PT 628 - Kyle Buller and Joe Moore - Breathwork, Community, Creativity, and Fresh Psychedelic Research

Joe and Kyle debrief a hometown Dreamshadow Transpersonal Breathwork weekend in Breckenridge, then sketch the next chapter for Psychedelics Today: a community-centric model (Navigators) that bundles education, live streams, book and film clubs, and small-group access. They kick around the big “creativity + psychedelics” question, contrast subjective “I feel creative” with objective task performance, and highlight new research—from DMT’s potential in stroke recovery to breathwork’s measurable effects. They wrap with quick hits on MAPS leadership, state policy moves, and what’s coming up at PT this fall.

Highlights & takeaways

• Breathwork > substance? A reminder that profound states are accessible without drugs; benefits of facilitating at home (rested facilitators = safer, better containers).

• What is “shamanism,” really? A functional frame: non-ordinary states, interaction with the unseen, and service (healing/divination).

• Community > one-off courses: PT is shifting toward a monthly membership model to keep prices accessible, deepen relationships, and sustain more free content.

• Creativity debate: Double-blind study (DMT + harmine vs harmine vs placebo) suggests impaired convergent thinking despite increased felt creativity; how to define and measure “creativity” fairly, and other research outcomes might tell a different story.

• Whitehead & novelty: A quick tour through Alfred North Whitehead’s notion of “creativity” as the principle of novelty—useful language for mapping psychedelic insight to real-world change.

• Neuro + clinical frontiers:

  • DMT for stroke (animal models): BBB stabilization and reduced neuroinflammation signal a promising adjunct to current care.

  • Cluster headaches: Emerging reports on short-acting DMT for rapidly aborting cluster cycles; more data coming soon.

  • Breathwork science: New imaging work associates music-supported hyperventilatory breathwork with blissful affect and shifts in blood flow.

News & culture mentioned

• MAPS leadership: Betty Aldworth & Ismail (Izzy) Ali named permanent Co-Executive Directors.

• Policy snapshots: Colorado Natural Medicine Board recommending ibogaine (with Nagoya-compliance requirement); Alaska signature gathering; Massachusetts activity.

• Media & scene: Hamilton’s recent appearances; contamination concerns in some “psilocybin” products; “psychedelics tick far more neurons than expected” paper; mixed findings for postpartum depression.