Voices of Esalen Podcast

This episode is part of a series of panels presented at the 9th annual Blue Mind Summit at Esalen Institute in the summer of 2019. Representing Mindfulness in the summit, Dr. Shauna Shapiro is a professor, author, and internationally recognized expert in mindfulness and compassion.

She has published over 150 journal articles and co-authored two critically acclaimed books translated into 14 languages: The Art and Science of Mindfulness, and Mindful Discipline. Her newest book, to be released in late 2019, is Good Morning, I Love You: Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Practices to Rewire Your Brain for Calm, Clarity, and Joy.

Dr. Shapiro's work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Wired Magazine, USA Today, The Huffington Post, Yoga Journal, and the American Psychologist. She is a summa cum laude graduate of Duke University and a Fellow of the Mind and Life Institute, co-founded by the Dalai Lama.

This episode is part of a series of panels presented at the 9th annual Blue Mind Summit at Esalen Institute in the summer of 2019. The Blue Mind summit is the brainchild of Dr. Wallace J. Nichols, whose stated mission is to create the new story of water and share it with the world, focusing on the cognitive, emotional, psychological, social, physical, and spiritual benefits that we can derive from healthy waters throughout our lives.

By connecting neuroscientists and psychologists with aquatic experts and artists, Dr. Nichols advocates for the health and well-being of people and planet earth. He is currently Chief Evangelist for Water (CEH2O) at Bouy Labs, a Senior Fellow at the Middlebury Institute for International Studies, a Research Associate at California Academy of Sciences and co-founder of Ocean Revolution, an international network of young ocean advocates.

He is also the author of the national bestseller Blue Mind, published in 2014, and the upcoming book, Live Blue.

This year at Esalen, he partnered with Dr. Shauna Shapiro and Dr. Dan Siegel to explore the topic of Blue Mindfulness.

Marsha Rosenbaum (director, Drug Policy Alliance, and author of Kids, Drugs, and Drug Education: A Harm Reduction Approach), Kristi Panik (chief of Psychiatric Services of the University Student Health Services at UC Berkeley), and Martin Lee (Project CBD) discuss reasonable, realistic and comprehensive drug-education for minors.

Mycologist Paul Stamets, UC Berkeley Professor of Neurobiology David Presti, and Dr. Ben Sessa explore the contemporary landscape of psilocybin mushrooms, touching upon how mushrooms can help treat depression and other chronic illnesses, the concepts of synchronicity and hyper-focus, how the intravenous administration of psilocybin functions in a clinical setting, and the interconnected nature of the mind and body.

Paul Stamets then proposes a mycologically-based solution to help combat bee colony collapse disorder.

Martin Lee (Project CBD), psychiatrist and author Julie Holland, Rick Doblin (MAPS), Marsha Rosenbaum (director, Drug Policy Alliance), workshop convener Allan Badiner, and Dr. Ben Sessa speak about the adaptive capacities of cannabis from a medicinal, therapeutic and historical perspective.

Martin Lee then delivers a keynote address on cannabidiol (CBD) and the import of the body’s endogenous endo-cannabinoid system.

Dr. Ben Sessa is a child and adolescent psychiatrist working in adult addiction services. He is also a key player in the evolving world of psychedelic psychotherapy in the United Kingdom. In his keynote address, he discusses the role of childhood trauma in addictions.

He also speaks to how MDMA selectively inhibits the fear response, why mystical experiences occasioned by psychedelics can help people break out of abusive patterns, the challenges inherent in working with at-risk populations, and why he recommends a multi-factorial approach to modern psychiatry.

Rick Doblin, founder and executive director of MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies), advocates developing legal contexts for the beneficial uses of psychedelics.

At Esalen, he discusses the historical trajectory of MAPS, the legal narrative surrounding psychedelics — in particular MDMA — why MDMA-assisted psychotherapy has been proven to be so effective for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, what the future holds for clinical trials, and how Esalen was foundational to his journey.

Michael Pollan's keynote address from the Psychedelic Integration Conference at Esalen Institute, 2019, is part two of a seven-part series drawn from the week's lectures. Pollan is the author of six New York Times bestsellers: Cooked, Food Rules, In Defense of Food, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, The Botany of Desire, and now How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence, a masterful book written by one of the leading immersive journalists of our time.

Historically, the field of psychedelics is controversial, and controversy naturally arouses a certain degree of suspicion and distrust, particularly for the uninitiated. But when Michael Pollan talks, people listen. And that’s because he consistently brings a beginner’s mind, armed with a healthy dose of skepticism, to the table. His speech at Esalen was much like his writing — articulate, lucid, and underscored by a palpable desire to effect positive change.

A question and answer session followed Michael’s initial speech. To preserve the confidentiality of the participants, we’ve eliminated the questions, and only presented the answers. His speech was also edited for clarity and for pacing. So please enjoy the psychonaut you can bring home for dinner — Michael Pollan.

Linda Bloom, LCSW and Charlie Bloom, MSW, are psychotherapists and relationship counselors. They have worked with individuals, couples, groups, and organizations since 1975, and have been married since 1972. In a very open and candid conversation, they share a host of actionable tips culled from their decades of experience with couples.

Together we addressed whether couples should share their finances, whether they should be best friends, if it's okay to go to bed angry, the importance of having a strong sexual connection, how to have useful disagreements, how to apologize from the heart, and much more.

Look for upcoming workshops with Linda Bloom and Charlie Bloom.

During the Esalen Inspirational Film Festival, Ricki Lake stopped by to talk about her new documentary film, "Weed The People", which advocates for the use of cannabis for pediatric cancer patients, citing palliative care advantages as well as tumor shrinkage.

She also spoke about a host of topics, including her breakthrough film, "Hairspray", advice she got from director John Waters, her first foray into documentary film as a producer (with "The Business of Being Born"), her 11-year stint as a talk show host, what it was like to Dance with the Stars, and how bereavement has changed her as a person.