Episode
#211 – Brian Muraresku: The Secret History of Psychedelics
2:01:40
Published: Sun Aug 15 2021
Description
Brian Muraresku is the author of The Immortality Key. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: - InsideTracker: https://insidetracker.com/lex and use code Lex25 to get 25% off - GiveWell: https://www.givewell.org/ and use code LEX to get donation matched up to $1k - NI: https://www.ni.com/perspectives - Indeed: https://indeed.com/lex to get $75 credit - MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/lex to get 15% off EPISODE LINKS: Brian's Twitter: https://twitter.com/brianmuraresku Brian's website: https://www.brianmuraresku.com Immortality Key (book): https://amzn.to/3iNYBfB PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/lexfridman YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/lexclips SUPPORT & CONNECT: - Check out the sponsors above, it's the best way to support this podcast - Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lexfridman - Twitter: https://twitter.com/lexfridman - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexfridman - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexfridman - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexfridman - Medium: https://medium.com/@lexfridman OUTLINE: Here's the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time. (00:00) - Introduction (09:46) - Who or what is God? (25:15) - Terence McKenna's DMT Trips (29:58) - Psychedelics were the source of collective intelligence (40:30) - Psychedelics in ancient alcohol (43:30) - The Immortality Key (46:16) - Jesus and psychedelic wine (58:56) - Role of rituals in human society (1:02:37) - Human confrontation with death (1:05:15) - The future of the human experience (1:17:07) - The role of religion in society (1:22:54) - The future of psychedelics research (1:26:05) - Fasting and meditation as religious experiences (1:29:44) - Neuralink and BCIs (1:36:42) - Is LSD a crutch or an aid in creative work (1:39:21) - Nietzsche said God is dead (1:41:48) - Creatures people meet while on psychedelics (1:47:18) - Consciousness (1:53:41) - Books or movies that made an impact (1:57:39) - Meaning of life
Chapters
InsideTracker analyzes individual blood, DNA, and fitness tracker data to provide personalized recommendations for positive diet and lifestyle changes.
00:00 - 02:15 (02:15)
Summary
InsideTracker analyzes individual blood, DNA, and fitness tracker data to provide personalized recommendations for positive diet and lifestyle changes. It offers a science-backed approach to optimizing health that is tailored to each person's unique needs.
Episode#211 – Brian Muraresku: The Secret History of Psychedelics
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
GiveWell uses data to find the most effective charitable organizations and thus offering optimal giving decisions to improve the lives of people in impoverished areas of the United States and around the world.
02:15 - 09:57 (07:41)
Summary
GiveWell uses data to find the most effective charitable organizations and thus offering optimal giving decisions to improve the lives of people in impoverished areas of the United States and around the world.
Episode#211 – Brian Muraresku: The Secret History of Psychedelics
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
Lex Friedman speaks about how the mystical core of Abrahamic faiths all talk about the encounter of divinity within ourselves, and how we participate with God in the present moment.
09:57 - 19:13 (09:16)
Summary
Lex Friedman speaks about how the mystical core of Abrahamic faiths all talk about the encounter of divinity within ourselves, and how we participate with God in the present moment.
Episode#211 – Brian Muraresku: The Secret History of Psychedelics
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The experience of tapping into something "more real than real" during a psychedelic trip can lead to a belief that the user has accessed the true underlying structure of the cosmos.
19:13 - 27:30 (08:16)
Summary
The experience of tapping into something "more real than real" during a psychedelic trip can lead to a belief that the user has accessed the true underlying structure of the cosmos. The host ponders how engaging video games must become for people to fully embrace them as their actual reality.
Episode#211 – Brian Muraresku: The Secret History of Psychedelics
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
This podcast episode discusses the idea of psychedelics contributing to the phase shifts of human society throughout history, as well as their potential role in steering the growth and development of human civilization.
27:30 - 35:49 (08:19)
Summary
This podcast episode discusses the idea of psychedelics contributing to the phase shifts of human society throughout history, as well as their potential role in steering the growth and development of human civilization.
Episode#211 – Brian Muraresku: The Secret History of Psychedelics
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
By applying modern scientific techniques to the study of ancient artifacts, researchers are able to gain insights into the diets of societies from thousands of years ago.
35:49 - 43:48 (07:58)
Summary
By applying modern scientific techniques to the study of ancient artifacts, researchers are able to gain insights into the diets of societies from thousands of years ago. While this has not been able to yield information on psychedelic use, it has led to discoveries in other areas, such as the potential use of beer and wine as vehicles for administering psychedelics.
