African Psychoactive Plants: Dreams, Ancestors, and Healing

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with Jean-Francois Sobiecki, a South African ethnobotanist, clinical nutritionist, and healer whose work challenges the assumption that Africa lacks psychoactive plant traditions.

Find full show notes and links here:
https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-339/?ref=278

Drawing from over two decades of research and a 15-year apprenticeship with a Northern Sotho healer, Jean-Francois explores dream-enhancing medicines like Ubulawu, ancestral healing systems, and cross-cultural parallels with Amazonian plant traditions. The conversation also examines conservation, initiation, and the role of African psychoactive plants in global mental health.

Jean-Francois Sobiecki is a South African ethnobotanist, clinical nutritionist, and healer with over two decades of experience researching African psychoactive plant traditions. A research associate at the University of Johannesburg and founder of Phytoalchemy, he has documented more than 300 psychoactive plant species and completed a 15-year apprenticeship under Northern Sotho healer Leti Maponya. He is the author of African Psychoactive Plants: Journeys in Phytoalchemy.

Highlights:

• Challenging myths about African visionary plants
• Ubulawu and dream-based healing
• Psychoactive vs psychedelic distinctions
• African and Amazonian initiation parallels
• Archaeological evidence of psilocybin in Africa
• Conservation and healing gardens

Episode Links:

• Jean-Francois Sobiecki's Website
• Jean-Francois book, African Psychoactive Plants: Journeys in Phytoalchemy

These show links may contain affiliate links. Third Wave receives a small percentage of the product price if you purchase through the above affiliate links.

Episode Sponsors:

• The Practitioner Certification Program by Third Wave's Psychedelic Coaching Institute.
• The Microdosing Practitioner Certification at Psychedelic Coaching Institute.
• Golden Rule - Get a lifetime discount of 10% with code THIRDWAVE at checkout

Third Wave occasionally partners with or shares information about other people, companies, and/or providers. While we work hard to only share information about ethical and responsible third parties, we can't and don't control the behavior of, products and services offered by, or the statements made by people, companies, or providers other than Third Wave. Accordingly, we encourage you to research for yourself, and consult a medical, legal, or financial professional before making decisions in those areas. Third Wave isn't responsible for the statements, conduct, services, or products of third parties. If we share a coupon code, we may receive a commission from sales arising from customers who use our coupon code. No one is required to use our coupon codes."

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin sits down with Zach Leary to explore how psychedelic culture has evolved from its countercultural roots into today's rapidly commercializing landscape.

They discuss mysticism versus medicalization, the ethics of psychedelics in capitalist systems, the rise of psychedelic churches, and why integration and responsibility matter more than peak experience alone.

Find full show notes and links here:
https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-338/?ref=278

Zach Leary is a psychedelic educator, integration coach, and host of the Psychedelics Then and Now Podcast. He has spent over 30 years immersed in psychedelic culture and is the author of Your Extraordinary Mind, forthcoming from Sounds True.

Highlights:

• Countercultural roots of psychedelics
• Medicalization vs mysticism
• Psychedelics in capitalism
• Set and setting
• Psychedelic churches
• Integration and stewardship

Episode Links:

• Zach Leary Website
• Zach Leary Instagram
• Psychedelics Then and Now Podcast

Episode Sponsors:

• The Practitioner Certification Program by Third Wave's Psychedelic Coaching Institute.
• The Microdosing Practitioner Certification at Psychedelic Coaching Institute.
• Golden Rule Mushrooms - Get a lifetime discount of 10% with code THIRDWAVE at checkout

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with Giovanni Bartolomeo, founder of Elemental Rhythm Breathwork, about how breathwork can support meaningful personal change and deepen integration after psychedelic experiences.

Find full show notes and links here:
https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-336/?ref=278

Gio shares his journey from high-pressure entrepreneurship into a more grounded, heart-led approach to life and business. He reflects on how Elemental Rhythm emerged through years of breathwork practice, somatic exploration, and deep work with plant medicine, eventually evolving into a system that blends breath, music, movement, meditation, and guided inquiry.

Together, Paul and Gio explore why accessible practices like breathwork can cultivate real agency rather than dependency, how preparation and integration shape long-term change, and what it means to take responsibility for one's own growth in both spiritual and entrepreneurial contexts.

Giovanni Bartolomeo is the founder of Elemental Rhythm Breathwork, where he shares breathwork resources and trains others to facilitate breathwork-based transformational coaching. A lifelong entrepreneur, Gio's own journey through self-discovery led him to create a grounded, embodied approach to personal and professional transformation. Today, he teaches workshops, trainings, and retreats internationally.

