Breaking the Taboo: Psychedelics as Tools for Healing at the End of Life – Thomas B. Roberts

We sit down with Thomas B. Roberts, a prominent professor in the field of Psychedelic Studies, to continue our series on the profound potential of psychedelics in end-of-life healing – including how they can ease our fears and anxieties surrounding death. Roberts discusses the four stages of the Psychedelic Renaissance and how he got into this field, despite the risk to his career before diving deep into death and dying research.

Join us as we explore the place of psychedelics in end-of-life healing and discuss the current research being conducted in this field. Don't miss it!

“I hope people will try to use organizations that exist to have sessions and [start] talking about psychedelics”

Thomas B. Roberts, PhD, an accomplished scholar and educator in the field of educational psychology. Dr. Roberts is widely recognized as the originator of the celebration of Bicycle Day, an annual event commemorating the first intentional LSD trip taken by Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann in 1943.

Starting in 1981, Roberts taught Psychedelic Studies, predominantly as a seminar in NIU’s Honors Program, making it the world’s first such course. He has also authored several influential publications, including "Psychedelic Sacramentals," "Psychedelic Horizons," "The Psychedelic Future of the Mind," and "MindApps: Multistate Theory and Tools for Mind Design."

In addition to his academic pursuits, Thomas B. Roberts has served as the co-archivist of "Huxley to Huston Psychedelic Sacrament Quotations" and maintained a private psychedelic email list since 1994. He has delivered lectures and speeches on psychedelics and related topics in several countries worldwide. Listeners can find out more about Roberts' work and background on his Amazon author page, NIU academia page, and Inner Traditions author page.

Show notes:

* The academic field that could have killed his academic career

* The four stages of the Psychedelic Renaissance

* Placebo ability and the power to consciously heal

* The place of psychedelics in end of life healing

* Comparing Near Death, Ego Death and Physical Death Experiences

* Does religion create a fear of death?

* How psychedelics can ease our end-of-life fears

* Why psilocybin over LSD?

* The current research being conducted on psychedelics and healing

Links and references:

* Psychedelic Wisdom

* Psychedelic Medicine

* The Symington Study

* Ligare

* Heffter Videos

* Harvard Divinity School Videos

* California Institute of Integral Studies

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