# 18 Exploring Ecstasy: Psychedelics, Healing, and Connection with Charley Winninger

Exploring Reality, Maybe

In this episode of Exploring Reality Maybe, step into a world of healing, connection, and transformation with Charley Winninger, psychotherapist, psychoanalyst, and author of Listening to Ecstasy. Known as an elder in New York’s psychedelic community, Charley brings 35 years of therapeutic expertise to our conversation, exploring the profound ways psychedelics can support emotional health and facilitate deeper, more meaningful connections. He shares his journey from corporate life to counseling, revealing his lifelong dedication to becoming "part of the solution" in a world filled with isolation and suffering.

Charley explains how MDMA, often called the "love drug," holds unique power in trauma healing and couples therapy. From releasing an “uncanny cocktail” of bonding hormones to fostering empathy and openness, MDMA creates a safe space for individuals to face past trauma and rediscover connection with themselves and others. Charley describes how, as a non-hallucinogenic drug, MDMA provides a way for people to "roll" through difficult emotions and break free from their mental barriers—all within a therapeutic setting. This drug, he argues, is a paradigm-busting tool that could potentially redefine traditional views on mental health and healing.

We also discuss the broader social and political potential of psychedelics to bridge divides and foster unity in a polarized world. Charley explains how shared MDMA experiences can build empathy, transform communities, and help us reconnect on a deeply human level beyond politics. Through his own unique gatherings of "serious fun," Charley offers a vision for using psychedelics to nurture compassion and connection in society, where people can come together, heal, and build relationships that last. As the 2024 election approaches, tune in for an enlightening journey into the mind and heart of how to be with each other in a divided world.