Understand

• The Trip: 10. Unknown unknowns

  During the early weeks of the pandemic, Tim Hayward spent 14 days in a coma. He remembers this time vividly – his days and nights filled with strange, incandescent visions and hallucinations. That experience is something he would never choose to revisit but, around the world, large numbers of people are deliberately seeking out powerfully altered states.In this ten-part series, Tim sets out to better understand a group of substances that induce altered states: psychedelics.There’s been a surge of interest in their therapeutic potential for various mental health conditions - as well as a range of other clinical possibilities. As research around the world ramps up after years of taboo and prohibition he tries to get to grips with - or at least get a clearer sense of - how science, culture, politics and business might all interact in this changing psychedelic landscape, and what it all might mean.He also explores what might be happening in the brain during a trip and whether, by studying psychedelics, we might uncover more about consciousness, imagination and even the mysteries of reality itself.In this final episode, Tim explores how much there is still to understand about the therapeutic possibilities of psychedelics and, furthermore, what other insights research might lead us towards. Will curious minds be given the space to roam free? Contributors: Lucie Berkovitch, psychiatrist and neuroscientist, GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences Osiris García Cerqueda, historian and sociologist, Program Coordinator, Indigenous Reciprocity Initiative (IRI) Gül Dölen, neuroscientist, University of California, Berkeley David Luke, psychologist and psychedelic researcher, University of Greenwich Andrew Penn, psychiatric nurse practitioner and psychedelics researcher, University of California San Francisco School of Nursing Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes, philosopher of mind and metaphysics, University of ExeterPresenter: Tim Hayward Series Producer: Richard Ward Executive Producer: Rosamund Jones Editor: Kirsten Lass Written by Tim Hayward and Richard Ward Sound Design and Mixing: Richard Ward Researcher: Grace Revill Production Executive: Lisa Lipman Commissioning Editor: Daniel Clarke A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

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• The Trip: 9. Sacred plants for sale

  During the early weeks of the pandemic, Tim Hayward spent 14 days in a coma. He remembers this time vividly – his days and nights filled with strange, incandescent visions and hallucinations. That experience is something he would never choose to revisit but, around the world, large numbers of people are deliberately seeking out powerfully altered states.In this ten-part series, Tim sets out to better understand a group of substances that induce altered states: psychedelics.There’s been a surge of interest in their therapeutic potential for various mental health conditions - as well as a range of other clinical possibilities. As research around the world ramps up after years of taboo and prohibition he tries to get to grips with - or at least get a clearer sense of - how science, culture, politics and business might all interact in this changing psychedelic landscape, and what it all might mean.He also explores what might be happening in the brain during a trip and whether, by studying psychedelics, we might uncover more about consciousness, imagination and even the mysteries of reality itself.In this episode, we hear from members of the psychedelic community who fear the consequences of plants and fungi that are sacred to some indigenous communities being exploited for commercial gain. This would not be the first time, they say - just look at what happened with tobacco.Contributors: Osiris García Cerqueda, historian and sociologist, Program Coordinator, Indigenous Reciprocity Initiative (IRI) Ariel Clark, lawyer and founding member of the Psychedelic Bar Association Mike Jay, author and cultural historianPresenter: Tim Hayward Series Producer: Richard Ward Executive Producer: Rosamund Jones Editor: Kirsten Lass Written by Tim Hayward and Richard Ward Sound Design and Mixing: Richard Ward Researcher: Grace Revill Production Executive: Lisa Lipman Commissioning Editor: Daniel Clarke A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4Audio footage from Psychedelic Science 2023 and 2025 used with permission from the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS).

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• The Trip: 8. A tipping point?

