Plants of the Gods: Hallucinogens, Healing, Culture and Conservation podcast
Episodes
Plants of the Gods: S8E8 Vanilla, Pseudocopulation and Darwin's Favorite Orchid
01 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Vanilla is anything but plain. In fact, this orchid might be one of the sexiest plant in the rainforest. In this episode, Dr. Mark Plotkin traces the...
Plants of the Gods: S8E7 Rosa Vásquez Espinoza: Between Indigenous Knowledge and Western Science
18 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
How do Indigenous knowledge and Western science come together in the study of nature and plant medicine? Dr. Rosa Vásquez Espinoza, a chemical bio...
Plants of the Gods: S8E6 Richard Evans Schultes' Legacy — Where Science Meets the Sacred
04 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Wade Davis, celebrated author and anthropologist, joins Mark Plotkin for a personal reflection on the life and legacy of legendary ethnobotanist Rich...
S8E5: The Ethnobotany of Coca with Dr. Wade Davis
20 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Plotkin sits down with Wade Davis — author of One River, Lost Amazon, and dozens more — for a deep dive into one of South America's most m...
Plants of the Gods: S8E4 The research behind microdosing and medicine (Dr. Pamela Kryskow, Part 2)
06 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we're bringing you the second half of our conversation with Dr. Pamela Kryskow. A co-leader of the largest study on microdosin...
Season 8 Ep.3: Can Psychedelics Treat "Incurable" Trauma? (Dr. Pamela Kryskow, Part 1)
23 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
How can psylocibin be used to help patients work through traumas that once seemed untreatable? Dr. Pamela Kryskow, a self-described "fungi person" an...
Plants of the Gods: S8E2 Dennis McKenna on new discoveries and emerging psychedelic science (part 2)
09 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This is a special joint episode of Plants of the Gods and Brainforest Café. Host Dr. Mark Plotkin continues his conversation with ethnopha...
Plants of the Gods: S8E1 Dennis McKenna on the remarkable Amazonian plants that shape human consciousness (part 1)
23 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This is a special joint episode of Plants of the Gods and Brainforest Café. Plants are virtuoso chemists. Some create molecules that closely...
Coming Soon: Plants of the Gods Season 8
19 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Season 8 kicks off February 23 with an interview featuring Dennis McKenna, PhD — a renowned ethnopharmacologist who has spent more than 40 years res...
Plants of the Gods: S7E10. When Plants Speak: Exploring Ayahuasca with Rebekah Senanayake
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join Plants of the Gods as we explore the mysteries of ayahuasca with ethnobotanist Rebekah Senanayake. Through years of fieldwork with traditional in...
Plants of the Gods: S7E9. Spice - A New Book by Roger Crowley
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Plants of the Gods, ethnobotanist Dr. Mark Plotkin takes us on a sweeping journey through the epic history of the spice trade—one...
Plants of the Gods: S7E8. Psychonauts: A New Book by Mike Jay
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Plants of the Gods podcast has pioneered the concept of mind-altering substances not being merely hallucinogens but also "ideogens," substances t...
Plants of the Gods: S7E7. The Ethnobotany of Brugmansia, the Tree of the Evil Eagle.
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ethnobotanist Dr. Mark Plotkin discusses Brugmansia, some of the most beautiful hallucinogenic plants in the botanical world. Their bright flowers h...
Plants of the Gods: S7E6. The Ethnobotany of the Spice Trade: How it Built the Modern World
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The spice trade was one of the most influential economic and cultural forces that shaped the modern world. It profoundly impacted cultural exchange, c...
Plants of the Gods: S7E5. Use of Mushrooms and Cannabis in Veterinary Medicine with Dr. Rob Silver
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If herbal remedies can help humans, why not our pets? In this fascinating episode of Plants of the Gods, ethnobotanist Dr. Mark Plotkin sits down wi...
Plants of the Gods: S7E4. Dr. Joe Watkins: Indigenous Perspectives on the Psychedelic Renaissance
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"Plants of the Gods" has featured dozens of episodes detailing the power, potential, and pitfalls of using hallucinogenic plants and fungi – and eve...
