<p><strong>Dr. Roland R. Griffiths</strong></p> <p>Dr. Roland R. Griffiths is a clinical pharmacologist at Johns Hopkins and has been researching mood-altering compounds for over 40 years.</p> <p>As an unusually prolific scientist, having published over 360-times, he's also responsible for having started the psilocybin research program at Johns Hopkins nearly 2 decades ago.</p> <p>In this podcast, you'll discover: </p> <ul> <li><strong>(00:00)</strong> Introduction</li> <li><strong>(04:05)</strong> Psilocybin produces meaningful mind-altering effects </li> <li><strong>(12:52)</strong> Psilocybin can treat depression and anxiety in people with life-threatening cancer <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0269881116675513">1</a></li> <li><strong>(22:53)</strong> Psilocybin rewires the brain, preferentially breaking fear-based circuits </li> <li><strong>(28:11)</strong> Meditation and psychedelics quiet neural activity of the default mode network</li> <li><strong>(34:09)</strong> "The hard problem of consciousness" may not be solved by neuroscience</li> <li><strong>(40:16)</strong> Psilocybin helps people quit smoking (80 percent abstinence at six months post-treatment) <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0269881114548296">2</a></li> <li><strong>(47:08)</strong> The risks of psilocybin include bad trips and psychiatric problems</li> <li><strong>(01:02:00)</strong> Meditation delivers similar benefits to psilocybin without the risks</li> <li><strong>(01:07:18)</strong> Sauna use improves mood Salvinorin A</li> <li><strong>(01:10:23)</strong> Salvinorin A, ayahuasca, and other psychedelics</li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you're interested in learning more, you can read the full show notes here: <a href="https://www.foundmyfitness.com/episodes/roland-griffiths">https://www.foundmyfitness.com/episodes/roland-griffiths</a></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Join over 300,000 people and get the latest distilled information on psilocybin, psychedelic therapies & mystical experiences straight to your inbox weekly:</span> <a href="https://www.foundmyfitness.com/newsletter"><span style="font-weight: 400;">https://www.found</span></a><a href="https://www.foundmyfitness.com/newsletter"><span style="font-weight: 400;">myfitness.com/newsletter</span></a></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Become a FoundMyFitness premium member to get access to exclusive episodes, emails, live Q+A's with Rhonda and more:</span> <a href="https://www.foundmyfitness.com/crowdsponsor"><span style="font-weight: 400;">https://www.foundmyfitness.com/crowdsponsor</span></a></p>
Actionable Insights
1. Maintain Daily Meditation Practice
Engage in a daily meditation practice, as exemplified by Dr. Griffiths, to explore the nature of mind and foster mental well-being over the long term.
2. Explore Mind Through Meditation
Utilize meditation as a tried and true method to turn attention inward, observe mental processes, and become familiar with how your mind works.
3. Develop Thought Management with Meditation
Practice meditation to cultivate the ability to watch thoughts arise and then release them, a skill that helps untangle you from self-referential rumination.
4. Decrease Default Mode Network Activity
Engage in long-term meditation to decrease activity in the default mode network, which is associated with rumination and self-referential processing linked to depression.
5. Use Sauna for Stress Relief
Incorporate sauna sessions into your routine to potentially improve stress handling, lower anxiety, and experience lasting positive effects on your mood and well-being.
6. Don’t Substitute Psilocybin for Meditation
Understand that psilocybin is not a substitute for meditation, as it does not provide the stability of awareness states necessary for a deep, sustained understanding of the mind.
7. Avoid Casual Psilocybin Use
Refrain from casual or unsupported use of psilocybin, as it carries risks including physical harm, enduring psychological problems, and potential danger for vulnerable individuals.
8. Recognize Psilocybin’s Context Dependence
Be aware that psilocybin’s effects are profoundly influenced by the context (set and setting) and pharmacology, making casual use without proper support and preparation risky.
9. Screen for Psychotic/Bipolar History
Note that individuals with any even second-degree relative having a history of psychotic or bipolar disorder are screened out of psilocybin trials due to potential vulnerabilities to negative effects.
10. Consider Psilocybin Dose Effects
Understand that the probability of both mystical and challenging experiences with psilocybin increases with dose, with very difficult experiences significantly increasing at higher doses (e.g., between 20 and 30 milligrams per 70 kilograms).
11. Respect Traditional Hallucinogen Use
Acknowledge that indigenous cultures historically use hallucinogens in highly controlled cultural contexts for religious, healing, or divination purposes, not casually, underscoring the importance of structured use.