Interviews
EntheoWheel Introduction with Françoise Bourzat
Françoise Bourzat welcomes us to the opening experience of EntheoWheel where we explore the ceremony and science of psilocybin.
FAR OUT #130 ~ Françoise Bourzat on the Healing Power of Expanded States of Consciousness
FAR OUT: Adventures in Unconventional Living
Françoise has dedicated her life to guiding others through expanded states of consciousness, particularly with the help of the sacred mushroom. She is the author of the extraordinary book Consciousness Medicine: Indigenous Wisdom, Entheogens and Expanded States of Consciousness for Healing and Growth. In this conversation she shares with us her own journey as a healer, her experience working with psychedelics, and the healing power of expanded states of consciousness
Bioneers 2021 Panel Discussion – Sacred Medicines, Creativity, Evolution & the Paradigm Shift
I was honored to participate in this Bioneers 2020 Panel Session titled “Sacred Medicines, Creativity, Evolution & the Paradigm Shift”! In this panel, I spoke with other panelists knowledgeable about the changing legal and social landscape of consciousness-expanding substances.
In this panel, we also discussed the dangers, risks, and possibilities of new pharmaceutical applications of these substances whose power has been harnessed by Indigenous peoples for generations.
Françoise Bourzat on Consciousness Medicine (#131)
CHITHEADS from Embodied Philosophy
Françoise Bourzat has been bridging the divide between western psychology and indigenous wisdom in collaboration with healers in Huaulta de Jiminez, Mexico for the past 30 years. She is a co-founder of the Center for Consciousness Medicine, which trains people to become guides in a holistic method of psychedelic-assisted therapy. She is also the co-author of Consciousness Medicine, published by North Atlantic Books.
Françoise served on the advisory board for the Oregon Prop 109 initiative and is currently collaborating with the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in an FDA-approved research study on psilocybin-assisted therapy for Covid-related grief.
She has a Master of Arts in Somatic Psychology and is trained in the Hakomi Method. Françoise has taught at CIIS in San Francisco, is a counselor, and runs online courses and lectures in various institutions.
Psychedelic Assisted Therapy: Bridging the divide between indigenous wisdom and western psychology
World Happiness Festival
About the World Happiness Fest: The World Happiness Fest is an annual 6 day Happiness Celebration. This series of events is the most diverse, and polycentric global happiness forum, reaching over 10M people in 2021 in over 40 countries. The World Happiness Week unites the leading happiness and well-being experts from the fields of education, business, science, art, technology, music, and policy. Throughout the week we have a series of events happening both digitally and, whenever possible in-person. From our Central Stage in Spain, to our online Digital Summit, Global Agoras taking place in 80 cities around the world, and our Conscious Kids Fest, this week brings the world together to celebrate happiness and well-being as new paradigms for human progress.
Wall Street Journal: How Psychedelic Drugs Are Making a Comeback to Treat Depression
The hallucinogenic compound psilocybin is undergoing a renaissance-not as a recreational drug but as a potential treatment for mental health conditions. We follow the journey of one participant of a scientific study into the psychedelic drug’s effect on depression.
Training Psychedelic Facilitators For The Legalization Of Psilocybin In Oregon (Measure 109) With Françoise Bourzat
The passing of Measure 109 in Oregon was a pivotal moment for the psychedelic movement. By 2023, qualified practitioners will be able to legally administer psilocybin for therapeutic purposes. In this episode, Laura Dawn speaks with psychedelic pioneer Francoise Bourzat who is part of designing the curriculum to train practitioners to safely and legally support their clients’ healing process through the intentional consumption of sacred mushrooms.
