Dr. Richard Davidson

And one of the challenges when we first start this work of intentionally cultivating flourishing is that we forget

We know the things that we could do to be helpful, but we forget to use them in the moment, in the friction of the moment, or even if the moment is not so friction-like.

But I've seen people, even meditators, if they're coming to a meal and they sit down, they just immediately start meditating.

very unconsciously instead of just taking a moment for a little appreciation.

But the more you do it, the more it becomes spontaneous and literally the sitting down to the meal is a cue which elicits this response and it really becomes more spontaneously available.

It takes some time, but I think that this is really a reliable outcome of doing this with regularity.

Yeah, those are great questions, which I...

have thought a lot about as I'm sure you suspect.

So I have a few nuanced views of this.

First, I'm excited about the new research in the way you are.

And I also completely agree with you that there are really promising data from some of the clinical trials.

You mentioned severe intractable depression and there are, I think, really good data there.

There's also good data for alcoholism.

And I think that this resurgence of research is a great thing and I'm convinced this is something that really could be helpful in a number of clinical situations.

I'm less sanguine about the use of psychedelics in quote normal people or individuals who are doing it for kind of their own self-development or flourishing or spiritual development.

I'm less sanguine for the following reason.

I think that psychedelics can produce a kind of glimpse of a different mode of being which could be helpful, but I think a lot depends on what happens

after that, so to speak, and how that experience is actually worked with and integrated.

And one of the things that concerns me about the stuff happening with psychedelics today is

the relative lack of training of the folks who guide psychedelic sessions.