Podcast Summary: Before We Go
Episode: Barry Blechman Takes a Journey
Host: Dr. Shoshana Ungerleider
Guests: Barry Blechman, Dr. Anthony ("Tony") Bach
Date: October 9, 2025
Overview
This episode delves into the experience of Barry Blechman, a cancer survivor and seasoned patient, as he confronts anxiety, grief, and mortality following his diagnoses. The focus is on his transformative journey with psilocybin-assisted therapy, a psychedelic treatment increasingly studied for its benefits in end-of-life care. Host Shoshana Ungerleider weaves Barry’s narrative with expert insights from Dr. Anthony Bach, exploring not only the science and promise of psychedelics, but also the human search for meaning, healing, and peace amid terminal illness.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Barry’s Cancer Journey (00:06–03:24)
- Family History and Diagnosis:
Barry reveals, “Cancer is my family's middle name. My mother had six cancers. My grandfather had cancer. My grandmother had cancer. It's in the genes.” (00:06) - First Cancer & Colostomy:
Diagnosed with bowel cancer in his 40s, Barry’s surgery resulted in a “worst nightmare” colostomy, later reversed after two years. - Relapse after Decades:
“I always figured that cancer would re-enter my life one day. When it did, it was in my bladder.” (01:21)
Facing a widespread recurrence during COVID lockdown, Barry endured major surgery, isolation, and aggressive immunotherapy.
2. Emotional Aftermath & Seeking Relief (03:06–05:10)
- Anxiety and Depression:
Barry describes lingering distress: “I didn't feel much like having a good time. Since his cancer diagnosis, he'd been anxious and depressed.” (03:06) - Introduction to Psilocybin Therapy:
Inspired by his daughter Jenny, a palliative care doctor, and studies by Roland Griffiths, Barry considers psilocybin-assisted therapy.
3. Preparing for the Psilocybin Journey (04:48–08:34)
- Arranging Therapy in Oregon:
“We talked once a month, and it was like having a psychiatric session... decided to go out there and do a journey. Yeah, we don't say trip. That's trivial. We do journeys when it's under medical supervision.” (04:48, Barry) - Personal Hopes:
Barry’s goals: “I tend not to be in the moment... I'll be at a concert, enjoying it, but I'm not lost in the music because then tomorrow you have to make sure that the patio gets washed. Dumb things like that.” (05:16)
4. The Psilocybin Experience – First Journey (08:34–11:12)
- Clinic Setting & Onset:
The setting felt “almost like a child care place,” with low furniture and colorful decor (08:34). After ingesting psilocybin tea, “the journey began.” - Transformative Visions:
- Stuck on a Christmas sled (“...I couldn't get off the roof.”, 09:06), later soaring after more tea.
- Confronting trauma: “I screamed at him, I yelled at him, I beat him up. And I was very therapeutic. Felt very good about it.” (09:44, about the surgeon who botched his first procedure)
- Lingering Effects:
“It just became less worried about things, unimportant things, more able to appreciate nice things.” (10:56)
5. The Second Journey & Shifting Perspectives (11:12–12:47)
- More Challenging Session:
Nightmarish imagery: “It was a dark cavern, it was ugly. There was surgical things and IVs hanging down. This was my personal nightmares.” (11:20)- With support, he emerged and “the rest of that journey was fun, although shorter.”
- Acceptance of Mortality:
Shift in attitude: “I don't want to die... But I can accept it.” (12:25)
6. The Science of Psychedelic Therapy (12:47–19:10)
- Dr. Anthony Bach’s Story:
Inspired by loss of his mother, Tony became a leader in end-of-life care and psychedelics research.- “A whole bunch of that was this process of coming to terms with what it means to be present in the face of something really awful.” (13:34)
- How Psilocybin Works:
Mechanism: “Psilocin binds to serotonin receptors in the brain and changes the way that different parts of the brain communicate with each other.” (17:48, Dr. Bach)- Dissolution of ego, surfacing of buried memories and emotions.