Highlights:

• From serial entrepreneur to inner-led leadership
• Growing beyond inherited belief systems
• How Elemental Rhythm emerged through plant medicine work
• Breathwork as a tool for agency and clarity
• Preparation and integration in psychedelic work
• Empowerment versus dependency in facilitation
• Responsibility as a cornerstone of transformation
• Ethical questions in entrepreneurship and healing spaces
• Insights from the Microdosing Practitioner Certification beta
• Daily breathwork and nervous system resilience

Episode Links:

• Elemental Rhythm Breathwork
• Psychedelic Coaching Institute – Microdosing Practitioner Certification

Episode Sponsors:

• The Microdosing Practitioner Certification at Psychedelic Coaching Institute.
• The Practitioner Certification Program at Psychedelic Coaching Institute.
• Golden Rule Mushrooms - Get a lifetime discount of 10% with code THIRDWAVE at checkout

These show links may contain affiliate links. Third Wave receives a small percentage of the product price if you purchase through the above affiliate links.

Disclaimer: Third Wave occasionally partners with or shares information about other people, companies, and/or providers. While we work hard to only share information about ethical and responsible third parties, we can't and don't control the behavior of, products and services offered by, or the statements made by people, companies, or providers other than Third Wave. Accordingly, we encourage you to research for yourself, and consult a medical, legal, or financial professional before making decisions in those areas. Third Wave isn't responsible for the statements, conduct, services, or products of third parties. If we share a coupon code, we may receive a commission from sales arising from customers who use our coupon code. No one is required to use our coupon codes.

This content is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. We do not promote or encourage the illegal use of any controlled substances. Nothing said here is medical or legal advice. Always consult a qualified medical or mental health professional before making decisions related to your health. The views expressed herein belong to the speaker alone, and do not reflect the views of any other person, company, or organization.

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with human connection specialist and Create The Love founder Mark Groves about how psychedelics reveal the hidden patterns shaping our relationships.

Find full show notes and links here:
https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-335/?ref=278

Mark shares how heartbreak, honesty, and plant medicine helped him move from external validation to inner truth. Together, they explore emotional safety, attachment wounds, technology's influence on agency, and the growing overlap between relational healing and psychedelic integration.

Mark Groves is a human connection specialist, author, speaker, coach, podcast host, and founder of Create The Love. For over a decade, he has helped individuals and organizations transform relationships through emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and radical honesty.

Highlights:

• Psychedelics and relationship patterns
• Attachment wounds and emotional safety
• Honesty as integration practice
• Technology, agency, and attention
• Personal sovereignty in partnership

Episode Links:

• Mark Groves Website
• Create The Love

Episode Sponsors:

• The Microdosing Practitioner Certification at Psychedelic Coaching Institute.
• The Practitioner Certification Program at Psychedelic Coaching Institute.
• Golden Rule Mushrooms - Get a lifetime discount of 10% with code THIRDWAVE at checkout

These show links may contain affiliate links. Third Wave receives a small percentage of the product price if you purchase through the above affiliate links.

Disclaimer: Third Wave occasionally partners with or shares information about other people, companies, and/or providers. While we work hard to only share information about ethical and responsible third parties, we can't and don't control the behavior of, products and services offered by, or the statements made by people, companies, or providers other than Third Wave. Accordingly, we encourage you to research for yourself, and consult a medical, legal, or financial professional before making decisions in those areas. Third Wave isn't responsible for the statements, conduct, services, or products of third parties. If we share a coupon code, we may receive a commission from sales arising from customers who use our coupon code. No one is required to use our coupon codes.

This content is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. We do not promote or encourage the illegal use of any controlled substances. Nothing said here is medical or legal advice. Always consult a qualified medical or mental health professional before making decisions related to your health. The views expressed herein belong to the speaker alone, and do not reflect the views of any other person, company, or organization.

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with Ashley Carmen, LMFT, psychotherapist and founder of the Psychedelic Guide Network (PGN). Ashley offers insight into Austin's rapidly growing psychedelic landscape and the ethical foundations needed to support safe, grounded facilitation.

Find full show notes and links here:
https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-334/?ref=278

Paul and Ashley explore sovereignty, accountability, dual relationships, and the subtle dynamics that arise in non-ordinary states. They also discuss how PGN's Wisdom Circles help facilitators deepen their practice through honest reflection and community-based support. Together they consider how ethics can function as medicine—clarifying power, strengthening boundaries, and honoring the integrity of the work.

Ashley Carmen, M.S., LMFT is a psychotherapist and founder of the Psychedelic Guide Network. She supports both licensed clinicians and community facilitators as they incorporate psychedelic modalities into ethical practice. Ashley trained with MAPS in MDMA-assisted psychotherapy and completed psilocybin guide training through the School of Consciousness Medicine, influenced by Mazatec traditions of Huautla de Jiménez, Oaxaca. Her work centers on fostering diversity, accountability, and ethical maturity within the expanding psychedelic field.

Highlights:

• Austin's emergence as a psychedelic hub
• Sovereignty and responsibility in facilitation
• Dual relationships and clean boundaries
• Power dynamics and sexual projection
• Inside PGN's peer Wisdom Circles
• Support for licensed psychedelic practitioners
• Scope guidance for non-clinical facilitators
• Ethics as a core healing practice

Episode Links:

• Psychedelic Guide Network

Episode Sponsors:

• The Microdosing Practitioner Certification at Psychedelic Coaching Institute.
• The Practitioner Certification Program at Psychedelic Coaching Institute.
• Golden Rule Mushrooms - Get a lifetime discount of 10% with code THIRDWAVE at checkout

These show links may contain affiliate links. Third Wave receives a small percentage of the product price if you purchase through the above affiliate links.

