Divergent States
Divergent States
Podcast Description
The Divergent States Podcast, hosted by "3L1T3"—founder of the Psychonaut subreddit with nearly 500k members—and co-hosted by Bryan, a USMC veteran passionate about psychedelics for therapeutic healing, explores the intersection of psychedelics, science, spirituality, and culture. Featuring guests like Hamilton Morris, Dr. Rick Strassman, and Dr. Rick Doblin, we blend cutting-edge research with personal stories to showcase how psychedelics transform mental health, creativity, and culture. Join us as we navigate the frontier of consciousness.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on psychedelics, mental health, spirituality, and cultural implications, with episodes detailing topics such as the therapeutic use of MDMA for veterans, the legacy of the Shulgin family, and the evolution of the r/Psychonaut subreddit. Specific focus areas include community support, harm reduction in psychedelic use, and the intersection of science and spirituality in therapeutic contexts.
Divergent States cuts through psychedelic hype with grounded, skeptical conversations. Hosted by 3L1T3, founder of r/Psychonaut, the world’s largest forum dedicated to the safe use of psychedelics, and co-hosted by Bryan, a USMC veteran and advocate for psychedelic healing, the show examines the science, culture, and contradictions shaping the psychedelic landscape.
No mysticism. No marketing. Just data, lived experience, and hard questions.
We explore how psychedelics impact mental health, creativity, and society, from clinical trials to cultural fault lines. Nothing’s off-limits. Everything is up for scrutiny.
Guests include Rick Doblin, Reggie Watts, Leonard Pickard, Anne Wagner, Hamilton Morris, and Rick Strassman.
If you’re looking for reverence, this isn’t your show.
If you’re after critical, intelligent dialogue about what psychedelics actually do, welcome to Divergent States.
New episodes every two weeks.
What happens when the most hunted man in psychedelic history walks free and joins us for a conversation?
In this deeply reflective episode of Divergent States, I sit down with William Leonard Pickard: chemist, philosopher, author of The Rose of Paracelsus, and the man once called the “Acid King.” After decades behind bars, Pickard returns with revelations about time, memory, suffering, redemption, and the spiritual cost of psychedelic pursuit.
We discuss the rise and fall of the most infamous LSD lab in history, Pickard's views on Ibogaine and modern psychedelic commercialization, and how prison reshaped his consciousness. He speaks of literature, inner stillness, shadow organizations, and the unfathomable lessons buried in the folds of silence.
A mythic guest, a poetic mind, and perhaps the most important voice in the psychedelic space today.
🔑 Key Takeaways:
- The ”Acid King” Speaks: For the first time in-depth post-release, Leonard Pickard reflects on his time at the center of what authorities called the largest LSD operation in history, and what he believes was really happening behind the scenes.
- Prison as a Psychedelic Experience: Pickard describes incarceration not as a void, but as a radically altered state, where time dilates, silence becomes sacred, and the mind either breaks or transcends.
- Ibogaine, Compassion, and the Future: He voices strong views on the therapeutic use of Ibogaine, its dangers when misused, and its misunderstood spiritual potential.
- The Rose of Paracelsus as Code: More than a memoir, Pickard hints that The Rose is layered with veiled truths and archetypes meant for those “with ears to hear”, especially those seeking refuge from commercialized psychedelia.
- The Invisible Networks: He suggests there are forces: academic, clandestine, spiritual, that have shaped and continue to shape psychedelic culture in ways the mainstream never sees.
- Redemption Through Stillness: Pickard doesn't romanticize his past. Instead, he presents a philosophy of quiet redemption, where introspection, myth, and suffering converge into what he calls “the sacred cost.”
- Warnings to the Psychedelic Industry: He offers a cautionary tale to today’s entrepreneurs and enthusiasts: be wary of glamorizing chemical mysticism, and remember that true wisdom comes not from flash, but from depth.
00:00 – Introduction: The Acid King Returns
3:06 – From Secrecy to Spotlight
06:00 – Psychedelic Culture: Then and Now
10:53 – Ibogaine and Healing Work
12:44 – On Commercialization and Ceremony
16:46 – What About the Sacred?
19:46 – Medicalization vs. Freedom
24:53 – What They Never Ask
26:22 – Second Life Reflections
33:16 – What Prison Taught Me
38:15 – Ergot Wine and LSD Myths
43:01 – Machine Elves and Other Planes
44:13 – Star Trek and the Pickard Rumor
45:07 – Outro and Patreon Preview
Download the app or text/call 62-FIRESIDE
Special Thanks to our Macrodosers and Heroic Dosers on Patreon, Super D and Lucy!
Disclaimer
This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
For a complete disclaimer, please see our Full Disclaimer on the archive page. The Podcast Collaborative bears no responsibility for the podcast’s themes, language, or overall content. Listener discretion is advised. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for more details.