Plants of the Gods: S7E3. Part Two —The Ethnobotany of Salvia with Dr. Chris McCurdy
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A mind-blowing mint? Salvia divinorum, a perennial herb in the mint family, has been used by traditional healers in Oaxaca, Mexico, to understand more...
Plants of the Gods: S7E2. The Ethnobotany of Kratom with Dr. Chris McCurdy
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The tropical Asian tree kratom – a member of the same botanical family that has given us both coffee and quinine – is showing great potential for ...
Plants of the Gods: S7E1. Lost Cities, Shamans, Hallucinogens and… King Kong!
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The lure of lost cities is a deep and enduring fascination that combines equal parts mystery, adventure, treasure, and the promise of forgotten knowle...
Plants of the Gods: S6E10. Perils and Pitfalls of Ayahuasca: An Interview with Robert Tindall
13 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The therapeutic benefits of ayahuasca are well-known and celebrated worldwide. However, when conducted by the wrong individuals, ayahuasca ceremonies ...
Plants of the Gods: S6E9. The Ethnobotany of Chocolate: From Revolution to Industrialization
30 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Many people associate cacao (and chocolate) with its origins in Mexico, but few are aware that the plant itself is native to the rainforests of the no...
Plants of the Gods: S6E8. The Ethnobotany of Isolated and Uncontacted Indigenous Peoples
16 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The concept of uncontacted or isolated indigenous rainforest groups enthralls many people, even those who have no particular interest in rainforest co...
Plants of the Gods: S6E7. The Medicinal Plants and Fungi of the Amazon
02 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Amazon rainforest - teeming with unstudied plants, fungi, and shamanic cultures - has long been considered an almost inexhaustible source of heali...
Plants of the Gods: S6E6. Ayahuasca and Other Lianas I Have Known and Loved
18 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode delves deeply into the ethnobotany of these bizarre rainforest plants. From the ethereal ayahuasca to galvanizing guarana, we hear tales ...
Plants of the Gods: S6E5. From Ayurveda to Acupuncture: An Interview with Herbalist William Siff
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ethnobotanist Mark Plotkin conducts a fascinating interview with William Siff, who is a licensed acupuncturist, clinical herbalist, and ethnobotanist ...
Plants of the Gods: S6E4. The Ethnobotany of Chocolate: Maria Sibylla Merian and Sir Hans Sloan, Two Unforgettable Characters
21 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Join host Dr. Mark Plotkin, ethnobotanist and founder of the Amazon Conservation Team, we continue our discussion about cacao. In this episode, Dr. Pl...
Plants of the Gods: S6E3. The Ethnobotany of Heirloom Chocolate: An Interview with Denise Castronovo
07 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Plants of the Gods, join us as we continue delving into the rich and complex world of chocolate. Our guest, Denise Castronovo, foun...
Plants of the Gods: S6E2. The Ethnobotany of Chocolate: Cacao Moves from Mexico to Europe
24 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of "Plants to the Gods," we continue our discussion about cacao and chocolate. Join us as Dr. Mark Plotkin delves into the rich histor...
Plants of the Gods: S6E1. Food of the Gods: The Ethnobotany of Chocolate
10 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we kick off Season 6 of Plants of the Gods, as host Dr. Mark Plotkin of the Amazon Conservation Team explores the fascinating history of cacao,...
Plants of the Gods: S5E10. The Mushroom Moment
21 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this season finale of Plants of the Gods, join host Dr. Mark Plotkin as we learn about everything mushrooms, which are truly having a moment! Drawi...
Plants of the Gods: S5E9. The Ethnobotany of Amazonian Lianas: A Conversation with ethnobotanist Bruce Hoffman
07 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Plants of the Gods, join host Dr. Mark Plotkin in conversation with colleague Dr. Bruce Hoffman, Senior Manager of Scientific Resea...
Plants of the Gods: S5E8. Part 2 — Mescal, Tequila and Magic Toads: A Conversation with ethnobotanist Gary Nabhan
24 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Plants of the Gods, join ethnobotanists Dr. Mark Plotkin and Dr. Gary Nabhan in conversation as we learn about the power of the des...
