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#372 - New Epstein Files, Trump, The Pope & Psychedelic Holy War | Travis Kitchens

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Feb 20, 2026

Guest

Travis Kitchens

Travis Kitchens, freelance journalist and former Johns Hopkins psychedelic research subject, explores psychedelic research history and cultural fallout. He discusses MDMA controversies, allegations around secret funding and paranormal experiments, and how elite influence shows up in art, science, and longevity circles. Expect sharp takes on media, cults, and the murky intersections of drugs, power, and research.

03:50:51

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ANECDOTE

How A Hopkins Subject Became A Reporter

Travis Kitchens recounts researching Ralph Hood and discovering his role shaping Hopkins' questionnaires after experiencing psychedelics at Johns Hopkins.
He turned that research into a long article rejected by New York Times Magazine for mixing serpent-handling and psychedelics.

insights

INSIGHT

Psychedelics: Dual-Use Technologies

Psychedelics are neutral technologies with both therapeutic and military uses, prompting ethical scrutiny.
Kitchens warns against uncritical industry optimism and calls for balanced investigative reporting.

insights

INSIGHT

AI Centralization Threatens Information Literacy

Rapid adoption of ChatGPT-style AI centralizes information and risks intellectual laziness and copyright concerns.
Kitchens urges skepticism and selective use rather than blind reliance on AI summaries.

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Symposia vs. MDMA Approval Battle

01:34 • 3min

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MAPS, Rick Doblin and MDMA History

04:20 • 3min

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Ralph Hood, Questionnaires and Serpent Handling

07:11 • 3min

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Industry Stakes, Criticism and Consumer Advocates

Psychedelics as Neutral Technology

16:11 • 3min

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Critical Reporting vs. Industry Hype

18:52 • 1min

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Accusations of Informants and Underground Therapy

20:18 • 1min

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Modern Journalism and Editing Disputes

21:29 • 3min

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Information Overload and Consumer Sophistication

ChatGPT, AI Distillation & Cultural Effects

32:14 • 8min

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Epstein Files: Funding Scientists and Remote Viewing

40:16 • 6min

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Who Was Jeffrey Epstein?

46:33 • 11min

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Media, Leaks, and Civilization-Revealing Documents

57:14 • 1min

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Health, Longevity Figures Tied to Epstein

58:29 • 2min

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Art Laundering, Polanski Exhibit and Academic Complicity

01:00:23 • 5min

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Noam Chomsky, Military Funding and Reputation

01:05:52 • 6min

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Historical Mind-Control Projects and Jolly West

01:11:46 • 4min

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Charles Manson, MKUltra Links and Theories

01:16:03 • 7min

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Showmanship, Con Men, and the Media Marketplace

01:23:18 • 14min

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Scientology, Clearwater and Cult Wealth

01:36:50 • 19min

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Remote Viewing, Dean Radin and Paranormal Funding

01:55:20 • 6min

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Psychedelics, Telepathy and DMT Experiences

02:01:32 • 7min

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Psychedelic Churches and Legal Battles

02:09:00 • 2min

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New Psychedelic Plants and Changa Blends

02:11:30 • 3min

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John C. Lilly, Dolphins and Sensory Deprivation

02:14:52 • 20min

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Epstein Files' Cultural Shockwaves

02:35:10 • 15min

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UFOs, Bob Lazar and Extraterrestrial Debates

02:50:20 • 15min

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Life Beyond Earth and Intelligent Design

03:05:02 • 15min

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Ancient Mysteries, Pyramids and Cultural Memory

Gary Stewart: I Am From the Honky-Tonks

The definitive telling of the life of the late, great honky-tonk legend

Jimmy McDonough

This 544-page hardback chronicles the life of Gary Stewart, the '70s honky-tonk singer-songwriter known for living his songs intensely. Drawing from hundreds of hours of interviews with Stewart, his wife Mary Lou, band members, producers, and icons such as Willie Nelson, Tanya Tucker, and Charley Pride, author Jimmy McDonough delivers an in-depth, vivid portrait including never-before-seen photos. McDonough calls it his final biography after landmark works on Neil Young and Tammy Wynette.

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The Immortality Key

The Secret History of the Religion with No Name

Brian C. Muraresku

In 'The Immortality Key', Brian Muraresku reconstructs the suppressed history of psychedelics in ancient Greek and early Christian rituals. Through a 12-year investigation, Muraresku connects the lost psychedelic sacrament of Greek religion to early Christianity, exposing the true origins of Western Civilization. He accesses hidden archives of the Louvre and the Vatican, and collaborates with archaeochemists to unveil the first scientific evidence of psychedelic drug use in classical antiquity. The book challenges traditional views of Christianity and Western history, suggesting that psychedelics were integral to the development of these cultures.

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The Kingdom of Speech

Tom Wolfe

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Walden Two

B.F. Skinner

Published in 1948, 'Walden Two' is a utopian novel written by B.F. Skinner. The story follows Professor Burris and two young men who visit a community called Walden Two, founded by T.E. Frazier. This community operates on principles of behavioral modification, where members are conditioned from an early age to be productive and happy. The community is egalitarian, with a minimal workday, no wages, and a focus on education, entertainment, and communal living. The novel discusses various intellectual topics such as behavioral modification, political ethics, and the common good, highlighting the experimental and adaptive nature of the community's social and economic structures.

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Escape from Freedom

Erich Fromm

In 'Escape from Freedom', Erich Fromm examines the human relationship with freedom, distinguishing between 'freedom from' (negative freedom) and 'freedom to' (positive freedom). The book discusses how the rise of democracy and the destruction of feudal societies led to a new kind of freedom that many individuals found overwhelming. Fromm argues that this sense of freedom can lead to feelings of alienation, anxiety, and a desire to escape these feelings through mechanisms such as authoritarianism, destructiveness, and automatic conformity. He also analyzes the psychosocial conditions that facilitated the rise of Nazism and other totalitarian regimes. The book is divided into sections that explore the historical transition from medieval to modern society, the psychological factors at play in contemporary society, and the dissection of authoritarian societies with a vision of potential alternatives.

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Doors of Perception

Aldous Huxley

In this book, Huxley recounts his first psychedelic experience with mescaline in May 1953. He describes how the drug altered his perception of the world, making ordinary objects and experiences take on profound aesthetic and philosophical significance. Huxley draws on various philosophical and spiritual traditions, including those of William Blake, Meister Eckhart, Plato, and Buddhism, to contextualize his insights. The book challenges conventional views on perception and reality, suggesting that certain substances can reveal deeper aspects of existence that are normally filtered out by the human brain's 'reducing valve'

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Travis Kitchens was a psychedelic research subject for Johns Hopkins University who eventually uncovered a secret plan to revive religion with drugs. Travis is currently a freelance journalist who writes extensively on the history and philosophy of psychedelic research. He lives in Kentucky.