The Shadow Side of the Psychedelic Renaissance with Dr. Richard Louis Miller
59m | Jul 22, 2026This week on The Conscious Consultant Hour, Sam welcomes Dr. Richard Louis Miller, clinical psychologist for more than 65 years, bestselling author, and host of the internet radio broadcast Mind, Body, Health & Politics.
Dr. Miller is the founder of the internationally acclaimed Cokenders Alcohol and Drug Program and the creator and chief clinician of the Health Sanctuary at Wilbur Hot Springs, California. He has served on the faculty of the University of Michigan and Stanford University, as an advisor on the President's Commission on Mental Health, as a founding board member of the Gestalt Institute of San Francisco, and on the national board of directors of the Marijuana Policy Project.
His new book, The Adverse Effects and Therapeutic Potential of Psychedelic Medicines, arrives in a moment when the psychedelic conversation urgently needs the full story rather than the sanitized one.
What makes Dr. Miller's new work distinct is his willingness to look at both sides of the medicine. Drawing together insights from world experts in psychiatry, neuroscience, and psychedelic research, the book goes where most others do not: into side effects, integration challenges, and the cases where psychedelic use has caused real harm. It also offers evidence-based guidance on how these substances can still be used safely and effectively in a therapeutic context. Coming from one of the earliest advocates for psychedelic research, this is not the voice of caution from the outside. It is the voice of someone who has spent decades inside the conversation, watching what works, what does not, and what happens when reverence gives way to hype.
Together, Sam and Dr. Miller explore what an honest, mature relationship with psychedelic medicine looks like in this moment. They discuss the ground where science, spirituality, and public policy meet, the conditions that support genuine healing and the ones that quietly increase risk, and the responsibility of practitioners and participants alike as these medicines return to public life. Dr. Miller brings the perspective of an elder who has walked with these substances since long before the current renaissance and who is unafraid to name both their promise and their shadow.
Tune in and share your own questions and comments about the challenges around psychedelics on our YouTube livestream or on our Facebook page.
https://www.mindbodyhealthpolitics.org/
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