Episode 306
Rick Doblin, Ph. D.
In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin welcomes back Rick Doblin, Ph.D., Founder and President of MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies), for a deeply personal and visionary conversation on the recent FDA rejection of MDMA-assisted therapy. Rick opens up about the painful setbacks, internal missteps, and his own process of recovery and renewed hope. He explains why this isn’t the end—but a critical turning point for psychedelic medicine.
Rick and Paul unpack the nuances of drug plus therapy, exploring why context, integration, and culture matter as much as pharmacology. They reflect on the future of MAPS, the psychedelic renaissance beyond FDA approval, and how business, politics, and spirituality intersect with healing. The episode also explores Rick’s enduring belief in public benefit models, global collaboration, and the potential of a spiritualized humanity.
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Rick Doblin, Ph.D., is the Founder and President of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). He received his doctorate in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, where he wrote his dissertation on the regulation of the medical uses of psychedelics and marijuana. Rick also conducted long-term follow-up studies on the Good Friday Experiment and Timothy Leary’s Concord Prison Experiment. A certified Holotropic Breathwork practitioner, Rick founded MAPS in 1986 to develop legal contexts for the beneficial uses of psychedelics, both as medicines and for personal growth. He resides in Boston with his wife and puppy.
Podcast Highlights
- The cost of MAPS' quiet period
- Why MDMA therapy was rejected by FDA
- Pharma vs. therapy: What’s best for patients?
- Drug-only treatments vs. integrated therapy
- Ibogaine’s role in brain healing and PTSD
- MAPS’ path forward: Phase 4 vs. Phase 3
- What the Dutch got right about MDMA
- Spiritualized humanity and self-transcendence
- The global impact of MAPS’ work
- Business, love, and psychedelic ethics
Show Links
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