
View from the Far Side
THE VISIONARY BLOG BY DENNIS MCKENNA
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What Can Ancient Plant Wisdom Teach Us About Healing in the Modern World?
Imagine walking through a dense rainforest with an indigenous elder who can identify hundreds of plants by sight, smell, and touch—knowing precisely which leaf can cure a fever, which root can ease pain, and which bark can purify water. This profound relationship between people and plants lies at the heart of ethnobotany, a fascinating interdisciplinary […]
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What Can Ancient Plant Wisdom Teach Us About Healing in the Modern World?
Imagine walking through a dense rainforest with an indigenous elder who can identify hundreds of plants by sight, smell, and touch—knowing precisely which leaf can cure a fever, which root can ease pain, and which bark can purify water. This profound relationship between people and plants lies at the heart of ethnobotany, a fascinating interdisciplinary […]
What is Sceletium Tortuosum (Kanna) and How Can It Benefit Anxiety, Depression, Addiction, and Insomnia?
Sceletium tortuosum, commonly known as Kanna, is a succulent plant indigenous to South Africa that has piqued the interest of botanists, medical professionals, and ethnobotanists for centuries. Its journey from traditional use by the San people to becoming the subject of modern clinical research encapsulates a fascinating intersection of botany, history, pharmacology, and potential therapeutic […]
In Service of Ayahuasca – A Medical Doctor’s Journey Into an Ancient Healing Tradition
Order the book here In Service of AyahuascaA Medical Doctor’s Journey Into an Ancient Healing Tradition Foreword byDon José Campos, Peruvian Vegetalista(translated by Ali Iwaskow) The term vegetalista was coined by the healers of the Amazon rainforest to describe themselves. In the mountains you won’t hear the term used, nor on the coast; it is […]
Telluride Mushroom Festival
Telluride Mushroom Festival Another significant event took place in August. This was the annual Telluride Mushroom Festival. The last time I attended was 2017 so it was nice to return to this beautiful mountain town and hang out with a great group of fellow myco-nuts. The TMF is now recognized as one of the premier […]
“Life is a journey, always with ups and downs. Sometimes one scales mountains, and sometimes one descends into the abyss. I’ve lived long enough to have done both, several times…”
Dennis McKenna Ph.D.




