

Pinchbeck has made it exhaustingly clear in his own words that as soon as he gained a modicum of power and status, he used it to exploit women. Why are some members of the psychedelic community so insistent that he get it back?

#5 – Psychedelics X Climate Crisis

The team explores the Psychedelic/Climate-Change connection, and tools for addressing existential crisis. Climate change is the challenge of our era, but the media still distracts us with comparatively trivial matters.

#4 – Psilocybin Incorporated

The crew recaps the Economic Models for the Expansion of Psychedelics panel at the Horizons Perspectives on Psychedelics conference in New York. They also discuss the corrosive effects that Compass Pathways, a for-profit psilocybin startup has had in psychedelic science and research.

#3 – Live From Brooklyn: The Set and Setting of the Psychedelic Renaissance is Capitalism

Live from Brooklyn, New York, the team discusses psychedelic science unfolding in a capitalist culture and deconstructs the 'Standard Story' of psychedelic medicalization. They also talk about incoming corporations seeking to capitalize on psychedelic medicines, and ongoing decriminalization efforts across the country.

#2 – Decriminalization Now!

The historical record is clear - drug prohibition is directly connected to the prosecution of minorities: ethnic or political. Not only do we see a complete lack of scientific or evidentiary basis for prohibition and criminalization, we can see it has been a product of white supremacy, xenophobia, misogyny, and imperialism. 

#1 – We Hope Michael Pollan Changes His Mind

Michael Pollan thinks we’re not ready to decriminalize psilocybin, despite his media tour where he capitalized on the rising wave of psychedelic normalization. The team critically examines his New York Times op-ed where he urges caution, and why we think he's wrong.

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