Weaving Worlds: Indigenous Traditions & Western Psychotherapy
In February, we filmed this unique cross-cultural conversation, comparing Mazatec healing traditions and Western psychotherapy. We are excited to present this very special episode, featuring:
Eugenia Casimiro (Mazatec healer), Françoise Bourzat, (guide & author). In conversation w/ Ismail Ali, MAPS
Françoise Bourzat: Psilocybin or Mushrooms – Psilocybin Summit 2020
Françoise Bourzat is a counselor in the San Francisco Bay Area. In collaboration with healers in Huautla de Jimenez, Mexico, she has practiced and guided ceremonies with sacred mushrooms for the last 30 years. She teaches at CIIS in San Francisco, runs online courses and lectures in various institutions. She is one of the lead investigators in an FDA approved research on psilocybin assisted therapy for Covid related grief in Los Angeles. She trains psychedelic guides internationally and is the author of the book entitled Consciousness Medicine, North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, CA
Traditional Mazatec psilocybin mushroom healing with Françoise Bourzat. Living Mirrors #20
Françoise Bourzat is a counselor trained in Somatic Psychology and body-centered psychotherapy. She works as a guide with expanded states of consciousness for healing. She trains others to be therapists and facilitators and taught at the California Institute of Integral Studies. She trained for twenty years in the indigenous Mazatec tradition of healing with psilocybin mushrooms and is the author of the book Consciousness Medicine: Indigenous Wisdom, Entheogens, and Expanded States of Consciousness for Healing and Growth which is what we talk about today.
Spirit Medicine Francoise Bourzat and Christopher Bache: East West Bookstore
PSILOCYBIN THERAPY AND MUSHROOM WISDOM – FRANCOISE BOURZAT AND DR. ROSALIND WATTS ~ ATTMIND 127
The premise is simple: Two highly accomplished women in Psyolcybin therapy – one in scientific research and the other in traditional medicine – come together to share and compare notes.
The theory is a bit more complicated: the discourse that unfolds in this episode is like hyphae (mind’s) meeting and together nourishing (conversing) a larger mycelial network (the conversation itself) to fruit (the episode) and spore (you listening to it). And, hopefully, the ideas will hypha in you and, eventually, the process will repeat through further discourse, inoculating the culture at large.
Lofty goals, I know, but not unreasonable given the brilliant wealth of knowledge, experience, and wisdom each of these women—Francoise Bourzat and Rosalind Watts—bring to the conversation.
Mind-Expansion: Healing And Growth with Valeria Teles of Fit for Joy
Recent research into the healing potential of psychedelic substances has sparked a resurgence of interest in LSD, mushrooms, and other mind-expanding psychotropic substances. Yet without adequate preparation and counseling during and after the use of psychedelics, much of the transformative potential of these experiences is lost.
Francoise Bourzat’s work provides clear guidance for people using psychedelics and other transformational processes for healing or for their spiritual development, as well as for the therapists who are guiding them along the journey.
Consciousness Medicine: Conversations with Françoise Bourzat about Bridging an Ancient Lineage with Traditional Psychotherapy
In this conversation, we talk about Francoise’s personal experience and journey into psychedelics, the special magic of mushrooms, and the work that she is currently doing to address some of the very real problems we face in the world now.
What you will learn:
-
How psychedelics can facilitate a process of liberation, open fields of compassion and allow a person to feel/heal more deeply
-
Some characteristics of indigenous traditions and the unique ways in which they educate individuals to do medicine work; how to ensure respect while engaging in practices from other cultures
-
Why a guide is so important in psychedelic work, and how Francoise is bridging the gap between ancient traditions and contemporary psychotherapy
-
How psilocybin may be able to support the mental health pandemic and the complex grief that so many face with losses due to Covid 19
-
What it’s been like as a woman working in the psychedelic space
Psychedelics as Consciousness Medicine: StephenGray Vision interviews Françoise Bourzat
Hard-won insights and knowledge on spiritual awakening, psychedelics, cannabis, and the future of humanity. Inspirational interviews with visionaries and thought-leaders.
Into the Work of Françoise Bourzat
Babble with a Pyschonaut
“This was an absolutely amazing discussion with Francoise Bourzat, the highly respected Psychologist behind the book Consciousness Medicine. If you have a respect for psychedelia and the healing effects it can have in the proper (and legal) settings, her book and this episode is for you. We talk briefly about rave/party culture, her book, and some new research in the field of psychedelic psychotherapy. You don’t want to miss this one!”
LACE (w/Francoise Bourzat)
Clever Creature with Jason Gots
“What if faith is paradoxically what we need the most/in these Facebook days when everything is giving up the ghost?” The random word of the episode—”Lace”—plants a seed that grows into a trip-hop tune about cognitive biases, an existential weird-fiction detective story, and a deep dive with Consciousness Medicine author Françoise Bourzat on psychedelics and psychological healing.”