Plants of the Gods: S5E7. Part 1 — Mescal, Tequila and Magic Toads: A Conversation with ethnobotanist Gary Nabhan
10 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Plants of the Gods, join ethnobotanists Dr. Mark Plotkin and Dr. Gary Nabhan in conversation as we learn about the power of the des...
Plants of the Gods: S5E6. Plants of the Gods in Ancient Persia: A Conversation with Dr. Shauheen Etminan
27 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Shauheen Etminan, PhD, is the co-founder of VCENNA, a CNS drug discovery biotech company inspired by the ethnobotany and wisdom of ancestral medicina...
Plants of the Gods: S5E5. Part 2 — Coffee, the World's Favorite Stimulant — Chemistry, History, and More
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Coffee is the most widely consumed mind-altering plant product in the world. The human species arose in or near the Rift Valley in East Africa, the no...
Plants of the Gods: S5E4. Part 1 — Coffee, the World's Favorite Stimulant — Chemistry, History, and More
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Coffee is the most widely consumed mind-altering plant product in the world. The human species arose in or near the Rift Valley in East Africa, the n...
Plants of the Gods: S5E3. How to Save the Rainforest with Mongabay's Rhett Butler
15 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Plants of the Gods, we hear from Rhett Butler, editor-in-chief and CEO of Mongabay. Mongabay is a nonprofit environmental science a...
Plants of the Gods: S5E2. Part 2 — Antibiotic Ales and Lush Lagers: The Ethnobotany of Beer
01 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to part two of The Ethnobotany of Beer! This week, we continue to explore the question on everyone's mind these days: did civilization invent ...
Plants of the Gods: S5E1. Part 1 — Antibiotic Ales and Lush Lagers: The Ethnobotany of Beer
18 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This two-part special edition kicks off Season Five of "Plants of the Gods: Hallucinogens, Healing, Culture and Conservation." We start by asking the ...
Plants of the Gods: S4E10. Cannabis: Seeing Through the Smoke
14 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Season 4 of Plants of the Gods wraps up today with an episode featuring Peter Grinspoon, MD, cannabis specialist at Harvard Medical School. During thi...
Plants of the Gods: S4E9. Part 2 — Mushroom Magic with Giuliana Furci
31 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode features world-renowned mycologist Giuliana Furci. Giuliana is the founder of the Fungi Foundation, the first NGO in the world solely ...
Plants of the Gods: S4E8. Part 1 — Mushroom Magic with Giuliana Furci
17 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode features world-renowned mycologist Giuliana Furci. Giuliana is the founder of the Fungi Foundation, the first NGO in the world solely ...
Plants of the Gods: S4E7. Part 2 — Ayahuasca and Tobacco Shamanism: an Interview with Ethnobotanist Dr. Glenn Shepard
03 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode features ethnobotanist and anthropologist, Dr. Glenn Shepard. This two-part discussion between Dr. Shepard and Dr. Plotkin covers an a...
Plants of the Gods: S4E6. Part 1 — Ayahuasca and Tobacco Shamanism: an Interview with Ethnobotanist Dr. Glenn Shepard
19 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode features ethnobotanist and anthropologist, Dr. Glenn Shepard. This two-part discussion between Dr. Shepard and Dr. Plotkin covers an a...
Plants of the Gods: S4E5. Part 2 — Tobacco: The Sacred Shamanic Plant of Freedom and Enslavement
05 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, we continue learning about tobacco, one of the most widely used mind altering substances. During this two-part discussion, Dr. Pl...
Plants of the Gods: S4E4. Part 1 — Tobacco: The Sacred Shamanic Plant of Freedom and Enslavement
22 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, we embark on a journey learning about one of the most widely used mind-altering substances: tobacco. During this two-part discuss...
Plants of the Gods: S4E3. Part 2 — Brian C. Muraresku: The Eleusinian Mysteries, Discovering the Divine, The Immortality Key, The Pagan Continuity Hypothesis and the Hallucinogenic Origins of Religion
08 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, we continue our discussion with Brian Muraresku, author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Immortality Key, and Dr. M...
Plants of the Gods: S4E2. Part 1 — Brian C. Muraresku: The Eleusinian Mysteries, Discovering the Divine, The Immortality Key, The Pagan Continuity Hypothesis and the Hallucinogenic Origins of Religion
22 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode features Brian Muraresku, author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Immortality Key. This two-part discussion between Mura...
