Dec 23, 2020
This episode explores the rise of self-styled “thought leaders”
within the psychedelic community, using Anand Giridharadas’ book
“Winners Take All” as a jumping off point. Although people have
been on the conference circuit for years, the recent explosion of
capital investments means that there’s an unprecedented potential
for money, celebrity, and status in the space.
The thought leader proposes quick fixes that are palatable to the
people who are in positions of power, who then seek to privatize
those “solutions” while enriching themselves along the way. While
they talk about leading the way to meaningful change, they’re
really just focusing on the symptoms—and getting paid while they’re
doing that.
Corporate consulting firms like McKinsey & Co typify this dynamic
as they propose “solutions” that do little more than enrich
themselves and their corporate paymasters.
While psychedelic “thought leaders” offer up their ideas as
solutions to the world’s problems, we take a look at how the
“thought leader” cozies up to power under capitalism in a way that
perpetuates the status quo.
Support the show on Patreon. Co-hosts: Brian Normand, Neşe Devenot, David Nickles, Brian Pace, Russell Hausfeld. Editor: Matt Payne
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