Disclaimer: Third Wave occasionally partners with or shares information about other people, companies, and/or providers. While we work hard to only share information about ethical and responsible third parties, we can't and don't control the behavior of, products and services offered by, or the statements made by people, companies, or providers other than Third Wave. Accordingly, we encourage you to research for yourself, and consult a medical, legal, or financial professional before making decisions in those areas. Third Wave isn't responsible for the statements, conduct, services, or products of third parties. If we share a coupon code, we may receive a commission from sales arising from customers who use our coupon code. No one is required to use our coupon codes.

This content is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. We do not promote or encourage the illegal use of any controlled substances. Nothing said here is medical or legal advice. Always consult a qualified medical or mental health professional before making decisions related to your health. The views expressed herein belong to the speaker alone, and do not reflect the views of any other person, company, or organization.

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin reconnects with longtime Buddhist practitioner and former Synthesis co-founder Martijn Schirp, founder of Upāyosis. They explore his journey from pioneering modern psilocybin retreats to creating A Path Between Worlds, a year-long contemplative training that integrates Buddhist practice, ecological ethics, and psychedelic skillful means.

Find full show notes and links here:
https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-333/?ref=278

Martijn shares lessons from Synthesis's rise and collapse, how time in the Himalayas reshaped his contemplative path, and why "ego porousness" may offer a healthier frame than "ego death." He and Paul discuss how Buddhist principles like interdependence and skillful means can guide responsible psychedelic work — and why awakening today must include service to a planet in crisis.

Martijn Schirp is a longtime Buddhist practitioner and founder of Upāyosis, where he leads A Path Between Worlds, a yearlong contemplative training blending Buddhist practice, ecological ethics, contemplative science, and optional psychedelic components. Previously, he co-founded the Synthesis Institute, helping pioneer modern, medically supervised psilocybin retreats and training programs. He writes, teaches, and mentors at the intersection of Buddhist wisdom, contemplative science, and psychedelic practice.

Highlights:

• From Synthesis to spiritual renewal in the Himalayas
• Lessons from crisis: leadership, burnout, impermanence
• What Buddhism can teach the psychedelic field
• The fifth precept and "skillful means"
• First principles of skillful psychedelic use
• Ego porousness vs. ego dissolution
• Ecological ethics as spiritual practice
• A Path Between Worlds: a contemplative year of service

Episode Links:

• Upāyosis
• A Path Between Worlds 12-month program

Episode Sponsors:

• The Microdosing Practitioner Certification at Psychedelic Coaching Institute.
• The Practitioner Certification Program at Psychedelic Coaching Institute.
• Golden Rule Mushrooms - Get a lifetime discount of 10% with code THIRDWAVE at checkout

These show links may contain affiliate links. Third Wave receives a small percentage of the product price if you purchase through the above affiliate links.

Disclaimer: Third Wave occasionally partners with or shares information about other people, companies, and/or providers. While we work hard to only share information about ethical and responsible third parties, we can't and don't control the behavior of, products and services offered by, or the statements made by people, companies, or providers other than Third Wave. Accordingly, we encourage you to research for yourself, and consult a medical, legal, or financial professional before making decisions in those areas. Third Wave isn't responsible for the statements, conduct, services, or products of third parties. If we share a coupon code, we may receive a commission from sales arising from customers who use our coupon code. No one is required to use our coupon codes.

This content is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. We do not promote or encourage the illegal use of any controlled substances. Nothing said here is medical or legal advice. Always consult a qualified medical or mental health professional before making decisions related to your health. The views expressed herein belong to the speaker alone, and do not reflect the views of any other person, company, or organization.

In this special AMA episode, Paul F. Austin answers the most common, and most nuanced questions emerging from recent trainings, webinars, and community sessions. Drawing from a decade of experience in microdosing, facilitation, and practitioner training, Paul explores how to choose the right microdosing protocol, the relationship between nervous system health and performance, the role of psychedelics in coaching, and the ethical boundaries practitioners must uphold. He also discusses SSRI tapering, creativity, leadership, and how to guide clients through integration with clarity and skill.

Highlights

• How to choose a microdosing protocol
• Why nervous system health comes first
• Microdosing vs. macrodosing for integration
• SSRIs, tapering, and safe sequencing
• Creativity and leadership with microdosing
• Embodiment as the key to integration
• Coaching vs. therapy in psychedelic work
• Ethical boundaries for practitioners

Episode Links

• Free Webinar on Dec 11, 2025: Social Media, Psychedelics, and the Law: What Practitioners Need to Know
• Practitioner Certification Program
• Microdosing Practitioner Certification