- Importance of Guided Experience:
Tony emphasizes: “This is not a do it yourself kind of thing. You actually need to have somebody with you…” (15:25)
7. Collective Healing & Clinical Trials (19:10–23:19)
- Nature Retreat Model:
Group settings facilitate shared stories and mutual support: “That is as powerful as anything I say as a doctor.” (19:57, Dr. Bach) - Participant Testimony:
A patient writes: “I objectified my cancer and wanted to be angry at it and yell and scream and then started laughing... So I gave it a hug and loved and forgave... I realize that death is love.” (21:10, quoted by Dr. Bach) - Balanced Perspective:
Dr. Bach reminds listeners, “You will still have moments when you're worried... they're not usually as sticky, and you may have more ways of dealing with them...” (23:25)
8. Integration and Lived Changes (24:38–27:13)
- Layered Healing:
Dr. Bach: “What is really driving that? Anger and frustration and disappointment is this lower layer of what is happening to me?” (24:38) - Open Questions:
“There's hardly any science [on repeat experiences]... I don't think [one treatment] is true, but... how people work through them, that is clearly a complicated thing...” (26:43, Dr. Bach) - Hope for Wider Access:
“I’m hoping that... there will be ways for people to access psychedelic medicines in a way that is completely safe and legal…” (27:13)
9. Barry’s Reflections on Life After Therapy (28:00–34:08)
- Embracing Life:
“I've had almost three years and I've had with my partner Kitty, the most wonderful experiences.” (28:04)- Traveling to Patagonia, Seychelles, Cape Town, Paris, the Olympics, and more.
- Philosophy of Death:
Quoting Carlos Castaneda: “The only way to truly appreciate life is to recognize your death and live with it on your shoulder.” (29:13) - Patagonia Vision:
“I was totally relaxed. Like, I don’t think I’ve ever been that relaxed. And then I felt this Hispanic man walking up behind me... I said, oh, you’re my death... But I’m not ready. I’m having a good time…” (30:13) - Living Fully, Facing Limitations:
“Within my circumscribed life, trying to make the most of it. I mean, I don’t want to die, but I’m not afraid of it.” (32:25)- On music: “I’ve listened to, oh, a cello player recently and just gotten completely lost in the music... That I attribute to psilocybin.” (34:01)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On Family Legacy:
“Cancer is my family's middle name.” (00:06, Barry) - On Confronting Trauma in Psilocybin Therapy:
“I screamed at him, I yelled at him, I beat him up. And I was very therapeutic.” (09:44, Barry) - On Acceptance:
“I don’t want to die... But I can accept it.” (12:25, Barry) - On Love and Death:
“I wrestled with the idea of death and it didn't seem possible to die... I realize that death is love.” (21:51, Dr. Bach quoting a patient) - On Living with Death as a Companion:
“The only way to truly appreciate life is... to recognize your death and live with it on your shoulder.” (29:13, Barry/quoting Castaneda) - On Life’s Final Chapter:
“I don’t want to die, but I’m not afraid of it... I’m so grateful for the extra years that the immunotherapy gave me and all the wonderful things I did.” (32:25)
Important Segment Timestamps
- Family cancer legacy & first diagnosis: 00:06–00:41
- Bladder cancer diagnosis and treatment: 01:21–02:41
- Discovery of psilocybin therapy: 03:24–04:48
- Therapy preparation & intentions: 04:48–05:47
- Barry's first psilocybin journey: 08:34–11:12
- Second journey and mortality: 11:20–12:47
- Dr. Bach’s personal & professional perspective: 12:55–19:10
- Psilocybin group retreat and patient testimony: 19:43–22:50
- Integration & science of multiple sessions: 24:38–27:13
- Barry on living fully and presence after therapy: 28:04–32:25
- Barry’s philosophical reflection on death (Patagonia story): 29:55–31:54
- Barry’s final months and death: 34:08
Episode Conclusion
Barry's story is a testament to the healing potential—not just of medicine, but of meaning, presence, and the courage to look mortality squarely in the eye. Psilocybin allowed him to diminish old wounds and savor the beauty of life, inspiring not just patients with cancer, but anyone facing the reality of loss and impermanence. Dr. Bach’s research and experience underscore the hope and complexity of psychedelic therapy, as the field strives toward broader, safer access for those in need.
Final Note:
After recording, Barry passed away peacefully, surrounded by his daughters and partner—fulfilling the ending he had hoped for.