PT 632 - Megan Portnoy MS - Ontological Design, Psychedelic Spaces, and Integrating Rigor
Psychedelics Today
Psychedelics Today, LLC
4.6 • 598 Ratings
🗓️ 14 October 2025
⏱️ 93 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this episode, Joe Moore talks with Megan Portnoy, a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at Antioch University New England, about how ontological design can reshape the environments used in psychedelic-assisted therapy. Megan explains how physical space is not just a backdrop but an active participant in the therapeutic process, influencing emotion, cognition, and healing.
She recently won an award for her presentation on this topic at PsychedelX.
They explore how design principles that foster awe, play, and flexibility can deepen integration and expand what's possible in clinical settings. The conversation also examines how psychedelic communities can balance openness with discernment, apply more psychological rigor, and avoid falling into ungrounded or high-demand group dynamics.
This rich discussion bridges psychology, philosophy, design, and culture—inviting us to think critically about not only how we use psychedelics, but the spaces, systems, and stories that shape our collective evolution.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello, everybody and welcome back to psychedelics today. |
| 0:24.3 | This is Joe Moore. |
| 0:25.5 | Today I'm joined by Megan Portnoy, a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at Antioch University, New England. |
| 0:32.3 | Megan's work explores how ontological design, the idea that spaces we create also shape us, can transform psychedelic |
| 0:40.6 | assisted therapy. We talk about how environments can act as active participants in healing, why play |
| 0:47.2 | and flexibility matter in therapy design, and how to bring more rigor and discernment into the |
| 0:52.6 | psychedelic space. I think you'll find her perspective both refreshing and deeply relevant to where this field is headed. |
| 0:59.3 | Enjoy the episode and a quick word on how you can help us. |
| 1:04.2 | For almost 10 years, we've been building education and conversation around psychedelics through podcasts, courses, and events. Now we're bringing it all |
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| 1:34.3 | If you've ever wanted to go deeper and be part of a real psychedelic community, this is it. |
| 1:38.8 | Join us at psychedelics today.com slash navigators and become part of the movement. |
| 1:46.1 | How are you today, Megan? |
| 1:53.4 | I'm doing well. Thanks for having me on. Absolutely. We had a lovely conversation a while ago, |
| 2:00.2 | and I'm just excited to finally get you on the show. So you're a doctoral candidate working towards SciD at Antioch in New England. |
| 2:03.7 | Can you tell us a little bit about what you're up to there? Yeah. So I am in my fourth year of academics, |
| 2:10.6 | so four out of a five-year trajectory here, I'm getting my sci-D in clinical psychology. And, you know, there's no formal |
| 2:21.1 | specialty area for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, but if the regulations shake out, that's the |
| 2:27.4 | direction I'd like to go. In the meantime, my clinical work is with adults focusing on relational issues, personality disorder, and |
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