Guest Bio: The professional and personal interests of Dennis McKenna, Ph.D are centered on the interdisciplinary study of ethnopharmacology and plant hallucinogens. He received his Doctorate in 1984 from the University of British Columbia, where his doctoral research focused on ethnopharmacological investigations of the botany, chemistry, and pharmacology of ayahuasca and oo-koo-he, two orally-active tryptamine-based hallucinogens used by indigenous peoples in the Northwest Amazon. He is a founding board member of the Heffter Research Institute and serves on the advisory board of non-profit organizations in the fields of ethnobotany and botanical medicines. At the Heffter Research Institute, he continues his focus on the therapeutic uses of psychoactive medicines derived from nature and used in indigenous ethnomedical practices. Shownotes: * Comparative consideration of psychedelics and their respective benefits and challenges * Ayahuasca * Scientific knowledge and its limitations * Fundamental differences between Eastern and Western modes of thought * Organized religion and its problems * and more… Links: * Ethnopharmacologic Search for Psychoactive Drugs: 50th Anniversary * Can pre-order the book from this site * Watch talks from the conference here * Dennis’ Ayahuasca Retreats in Peru * Heffter Research Institute * Dennis on Twitter How to connect with Dennis: https://hackingtheself.org/2017/12/05/this-weeks-guest-dennis-mckenna-phd/ Support Hacking the Self: Make a donation at https://www.patreon.com/hackingtheself Share this interview with friends and on your social media platforms Write a review for the podcast on iTunes, Sticher or the Google Music Store