Dr. Rosalind Watts is the clinical lead at “Imperial Centre for Psychedelic Research”, which is connected to the Imperial College in London. One of the most important psychedelic research centers right now. Rosalind’s Ted Talk “Can Magic Mushrooms unlock depression” was one of the first talks I have ever seen on the topic of psychedelics. I loved Rosalinds very human, very patient support driven approach to the topic of psychedelic therapy and treatment resistant depression. I also love that we had great laugh about, how she and her university friends lived above a magic mushrooms shop in Birmingham back then. But our talk is about the future of psychedelic therapy, about micro dosing and how it can make you cry, instead of being super focused on “work stuff” and if it is a good thing, that our "business as usual" is interrupted now. “Hunger for nature, spending time together and new experiences is what we are seeing right now. And psychedelic therapy can play a huge role in this.” says Watts.
#newnormal
This week, we get a little more science-y again. I got two messages from retired pharma chemists from the bay area saying that I should “keep up the good work.” I have to say, that made me really proud.
If real scientists from back in the day are acknowledging the comeback of psychedelics then I guess we’re going in the right direction - that’s exciting!
#BIG NEWS
The New Health Club is thrilled to announce the upcoming sponsorship by Dr. Bronner's starting next week.
The New Health Club Podcast will feature the special “Heal Soul!” series in collaboration with Dr. Bronner’s, the activist soap company from California. Dr. Bronner’s is a family-owned company founded in 1948, that is dedicated to honoring the vision of its founder, Emanuel Bronner, by making personal care products of the highest quality and by dedicating profits to promote a better world for all. The Bronner family started making soap in 1858 here in Germany, and carries on the family soap making tradition today, by using the company as an engine for progressive social change.
I got to know Dr. Bronner’s when I lived in Los Angeles and when I went shopping at Trader Joes, I made sure to pick up some of the delicious peppermint soap, that all of us where using. It was just such a California thing, which I loved, but there is more to it.
Dr. Bronner’s dedicates profits to organizations working in support of regenerative organic agriculture, animal rights, community betterment, criminal justice reform, fair pay and fair trade, and drug policy reform – which includes the responsible and equitable integration of psychedelic medicine into American and Global culture. (Please find more info www.drbronner.de & www.drbronner.com)
And please check out the February 27 episode of The New Health Club to hear my interview with their CEO, and world-renowned psychedelic therapy activist, David Bronner, as we discuss how psychedelics might heal Holocaust trauma.
We are very proud to announce that starting on May 28, our first guest for the "Heal Soul!" series is Michael Pollan, an American author, journalist, activist, and professor of journalism at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. He wrote the book How to Change Your Mind, which is a brilliant, modern resource for the psychedelic renaissance.
#podcast
This week I talk to Dr. Rosalind Watts - the clinical lead at “Imperial College London’s Centre for Psychedelic Research”.
Rosalind’s Ted Talk “Can Magic Mushrooms Unlock Depression?” from 2017 was one of the first talks I had ever seen on the topic of psychedelics. Last year I met Rosalind at a Starbucks near the Imperial College since I was writing an article for “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” on Magic Truffles and on her. We talked for hours and I loved Rosalind's very human and very patient support driven approach to the topic of psychedelic therapy and treatment-resistant depression. I also love that she talks about what happened, when she and her university friends lived above a magic mushrooms shop in Birmingham, back then these mushrooms were legal in England.
Rosalind is one of the leading scientists in the field now. She works with Robin Carhart Harris (soon on the podcast) at Imperial College and in April this year they finished a clinical trial in which they compared the effects of psilocybin with the effects of antidepressants.
In the podcast we discuss whether covid could be the first global ego death for all of us, about the future of psychedelic therapy, about micro-dosing and how it can sometimes make you cry instead of being super focused on “work stuff” and if it’s actually a good thing that our ‘business as usual’ has been interrupted. “Hunger for nature, spending time together and new experiences is what we are seeing right now. And psychedelic therapy can play a huge role in this.”
LISTEN ON
new thoughts on psychedelics!
Psychedelic experiences disrupt routine thinking — and so has the coronavirus pandemic - theconversation.com
‘‘This isn’t cannabis 2.0’: are psychedelics the next frontier for advertising? - thedrum.com
Psychedelics reconnect the brain’s motherboard, help patients restore cognitive abilities: leading expert on mood disorders - sociable.co
We’ll talk next week! Stay safe and happy.
Anne
🍄 The New Health Club #17 - Rosalind Watts: Is COVID Interrupting Our Egos? Just Like Psychedelics?