Ep. 183 – Psychedelics: Understanding the Risks and Rewards

Ep. 183 – Psychedelics: Understanding the Risks and Rewards

Author: Ram Dass / Love Serve Remember July 15, 2021 Duration: 50:33

On this episode of Here and Now, Ram Dass breaks down the history of psychedelic use and helps us in understanding the risks and the rewards of these consciousness-altering chemicals.

This episode of Ram Dass’ Here & Now Podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp.

BetterHelp is a professional counseling service done securely online. A convenient and affordable way to find the particular expertise you need – wherever you are worldwide. BetterHelp will assess your needs and match you with your own licensed professional therapist.

As a listener, you’ll get 10% off your first month by visiting our sponsor at BetterHelp.com/ramdass

Join over 1 million people who have taken charge of their mental health.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.


The voice of Ram Dass carries a unique and enduring warmth, a blend of profound spiritual insight and grounded, often humorous, humanity. Ram Dass Here And Now is a curated archive of this wisdom, drawing from a rich tapestry of lectures recorded over four decades. Each episode is a focused journey into themes of consciousness, love, service, and the intricate paths of awakening, all filtered through Ram Dass's distinctive heart-centered perspective. The podcast is presented by the Love Serve Remember Foundation, with longtime friend and director Raghu Markus providing contextual introductions that connect these timeless talks to our contemporary moment. Listeners will find themselves immersed in conversations that weave together Eastern philosophy, particularly from the Hindu and Bhakti traditions, with practical Western psychology, exploring how spiritual principles manifest in everyday life, relationships, and societal challenges. It’s less a formal lecture and more an intimate, meandering dialogue with a wise elder, offering reflections that feel both ancient and immediately relevant. This isn't about dogma, but about the shared, often messy, human experience of seeking meaning and connection. To spend time with this podcast is to encounter a gentle guide, one who points persistently toward the present moment, toward compassion, and toward the recognition of our shared essence.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 307

Ram Dass Here And Now
Podcast Episodes
Ep. 272 – Tuning Up & Tuning In [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:17
In this unique talk from 1970, Ram Dass explores the confluence of dualism and nondualism, how the One and the many exist simultaneously, and why all of life is about tuning up.This episode of Here and Now is the first h…
Ep. 271 – Intuitive Rightness [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:19
Ram Dass shares stories of social action and explores how we can plug into our sense of intuitive rightness so that our every act is in the way of things and in tune with the universe.This episode of Here and Now is from…
Ep. 270 – Ram Dass and Stephen Levine: Transforming Negative Energy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:26
Ram Dass and Stephen Levine take questions from the audience and talk about dealing with fear, appreciating your own unique incarnation, transforming negative energy, and more.This episode of Here and Now is the final pa…
Ep. 269 – Ram Dass and Stephen Levine: An Opportunity to Grow [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:34
Ram Dass and Stephen Levine explore how all the experiences in our lives, including the process of dying, can be an opportunity to grow and awaken out of the illusion of separateness.This episode of Here and Now is part…
Ep. 268 – Ram Dass and Stephen Levine: The Heart of Healing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:09
In this talk from the 1980s, Ram Dass and Stephen Levine come together to explore the heart of healing and encourage us to look with clarity and compassion at the issues of pain and death.Ram Dass Here & Now is brought t…
Ep. 267 – The Mystical Nature of Golf [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:04
In this unique recording from 1995, Ram Dass talks to the Shivas Irons Society about the mystical nature of golf and how he’s using the game as a practice to become more conscious.Today's show is sponsored by Magic Mind,…
Ep. 266 – Ram Dass and Timothy Leary: Scenarios and Myths [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:19
At this rowdy Q&A session from their 20-year reunion event at Harvard, Ram Dass and Timothy Leary answer questions and banter about the scenarios and myths surrounding our lives.Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by B…
Ep. 265 – Ram Dass and Timothy Leary: No Signposts [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:35
In this talk from their 20-year reunion at Harvard, Timothy Leary reflects on the journey he and Ram Dass shared as they explored the boundaries of consciousness with no signposts to guide them.Ram Dass Here & Now is bro…
Ep. 264 – Ram Dass and Timothy Leary: The Explorer’s Club [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:43
In this talk from his 20-year reunion with Timothy Leary at Harvard University in 1983, Ram Dass shares some reflections about psychedelics and being part of the old Explorer’s Club.Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you…
Ep. 263 – When Worlds Collide [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:33
Ram Dass leads a guided meditation centered on compassion and then conducts a fast-paced Q&A session on topics such as world peace, reincarnation, and dealing with teenagers.Ram Dass Here & Now is brought to you by Bette…