#73 John Moos, MD discusses his transition from trauma surgeon to psychedelic healer including research and current status of psychedelics for healing in the US

Dr John Moos, MD discusses his transition from trauma surgeon to psychedelic healer- the unifying factor being proximity to trauma. He notes the trauma he initially treated with surgery most typically occurs within a container of many other traumas- social, political and economic violence, resource scarcity, fear, addiction, intergenerational traumas, ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and others. His (to-be) wife looked at him one day and said “I wonder if it’s possible to heal it before it happens”, meaning, is there a way to pre-emptively address the container of trauma before the physical trauma results as the outward explosion of inner distress. Dr Moos was hooked. He completed personal experiences with plant medicine and trainings with the Psychedelic Research and Training Institute (PRATI), California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), and the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) for their MDMA (3,4-Methyl
enedioxy
methamphetamine) protocol and now runs MoosMD.com to offer service to people with psychedelic medicine.

In this episode, we start with a discussion about trauma. Trauma can even be created in as simple moment as a mis-attunement with a parent as a child in a critical moment and we all experience various levels of trauma throughout the lifespan. Psychedelics can be a tool (not a panacea) to understand the impact of our history on our current, daily moment. It’s the alignment and integration of your three lenses of understanding: cognition (head), somatic (heart) and embodiment (intuition).

Dr Moos recognizes that psychedelics give us a chance to step to the side of our default mode network which can also be described as a type of our identity of our consciousness. Our conversation ranges to the benefits of relationship to help us access our consciousness (this is the definition of Tantra) and these relationships can be our mind to ourselves, us to our container, or us to each other.

Then, we dive into the current research and legal perspectives about the various psychedelics- ketamine, MDMA, psilocybin, LSD and other plant medicines for treatment resistant depression, anxiety, stress, PTSD and others. He reviews the importance of set and setting which recognizes that intentional and introspective work versus the external recreation of these medicines when they are used in a non-monitored ‘party’ state. As therapy, this is to dissolve ego boundaries to better understand yourself.

We also review the chemical nature and physiological impact of these medicines including the specific activities in the brain and the impacts on our neurobiology.

Is anybody damaged beyond repair? Is any person too traumatized to heal? On being asked this question, Dr Moos offers a compassionate and insightful response about the power of our neuroplasticity as well as the tremendously oppressive conditions of social, political and economic injustice and the persistent squeeze of growing pollution and climate change.

We close this show with a description about the Ketamine Assisted Therapy (KAP) process and what to look for in finding a safe and insightful session.

What I love about this show is that while we talk about ketamine and other psychedelics as a medicinal tool, this show is really about the nature of healing and reality.

Find out more about Dr Moos & his practice at https://moosmd.com/