Plants of the Gods: S4E1. Richard Evans Schultes and the Search for Ayahuasca
08 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, we launch Season 4 of Plants of the Gods by delving more deeply into our most popular topic to date: ayahuasca. Also known as "the...
Plants of the Gods: S3E10. Part 2 — 21st Century Healing Magic with both Fungi and Herbs: A Conversation with the Remarkable Dr. Christopher Hobbs
14 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Christopher Hobbs is a world-renowned author, clinician, botanist, mycologist, and research scientist, with over 35 years of experience with herba...
Plants of the Gods: S3E9. 21st Century Healing Magic with both Fungi and Herbs: A Conversation with the Remarkable Dr. Christopher Hobbs
31 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Christopher Hobbs is a world-renowned author, clinician, botanist, mycologist, and research scientist, with over 35 years of experience with herba...
Plants of the Gods: S3E8. Part 2 — Magic Frogs, Iboga and the Magic of Hallucinogens: a Conversation with Hamilton Morris
17 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hamilton Morris is an American journalist, filmmaker and scientific researcher. Previously a writer for Vice magazine with a monthly column "Hamilton'...
Plants of the Gods: S3E7. Magic Frogs, Iboga and the Magic of Hallucinogens: a Conversation with Hamilton Morris
03 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hamilton Morris is an American journalist, filmmaker and scientific researcher. Previously a writer for Vice magazine with a monthly column "Hamilton'...
Plants of the Gods: S3E6. Part 2 — Mushrooms, Magic, Medicine and Mortality: Paul Stamets in Conversation with Dr. Mark Plotkin
20 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Paul Stamets is a leading American mycologist, author of many books and best known for his role in the award-winning documentary and accompanying book...
Plants of the Gods: S3E5. Mushrooms, Magic, Medicine and Mortality: Paul Stamets in Conversation with Dr. Mark Plotkin
06 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Paul Stamets is a leading American mycologist, author of many books, and best known for his role in the award-winning documentary and accompanying boo...
Plants of the Gods: S3E4. Absinthe, New Orleans, and the Birth of Rock and Roll
22 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the previous episode, we learned how and why Absinthe was considered the ultimate creative elixir in 19th century Belle Epoque France. However, abs...
Plants of the Gods: S3E3. Absinthe as Ideogen in Art and Literature
08 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Wormwood - the basis of absinthe - has been valued medicinally since ancient times. However, the development of absinthe several hundred years ago cre...
Plants of the Gods: S3E2. Peyote: Richard Schultes and the Peyote Road
25 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll follow Dr. Mark Plotkin as he shares the story of Richard Evans Schultes, who, as a busy work-study undergraduate student at Harvard, cho...
Plants of the Gods: S3E1. Peyote: The Sacred Cactus
11 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Peyote is a tiny cactus that has had a giant impact on history and culture. It is one of the most ancient hallucinogens - finds near the Texas-Mexico ...
Plants of the Gods: S2E11. Hallucinogens and Poisons of the Uncontacted Tribes of the Amazon Rainforest
22 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this bonus episode, Dr. Mark Plotkin shares insights and personal experiences regarding the hallucinogens and arrow poisons of the uncontacted trib...
Plants of the Gods: S2E10. The Plants of the Apes: How Animals Use Medicinal Plants. Part 2
10 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Plotkin continues the discussion of zoopharmacognosy with part two of "Plants of the Apes: How Animals Use Medicinal Plants." From the carefully s...
Plants of the Gods: S2E9. The Plants of the Apes: How Animals Use Medicinal Plants. Part 1
27 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We have all seen dogs eat grass to alleviate illnesses; why would we not think that other animals do not consume other plants for therapeutic purposes...
Plants of the Gods: S2E8. Magic Frogs: Hopping Hallucinogenic Healers of the Rainforest and Desert
13 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, Dr. Plotkin will discuss the history and biology of magic frogs. From poison dart frogs to the hallucinogenic green monkey frog, w...
