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What happens when the brain temporarily lets go of the identity, memories, and personal story that make you feel like “you”?
In this episode of the Longevity & Lifestyle Podcast, Claudia speaks with Tommaso Barba, psychedelic researcher at Imperial College London, whose work explores consciousness, ego dissolution, 5-MeO-DMT, mental health, relationships, and the nature of the self.
Tommaso explains why psychedelics are returning to mainstream science after decades of prohibition, how psilocybin, LSD, DMT, 5-MeO-DMT, MDMA, ketamine, and ibogaine differ, and why pharmaceutical companies are now investing heavily in psychedelic medicine.
They examine the limitations of conventional psychiatric treatment, including the idea that depression is simply a chemical imbalance, and explore why psychedelic experiences may reach psychological, emotional, social, and spiritual dimensions that existing medications often do not address.
Tommaso also shares his personal high-dose psilocybin experience, describing the dissolution of his identity, a sense of boundless awareness, and the challenge of returning to ordinary life after experiencing profound presence and connection.
This conversation does not present psychedelics as casual shortcuts. It explores the importance of preparation, set and setting, skilled facilitation, integration, contraindications, and the cultural structures needed to support these powerful experiences safely.
IN THIS EPISODE
• Why psychedelics are entering mainstream medicine
• How psychedelic research was halted for decades
• Psilocybin, LSD, DMT, 5-MeO-DMT, MDMA, ketamine, and ibogaine
• Why depression is more complex than a chemical imbalance
• How set, setting, and integration shape outcomes
• Why unsupported psychedelic use can become destabilizing
• How 5-MeO-DMT is being used to study consciousness
• What ego dissolution can feel like
• Neuroplasticity, psychological flexibility, and mental health
• Who may not be suitable for psychedelic treatment
• Psychedelics, intimacy, sexuality, and relationships
• The future of psychedelic medicine and psychiatry
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction
02:28 Psychedelics enter the pharmaceutical mainstream
05:27 Why psychedelic research was banned
10:12 The major psychedelic compounds explained
12:46 Why modern psychiatry needs new approaches
15:34 Set, setting, and altered states
18:56 Why support and integration matter
20:23 Tommaso’s path into psychedelic research
22:41 Psychedelics, religion, and The Immortality Key
24:46 Using 5-MeO-DMT to study consciousness
26:37 What happens when the self dissolves?
27:49 Depression, neuroplasticity, and 5-MeO-DMT
30:47 Psychedelics for depression, PTSD, and addiction
32:39 Why psychedelics are not for everyone
34:02 Tommaso’s experience of ego dissolution
39:12 Psychedelics, intimacy, and relationships
42:35 The future of psychedelic medicine
44:16 Final message: stay curious
#TommasoBarba #Psychedelics #PsychedelicScience #Psilocybin #5MeODMT #MentalHealth #Consciousness #Neuroplasticity
