Considerations for Safety When Working with 5-MeO-DMT with Joël Brierre

In this episode of the Psychedelic Medicine Podcast, Joël Brierre joins to discuss the important topic of safety when working with 5-MeO-DMT. Joël is the founder and CEO Tandava Retreats and co-founder of the 5-MeO-DMT education and training platform F.I.V.E. Joël and his team are focused on shepherding 5-MeO into the world in a safe and effective manner. 

In this conversation, Joël shares his expertise on the screening that should be done prior to 5-MeO-DMT experiences, discussing both physical and psychological considerations. He also talks about synthetic 5-MeO-DMT vs the extract from the Bufo alvarius toad and explains why his retreat center only uses the synthetic version. In closing, he discusses the nuances around drug-drug interactions and how he navigates these with participants, exploring the nuances of the pharmacology involved.  

In this episode:

• What inspired Joël to start F.I.V.E.
• The physical medical considerations when screening patients for 5-MeO-DMT
• Why it is theorized that 5-MeO-DMT could trigger conditions like multiple sclerosis to recur 
• Psychological red flags for people seeking 5-MeO-DMT experiences
• Joël's thoughts on navigating psychedelic narcissism
• Safety considerations working with patients with significant trauma
• Determining the dosage of 5-MeO-DMT and why Joël thinks there's a lot of value in lower doses
• Alternative routes of administration for 5-MeO-DMT other than smoking

Quotes:

"It's very important to us that [5-MeO-DMT] is shepherded out into the world in a safe and effective way, with a good understanding of how it can go wrong—because another bad headline can really harm the progress that it has seen." [7:14]

"Where we used to feel you really had to work your way up to 5[MeO-DMT], we found with the right amount of prep and with a good individualized approach it's right for anyone—as long as they're in the right place for it. So if they make it through the screening and intake process, we're good to go."  [23:09]

"There's no need to turn it into a goal-oriented thing where [the participant] needs to get to a full release. We see plenty of full resolutions happen where we never even have to take a participant to a mystical experience." [29:43]

Links:

Tandava Retreats website

F.I.V.E. website

Previous episode: How to Choose a Psychedelic Facilitator or Retreat Center with Joël Brierre

Previous episode: Navigating Psychedelic Narcissism with Adam Aronovich

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