The Psychonaut Show Podcast By John Burton MD and Tracy Sidesinger PsyD cover art

The Psychonaut Show

The Psychonaut Show

By: John Burton MD and Tracy Sidesinger PsyD
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The Psychonaut Show is a podcast exploring the interface of psychedelics and psychoanalysis, guiding curious minds on a journey deeper into the unconscious, self-discovery, and change. Join psychoanalysts Dr. John Burton and Dr. Tracy Sidesinger as we explore these different modalities and what they have to offer each other. We regularly host special guests who bring additional expertise as psychedelic researchers, clinicians, historians, and spiritual teachers. If you are a psychoanalyst or other mental health clinician, a psychedelic researcher or user, or just psychedelic-curious, this podcast is for you!© 2026 The Psychonaut Show John Burton, MD and Tracy Sidesinger, PsyD Hygiene & Healthy Living Personal Development Personal Success Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Science Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Dr. Megan Rundel on Expanded States of Consciousness

    Dr. Megan Rundel on Expanded States of Consciousness
    Mar 10 2026
    In this episode, we speak with clinical psychologist, psychoanalyst, and Zen teacher Dr. Megan Rundel about her work at the intersection of psychoanalysis, psychedelics, and spirituality. Drawing on her recent paper “Expansion and Regression in Oceanic Experience: A Model of Psychedelic Consciousness for Psychoanalysis,” Dr. Megan explores how psychedelic states and psychoanalytic treatment approach psychological terrain in ways that are both contrasting and complementary. The conversation examines how psychedelic experiences can disrupt entrenched psychological patterns—often linked to the brain’s default mode network—while psychoanalysis provides the slower, relational framework needed to understand and integrate those experiences. Dr. Megan also discusses the role of the unconscious, transference, and ethical “frame” in psychedelic work, and argues that psychoanalytic thinking can deepen the field beyond its current short-term clinical models. Finally, the discussion turns toward expansive states of consciousness often described as mystical or oceanic—experiences of interconnectedness, ego expansion, and love—and how psychoanalysis might develop a richer language for understanding them. Episode Links: - Dr. Megan Rundel's article Expansion and Regression in Oceanic Experience https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10481885.2025.2574581 - Learn more about Dr. Megan Rundel on her website: https://www.drmeganrundel.com/
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Dr. Jeffrey Guss on the Lost History of Psychedelics in Psychoanalysis

    Dr. Jeffrey Guss on the Lost History of Psychedelics in Psychoanalysis
    Feb 25 2026
    In this episode, Dr. Jeffrey Guss shares his journey in psychedelics starting as a curious 14-year-old during the Summer of Love, to becoming a leading researcher and trainer in psychedelic therapy. We break down the historical relationship between psychoanalysis and psychedelics -- from the 1950's psycholytic therapy with LSD to criminalization in the 1970's through the Controlled Substances Act -- and explore how psychedelic substances can address a myriad of things from mystical spiritual experiences to existential anxiety in cancer patients. The forgotten history of psychedelics in psychoanalysis comes to light through Dr. Jeff's careful attention to the historical record. Episode links: - Dr. Jeffrey Guss, Lead Trainer at Fluence https://www.fluencetraining.com/about/team/dr-jeffrey-guss - Dr. Jeffrey Guss's publications on psycholytic and psychedelic-assisted therapy https://med.nyu.edu/faculty/jeffrey-r-guss
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    Less than 1 minute
  • Dr. Alexa Albert on Treating Narcissism with MDMA

    Dr. Alexa Albert on Treating Narcissism with MDMA
    Feb 10 2026

    In the first interview episode of The Psychonaut Show, hosts Dr. John and Dr. Tracy welcome Dr. Alexa Albert. Dr. Alexa’s clinical work focuses on the enduring psychological patterns shaped by early relational trauma, particularly pathological narcissism. This episode centers on Dr. Alexa’s groundbreaking work leading the first clinical trial to investigate MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for pathological narcissism.

    Dr. Alexa discusses the importance of integrating psychedelic treatment with psychotherapy, and how psychoanalytic therapy is particularly suited to this work. She explains why models that separate medicine from sustained therapeutic relationships risk leaving patients emotionally exposed without adequate support. For individuals with narcissistic defenses, she argues, the therapeutic alliance itself is central. MDMA, in her view, does not replace the work of therapy but enhances it.

    Dr. Alexa addresses common misconceptions about narcissism, reframing it not as excessive self-love but as a condition rooted in profound feelings of unworthiness, invisibility, and unmet relational needs. She describes how narcissistic defenses develop as adaptive responses to unsafe early environments and how MDMA-assisted therapy may help patients access buried vulnerability and foster profound relational openness, experiences that would otherwise take years to reach in conventional psychoanalysis. She weaves together psychoanalysis, trauma theory, and psychedelic science, offering a thoughtful and humane vision for how these medicines might expand the possibilities of deep psychological healing.

    Episode Links:
    - Alexa Albert's website https://www.alexaalbert.com/
    - Information on Dr. Alexa's current pilot study for treating pathological narcissism with MDMA-assisted therapy https://depts.washington.edu/mdma-narcissism/
    - Dr. Alexa's co-authored paper providing the rationale for MDMA-assisted therapy as an appropriate, targeted treatment for pathological narcissism https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1529427/full
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    Less than 1 minute
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