It seems like every other day I see a news story about how psychedelics will change the way we treat depression and other mental illnesses. The experts quoted are often from the hotbeds of psychedelic research — places like Johns Hopkins or NYU. But it turns out my own city of Madison, Wisconsin is emerging as a driving force in this psychedelic renaissance.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Pharmacy recently launched the Transdisciplinary Center for Research in Psychoactive Substances, where scholars teach the science and history of psychedelics, and clinical trials are testing the therapeutic benefits of psilocybin and MDMA.
Across town, the nonprofit Usona Institute is building a 93,000-square foot structure devoted specifically to psychedelics, with the ultimate aim of launching the coming psychedelic revolution. Usona co-founder Bill Linton is on a mission to get FDA approval for psychedelic therapy. The center is also manufacturing large quantities of synthetic psilocybin for use in clinical trials around the world.
I’ve known Bill for more than a decade. We’re both fascinated by questions about the nature of consciousness — what it is and where it comes from. Over the years, he’s introduced me to many leading psychedelic researchers — people who share this obsession with trying to understand the mysteries of our minds. Bill himself has played a significant role in funding and facilitating psychedelic research, but you will rarely see him quoted in the media. He prefers to stay behind the scenes, playing the role — as he puts it — of “stage hand.” But recently, we sat down in his house for a rare in-depth interview about his own history in the psychedelic movement— and the moment he discovered LSD as a college student in Berkeley back in the 1960s.
I hope you’ll get a chance to listen!
—Steve