  During the early weeks of the pandemic, Tim Hayward spent 14 days in a coma. He remembers this time vividly – his days and nights filled with strange, incandescent visions and hallucinations. That experience is something he would never choose to revisit but, around the world, large numbers of people are deliberately seeking out powerfully altered states.In this ten-part series, Tim sets out to better understand a group of substances that induce altered states: psychedelics.There’s been a surge of interest in their therapeutic potential for various mental health conditions - as well as a range of other clinical possibilities. As research around the world ramps up after years of taboo and prohibition he tries to get to grips with - or at least get a clearer sense of - how science, culture, politics and business might all interact in this changing psychedelic landscape, and what it all might mean.He also explores what might be happening in the brain during a trip and whether, by studying psychedelics, we might uncover more about consciousness, imagination and even the mysteries of reality itself.In this episode, Tim explores the many barriers to researching the potential therapeutic value and other potential applications of psychedelics. He assesses how other countries are weighing up and reacting to the current evidence, and asks if a tipping point may be looming in the UK.Contributors: David Luke, psychiatrist and psychedelic researcher, University of Greenwich Lauren MacDonald, psychiatrist and psilocybin group facilitator Jo Neill, professor of psychopharmacology, University of Manchester and Chair of Trustees, Drug SciencePresenter: Tim Hayward Series Producer: Richard Ward Executive Producer: Rosamund Jones Editor: Kirsten Lass Written by Tim Hayward and Richard Ward Sound Design and Mixing: Richard Ward Researcher: Grace Revill Production Executive: Lisa Lipman Commissioning Editor: Daniel Clarke A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

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• The Trip: 7. Fascination and taboo

  During the early weeks of the pandemic, Tim Hayward spent 14 days in a coma. He remembers this time vividly – his days and nights filled with strange, incandescent visions and hallucinations. That experience is something he would never choose to revisit but, around the world, large numbers of people are deliberately seeking out powerfully altered states.In this ten-part series, Tim sets out to better understand a group of substances that induce altered states: psychedelics.There’s been a surge of interest in their therapeutic potential for various mental health conditions - as well as a range of other clinical possibilities. As research around the world ramps up after years of taboo and prohibition he tries to get to grips with - or at least get a clearer sense of - how science, culture, politics and business might all interact in this changing psychedelic landscape, and what it all might mean. He also explores what might be happening in the brain during a trip and whether, by studying psychedelics, we might uncover more about consciousness, imagination and even the mysteries of reality itself.This episode looks into the history of psychedelic research. From the “dawn” of psychedelic science in 1799 through to prohibition in the second half of the last century, Tim explores shifting cultural and scientific approaches to substances that induce altered states. There had been a willingness to openly explore the trip experience and to see what might be discovered by doing so. Why did all that become taboo?Contributors: Erika Dyck, historian of psychedelics, University of Saskatchewan Mike Jay, author and cultural historian Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes, philosopher of mind and metaphysics, University of ExeterPresenter: Tim Hayward Producer: Richard Ward Executive Producer: Rosamund Jones Editor: Kirsten LassWritten by Tim Hayward and Richard WardSound Design and Mixing: Richard Ward Production Executive Lisa Lipman Researcher: Grace Revill Commissioning Editor: Daniel ClarkeA Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

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• The Trip: 6. Critical periods

  During the early weeks of the pandemic, Tim Hayward spent 14 days in a coma. He remembers this time vividly – his days and nights filled with strange, incandescent visions and hallucinations. That experience is something he would never choose to revisit but, around the world, large numbers of people are deliberately seeking out powerfully altered states.In this ten-part series, Tim sets out to better understand a group of substances that induce altered states: psychedelics.There’s been a surge of interest in their therapeutic potential for various mental health conditions - as well as a range of other clinical possibilities. As research around the world ramps up after years of taboo and prohibition he tries to get to grips with - or at least get a clearer sense of - how science, culture, politics and business might all interact in this changing psychedelic landscape, and what it all might mean. He also explores what might be happening in the brain during a trip and whether, by studying psychedelics, we might uncover more about consciousness, imagination and even the mysteries of reality itself.This episode features Dr Gül Dölen who is exploring a possible connection between psychedelic trips and how and when humans learn new things. The implications of her research are potentially ground-breaking.Contributors: Eugenia Bone, journalist and author of How to Have a Good Trip Gül Dölen, neuroscientist, University of California, BerkeleyPresenter: Tim Hayward Producer: Richard Ward Executive Producer: Rosamund Jones Editor: Kirsten Lass Written by Tim Hayward and Richard Ward Sound Design and Mixing: Richard Ward Production Executive Lisa Lipman Researcher: Grace Revill Commissioning Editor: Daniel ClarkeA Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

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