Society & Culture
James W. Jesso is a Canadian-born author, public speaker, educator, storyteller, podcast host and psychonaut. His work is inspired by his healing path through depression, substance abuse, and trauma, and focuses on translating the profound insights of the psychedelic experience into a higher quality of life, for both the individual and society. Since 2011 he’s delivered more than one hundred public speaking events spanning across eleven different countries. His two books, 'Decomposing The Shadow' and 'The True Light Of Darkness', present a model for working with the ‘magic’ psilocybin mushroom as an ally in personal transformation and developing psycho-spiritual maturity. His articles, essays, interviews and lectures go far beyond just the psychedelic experience covering topics such as psychology, relationships, spirituality, consciousness, sexuality, nutrition and brain health. His ‘Adventures Through The Mind’ podcast and youtube channel, is an effort to contribute to the psychedelic culture at large. Featuring interviews with luminaries in science, art, and culture across a range of disciplines, this platform expands his work into a more broad exploration of progressive social developments, and the potential role psychedelics might play within them. 00:00 Trailer 00:30 Introduction 02:20 James’ early life 03:30 James on what he was like as a child 05:50 Processing early childhood experiences 09:50 James on his aspirations 12:20 When did things in James’ life begin to change? 21:30 How would James describe a psychedelic experience to someone that’s never had one? 22:00 James’ most positive experience 24:40 How was James perceiving reality before vs after? 28:10 James on his worldview 29:05 The mainstream perception of psychedelics 36:00 In what way would the world be different if everyone had a psychedelic experience? 42:00 James’ thoughts on the term ‘God’ 43:50 Advice James would give to anyone looking to self-fund their work 47:20 James on his purpose 50:20 James’ thoughts on death 54:50 James on the meaning of life 58:30 James on his legacy 1:00:00 James’ vision for his brand 1:04:00 James on his Fox News interview 1:07:10 How does James define success? 1:09:30 Best piece of advice 1:10:20 Speaking to 20 year old self 1:10:50 Changing the world You can find James at: https://www.jameswjesso.com/ https://www.facebook.com/jameswjesso https://twitter.com/jameswjesso https://www.instagram.com/jameswjesso/ https://www.youtube.com/c/AdventuresThroughTheMind https://www.reddit.com/r/ATTMindPodcast/