June 23, 2026

The Psychedelic Renaissance: What to Know Before You Journey | with Zappy Zapolin [Video]

Show Notes

What if the most important part of a psychedelic experience isn't the journey at all — but what you do when you come home?

In this episode, Harmony Slater and co-host Russell Case sit down with Zappy Zapolin, entrepreneur, filmmaker, and founder of Psychedelic Concierge, an educational platform for training facilitators in preparation, holding space, and integration. Zappy directed the documentary The Reality of Truth, which features voices from across the consciousness and wellness world.

Together they explore the “psychedelic renaissance” unfolding alongside AI: the difference between substances like ayahuasca, ibogaine, San Pedro, and medically supervised ketamine; why set, setting, and belief shape everything; and why integration may matter more than the experience itself. Harmony and Russell also share, honestly, their own recent first ayahuasca ceremony and what surfaced.

This is a frank, adult conversation about consciousness, trauma, addiction recovery, and the ethics of guiding others through altered states. It's offered for reflection and education — not as medical advice, and not as encouragement to use substances that remain illegal in many places.

In this episode

Why Zappy calls this “the greatest moment in human history”
Set, setting, and the role of your worldview in shaping an experience
Why integration — not the journey — is where the real work happens
The distinct “personalities” of different plant medicines
Medically supervised ketamine vs. recreational misuse — and why the distinction matters
Holding space ethically: the case for trained facilitators over the “garage shaman”
How yoga and meditation relate to (and differ from) plant-medicine work
Harmony and Russell's reflections on their own ceremony and the value of preparation

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