The Mescaline Garden Podcast | Podcast on Podbay

The Mescaline Garden Podcast

Dr Liam Engel

Dr Liam Engel seeks to connect people and plants through an exploration of knowledges and expertise concerning psychoactive plants, especially mescaline-containing cacti.

This episode features Micromegas; mythologist, cactus grower and long-term explorer of the ancient cultures of Peru and Australia.Micromegas shares insights into the archaeology, mythology and living traditions surrounding San Pedro cactus, from the ceremonial landscapes of Chavín and the iconography of ancient Peruvian cultures, to contemporary healing practices and his own experiences travelling in Peru. We discuss the importance of ritual, community and shared systems of meaning in shaping psychedelic experiences, contrasting these with the modern Western emphasis on individual revelation and personal development.The conversation extends beyond San Pedro to broader questions of culture, Indigenous knowledge and the transmission of tradition. Micromegas reflects on the challenges of integrating profound psychedelic experiences outside their original cultural frameworks, the role of mythology in preserving knowledge across generations, and the similarities and differences between Indigenous Peruvian and Aboriginal Australian worldviews. Together, we explore how cultures embed meaning within landscape, ceremony and story, and what ancient traditions can teach us about our relationship with place, ancestry and the psychoactive plants that have accompanied humanity for thousands of years.

Jul 2

1 hr 32 min