Plants of the Gods: Hallucinogens, Healing, Culture and Conservation podcast

Plants of the Gods: S8E9 Vanilla: The Forgotten History of the World's Most Beloved Flavor

Vanilla is one of the world's most beloved flavors, but its history is far more complex than most people realize. In this episode of Plants of the Gods, we trace vanilla'

Plants of the Gods: S8E8 Vanilla, Pseudocopulation and Darwin's Favorite Orchid

Vanilla is anything but plain. In fact, this orchid might be one of the sexiest plant in the rainforest. In this episode, Dr. Mark Plotkin traces the ethnobotanical histo

Plants of the Gods: S8E7 Rosa Vásquez Espinoza: Between Indigenous Knowledge and Western Science

How do Indigenous knowledge and Western science come together in the study of nature and plant medicine? Dr. Rosa Vásquez Espinoza, a chemical biologist and author of The

Plants of the Gods: S8E6 Richard Evans Schultes' Legacy — Where Science Meets the Sacred

Wade Davis, celebrated author and anthropologist, joins Mark Plotkin for a personal reflection on the life and legacy of legendary ethnobotanist Richard Evans Schultes. D

Plants of the Gods S8E5: The Ethnobotany of Coca with Dr. Wade Davis

Mark Plotkin sits down with Wade Davis — author of One River, Lost Amazon, and dozens more — for a deep dive into one of South America's most misunderstood and miraculous

Plants of the Gods: S8E4 The research behind microdosing and medicine (Dr. Pamela Kryskow, Part 2)

In this episode, we're bringing you the second half of our conversation with Dr. Pamela Kryskow.     A co-leader of the largest study on microdosing, she shares what rese

Plants of the Gods: S8E3 Can Psychedelics Treat "Incurable" Trauma? (Dr. Pamela Kryskow, Part 1)

How can psylocibin be used to help patients work through traumas that once seemed untreatable? Dr. Pamela Kryskow, a self-described "fungi person" and a scientist, is hel

Plants of the Gods: S8E2 Dennis McKenna on new discoveries and emerging psychedelic science (part 2)

This is a special joint episode of Plants of the Gods and Brainforest Café.  Host Dr. Mark Plotkin continues his conversation with ethnopharmacologist Dr. Dennis McKenn

Plants of the Gods: S8E1 Dennis McKenna on the remarkable Amazonian plants that shape human consciousness (part 1)

This is a special joint episode of Plants of the Gods and Brainforest Café.  Plants are virtuoso chemists. Some create molecules that closely resemble the neurotransmit

Coming Soon: Plants of the Gods Season 8

Season 8 kicks off February 23 with an interview featuring Dennis McKenna, PhD — a renowned ethnopharmacologist who has spent more than 40 years researching the therapeut

Plants of the Gods: S7E10. When Plants Speak: Exploring Ayahuasca with Rebekah Senanayake

Join Plants of the Gods as we explore the mysteries of ayahuasca with ethnobotanist Rebekah Senanayake. Through years of fieldwork with traditional indigenous masters in

Plants of the Gods: S7E9. Spice - A New Book by Roger Crowley

In this episode of Plants of the Gods, ethnobotanist Dr. Mark Plotkin takes us on a sweeping journey through the epic history of the spice trade—one of the most transform

Plants of the Gods: S7E8. Psychonauts: A New Book by Mike Jay

The Plants of the Gods podcast has pioneered the concept of mind-altering substances not being merely hallucinogens but also "ideogens," substances that generate new idea

Plants of the Gods: S7E7. The Ethnobotany of Brugmansia, the Tree of the Evil Eagle.

Ethnobotanist Dr. Mark Plotkin discusses Brugmansia, some of the most beautiful hallucinogenic plants in the botanical world. Their bright flowers hang like sacred trumpe

Plants of the Gods: S7E6. The Ethnobotany of the Spice Trade: How it Built the Modern World

The spice trade was one of the most influential economic and cultural forces that shaped the modern world. It profoundly impacted cultural exchange, cartographic knowledg

Plants of the Gods: S7E5. Use of Mushrooms and Cannabis in Veterinary Medicine with Dr. Rob Silver

If herbal remedies can help humans, why not our pets? In this fascinating episode of Plants of the Gods, ethnobotanist Dr. Mark Plotkin sits down with veterinarian Dr. Ro

Plants of the Gods: S7E4. Dr. Joe Watkins: Indigenous Perspectives on the Psychedelic Renaissance

"Plants of the Gods" has featured dozens of episodes detailing the power, potential, and pitfalls of using hallucinogenic plants and fungi – and even frogs – for healing

Plants of the Gods: S7E3. Part Two —The Ethnobotany of Salvia with Dr. Chris McCurdy

A mind-blowing mint? Salvia divinorum, a perennial herb in the mint family, has been used by traditional healers in Oaxaca, Mexico, to understand more about what ails a p

Plants of the Gods: S7E2. The Ethnobotany of Kratom with Dr. Chris McCurdy

The tropical Asian tree kratom – a member of the same botanical family that has given us both coffee and quinine – is showing great potential for successfully treating a

Plants of the Gods: S7E1. Lost Cities, Shamans, Hallucinogens and… King Kong!

The lure of lost cities is a deep and enduring fascination that combines equal parts mystery, adventure, treasure, and the promise of forgotten knowledge. The existence a