Françoise Bourzat on Delic Radio
Consciousness Medicine with Françoise Bourzat
Fungi Day: Women Psychedelic Leaders
Fungi Day: Women Psychedelic Leaders
Join some of the many women leading the psychedelic movement to discuss the current challenges and possibilities we face to birth the use of psychedelics during this critical time. Featuring: Pam Kryskow, MD, Researcher, Educator, Physician Mary Cosimano, M.S.W, Johns Hopkins University Amy Emerson, MAPS Executive Director and Director of Clinical Research Francoise Bourzat, Therapist and Author Moderated by Marcina Hale, Therapist and Filmmaker
Fungi Day: Shift In Consciousness
Fungi Day: Shift in Consciousness
Featuring Futurist and Storyteller Jason Silva, Mycologist Paul Stamets, Anthropologist and Author Jeremy Narby, Therapist and Author Francoise Bourzat and moderated by Filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg.
We have to shift our consciousness to gain the perspective we need to bring about change. We have not changed our behavior in response to the science and the facts. We need to speak to the heart, to understand how we are all connected, because we will protect what we love.
DEEPENING OUR RELATIONSHIP TO THE SACRED MUSHROOMS – Adventures Through The Mind 119
There are many culturally specific names for the psilocybin mushrooms, some begin, others revering. Each name, however, carries a complex of meaning that reflects where the mushrooms reside in that cultural context of use. That context, internal and external, positions the mushrooms in relationship to the user, and the user in relationship to the mushrooms. The meaningness of those relationships informs the subjective nuances of the mushroom experience, awakening (or officiating) the profound value they might offer us in becoming better, healthier, happier people.
Preview of Weaving Worlds: Indigenous Traditions & Western Psychotherapy
Weaving Worlds: Indigenous Traditions & Western Psychotherapy with Eugenia Casimiro, Mazatec healer; Françoise Bourzat, guide and autoher; interviewed by Ismail Ali of MAPS
Podcast with Future Primitive, by Joanna Harcourt-Smith
Sam Harris: WAKING UP COURSE – THE PSYCHEDELIC EXPERIENCE A Conversation with Françoise Bourzat
Follow the link below for a free 3 month trial of the Waking Up Course with Sam Harris. Once you are logged into Waking Up, choose Settings>Redeem promo code and enter in the code BOURZAT to start your trial and listen to my interview.
Yzl Zenlife Interview with Françoise Bourzat and Daniel Ahearn
The powerful healer and teacher Francoise Bourzat joins Daniel Ahearn to discuss Plant-Medicine and the process and potential of this technology. It is a powerful conversation and a deeply rewarding experience hearing her share her wisdom.
Technique and Ritual of the Mazatec
Mt. Tam Psilocybin Summit, September, 2019
Berkeley Talks: Consciousness guide on using psychedelics as medicine
Indigenous Traditional Healing Techniques in Altered States of Consciousness With Françoise Bourzat
New Dimensions Radio
Magical Mystery Tour with Tonio Epstein, WGDR – June 28, 2019
Mind Byte with Francoise Bourzat – Science and Consciousness, Tucscon, AZ, 2013
Francoise Bourzat at the Los Angeles Psychedelic Science Symposium – June 2018, UCLA
Articles
NEO.LIFE: INSIDE THE MOVEMENT TO DECOLONIZE PSYCHEDELIC PHARMA
“Sabina’s legacy of bringing magic mushrooms to the West lives on—perhaps more powerfully than she could ever have imagined. Today, psilocybin-assisted therapy is on the precipice of FDA approval and already a billion-dollar industry. As we enter a new phase of an ancient experiment in the use of mind-expanding plant compounds for healing purposes, the story of María Sabina serves as a cautionary tale for the emerging psychedelic pharma industry—and a reminder of the long and complicated history of these medicines.”
Expanded States of Consciousness for Healing and Growth: Chacruna
“Through our healing process, expanded states can teach us to have compassion and love for the child who endured and invite our healthy, original self to trust in life again.
