Dave Hodges is the founder of the Church of Ambrosia, an interfaith organisation that believes magic mushrooms and cannabis are divine sacraments which facilitate connection with God. Zide Door, the religion's first church, in Oakland, California, has more than 100,000 members, who pay a $5 fee – allowing them to buy unregulated, tax-free sacraments.
We discuss Dave's journey through cannabis advocacy, mental health struggles, and founding the church. He is also an advocate of 'high dose work' which involves mind bogglingly strong 30g magic mushroom trips. He has taken a number of these journeys and spoken directly with his soul. Dave tells me how he and one member accidentally overdosed once, due to an unusually strong batch of mushrooms that meant the 15g they took was effectively closer to 45g in terms of potency. After the member had an incredibly challenging experience, it prompted Hodges to start testing the mushrooms for psilocybin potency and figuring out the optimal dosages in relation to the weight of the person seeking to take them.
I share an anecdote from one mushroom trip with Dave, and he says what happened was my soul slapping me in the face to compel me to do something. He also shares a piece of harm reduction advice with listeners who may not have access to testing kits: to grind their batch of mushrooms into a powder, to make it less likely that one person accidentally eats the three strongest shrooms in the bag and gets an unpleasant surprise. We also talk about how challenging mushroom trips can, in extremely rare cases, lead to death – and not just from subsequent careless behaviour. You can read more about Dave and his church via SF Gate (https://www.sfgate.com/cannabis/article/oakland-magic-mushroom-church-sf-17885505.php). He also appeared on Fox (https://www.foxnews.com/video/6332641118112), when the host toyed with the idea of joining the church.
2 Jan 2024
#19 Jez Hughes on British indigeneity
Jez Hughes is a healer, author and founder of shamanic school Second Sight Healing. Since his early teens, he suffered a series of seizures and panic attacks. He believes this was an initiatory illness to connect with the spirit world. He has mostly trained with the Wixarika community of Mexico, who use the psychedelic cactus peyote as their sacrament, following long-held and uninterrupted traditions. However, in his own work, he uses a drum to bring about trance states, as well as the liberty cap mushroom. He says he would never work with a medicine that doesn't grow in his land, because of a lack of ancestral connection.
Jez recalls how an indigenous Mexican marakame visited his late wife in a hospital in Worthing to give her a healing while she was receiving treatment for lung cancer. He imagines a future in which shamanic healings could be available in hospitals, as reiki now is. Jez also reflects on his recent pilgrimage in Mexico to harvest, and sit with, the psychedelic cactus peyote. He made a decade-long commitment to return to the country each year. We also discuss the use of ayahuasca in Brazilian prisons.
19 Dec 2023
#18 Harry Pack on the purple UFO
Harry Pack is a visionary artist whose work is influenced by his own psychedelic experiences, and unexplained mysteries. His kaleidoscope pieces, which feature a cast of elves and UFOs, invite the viewer to ponder an infinite realm that exists in tandem with our more volatile world. Harry tells us about experiences in which he was led to suspect he may have been abducted by aliens. He also shares reflections on his recovery journey from dependency on alcohol and ketamine, to his life in recovery and sobriety today. Prayer and manifestation have been key to both his return to health, and success, he explains, sharing details of a number of uncanny coincidences. We also discuss his forays into the NFT art world, and how he ended up exhibiting his work at major events in the UK, US and elsewhere.
Today he sees his work as a vessel for self-exploration and understanding. And he is keen to help others develop their own art practice so it can be a vehicle for self-healing. Harry is focused on reconnecting others with their 'sacred soul' through psychedelic art therapy, and integrating meditation techniques into the creative process. His new Purple UFO project has just begun to host 'multidimensional' events to help people unlock their creative juices.
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