Health & Fitness

Plants of the Gods: Hallucinogens, Healing, Culture and Conservation podcast

by Mark Plotkin, Ph.D.

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Latest episodes

Plants of the Gods: S8E9 Vanilla: The Forgotten History of the World's Most Beloved Flavor

June 15, 2026 · 30 min

Vanilla is one of the world's most beloved flavors, but its history is far more complex than most people realize. In this episode of Plants of the Gods, we trace vanilla's journey from its origins in Mexico to its rise as a global…
Plants of the Gods: S8E8 Vanilla, Pseudocopulation and Darwin's Favorite Orchid

June 1, 2026 · 32 min

Vanilla is anything but plain. In fact, this orchid might be one of the sexiest plant in the rainforest. In this episode, Dr. Mark Plotkin traces the ethnobotanical history of vanilla, first used by pre-Columbian cultures in Central…
Plants of the Gods: S8E7 Rosa Vásquez Espinoza: Between Indigenous Knowledge and Western Science

May 18, 2026 · 52 min

How do Indigenous knowledge and Western science come together in the study of nature and plant medicine? Dr. Rosa Vásquez Espinoza, a chemical biologist and author of The Spirit of the Rainforest, joins Dr. Mark Plotkin…
Plants of the Gods: S8E6 Richard Evans Schultes' Legacy — Where Science Meets the Sacred

May 4, 2026 · 29 min

Wade Davis, celebrated author and anthropologist, joins Mark Plotkin for a personal reflection on the life and legacy of legendary ethnobotanist Richard Evans Schultes. Davis traces Schultes' journey from his transformative encounter with…
Plants of the Gods S8E5: The Ethnobotany of Coca with Dr. Wade Davis

April 20, 2026 · 36 min

Mark Plotkin sits down with Wade Davis — author of One River, Lost Amazon, and dozens more — for a deep dive into one of South America's most misunderstood and miraculous plants. Drawing on their shared history working alongside the…

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Plants of the Gods: S8E4 The research behind microdosing and medicine (Dr. Pamela Kryskow, Part 2)

April 6, 2026 · 39 min

In this episode, we're bringing you the second half of our conversation with Dr. Pamela Kryskow. A co-leader of the largest study on microdosing, she shares what researchers are beginning to understand about how psychedelic plants…
Plants of the Gods: S8E3 Can Psychedelics Treat "Incurable" Trauma? (Dr. Pamela Kryskow, Part 1)

March 23, 2026 · 28 min

How can psylocibin be used to help patients work through traumas that once seemed untreatable? Dr. Pamela Kryskow, a self-described "fungi person" and a scientist, is helping to answer this question and others about the health potential of…
Plants of the Gods: S8E2 Dennis McKenna on new discoveries and emerging psychedelic science (part 2)

March 9, 2026 · 30 min

This is a special joint episode of Plants of the Gods and Brainforest Café. Host Dr. Mark Plotkin continues his conversation with ethnopharmacologist Dr. Dennis McKenna. They reflect on the origins and impact of the ESPD conferences…
Plants of the Gods: S8E1 Dennis McKenna on the remarkable Amazonian plants that shape human consciousness (part 1)

February 23, 2026 · 41 min

This is a special joint episode of Plants of the Gods and Brainforest Café. Plants are virtuoso chemists. Some create molecules that closely resemble the neurotransmitters shaping human consciousness — a mystery that fascinates…
Coming Soon: Plants of the Gods Season 8

February 19, 2026 · 1 min

Season 8 kicks off February 23 with an interview featuring Dennis McKenna, PhD — a renowned ethnopharmacologist who has spent more than 40 years researching the therapeutic potential of Amazonian plant medicines. Stay tuned for the full…
Plants of the Gods: S7E10. When Plants Speak: Exploring Ayahuasca with Rebekah Senanayake

October 8, 2025 · 41 min

Join Plants of the Gods as we explore the mysteries of ayahuasca with ethnobotanist Rebekah Senanayake. Through years of fieldwork with traditional indigenous masters in the northwest Amazon, Rebekah has learned how people connect with…
Plants of the Gods: S7E9. Spice - A New Book by Roger Crowley

September 24, 2025 · 18 min

In this episode of Plants of the Gods, ethnobotanist Dr. Mark Plotkin takes us on a sweeping journey through the epic history of the spice trade—one of the most transformative chapters in global history. From ancient trade routes and…

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About the show

"Plants of the Gods: Hallucinogens, Healing, Culture and Conservation" is a new and unique podcast focusing on the hallucinogenic plants and fungi whose impact on world culture and religion – and healing potential - is only now beginning to be appreciated as never before. Unlike other podcasts relating to these issues, "Plants of the Gods" is hosted by renowned ethnobotanist Dr. Mark Plotkin, a Harvard and Yale-trained scientist who has been studying the healing plants and shamans of the Amazon rainforest for almost four decades. An award-winning scientist and best selling author, Dr, Plotkin is a spellbinding storyteller who will be speaking from personal experience and will be joined by other leaders in the field.