Episode#211 – Brian Muraresku: The Secret History of Psychedelics
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
Wine in ancient Greece and Rome wasn't just alcohol, and often contained different spices and even hallucinogens, playing an important role in the culture and potentially early Christianity.
43:48 - 52:19 (08:31)
Summary
Wine in ancient Greece and Rome wasn't just alcohol, and often contained different spices and even hallucinogens, playing an important role in the culture and potentially early Christianity.
Episode#211 – Brian Muraresku: The Secret History of Psychedelics
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
This podcast delves into the sacramental theology of consuming the Greek god Dionysus and how it relates to the concept of encountering the mystery of being itself.
52:19 - 58:27 (06:08)
Summary
This podcast delves into the sacramental theology of consuming the Greek god Dionysus and how it relates to the concept of encountering the mystery of being itself. It discusses the idea of drinking wine to become one with the god and questions whether Jesus is an actual physical person or simply an idea that came to life through ritual consumption of wine.
Episode#211 – Brian Muraresku: The Secret History of Psychedelics
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The fear of death has been the creative force of human society, and the ancient Greek rituals at Eleusis, which involved the consumption of a potent psychedelic by millions of initiates, provided a vision of life that made it worth living.
58:27 - 1:11:04 (12:36)
Summary
The fear of death has been the creative force of human society, and the ancient Greek rituals at Eleusis, which involved the consumption of a potent psychedelic by millions of initiates, provided a vision of life that made it worth living. Today, we use modern tools to run away from the fear of death, but it's important for us to confront our own mortality.
Episode#211 – Brian Muraresku: The Secret History of Psychedelics
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The idea of "facts" and "absolute truth" is something scientists struggle with when trying to understand reality, as much of human experience is based on feelings and subjective experiences.
1:11:04 - 1:19:02 (07:57)
Summary
The idea of "facts" and "absolute truth" is something scientists struggle with when trying to understand reality, as much of human experience is based on feelings and subjective experiences. It raises the question of what truly constitutes "reality" in a world that is so human-centric.
Episode#211 – Brian Muraresku: The Secret History of Psychedelics
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The speaker discusses the possibility of utilizing psychedelics to explore creativity and the mystical core of religion, and references the lasting transformation experienced by volunteers in psilocybin studies.
1:19:02 - 1:24:07 (05:05)
Summary
The speaker discusses the possibility of utilizing psychedelics to explore creativity and the mystical core of religion, and references the lasting transformation experienced by volunteers in psilocybin studies.
Episode#211 – Brian Muraresku: The Secret History of Psychedelics
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The field of neuroscience is studying the firing of neurons in the brain to understand the human mind.
1:24:07 - 1:32:17 (08:10)
Summary
The field of neuroscience is studying the firing of neurons in the brain to understand the human mind. While psychedelics act as a catalyst for thinking, there are other rituals like fasting and meditation that could be as essential, if not more essential, to enhance the human mind than psychedelics.
Episode#211 – Brian Muraresku: The Secret History of Psychedelics
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
This podcast discusses the potential for exploring the human mind through the use of psilocybin and other ancient tools that have not been fully utilized in a scientific way.
1:32:17 - 1:39:21 (07:03)
Summary
This podcast discusses the potential for exploring the human mind through the use of psilocybin and other ancient tools that have not been fully utilized in a scientific way. Eleusis, known for its "legomena, dromena, and diknumena" (things said, things done, and things shown), serves as an example of the potential for the safe exploration of the human mind.
Episode#211 – Brian Muraresku: The Secret History of Psychedelics
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The idea of aliens can be seen as a useful thought experiment to imagine what extraterrestrial life could look like.
1:39:21 - 1:47:35 (08:14)
Summary
The idea of aliens can be seen as a useful thought experiment to imagine what extraterrestrial life could look like. It can also be a humbling experience to comprehend the possibility of trillions of intelligent (or non-intelligent) alien civilizations out there.
Episode#211 – Brian Muraresku: The Secret History of Psychedelics
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The idea of consciousness may just be an illusion and can be engineered by faking it instead of it being at the core of everything.
1:47:37 - 1:59:46 (12:09)
Summary
The idea of consciousness may just be an illusion and can be engineered by faking it instead of it being at the core of everything.
Episode#211 – Brian Muraresku: The Secret History of Psychedelics
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The podcast discusses the difference between identifying as God and having a relationship with God, emphasizing the importance of finding the divine in everyday life.
1:59:49 - 2:01:28 (01:38)
Summary
The podcast discusses the difference between identifying as God and having a relationship with God, emphasizing the importance of finding the divine in everyday life.