web02.fireside.fm Sun, 19 Apr 2026 23:36:03 -0500 Fireside (https://fireside.fm) Altered Mates - Episodes Tagged with “Neuroscience” https://www.alteredmates.com/tags/neuroscience Wed, 05 Nov 2025 06:00:00 +0800 Altered Mates is a podcast where two mates, each fascinated by altered states, meet to discuss the psychedelic experience and its implications for society, culture, health, science, and philosophy. Alejandro is novelist and a teacher of english and psychology. Tobias is an academic and a lecturer in social work and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Our conversations are always grounded in our own direct experiences with a range of ‘altered’ states of consciousness. Hero of the podcast, William James, suggests that, “Our normal waking consciousness… is but one special type of consciousness, whilst all about it, parted from it by the filmiest of screens, there lie potential forms of consciousness entirely different… No account of the universe in its totality can be final which leaves these other forms of consciousness quite disregarded.” You could say that we are trying to construct a better account of our universe, and we are taking James’ advice to heart, by seriously regarding those “other” forms of consciousness. Through our research and our subsequent discussions, we seek to find, update, and/or create, working models of the mind, and of reality, that help us to make sense of our world. We endeavour to integrate our own psychedelic experiences through the power of conversation. But we also seek to integrate the revelations of “the” psychedelic experience, and come to terms with the implications, from cultural, philosophical, and spiritual perspectives. Having said all that, we’re also just two normal blokes who enjoy each other’s company. And our fancy Socratic dialogues are filtered through our own unique brand of Australian banter. After all, we’re just two mates trying to enjoy our limited time on this planet, and to create a more meaningful life for ourselves and our community while we’re here. en-us episodic Two mates navigating altered states Altered Mates Altered Mates is a podcast where two mates, each fascinated by altered states, meet to discuss the psychedelic experience and its implications for society, culture, health, science, and philosophy. Alejandro is novelist and a teacher of english and psychology. Tobias is an academic and a lecturer in social work and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Our conversations are always grounded in our own direct experiences with a range of ‘altered’ states of consciousness. Hero of the podcast, William James, suggests that, “Our normal waking consciousness… is but one special type of consciousness, whilst all about it, parted from it by the filmiest of screens, there lie potential forms of consciousness entirely different… No account of the universe in its totality can be final which leaves these other forms of consciousness quite disregarded.” You could say that we are trying to construct a better account of our universe, and we are taking James’ advice to heart, by seriously regarding those “other” forms of consciousness. Through our research and our subsequent discussions, we seek to find, update, and/or create, working models of the mind, and of reality, that help us to make sense of our world. We endeavour to integrate our own psychedelic experiences through the power of conversation. But we also seek to integrate the revelations of “the” psychedelic experience, and come to terms with the implications, from cultural, philosophical, and spiritual perspectives. Having said all that, we’re also just two normal blokes who enjoy each other’s company. And our fancy Socratic dialogues are filtered through our own unique brand of Australian banter. After all, we’re just two mates trying to enjoy our limited time on this planet, and to create a more meaningful life for ourselves and our community while we’re here. yes altered states, psychedelics, ayahuasca, DMT, therapy, mushrooms, magic, spiritual, spirituality, religion Altered Mates alejandro.tuama@outlook.com Episode 30: Where are my minds? On the Left Brain / Right Brain Divide https://www.alteredmates.com/30 2794ee7b-0a11-4416-ae3b-ec7f4f196cb1 Wed, 05 Nov 2025 06:00:00 +0800 Altered Mates full Altered Mates In this episode we go on a journey into the two hemispheres of the brain. 2:29:07 yes In this episode we go on a journey into the two hemispheres of the brain. Using a recent Substack post—an interview Ana Lund conducted with Dr. Pascal Vrticka—as a framing device we explore the ongoing debate concerning hemispheric lateralisation, or in other language: the left brain and the right brain. Wanting to dispel a few myths about the left brain / right brain divide, we each expected, when we began our research, to maintain our existing position that hemispheric lateralisation is largely oversimplified. And to a certain extent we do maintain this position. But we both ended up curiously compelled by the complexities we found. Alejandro brings in research from Ian McGilchrist and speculation from Philip K. Dick after following a curious synchronicity that emerged via his studies. And Tobias brings in research from a psychotherapeutic context from Allan Schore. The result is a fascinating discussion that ends up in territory neither of us predicted. References Ana Lund & Dr. Pascal Vrticka: So Happy Together: Deconstructing The Right Brain/Left Brain Myth (https://neuroscienceandpsy.substack.com/p/so-happy-together-deconstructing?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=2932106&post_id=162185790&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=2vca4g&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email) (2025) Allan Schore: Right brain-to-right brain psychotherapy: recent scientific and clinical advances (https://annals-general-psychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12991-022-00420-3) (2022) Dr Iain McGilchrist: Can the divided brain tell us anything about the ultimate nature of reality? (https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/docs/default-source/members/sigs/spirituality-spsig/resources/iain-mcgilchrist-can-the-divided-brain-tell-us-anything-about-the-ultimate-nature-of-reality.pdf?sfvrsn=a1e381e1_2) (2011) Philip K. Dick: Man, Android and Machine (https://philipdick.com/mirror/websites/pkdweb/Man,%20Android%20and%20Machine.htm) (1975) Sander L. Koole and Wolfgang Tschacher: Synchrony in Psychotherapy: A Review and an Integrative Framework for the Therapeutic Alliance (https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00862/full) (2016) Altered Mates — Episode 2 — “Take it easy, dude…” (https://www.alteredmates.com/2) & Episode 3 — ...but take it! (https://www.alteredmates.com/3) Pixies — Where is My Mind? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJ62RzJkYUo) Metallica — Master of Puppets (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0ozmU9cJDg&list=RDE0ozmU9cJDg&start_radio=1) Links Altered Mates Website (https://www.alteredmates.com) Altered Mates Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/altered.mates/) Altered Mates Substack (https://tobiaspenno.substack.com) Altered Mates Patreon (https://patreon.com/AlteredMates?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink) Music for the show by Si Mulumby (https://www.instagram.com/wildmarmalade/?hl=en) A Glimpse of Eternity by Alejandro Tuama Purchase the novel here (https://books2read.com/u/m2eWjG) (hard copy, ebook and audiobook). Listen to the free serialised audiobook here (https://www.patreon.com/collection/560595?view=expanded). brain, hemispheres, psychology, synchronicity, Jung, mental health, DMT, ayahuasca, psychedelic, trip, psychonaut, altered states, altered mates, mysticism, mystical, magic, magick, The Craft In this episode we go on a journey into the two hemispheres of the brain. Using a recent Substack post—an interview Ana Lund conducted with Dr. Pascal Vrticka—as a framing device we explore the ongoing debate concerning hemispheric lateralisation, or in other language: the left brain and the right brain.

