Rephonic
Artwork for Brainforest Café

Brainforest Café

SpectreVision Radio
Psychedelics
Ayahuasca
Consciousness
DMT
Terence Mckenna
Artificial Intelligence
Psychedelic Therapy
Coca
Ethnobotany
Huachuma
Plant Medicines
Spirituality
Biodiversity
Sahara Desert Ultramarathon
Indigenous Knowledge
Mental Health
Sound
Spiritual Emergency
Herbalism
Healing

In the Brainforest Café, Dennis McKenna discusses a wide range of topics related to philosophy, plant medicines, psychedelics and consciousness in nature. Guests are invited from diverse fields such as anthropology, neuroscience, and spirituality to explore various aspects of the human experience. Some of the topics that are covered in the Brainforest Café include the history and the role of plant... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes69Founded3 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Natural SciencesPhilosophyScienceSociety & Culture

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Brainforest Café

Latest Episodes

Jonathan Dickinson, CEO and co-founder of Ambio Life Sciences and author of Ibogaine and the Bicameral Mind, returns to the Brainforest Café for part two of his conversation with Dr. Dennis McKenna. Where part one followed the personal journey, this ... more

YouTube

Jonathan Dickinson, co-founder and CEO of Ambio Life Sciences and

founder of Terragnosis, joins Dr. Dennis McKenna on the Brainforest Café

for a conversation about ibogaine, iboga, and the Bwiti tradition of

Gabon.

- - -

Jonathan Dickinson, a Mex... more

YouTube

What if the future of ayahuasca isn’t in the hype cycle, but in safety, tradition, and real transformation? In this conversation, Sam Believ and Dennis McKenna explore Colombia’s overlooked ayahuasca lineage, the importance of set and setting, and wh... more

YouTube

In this conversation, Patricia Eastman and Dennis McKenna explore the deeper meaning of psychedelic healing through the lens of ancestral wisdom, initiation, and nature-based practice. Patricia shares the story behind her book Seeding Consciousness a... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Living Myth
Living MythMichael Meade
THIRD EYE DROPS
THIRD EYE DROPSSpectreVision Radio
Alan Watts Being in the Way
Alan Watts Being in the WayBe Here Now Network / Love Serve Remember Foundation

Recent Guests

Jonathan Dickinson
CEO and co-founder of Ambio Life Sciences; founder of Terragnosis; leading global expert on Ibogaine
Ambio Life Sciences; Terragnosis
Episode: Ibogaine and the Bicameral Mind - Part 1
Sam Believ
Ayahuasca and plant medicine advocate and retreat operator
LaWayra Ayahuasca Retreats
Episode: Inside Colombia’s Top Ayahuasca Retreat
Trisha Eastman
lineage offering, medicine woman, founder of Edson Ancestral Heart
Edson Ancestral Heart / Hu Azores
Episode: Ibogaine, Kintsugi & the Secret to True Healing
Carlos Tanner
Founder of the Ayahuasca Foundation
Ayahuasca Foundation
Episode: Ayahuasca, Science, and Shamanism
Matthew Metcalf
Neuroscientist with a background in medicinal chemistry and pharmacology of opioids and cannabinoids; professor involved in NAMs and plant-based drug testing
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences University, School of Pharmacy, Worcester, Massachusetts
Episode: Can Plants Replace Animals in Drug Testing?
Cedric Baker
Dr. Cedric Baker, ethno-pharmacologist and expert in Thai traditional medicine and ethnopharmacology
Ethno-pharmacology and Thai ethnopharmacology specialist
Episode: The Pharmacy Was Always the Pantry
Jeffrey Gerst
Professor of biology discussing cellular RNA trafficking and microbial/plant genetics
Weizmann Institute of Science
Episode: Can Yeast Save Endangered Psychedelics?
Mattha Busby
Freelance journalist covering drug policy, psychedelics, culture and society
Vice, Wire, Rolling Stone, The Guardian, LA Times, Esquire
Episode: Inside the Front Lines of Psychedelic Journalism
Mandi Astola
Philosopher specializing in epistemology, ethics, and ethics of technology; assistant professor at Delft University of Technology
Delft University of Technology
Episode: Terence McKenna, Psychedelics, and the Philosophy of Knowledge