Perhaps the greatest gift expanded states of consciousness offer is the opportunity to reconnect with the aspect of ourselves that is always already whole. Beyond the wounds and belief systems exists an original, essential being. This is the self that remains unscathed, wise, and healthy despite all we have endured. It is the innocent self that entered childhood, expecting the environment to be safe and loving and caretakers to be respectful and kind. Through our healing process, expanded states can teach us to have compassion and love for the child who endured and invite our healthy, original self to trust in life again.”
How to Have a Safe Psychedelic Trip
“One of the key aims of integration, Bourzat explains, is to carry the beneficial aspects of the psychedelic journey into everyday life. ‘If someone had a beautiful experience of nature, then I would suggest to actually cultivate that aspect in everyday life. People need to pay attention to that experience, and maintain the goodness that was connected with in the journey,’ she says. Or when someone connects with a loved one they had lost during the journey, felt love and tenderness and possibly dealt with some unfinished business, then I would suggest some ritual in real life – writing to the deceased person or beginning a journal and making that part of their life.’”
Integration, Rippling
Francoise Bourzat on Medium, May, 2020
“My work in guiding people through mushroom experiences has shown me, over and over, that everyone wants a better harmony with themselves, their family and the world around them. As our current societal conversation starts to include the world of psychedelics and their promise for treatments, the interest in creating companies around their manufacturing and distribution is starting to rapidly emerge.
Some of the leaders in this field have consulted with me, and I have heard some investors and entrepreneurs share their own “come to Jesus” moments during psychedelic experiences; they connected with their pain or their isolation and somehow, they landed in the graced space of peace. And as they did so, they woke up to the sacred nature of the psychedelic experience itself.”
Expanded States of Consciousness for Healing and Growth – Utne Reader
Francoise Bourzat with Kristina Hunter, Utne Reader Online, August 2019
Like all explorers, we are drawn to discover what’s out there without knowing yet if we have the courage to face it.
—Pema Chödrön
“Over many millennia, humans have explored the vast reaches of our planet: its deserts, oceans, mountain ranges, and forests. Throughout our evolution we have developed numerous civilizations, cultures, languages, weapons, and foods. We have discovered and studied animals, plants, fungi, and minerals. Meanwhile, for as long as we have been exploring our external world, we have pursued the equally fascinating realms of our inner world. There is evidence that humans have been exploring consciousness for thousands of years.”
Returning Home: The Art of Integration
Francoise Bourzat, MAPS Bulletin Spring 2019: Vol. 29, No. 1
“In indigenous cultures, because ritual is woven in with day-to-day life, there is less of a need for intentional integration practices. The community often engages in ritual as a group, and each person is likely to receive support from friends and family. The person facilitating the ritual, the local curandera or shaman, often lives in the village and can keep an eye on those who were present. In our modern industrialized world, while rituals and ceremonies are gaining popularity in many communities and cultures, many journeyers return to their family, work, or school, after an extraordinary experience and find there is minimal appreciation or understanding from others. This leaves many journeyers with few people to connect with and a potential sense of isolation. Thus, the integration process is something we must intentionally create in order to honor these experiences in the best way.”
Mind Shift, San Francisco Magazine
April 26, 2019, Dan Lattin, San Francisco Magazine
“Françoise Bourzat, who offers “shamanic counseling” out of offices in Noe Valley and on the Peninsula, has been leading magic mushroom pilgrimages to Mexico for the past 20 years. She works with medicine women of the Mazatec tribe in Huautla de Jiménez, a town in the state of Oaxaca. The mushroom cult in that remote village was “discovered” in a famous 1957 Life magazine profile of the healer María Sabina, who blended shamanic rituals and Catholic devotional practices.”
Sacred Mushrooms of the Mazatec Tradition: Transforming the Inner Landscape of the Human Psyche on Chacruna.net
April 5, 2019, Chacruna.net
“What I have learned from Julieta, beyond her words, is that this path of healing is about an intimate relationship with the Earth; it is about people walking on the mountain trails with awe and of seeing the fog filling the valley in the evening. This path is about community, it is about the children and an entire family living in a large compound where people laugh, cry, argue, and stay together. It is about how the marketplace is the heart of a town where people meet and interact. This path of healing is made of these many aspects, creating a life of wholeness and connectedness.”
© 2019 Françoise Bourzat. All Rights Reserved