Wanting to dispel a few myths about the left brain / right brain divide, we each expected, when we began our research, to maintain our existing position that hemispheric lateralisation is largely oversimplified. And to a certain extent we do maintain this position. But we both ended up curiously compelled by the complexities we found.

Alejandro brings in research from Ian McGilchrist and speculation from Philip K. Dick after following a curious synchronicity that emerged via his studies. And Tobias brings in research from a psychotherapeutic context from Allan Schore. The result is a fascinating discussion that ends up in territory neither of us predicted.

References

Links

Altered Mates Website

Altered Mates Instagram

Altered Mates Substack

Altered Mates Patreon

Music for the show by Si Mulumby

A Glimpse of Eternity by Alejandro Tuama

  • Purchase the novel here (hard copy, ebook and audiobook).
  • Listen to the free serialised audiobook here.
]]> In this episode we go on a journey into the two hemispheres of the brain. Using a recent Substack post—an interview Ana Lund conducted with Dr. Pascal Vrticka—as a framing device we explore the ongoing debate concerning hemispheric lateralisation, or in other language: the left brain and the right brain.

Wanting to dispel a few myths about the left brain / right brain divide, we each expected, when we began our research, to maintain our existing position that hemispheric lateralisation is largely oversimplified. And to a certain extent we do maintain this position. But we both ended up curiously compelled by the complexities we found.

Alejandro brings in research from Ian McGilchrist and speculation from Philip K. Dick after following a curious synchronicity that emerged via his studies. And Tobias brings in research from a psychotherapeutic context from Allan Schore. The result is a fascinating discussion that ends up in territory neither of us predicted.

References

Links

Altered Mates Website

Altered Mates Instagram

Altered Mates Substack

Altered Mates Patreon

Music for the show by Si Mulumby

A Glimpse of Eternity by Alejandro Tuama

  • Purchase the novel here (hard copy, ebook and audiobook).
  • Listen to the free serialised audiobook here.
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