Host

Dennis McKenna
Host of Brainforest Café; affiliated with McKenna Academy of Natural Philosophy and Brainforest Café network

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 68 ratings
  • Hanging in there

    It’s interesting to hear how motivated everyone is to talk about their transformative experience still..when I made the language of psilocybin and dmt video that I emailed to you after I finished editing it, experts were seeping out of every corner of all media, having some expert knowledge about drug experience..now that time has lost some steam and no of those people are anywhere to be found, psilocybin is still incredible, and more interesting and “less challenging”(ego is reinforced but visu... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    hallucinacious
    United States3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

High-quality guests and deep dives into psychedelic science and policy.
Dense but insightful; appreciates complexity and nuance in topics.
Thoughtful, rigorous and ethically minded discussions with a focus on indigenous knowledge and biocultural contexts.
Consistently offers personal storytelling that enriches scholarly content.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Inside Colombia’s Top Ayahuasca Retreat
Q: Affordability vs. quality is a common tension in ayahuasca retreats. How do you approach pricing to maximize access without compromising safety and integrity?
The goal is to keep prices as affordable as possible without cutting corners—maintaining high safety standards, sustainable sourcing, and experienced staff, while explaining that the healing value justifies a responsible price and offering options that reduce barriers to entry.
Can Plants Replace Animals in Drug Testing?
Q: Can plant assays ever fully replace animal testing, or will they serve as a complementary approach?
The aim is replacement for certain drug classes and specific assays, demonstrating bioequivalence and robust dose-response in plants; however, it may currently serve best as a complementary or transitional approach until plant systems can universally capture all relevant pharmacodynamics.
Can Plants Replace Animals in Drug Testing?
Q: How did you decide to pursue plants as a substitute for animal models in drug testing?
A combination of ethical concerns, the desire to reduce animal testing, and historical work showing that plant-based assays could mirror some animal test outcomes inspired the shift toward plant systems as viable, cheaper, and potentially more informative models.
Inside the Front Lines of Psychedelic Journalism
Q: What can you tell us about the integration of psychedelics into veteran mental health treatment and the ethical concerns around clinics?
Mattha explains that psychedelics show promise for trauma and PTSD among veterans but cautions about safety, ethics, and the need for medical oversight and responsible practice to prevent harm and exploitation in the gray market.
Inside the Front Lines of Psychedelic Journalism
Q: How did your reporting evolve regarding COCA and coca leaf regulation, and what were your takeaways from COCA Summit coverage?
The discussion highlights the mismatch between regulatory statements and on-the-ground realities, the potential for decoupling coca leaf from cocaine in policy, and the role of indigenous knowledge in shaping more sane regulatory frameworks.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Brainforest Café

What is Brainforest Café about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show centers on plant medicines, psychedelics, consciousness, and their intersections with science, philosophy, and culture. Conversations span indigenous knowledge, biomedical research, ethics, and the social implications of psychedelic use, often weaving personal journeys with broader biocultural ecosystems. A standout pattern is the blend of rigorous inquiry and reflective storytelling, featuring researchers, philosophers, journalists, artists, and indigenous-informed practitioners. This mix creates a thoughtful space for exploring how traditional wisdom, modern science, and creative expression can inform responsible, transformative approaches to mental health, spirituality, and ecology.

Where can I find podcast stats for Brainforest Café?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Brainforest Café. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Brainforest Café and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Brainforest Café get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Brainforest Café, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Brainforest Café?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Brainforest Café, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Brainforest Café have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Brainforest Café has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Brainforest Café?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Brainforest Café:

1. The Psychedelic Podcast
2. Living Myth
3. THIRD EYE DROPS
4. Alan Watts Being in the Way
5. Accidental Gods - The Thrutopian Podcast

How many episodes of Brainforest Café are there?

Brainforest Café launched 3 years ago and published 69 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Brainforest Café?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Brainforest Café?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Brainforest Café from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Brainforest Café?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Brainforest Café. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Brainforest Café?

Recent guests on Brainforest Café include:

1. Jonathan Dickinson
2. Sam Believ
3. Trisha Eastman
4. Carlos Tanner
5. Matthew Metcalf
6. Cedric Baker
7. Jeffrey Gerst
8. Mattha Busby

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days