Plants of the Gods: S2E7. Jews, Jazz and Joints: Marijuana and the Birth of Jazz in New Orleans and Chicago
29 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
From New Orleans bordellos to The Beatles, marijuana played a seminal - but often-overlooked - role in inspiring the greatest music of the 20th centur...
Plants of the Gods: S2E6. Albert Hofmann, Richard Schultes and Gordon Wasson: The Holy Trinity of Ethnomycology, plus the two women who must be added to the Pantheon!
15 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The birth of the Psychedelic Renaissance is often attributed to Richard Schultes' research on peyote and magic mushrooms in the 1930's. Nonetheless,...
Plants of the Gods: S2E5. Rum, Rebellion, Pirates, & Tiki
01 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
"Yo Ho Ho and a bottle of rum!" This immortal chant from Robert Louis Stevenson's classic "Treasure Island" encapsulates much of the history of sugar ...
Plants of the Gods: S2E4. Magic Mushrooms and the Roots (actually, the Mycelia) of the Psychedelic Renaissance
18 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The much-heralded Psychedelic Renaissance began in 1938 when Harvard graduate student Richard Schultes traveled to southern Mexico to investigate repo...
Plants of the Gods: S2E3. Palms: The Sacred Princes of the Plant Kingdom
04 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Palms- The Sacred Princes of the Plant Kingdom - In the words of the late ethnobotanist Richard Schultes, "A panorama does not seem tropical unless pa...
Plants of the Gods: S2E2. Hemp: The Fiber That Binds America
21 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Hemp—a fiber of the Cannabis plant—has played an outsized role in world history. It was not only one of the first crops cultivated by our speci...
Plants of the Gods: S2E1. Marijuana: Why Cannabis is as American as Apple Pie
07 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Marijuana – What do the ancient Chinese, George Bush and The Beatles have in common? Knowingly or not, all benefited from one of the most well-known...
Plants of the Gods: S1E10. The Life and Times of Richard Evans Schultes
03 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Life and Times of Richard Evans Schultes – Schultes was a scholarship student at Harvard College when entered as a Freshman in 1933. An undergra...
Plants of the Gods: S1E9. Ergot, LSD and the Birth of Western Religions
27 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ergot, LSD and the Birth of Western Religions – Ergot is a fungus that parasitizes rye where - in the Middle Ages - it was sometimes milled into the...
Plants of the Gods: S1E8. Hexing Herbs and the Witches of Medieval Europe
20 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Hexing Herbs and the Witches of Medieval Europe – The archetypal image of the witch as an old woman riding a broomstick was not a Hollywood creati...
Plants of the Gods: S1E7. The Ethnobotany of Warfare
13 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Ethnobotany of Warfare – Plants have played a fundamental role in warfare, not just as poisons and medicines but as ships, chariots, weapons and...
Plants of the Gods: S1E6. Opium
06 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Opium – Perhaps the most ancient of the "Plants of the Gods," plant remains in Europe clearly indicate that opium was being used by people more than...
Plants of the Gods: S1E5. Curare Arrow Poison: Silent Killer of the Amazon Rainforest
30 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Curare – Once known as the "flying death of the Amazon," curare is a mixture of rainforest plants that indigenous peoples smear on the tips of their...
Plants of the Gods: S1E4. Wine
23 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Wine – Wine grapes and wine are unquestionably the world's most valuable medicinal plants: the global annual value of wine is over 300 billion dolla...
Plants of the Gods: S1E3. Coca and Cocaine
16 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Coca – not to be confused with coconuts or with cacao, the source of chocolate - is a large bush or small tree native to northwestern South America....
Plants of the Gods: S1E2. Hallucinogenic Snuffs
09 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hallucinogenic snuffs – though most hallucinogens like magic mushrooms or ayahuasca are taken orally, the indigenous peoples of Amazonia have create...
Plants of the Gods: S1E1. Ayahuasca
02 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ayahuasca – From Argentina to Australia, from Israel to Indonesia, a once-obscure Amazonian vine, admixed with a few other plants is now celebrated...
"Plants of the Gods: Hallucinogens, Healing, Culture and Conservation"
30 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Plants of the Gods" is a new and unique podcast focusing on the hallucinogenic plants and fungi whose impact on world culture and religion – and he...